AL STEWART Bedsitter Images RARE UK 67 1st Press N/M LP

	£		255
	$		338

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: AL STEWART

Album Title: Bedsitter Images.

Producer(s): Roy Guest.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Bed-Sitter Images; Swiss Cottage Manoeuvres; The Carmichaels; Scandinavian Girl; Pretty Golden Hair; Denise at 16.

Side 2: Samuel, Oh How You’ve Changed; Cleave to Me; A Long Way Down From Stephanie; Ivich; Beleeka Doodle Day.

Label/Format: CBS - original intense orange with rough textured surfaces (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic: ultra clean and attractive with only very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Side one has just the faintest trace of a couple, but look hard.

Cat Number: S 63087.

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: 123 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: only available for a relatively short time before being repressed with a new track listing. ‘Scandinavian Girl’, ‘Pretty Golden Hair’ and ‘Cleave to Me’ were dropped and replaced by ‘Lover Man’ and ‘Clifton in the Rain’. This did not sell well anyway and is rarely seen or offered and try finding this record better. One lady owner, the back of this original cover, also later changed with different artwork, has the back signed by the man himself (please see this in close-up). This is the rarest UK-issued Al Stewart album and is highly sort-after by collectors.

Original Year of Release: 1967. Reissued with different packaging and track selection in 1970 and then known as ‘The First Album (Bedsitter Images)’.

Matrix Nos: SBPG 63087 A1 / SBPG 63087 B1

Brief Info: Superb debut album from this later popular Scotsman, who was born Ian Stewart. Wonderfully recorded with lovely acoustic songs and of course his very distinctive voice the special feature. This has always been a rare and elusive album and finding barely played copies is incredibly difficult. For the few who did purchase this initially, often females, most played it into the ground and when a copy does surface it’s invariably in less than wonderful condition. This one has been cherished and very lightly played and with the utmost care too. The cover has aged a little on the back but the man’s signature is still prominent and very clear as I hope my close-up picture shows. The front is laminated and looks superb. With close angled viewing some manufacture laminate creasing can be seen – practically invisible with normal viewing – this is very fine and almost gives the appearance of a mosaic. Only present in the top left quarter of the cover front, the best way I can describe it as like think ice that has formed on a flat surface then very lightly cracked, I have never seen this effect quite like this before and it’s somewhat unusual. As stated, it barely even shows with normal viewing but can be seen with angled viewing. Laminate adhesion in manufacture was often variable and often badly done sometimes with ugly effect and flaws. This is not ugly but is clearly a flaw I suppose, but as it has minimal visual impact it’s hardly a concern – this cover front still looks fantastic and of course has the original and unique artwork for this ultimate first pressing. The record looks and plays beautifully and was a joy from start to finish. For fans of this man, this is a treasure copy and I hope any winning bidder enjoys as it much as I did.

Cover Grade and Format: EX, a single format with the front laminated. The back has the original red stereo logo. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day and including the ‘Patents Pending’ text.

Lamination & Front: I have mentioned in detail above about the relatively minor and unusual manufacture application issue above. I say again however, this can barely be seen with normal viewing and (in my opinion) does not detract from this superb cover fronts beauty. This artwork only available on the original version of this album before being changed to sometime totally different. The laminate is still very shiny, clear and fresh and is fully adhered with no lifting or blisters, this being more significant on such a dark cover. Any marks are ultra fine (bar the aforementioned adhesion issue) and creases few and light, all bar one on the edges as fine hairline types that few sleeves ever fail to have. The one crease away from the sides is a small half moon type below the swash curl on ‘Al’. Minimal traces of friction rubs or dulling and for fine looks, this vintage and rare cover front will take a lot of beating.

Cover Back: The back as aged a little more in-as-much the edges have darkened. Some light grubbiness also present again around the sides but not too much. Actual wear is minimal to the surfaces and creases have been avoided as has ringwear. The signature of the man is large and very neat and distinctive, it has not faded and is very clear and readable as I hope my picture shows. Taking into account the vast age of this cover, this is very nice indeed and arguably looks just right for its considerable vintage.

Top Edge: Unworn, laminated and straight.

Bottom Edge: Practically the same again, very slight thickening to the end of the back panel, this being the resting edge, all normal.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no minimal trace of wear and no feathering. Record enters on this edge which is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: This spine was never laminate protected, hence it has darked a little with age too. Solid, quite straight, uncompressed and delighted to say all text is unworn and present. Clearly this spine is vulnerable and few will include all the text characters so intact.

Corners: Tiny tip rubs only and all retain superb shape.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this unique and rare original 60’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. Any ‘flaws’ to the laminate, if indeed you choose to call it that, are ‘natural’, as made in manufacture, not by wear. The back has darkened and grubbied a little, sure, that is different. This is a lovely cover and it should please many, if not most collectors. The signature on the back is a major bonus for fans.

The Inner: EX+ with just a small central bottom edge split. The owner put inside an anti-static soft inner for maximum protection of record and inner sleeve. This is clean, very slightly age darkened if being critical but still very attractive. This had no manufactured lining and both window rims are immaculate and undamaged and crisp. One mild corner semi-crease only. The back flipbacks are neat and solid and for an inner this age, it’s really, really nice.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-), A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A copy hardly played on all the evidence and any surface marks or traces tiny and faint. Visually a super record that should please most-all collectors.

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 snippetts 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This fantastic original first-pressed record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. 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 barely even register and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. So-much-so, this is now my listen-too anywhere copy. Few original examples will outperform this earliest pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, only the second example I have ever had. This record will prove very difficult, if not near impossible to find better and can be strongly recommended. The Young Al Stewart rarely sounded better than this – Bedsitter Bliss.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

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 unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. 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 – it’s always worth asking.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 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. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.