AFFINITY Very Rare Orig UK 1970 Vertigo Spiral LP+Inner

	£		421
	$		558

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Artist or Band: AFFINITY

Album Title: Affinity.

Producer(s): John Anthony.

A Special Note About This Album: Within the whole Vertigo Spiral catalogue, there are few more desirable or wanted titles than ‘Affinity’. It may not be the very rarest in the Spiral set but it’s certainly fast getting up there amongst the ultra rare ones. And this is one of the GREAT Spiral titles – and there lies the difference – yes there are some rarer titles to be found with the prized and collectable swirl logos, but few of those are in the class of Affinity. Fronted by the legendary voice of Linda Hoyle, this is the lady at her very best when singing full-on blues, jazz tinged ‘prog’ rock that includes one of the truly great Spiral tracks in the long cover version of Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’ (also made more famous by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on Electric Ladyland). Affinity is one of the pivotal linchpins of any Spiral collection – owning them all is beyond most these days with simply so few of the ultra ones available as they simply did not sell in any great numbers. This was hardly a major seller either but compared to the obscure ones like ‘Ben’, Gordon Waller and ‘Dr Z’ etc, this one does at least (very occasionally) show up and the music in a quite different league. A very special record indeed that includes one of the most beautiful ever Spiral covers ever – beautiful, but delicate, it’s rarely seen looking this nice. Most are seen rubbed, ringworn, grubby and even sticker torn. Although Linda Hoyle’s solo Spiral album is probably even harder to find, it (for me anyway) is nowhere near as good as her Affinity album with the material being far more diverse and varied. With the stunning voice she has it was just a shame a long career in music was not for her – she did sing with Nucleus later. Comparisons with Brian Auger, Judy Driscoll and The Trinity are justified, sounding at times quite similar. This genuinely elusive progressive classic is testament to her incredible, but sadly under-used talent. This is a very fine example – the record has a few brief and mostly minor audio blemishes (explained further down) – the cover has little to fault and is one of the best I have yet seen – the inner sleeve in very impressive shape too. A copy that will please many collectors, just short for the perfectionist, but as there are so few of these around, sometimes small compromises have to be made. This is fast becoming one of the the most wanted on Vertigo, almost catching the hugely elusive ‘Linda Hoyle’ solo album. I reserved my right to remove this record from sale if it fails to reach my realistic price expectation.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: I Am and So Are you; Night Flight; I Wonder if I Care As Much; Mr Joy.

Side 2: Three Sisters; Cocoanut Grove; All Along the Watchtower.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Original full spiral on side one and large spiral logo above the hole on side two. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both clean, still fresh and attractive with spindle marks around moderate. These only really show under angled light and all the printed matter on the labels are undamaged or marked as can be seen on my scans. The more vulnerable white side two shows minimal traces grubbiness or handling impressions and these will not prove easy to find visually a great deal better.

Cat Number: 6360 004

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 135 grams. A good average weight for the era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: and now one of the most sort-after and elusive within the Vertigo Spiral catalogue. This seldom gets seen or offered and one in this condition is fast becoming a major rarity. This is an album not only wanted by specialist Swirl collectors, many rock and prog collectors want this for the music, not just the label simply because the music is so good. The Vertigo Spiral catalogue has many albums of mediocrity, simply wanted to try and complete a run on what has become the most prized and collectable label. But ‘Affinity’ is NOT one of them, it is without one of the classic ‘one-offs’ within the rock genre and there are simply not enough around to satisfy collectors. Like many on this label, this ended up in Bargain Bin sales, often huge reduced price stickers were plastered on the covers that could never be removed without significant damage. Even finding undamaged or little-worn covers is hard. This is a very fine copy, played several times on the spindle mark evidence but mainly offering excellent or above sound quality. A little faint surface sound traces were just heard (on utmost sensitive equipment). The most heard on the short song on side two ‘Cocoanut Grove’ with some brief crackle that lies within the pressing – nothing can be seen and it would have been present from new. Not a great deal else and for most, including the two longer songs, most-all is nigh-on perfect. Pristine copies are like gold-dust, this excellent example strong and it should please many collectors.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 6360004 1Y // 2 1 1 2 & 6360004 B 1 1 1 2

Brief Artist & Album Info: On this most famous and massively collectable progressive label, never formed for huge commercial success, there were a few truly greats acts mixed in with the very average. Some great sleeves for sure and some less so - Affinity combines the very best of both - a classic sleeve and a stunning jazz-tinged progressive album, one that simply got away around issue time and it failed to sell at all well. A cornerstone for any progressive or Vertigo collection this is so hard to find these days and that in any condition. The cover has a gorgeous design – quite eerie and surreal – this is rarely seen in decent condition being prone to all forms of wear. I have only ever seen this album a very small number of times, one was trashed, one other barely graded ‘Good’ and just a couple in (for me) saleable conditions. Affinity were fronted by an extraordinary vocalist in Linda Hoyle, a soulful singer that gave her all and for many years, one of the best kept secrets within rock. Even these days, hardly a household name, but within this field of music, many collectors want her solo album and more especially, ‘Affinity’. Her voice lies somewhere between Julie Driscoll and Laura Nyro. Guitar and keyboard drenched blues-rock with jazzy elements with a distinct progressive edge that exudes pure class - this is one of the ‘lost’ treasures and demand is growing ever stronger for a Spiral copy. The cover must be amongst the best in the Spiral catalogue, the beautiful turquoise hue makes this all very spooky. This one on offer does is near full justice and grades high. The record is strong, without doubt played a few times with light surface marks that do not sound. Any surface sounds are generally few, gentle and light, the only exception is some brief crackle on ‘Cocoanut Grove’, as mentioned above that lies within the pressing itself. This toward the song’s end and not lasting very long at all, but this is more apparent. So not perfect sound for all, but for most and this very rare record still offers very fine sound that will only fall short for the most discerning listener and collector. This very brief pressing sound (around three or four revs only), is likely to be included on other copies too, they rarely, if ever were one-offs. The laws of percentage within units sold means only a certain number will still exist in absolute top playing conditions and this is record is still a very strong one. As stated above, there are so few copies of this around, and even fewer surface to be offered on the open market, a little compromise has to be made sometimes whether on record, cover (and so often, BOTH).

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High: on face value, it may not look one of the more ‘difficult’ ones within the Spiral catalogue but believe me it is. The delicate turquoise ink marks and tears very easily and examples devoid of major sticker pulls or tears are at more of a premium. Remember, many of these ended up on ‘Sales Bins’ with massive discount stickers applied to the unforgiving surfaces – some still show up today either with those ‘Reduction’ stickers still attached – some covering up quarter of the covers face, or the results of them being removed taking the cover’s surface with them. The inside is harder still with ultra delicate silver ink that always scuffs and rubs with tarnish dull and major marks. It’s highly susceptible too for pulling against itself with chipping or pit marks forming on some. I regard this Affinity sleeve as exceptional given all the facts and it importantly, it still looks lovely.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: and this does this one scant justice. Quite possibly my favourite Spiral cover, this has intrinsic beauty and like practically all Spiral covers it’s wear and damage-prone. A typical Vertigo unlaminated gatefold format, this has matt smooth surfaces. It has the 6360 004 cat number and the ‘VO Price Code’ text in a box on the top right on the back. It also has the original ‘WARNING — Copyright subsists in all Vertigo recordings’ etc. on the inner gatefold. Includes the Swirl inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Gorgeous and not just one of my favourite covers in the Spiral catalogue, it’s one of my favourites ever. It’s fairly simple design but it’s the lovely use of colour I like and it’s simplicity that supplies it’s atmosphere and effect. This has to be the most unworn front I have seen thus far. Clean, still quite fresh and attractive and devoid of the usual rubbing, creasing, grubbiness and sticker issues most seem to have acquired. A few light and faint surface trace marks seen under light and a very small, faint rub near the bottom edge (look hard). The left spine fold has faint rubs that are almost out of sight viewed from the front. The odd tiny tone spot or two but little detracts from the sheer beauty of this very surreal and magnificent front.

Cover Back: The back in terms of wear is almost the same as the front – little. Under light, a few small pressmarks are seen. Similar to the types that are so often caused by the ‘Sticky Fingers’ zip cover, these lighter and with NO ink removed and barely even visible with normal viewing. The same goes for any of the few fine and light surface creases or rubs. The lack of ringwear is a massive bonus, few seem to avoid it. Overall, both outer faces look strong and eye-pleasing. Not quite for the perfectionist but most realistic collectors will enjoy it.

Cover Inner Gatefold: This can almost wear just by looking at it – okay, a slight exaggeration, but it’s very delicate to say the least and no silvery colour ink wears well wherever it’s found on any cover. Light ‘tarnish’ traces near the top edges and a few light and small tone spots seen more under light. A couple of light surface creases and small marks, but given just how difficult and unforgiving these inners surfaces are, I consider them quite impressive overall. The inner blurb includes reviews, largely about Linda Hoyle, lauding her talent and impending star-status – well how wrong could all these critics be? A potential major talent, destined to disappear largely unheard or fully appreciated.

Top Edges: Some mainly light patchy rubbing mainly on the back, both remain straight.

Bottom Edges: More moderate, somewhat patchy rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front shows little wear, this is closed, folded and tucked, not trimmed. The back is darkened with very mild traces of thickening and burring on the back. Overall, still neat with a good degree of sharpness, guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine with far less wear than many similar ones seen on this label. Any light rubbing is mainly on the top fold but this is patchy and modestly light. Solid, very straight with barely any compression and folded square, the edges meet up near perfectly together and parallel. This makes a considerable difference for good looks and attractiveness. All text is present and practically unworn and the actual artwork that flows around shows very little wear. Also clean, ungrubbied and little aged. So many of these types are toned and threadbare making one this neat the exception rather than the rule.

Corners: Light to moderate tip rubs with fine to very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this very delicate early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better – as stated this is a really tough one a) to find and, b) in such overall clean and neat and importantly, attractive condition. This beautiful item should please many collectors if not quite the more discerning or specialist collectors. Hardly showing up every day, sometimes compromises have to be made, any doubts…

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a very neat Spiral inner, the lining is neat as seen through two crisp and undamaged window circles. Slightly aged with the usual adhesive darkening on the seams that all remain unsplit with no repairs. Barely any creasing and remains impressively attractive. With many of these ripped, shredded, torn and tatty (or missing altogether), this is very nice indeed.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(-): again, possibly being critical. The playing surfaces are clean with fine shine, intense black and solidly pressed. Some surface marks, mostly fine and quite faint are seen under light, but NO penetrating scratches at all. Clearly played a few times but still a fine attractive record. Like the cover, not for the perfectionist, but many collectors will be delighted to own it.

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 Spiral classic mostly plays above it’s high visual grading up to the very top level with modestly little to fault. Strong, dynamic sound, this has a wide range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal with light traces in a small few places. Brief pressing sounds heard towards the end of the short song on side two ‘Cocoanut Grove’, these would have been present from new and is just one of those things. Three or four revs of moderate crackle but goes as quickly as it appears, there is no marks or clues to this, simply a very brief manufacturing trait – if this is an issue… . The long final track, Hendrix’s ‘All Along the Watchtower’ plays superbly with practically nothing to fault and Linda Hoyle’s vocals are simply magnificent. All the pluses on this very rare record outweight the small few negatives. I remind I play-grade all my records on a Linn/Naim system, hugely revealing and clinical – still little spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this Vertigo record. Clearly I would have preferred the pressing sound on side two to have been absent, but it’s only very brief indeed and how many record’s this age will ever not have the odd blemish or two? I noted not pops or clicks, that being a definite plus and overall I found this a satisfying listen. Not for the absolute audiophile or sound purist, but please take into account of the rarity – these hardly show up every day do they? This copy will still prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be highly recommended. If total perfection is demanded, well the wait goes on – at least with this copy, you will know what to expect with little to nothing left to chance.

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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as 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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.