AFFINITY UK 70 Vertigo Spiral N/M LP. CLASSIC

	£		235
	$		311

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: AFFINITY

Album Title: Affinity.

Track Listing: I Am and So Are you; Night Flight; I Wonder if I Care As Much; Mr Joy; Three Sisters; Cocoanut Grove; All Along the Watchtower.

Label/Format: Vertigo (Full spiral on side one and large spiral above the hole on side two).

Label Condition: Supreme spirals, snowy white clean and rarely, if ever, I have seen better. This pair only show very light spindle traces and no wear around the hole. For the eagle-eyed, notice that small piece of vinyl residue still attached around the hole on side two, proving this record has hardly been on a deck, this fragile residue becomes dry and brittle very fast and drops off, this is still solidly attached and this record fits tightly to my Rega spindle. This premier league Spiral classic will never be found in better condition (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Cat Number: .6360 004

Mono or Stereo: Stereo (not issued in mono).

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: Rare and one of the rarest ever in the Vertigo spiral range. This seldom gets seen or offered and one in this condition is a major rarity and must rank as one of the very rarest albums I have yet offered in real terms. This cover has the original ‘WARNING — Copyright subsists in all Vertigo recordings’ etc. on the inner gatefold.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 6360004 1Y 2 11 1 and 6360004 B1 11 3

Brief Artist & Album Info: On this most famous progressive label, never formed for huge commercial success, there are a few good bands, some average, some indifferent. Some great sleeves for sure and some less so - Affinity combines the very best of both - a classic sleeve and a masterpiece progressive album, one that simply got away around issue time. A bedrock cornerstone for any progressive or Vertigo collection this is so hard to find these days and in any condition. To find a near mint record and a near top cover is nothing short of remarkable. I have only ever seen this album three times, one was trashed. The record itself is so fine I could hardly believe it - it cost me a pretty penny just to have any chance of getting it but I can never let rare gems like this go if I get the opportunity. Affinity were fronted by vocalist Linda Hoyle, a soulful vocalist that gave her all. Guitar and keyboard drenched progressive rock that exudes pure class - this is surely one of the lost rock treasures and demand is growing even stronger for a Spiral copy. The cover, along with Caterpilla must be amongst the best in the Spiral catalogue, the beautiful turquoise hue makes this all very surreal and definitive. This cover is not quite perfect, but most would like to look half as good. There is little to fault the front and back or even the fragile edges. The centrefold has a few small ‘pull’ marks where they have become ‘fused’ probably with age, one other copy I have seen had a similar problem. Only relatively minor really, its the stunning front and back that remains the vital ingredient for a fine Affinity cover and these will not be beaten easily and the record never will.

Cover Grade and Format: Even with the small interior pull blemishes I will happily grade this as EX+. Its a gatefold format and unlaminated (like virtually all in this series). It has the 6360 004 cat number and the VO price code in a box on the top right on the back. These types as often as not have sticker tears or damage to the delicate front surfaces but this has little and avoiding the rubbing and ringwear always associated with Spiral covers is a huge bonus too.

Cover Front: Apart from a tiny surface pull, unusually on the bottom left corner with an accompanying small mark this front is near perfect and as fine and clean as you will ever find. Beautiful artwork, and one of my personal favourite covers from the 1970s. Its super clean with a fantastic blue hue and remains almost entirely uncreased or worn, that small mark apart. No indentations or ringwear, the odd light surface trace if viewed critically, but not of anything is invisible under normal viewing conditions. A pleasure to offer such a lovely front.

Cover Back: Pretty similar to the front, a tiny chip on the bottom left and odd light surface trace, that apart fantastic again.

Cover Inner Gatefold: As stated this has stuck together in a few small places and pulled leaving a few small white spots. A little discolour at the very top right but little else really - personally I would not worry too much, the rest is just so good.

Top Edge: Virtually unworn.

Bottom Edge: Light rubbing - far lighter than most like this for sure.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear. Record entered on right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and square with little wear, text is perfect and unworn - a real find like this.

Corners: All four show little minor wear, mainly rubbing to the tip areas. All still quite nicely shaped.

Cover Summary: A lovely all round example of this fragile early 70’s cover, one that could prove hard to find much better (if you can find one at all). This strong item should please most collectors. The blemishes are all relatively minor really.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Very tempted again to say Mint, but let’s be safe and say probably undergraded at Mint(-). A superb visual copy, that appears to me virtually unmarked. Super clean, shiny, jet black and very solidly pressed. Barely a mark to be seen, this looks really lovely. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please all collectors.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, undistorted sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very full sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, and few copies will play better than this. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. The record’s condition is exceptional and I can hardly imagine a better copy. Little, if anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this gem. This copy could prove near impossible to find significantly better. The records comes complete with a near perfect Spiral inner that unusually has a near perfect inner and retains a high degree of whiteness and little evidence of the regular gum-toning.Its generally clean, untorn or split and has its British Patent numbers. This is definitely a UK copy.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: Rare does not always mean great or good, but in this case it does. Poor rare albums are not wanted so often but this is class - this is a mini-classic in demand, a progressive jewel that has a lovely unique sound - the lovely cover makes the album near perfect. Their version of Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’ the longest track on the entire album has to be heard. If your rock or Spiral collection lacks this one, this is worthy of the highest consideration, even connoisseur collectors should really appreciate this one, a few minor cover blemishes should not be allowed to detract - good luck on this one – Mike.

Having the Powerseller Logo: This is recognition from Ebay for the highest possible customer services, satisfaction and quality, it should reassure any potential bidder that all items are described, graded and shipped to the highest standards possible. Customer care of the highest order is a standard feature here and I am proud to have achieved this recognised standard of excellence from Ebay with help from collectors and buyers from all over the World - I thank you all.

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3.00; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £5.50 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOTprofit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more and I often actually lose money on this part of service - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be worthwhile.

I can accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders OWN risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.