BEGGARS OPERA Act One RARE ORIG UK 1970 VERTIGO SPIRAL EX LP - SUPERB SOUND.

	£		124
	$		164

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

Artist or Band: BEGGAR’S OPERA

Album Title: Act One.

Producer(s): Bill Martin and Phil Coulter.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Poet and Peasant; Passacaglia; Memory.

Side 2: Raymonds Road; Light Cavalry.

Label/Format: Vertigo – original full swirl on side one and large swirl logo on side two, these have matt, smooth surfaces (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both in superb conditions: very clean, fresh and attractive with only three or four very light, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Side two, the white side, still very white and devoid of the grubbiness that so many acquire over time. These labels on this title will rarely be seen better.

Cat Number: 6360018.

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: 116 grams. A little below average for this label, but these do vary somewhat. This is a superb pressing and the audio quality fantastic throughout.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce and getting even more so as more collectors seek this most collectable progressive label. Not in the major league of swirl rarities but now getting more elusive like most. Finding this record in very fine condition is always a challenge and this has a little-worn cover, this being another that seldom wears well. The record has only ultra fine whispy surface traces seen under bright angled light and plays superbly throughout with nothing of note unwanted. This with complex sound and production, this does not tolerate abuse of over-playing on old record players well. Also very early pressed with the matrix information below. Indeed this record could prove a significant upgrade for many.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 6360018 1Y // 1 420 1 1 1 / 6360018 2Y // 1 420 1 1 ? (? = unclear, possibly a ‘3’ or not even a figure at all)

Musicians: Ricky Gardiner - Guitar; Alan Park - Organ; Martin Griffiths - vocals; Marshall Erskine - bass guitar; Raymond Wilson - drums.

Brief Info: Debut album by Scottish progsters with a taste for the classics, they went on to issue three more for Vertigo. I really like this album, but it divided opinion. It’s very quirky, fast and slightly eccentric but highly entertaining. At times sounding like The Nice, it blends familiar classical pieces with up-tempo prog-rock and I love it. At last a copy that does the complex sound full justice, I have heard a few ‘cracklers’ for this album but this one is very clean indeed. It plays superbly and was a joy to hear again so clean via the vinyl format. The obviously wear-prone cover looks nice too with most of any wear on the vulnerable edges. For those seeking out this vastly under-appreciated early Swirl gem, this could just be the one for you.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT or thereabouts: an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Howard’s.

Cover Front: A difficult cover, but that hardly unusual from the Swirl catalogue as the vast majority were unlaminated. A fairly conventional cover without the gimmickry many in the series offered. The artwork retains deep colour and a fine degree of freshness with most of any rubbing on the very edges and corner tips. Very few creases, any present fine and faint and the same for surface marks or blemishes which are only really seen under angled light. There are no sticker issues for these covers are well-known for having. The lack of the rubbing to the main surface viewing areas is good news and this somewhat ungiving cover will not prove easy to find a great deal better.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same again – the lack of ring wear always great news as this is seldom found without it.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Generally clean and impressive, any discolouration to the white areas very gentle and mild, any surface blemishes the same, little detracts from this centre-spread.

Top Edges: Light to near moderate patchy rubbing on the back, less on the front with little. Both straight.

Bottom Edges: Moderate less patchy rubbing on both, also straight.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a real tucked and folded sealed edge is in impressive with any rubbing tiny and faint. The back entrance edge is clean, sharp with little wear, any thickening very mild with barely any burring. No trimming or enhancements on this more vulnerable storage edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight, uncompressed and folded square, so the edges meet up almost perfectly flush and parallel. All text is fully present and unworn with most of any rubbing on the very edges and corner ends. The actual fold hinges are still neat with any rubbing only light.

Corners: All corner tips have moderate rubbing with mostly fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: With most rubbing on the top and bottom edges and corners, this is still a strong all-round example of this quite unforgiving early 1970’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. This attractive item should please many collectors but not the highly discerning or cover purist – that said, these are quite scarce and most seen are in poor shape.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): the usual lined swirl inner in very clean and little-aged condition. No edge splits (or repairs), two crisp and neat window circles and clear lining. A little gentle crinkle, but no hard creases at all witht any discolouration slight.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close to. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with fine shine, intense black and quite solidly pressed. Under bright angled light, some very fine whispy surface traces are seen, these mostly even finer than hairilines and a trait of dry-cloth cleaning. Totally harmless, there are NO penetrating scratches on this lovely record. A copy with very modest plays on all the evidence and audio qualit is superb throughout. Visually a super record that should please many, if not most 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 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This superb, and I still feel under-appreciated Swirl gem plays even above its high visual grading with practically 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 hardly even registered and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Certainly one of the cleanest sounding copies I have yet heard and sadly not always the case. Few copies will outperform what appears to be a very first pressing I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This record will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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] = £4.75

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]) = £12.50 (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]) = £16.50 (£17.50 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’.