CAT STEVENS Tea for the Tillerman RARE Orig Pink Island

	£		137
	$		182

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Artist or Band: CAT STEVENS

Album Title: Tea For the Tillerman.

Producer(s): Paul Samwell-Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Where Do the Children Play?; Hard Headed Woman; Wild World; Sad Lisa; Miles From Nowhere.

Side 2: But I Might Die Tonight; Longer Boats; Into White; On the Road to Find Out; Father and Son; Tea For the Tillerman.

Label/Format: Island – Original pink i format with smooth finish.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with light+ spindle marks on side one and only very light on side two (two or three only). These have little visibility and are seen more under light.

Cat Number: ILPS 9135.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. a typical weight for this first pressed record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This is a rare record, make no mistake about it, only after time did this man become more of a household name and most of his albums are seen as later pressings. Few copies of this record were issed on the original full pink i format, most early editions seen on the pink rim label. Issued at the very end of the full pink label run, this is one of the most elusive Island albums ever made as an original and it’s availability was limited and brief. Of the tiny few of these I have personally seen, most have been in pretty poor playing and visual conditions. This one without doubt has not been played too many times but does have some mainly light surface marks or minor scuffs but these are practically all ignored. Certainly one worthy of high consideration, the album itself is pretty common as it later proved immensely popular and got this man very established, but somewhat after the pink label has all but disappeared. Do not underestimate just how rare this one is on this, the last original pink Island album made.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9135 A-3U / ILPS 9135 B-3U

Stamper Codes: 1 GT / 1 GH

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘STERLING LH’ [on both sides].

Musicians: Cat Stevens – Guitar, keyboards, vocals; Alun Davies – Second guitar, John Ryan – Bass; Harvey Burns – Drums; Jack Rostein – violin.

Brief Info: With the sheer rarity of the pink Island first pressing, many collectors are more than happy to settle for a Pink Rim pressing. But for the serious Island and Cat Stevens collector, nothing else will do than a first pressed pink i original. For me the ultimate Cat Stevens album, a record of incredible beauty and including several outstanding and memorable songs. A man at his musical peak, no music lover could fail to be moved by this beautiful music. The man in supreme voice and including the most perfect production with a full backing. Packaged too in gorgeous cover, this record proves beyond any doubt what an exceptional singer-songwriter this man is and every record collection should include this truly memorable record. The copy on offer is a very nice one, it has a few surface marks but they do not affect play and sound generally is superb with any blemishes very light and few. A very nice cover also and exceptional clean labels. Not one you will see often and only one in many thousand will prove to be seen on the pink label.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): A gatefold format with front and back lamination, the inside is heavily textured with a matt surface. This is thick and heavy made with the very wide spine format. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group (seen on the top right of the inside cover when viewed landscape).

Lamination: Front & Back: Clean, still fresh with fine shine and clarity. With practically full adhesion (one tiny blister on the front top right corner), and with hardly any creases, this superb artwork can be enjoyed to near maximum advantage. Even under light, marks are few and any present, very fine and faint and with any friction rubs or dulling being minimal also, both sides will prove quite hard to find much better – especially with a first-made pink i record inside. There is a fairly small chip to the bottom left corner tip.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Beautifully dark and textured and looking fantastic with barely anything to fault.

Top Edges: Little short of as made with just a tiny rub to the right cornertip. Thick and fully laminated that remains ultra smooth to the fingertip with no creases or scuffs.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, fairly sharp with little wear and no feathering, both guaranteed untrimmed. Slight thickening, minor burr traces seen on the back that few will ever avoid. Record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Very wide and thick, solid and straight with any compression tiny. Barely any real wear as such but a fine ‘white’ on the top fold near the centre has naturally occurred from the cover being opened. To these eyes, it appears under the laminate which I feel sure has not split. All the large text is pristine perfect and unworn under the solid, clear and unpeeled laminate.

Corners: One chip to the bottom left back corner as mentioned above. This apart, little else to fault with any other tip rubs being very small indeed. All retain excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A lovely example of this now 40-year-old cover – with superb artwork and quality construction – and actually laminated too, this will prove quite hard to find much better. Island were a company that used laminate sparingly, but did so here and it gives it an almost de luxe finish and look. I feel sure this will please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a plain white, unlined solid inner. One corner crease and a few fine others, all edges secure and with minimal ageing with any discolouration modestly light.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VERY GOOD(++): with some surface mark, these are superficial and do not sound. A clean record that retains a fine shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed. Not for the visual perfectionist but when marks have little to no audio impact, they personally worry me little. Sound over visual remains paramount for me and I can easily live with relatively minor visual blemishes especially if the record’s rarity allows it. Most of these marks are genuine surface types that cannot be felt or heard and the majority are fine with the exception of a couple on side one being a little thicker and appearing more as scuffs. I have yet to ever see an unmarked copy of this record on the pink label (not that I have seen many), and in terms of sound quality, this is quite possibly my best yet.

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 classic original and very late pink Island record plays above it’s visual grading with little to fault. A very elusive first press that offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound – a genuine hi-fi standard recording, the man himself could be performing within your room. Any surface sounds are minimal, a little gentle, light trace noted on the fragile ‘Sad Lisa’ but few elsewhere and here only very mild. The odd sporadic light click here and there and odd crackle trace are nigh-on impossible to avoid totally on this fragile recording – I have to remind again, this is a 40-year-old record with practically no loud passages to obscure the odd minor blemish or two. If clinical silence is demanded, well the digital format will offer exactly that, but will not offer the detail and sheer realism this first pressed record offers. Any minor and light blemishes are a price worth paying for owning the genuine article – this is way Stevens and Samwell-Smith wanted this evergreen classic to sound. This record I feel sure has not been played that many times but clearly slightly carelessly. As the marks are non-penetrating, I would be very sure this has never been played on an old mono record player that would have left far deeper and damaging marks that would certainly sound. These do not and this was a pleasure to listen too. Issued at a time when many were still using dated mono equipment, this early example would so often have been used on the like. A special note on the very difficult final last song, a short one but immensely hard to find that plays cleanly. There is a vocal cresendo with a host of singers on one brief part, this in most cases breaks up and distorts, here not the case and without doubt, this is one of the few I have heard that keeps this very difficult part precise and in focus. So not for the visual perfectionist, but many, if not most fans and Island collectors will enjoy it – however, if you have doubts – do not bid, but this will not be offered too often for sure.

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.

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.

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 stiffners 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: 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 (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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (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 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’.