BRIDGET ST. JOHN ASK ME NO QUESTIONS A1/B1 1st PRESS DANDELION NMINT/MINT- WOW
£
110
$
145
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping to Russia currently.
Bridget St. John : Ask Me No Questions A1 / B1 1st Press Dandelion Records
This relatively rare first pressing plays with incredible clarity and depth and is a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic in my humble opinion. If you are lucky enough to win this you would not believe the clarity of sound on offer here! There is no background static which is remarkable when you consider how quiet the tracks are and whilst there is one light click on S2 it does not take away from what is one STUNNING album! The title track is a prime example of that as it quite simply plays 'as new' with no intrusion, the playback is exceptional... just like the rest of the album!
The vinyl is visually very impressive with only some faint hairlines and it is clear it has hardly ever been played based on the sonic quality and that there is no spindle wear on the labels. It really is a beautiful album that also features John Martyn on three of the tracks. As any audiophile will know it was of course produced by the much missed DJ John Peel who also set up the Dandelion label.
The gatefold cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear and the original inner sleeve is also in excellent shape.
S 63750 // SBPG 63750-A1 / SBPG 63750-B1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T1 & T4 Near Mint)
The gatefold is Ex
The original inner sleeve is Ex+
The labels are Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition and still retains a very healthy glossy sheen with no actual marks or scratches. There are some faint hairlines but these are superficial as they have no impact on the stunning audio. The Dandelion labels look pristine to me and I cannot even see any spindle wear. A superb example of this quite rare LP.
Play grading
The intro on 'To B Without A Hitch' plays with stunning precision and St. John's opening vocal is just as impressive. It continues to play with such a 'clean' sound - remember this first pressing is 54 years old and the arrangements are sparse / quiet to say the least! And yet... the clarity of sound here is incredible! Her distinctive vocal has such a deep rich tone and from start to finish there is no interference, a handful of barely audible dust ticks that is all. I am sure many would say Mint but I will grade as Mint- it really does play beautifully.
With complete silence in the dead wax the acoustic intro on 'Autumn Lullaby' plays perfectly and the first verse is of the same high end standard. Because the playback is so precise you easily notice the echo effect on the vocal and the second verse is equally as good. Once again I cannot fault the clarity - yes I have cleaned the vinyl but it has clearly been so well preserved down the years and very rarely played. So quiet and yet all I heard was one mega quiet dust tick! I think Mint is deserved here.
'Curl Your Toes' plays with phenomenal quality with no sign of any interference. A pristine vocal, the acoustic guitar and a little percussion - no more than that - all play with impeccable precision. Mint
'Like Never Before' is more or less perfect with just one mega light tick during the first acoustic 'break'. There is no background static and obviously no clicks or pops and Mint- is more than fair. Even the fade out has no background.
'The Curious Crystals Of Unusual Purity' has only a minor touch of distortion on a couple of words - very very minor! I only mention it to be 'complete' with my grading and I am being very picky here, it's like I am trying to find some negatives! I still think Mint- is correct as the clarity is again stunning from the first note to the last.
'Barefeet And Hot Pavements' ends the side with sublime quality and... no interference. Just one very quiet tick but that is not interference! Mint-
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You often get a little interference at the start of a side especially on a 50 year old vinyl but not here! The acoustic intro on 'I Like To Be With You In The Sun' is flawless and it continues in the same precise way. A crystal clear vocal again and the only background are 3/4 light static ticks right at the end. Quiet and non-intrusive but I will grade as Near Mint accordingly.
'Lizard-Long-Tongue Boy' has a couple of very light ticks on the intro but, and it's worth saying again, there is no background static getting in the way of the audio which is a running theme on this STUNNING album. Once again I cannot emphasise enough just how clear and precise the audio is. A beautiful Mint- version.
'Hello Again (Of Course)' plays with genuine clarity and warmth from the get go and (surprise surprise) this quality is prevalent throughout. A pristine Mint version in every way.
The bit more up-tempo 'Many Happy Returns' just has one tick (or very light click?) on the acoustic ending but aside from that it plays with perfect clarity. So close to perfect so I will grade as Near Mint
The intro on 'Broken Faith' is so clean with only a couple of minor dust ticks and from then only plays 'as new' with no intrusion of any kind. Again you just have to sit back and admire the clarity and depth of the audio! Mint
'Ask Me No Questions' ends this fine album with unbelievable sonic quality! Running at nearly 8 minutes it is by far the longest track and yet there is literally no intrusion. The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is second to none - St. John's vocals are 'as new' and the birdsong / church bells sequence is just as impressive. I am 100% confident in grading it as Mint and it is the most 'complete' version you are ever likely to hear. Wow it is STUNNING!
In summary this first pressing plays with a clarity and depth that must be so rare to find today. Having played every track in full (and sometimes twice!) I cannot put into words just how strong and clear the audio is although I think I have given it a good try! This is unequivocally a FINAL UPGRADE version in my opinion - admittedly there is one very light click on S2 but to my mind that does not take way from the sheer beauty of this album. Can you believe she was only 23 when she wrote it?! It obviously was not pressed in vast numbers and together with a very impressive cover this will add to any 'rare' collection :-)
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
The cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear. The edges are very clean and the spine is still strong, 100% legible and only lightly compressed in a couple of areas. It has only minimal wear on the corners and the right hand corners have very little wear. The very white front cover is very clean also with only a couple of faint crease lines and a small number of the usual creases next to the spine. The back cover is unmarked and is only slightly wavy. The inside of the gatefold is again unmarked with only a couple of minor creases next to the inner spine and light wear on a couple of corners. A fine example overall.
The original plain white die-cut inner is in excellent order with no side splits or tears, barely any marking and only minimal creasing.
Play tested on my Rega P2 Turntable with Rega Carbon Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
S 63750 // SBPG 63750-A1 / SBPG 63750-B1
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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Postage & Packaging
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