VAN MORRISON Moondance RARE ORIG UK 1970 LP MASTERPIECE

	£		92
	$		122

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Overseas packets that go through the customs system, can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to process and deliver, this IS normal. For Russia, this can take even longer and is out of my control, so please be patient.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: VAN MORRISON

Album Title: Moondance.

Producer(s): Van Morrison.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: And It Stoned Me; Moondance; Crazy Love; Caravan; Into the Mystic.

Side 2: Come Running; These Dreams of You; Brand New Day; Everyone; Glad Tidings.

Label/Format: Warner Bros – original orange format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive, side one has a small dot near the left of the hole which is a tiny ‘splash’ in manufacture. Regarding spindle marks – a tale of two sides – one has a tiny few fine ones, side two moderate in number but still fine with modest visibility viewed normally. It appears side one has been played more than two on this evidence which is never conclusive in this respect. What is certain, this classic and rare original offers fantastic sound for most of it’s entirety accept the title song – band two, side one – this has a small mark that does emit sporadic clicks for around half it’s duration. They are not too loud andn a little patchy but can be heard at times. This apart, the sound is superb with little else unwanted, hence I have no qualms in offering what is a quite rare album. So not a copy for the perfectionist, but if a little gentle reminder you are listening to a 42+-year-old record is acceptable, this is a supreme experience.

Cat Number: WS 1835.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 150 grams. A typical orange-label Warner heavyweight

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce as an original. Only available for a relatively brief time on the orange label before being repressed on the green format. Then the sales took off as the legend spread.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: WS 1835 A-1 *T STEREO / WS 1835 B-1 *T STEREO

Mothers / Stampers: P 1 / L 1

Musicians: Van Morrison – vocals, guitar, rhythm guitar, tambourine, harmonica; Jack Schroer – alto and soprano saxophones; Collin Tilton – flute, tenor saxophone; Jef Labes – organ, piano, clavinet; John Platania – guitar, rhythm guitar; John Klingberg – bass; Gary Mallaber – drums, vibraphone; Guy Masson – conga; Emily Houston, Judy Clay, Jackie Verdell – backing vocals.

Brief Artist & Album Info: How any artist could possibly follow up one of the greatest albums ever made was uncertain. Astral Weeks was an achievement of monumental proportions and it’s status as a popular music masterpiece is beyond dispute. Where on previous recordings Van Morrison had implied soul and R&B roots, on Moondance he set them free. He had rarely sounded so relaxed, whether on the bubbling joy of ‘And it Stoned Me’, the finger-tapping ease of the title track or the celebratory bliss of ‘Caravan’. Morrison revelled in the music’s tight arrangements, which has greater use of brass than used on the previous album. More stunningly beautiful songs, all a little shorter than featured on Astral, none better than the haunting ‘Into the Mystic’ and the uptempo ‘Come Running’ and ‘These Dreams of You’. A very soulful album and pure class. Commercially more successful than Astral, even charting at 32 in the UK and 29 in the US. That said this is a very difficult album to find as an original on the orange WB label, this would have been one of the later one pressed on this format, it changed to the more familiar green labels around 1971. For those who did buy this initially, many played it to near destruction, thus finding any copy still offering fine clean sound is difficult. As stated further up, this is NOT perfect as there is a small mark on the title song. It has clicks from the beginning to around half way – these being a little sporadic and not overly loud, but they CAN be heard. The remainder of the song, and indeed the rest of the album plays superby. So there is no way I cannot offer this evergreen classic. Personally, I can tolerate more low-level clicks over groove wear and distortion, of which this record has none. The clicks on ‘Moondance’ are not too loud and are only likely to concern the very intolerant listener. But I am in no way trying to mask the fact they ARE present, so only consider if this fairly brief flaw is not an issue. This copy has far more positives than negatives and I enjoyed what is my first vinyl copy of this for ages. A second consecutive classic for Morrison, and, even with the relatively brief blemish, I enjoyed it immensely.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: a single unlaminated format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse.

Cover Front: Both front and back have the least wear I have seen on an original. This is one that rarely wears well and is particularly prone to ring wear which is often heavy. A front that retains rich colour with only a quite light crease near the right edge. Some gentle dulling is seen more under light with any rubbing evidence to the actual ink minimal and very faint. Some rubbing to the edges and corners is lightly evident but few will ever escape that, the lack of ring wear is a huge plus.

Cover Back: The back is very similar in all respects, again, no ring wear and one of the few I have seen with barely a trace on either side.

Top Edge: This has rubbed but only really seen towards the left as the rest is white.

Bottom Edge: Light to moderate, patchy rubbing. More near the ends.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear, any thickening or burring mild and light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal compression, the text is largely all present and intact with just the odd small clip or two to a few of the letters. Again, I have seen this spine totally devoid of text, so another major plus.

Corners: The corners have all moderately rubbed and retain quite fine shape.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this elusive original early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. Both the main faces and spine are in very fine condition given the facts. These matt covers with such a thick heavy record inside for over 40 years are seldom seen a great deal better. With most of any significant wear on the top and bottom edges, this still attractive item should please many collectors, but not the highly discerning of course.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a plain white polylined inner that is UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text. The lining is very clear with minimal crinkle as seen through two immaculate window circles. One corner crease but all edges unsplit with no repairs. Still quite clean with minimal traces of seam adhesive darkening.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VERY GOOD: side two better. Side one has a few surface marks and one mark on the second song ‘Moon Dance’ that does emit several, mostly fairly light clicks for around half the track’s duration. These sporadic and reasonably gentle, they then disappear altogether – the rest of the album plays superbly. Side two has fewer marks and these less evident as seen more under angled light. Still a fine visual copy for a vintage record: clean with fine shine, intense black and heavily pressed on top quality and durable Warner vinyl. I do not offer records lighly with a mark that sounds for any significant time, but this blemish is not too heavy or long and as the rest plays so beautfully, this quite rare album has to be offered. The other more viewable marks are non-penetrating and ignored. A Very Good record by correct definition is exactly what it states – Very Good – not trashed or played into the ground. This IS still an impressive copy that many collectors will want and enjoy, but stating the obvious, not for the perfectionist.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This evergreen masterwork plays superbly except for the first half of the title song that as quite light clicks for around half it’s duration. All nine of the other songs plays SUPERBLY, with barely anything to fault at all. So much so, I can say with utmost truth, I have rarely, if ever heard the other songs sound better from an orange label original – and yes, I have had a few, albeit, not lately. All the songs offer strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or other clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Even on ‘Moondance’, the second song on side one, the clicks are not constant and they are not that loud, also reasonably well masked by the music, but they CAN be heard. I remind I play all my records on very sensitive equipment, and nothing escapes. So on less clinical systems, these fairly quite clicks would be even less apparent. Minus this one clear flaw, few copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. If the relatively brief clicks can be lived with, a copy many collectors will enjoy, and on the basis of the vast majority playing beautifully, it’s one I can still highly recommend. But for the uncompromising audiophile – they will have to wait another day – and possibly for considerable cost. If you have any doubts… etc.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.