COMUS First Utterance VERY RARE ORIG UK 1971 DAWN EX LP with SUPERB LYRIC SHEET.

	£		487
	$		645

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.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: COMUS

Album Title: First Utterance.

Producer(s): Barry Murray.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Diana; The Herald; Drip Drip.

Side 2: Song to Comus; The Bite; Bitten; The Prisoner.

Label/Format: Dawn – original orange format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, still quite fresh and attractive with only quite light spindle marks on side one. Side two more moderate and more. Visibility fairly modest however and apart from a couple of milli-second pressing sounds, is well-pressed and still plays generally very well.

Cat Number: DNLS 3019.

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: 165 grams. A real heavyweight. Dawn were a label of near consistency extreme. Pressing weight, and pressing quality was almost a lottery, this legendary album is well documented to be very hard to find without often major pressing issues.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Very Rare, and selling in only very small numbers, this usually blamed on indifferent reviews of the time. These probably written by people who could never hope to understand such an album. Way ahead of it’s time in terms of subject matter and intensity. Over time this somewhat controversial album has gained monumental status in the folk-rock genre, and is now classified by some as ‘progressive folk’. Little had ever been heard like this before with songs so dark and disturbing, few reviewers would have given this a second listen. And this is an album that demands to be heard several times before its intense beauty can ever be fully appreciated. ‘First Utterance’ has now hit legendary status and is one of the most sort-after albums in ‘rock’ music, not just for folk fans. With it’s famously gruesome pen drawn artwork by Roger Wootton, the lead singer and songwriter, it would have attracted a few curious record buyers of the time, but largely it went unnoticed and ignored, it pretty much sunk without trace. Hence very hard to find at all in any condition. So I have no qualms in offering a copy played several times and with a cover that has some wear – mainly to the edges – but still a highly respectable example that includes the rare lyric insert sheet. This challenging record still does play well with the only ultra brief issue within the pressing, a couple of small fine circular marks that follow the groove, they emit a couple of sounds just for the blink of an eye in duration. Knowing this label very well, I consider such a brief ‘blemish’ to almost be a major plus as I have heard some Dawn records from this era to be in very bad playing conditions. Indeed I have an HMS Donovan here with playing surfaces that almost resemble Brail – the surfaces covered in numerous raised spots that simply bang when they contact the stylus. That will NOT ever be offered. I have also heard other rare classics on the same label that also have horrendous pressing noises, rasps and distortions – the Trader Horne album being another prime example. So to have just a couple of ultra brief cutting noises is almost good news. Clearly not a copy for the highly discerning or audiophile collector, but for those who want to experience this album on an original UK pressing, this could be just the copy you have been waiting for. True near mint examples command a premium price to match and it way above what many can or are prepared to pay. But just holding this major rarity gives pleasure, no modern repressing gives the same satisfaction, and importantly, this copy does still play well overall with any surface sound very light and gentle, and mostly hardly any at all. No other pressing issues bar the aforementioned and both cover and insert still attractive. So rarely seen, this a great opportunity.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: DNLS 3019 A-3 * T / DNLS 3019 B-3 * T

Mothers / Stampers: G 1 / B 1

Musicians: Roger Wootton – acoustic guitar, lead vocals; Glenn Goring – 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars, electric guitar, slide, hand drums, backing vocals; Andy Hellaby – fender bass, slide bass, backing vocals; Colin Pearson – violin, viola; Rob Young – flute, oboe, hand drums; Bobbie Watson – lead and backing vocals, percussion.

Brief Info: One of the darkest and macabre albums ever made, the songs have nightmarish subject matter that include murder, rape, executions, necrophilia, mental illness and bizarre mystical creatures – all played with a backdrop of eerie and intense music and vocals, including some spine-tingling female singing as well. This is almost ‘Hammer-Horror’ for music lovers and is simply brilliant. For those few who bought it on issue, most initially must have wondered what they had let themselves in for. But such is the legendary status of this album, there are simply not enough originals in existence to meet demand – and no reissue ever hits the mark compared to owning the real thing – any warts n all. Dealer friends have told me, this is near impossible to find without some pressing or sound issues – this is my first ever available copy, so I have no other to compare it wit – but it is a known ‘lottery’. The very brief sound mark apart, this one plays with no other pressing problems, and the pressing itself is clean and mostly quiet with any surface sound from usage, being very light, gentle and infrequent. As my many regular customers know, I will not offer any record I cannot enjoy myself, and this I found a superb listen as long as ‘perfection’ is not mandatory. In fact this exceeded my expectations, the darkness of the material and the superb backing was a wonderfully intense experience and I absolutely loved it. Comus did a second album after a while, but with a different line-up and it never even came close to matching this amazingly brave and daring debut. Since discovering this album later than I should have done, it has become a real favourite – I love bands who dare to be different, but clearly this was never going to be commercial enough to succeed, and Comus faded in the mists of time, like so many of the rest. Fairly recently they returned and further interest in this album was rekindled making the search of an original all the more difficult. Well a complete original is here so a great opportunity – not a perfect copy – but still a very strong one.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(+): but the main surfaces all look considerably better, the main issues are the edges that have rubbed. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd with the ‘Patents Pending’ text (as I guess all have). The original polylined inner sleeve is included as well as the rare lyric insert sheet.

Cover Cosmetic Improvements: A small neat top edge movement split I repaired myself, this a decision taken as to avoid any potential widening in the future and it shows very little viewed end-on. I cannot rule-out the odd tiny tip-in, but if so, these were NOT by me, it is not a practice I do, but I will mention if I suspect any previous owners have done.

Cover Front: One of the all-time classic and famous covers – but hardly noticed at the time of issue. This looks impressive with the only wear of any real note on the corner tips, mostly the left-hand ones. A little gentle grubbiness to the white areas but the creature itself looks fantastic. Any marks or creasing very few, fine and light. The original drawing done in pen by Roger Wootton and remains barely worn at all.

Cover Back: Fairly similar with little more grubbiness and a few light surface creases. Again the actual artwork looks impressive.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The odd gentle edge burr or minor blemish, but this inside area has little to fault and also looks clean and attractive.

Top Edges: Light to moderate patchy rubbing on pale surfaces, so with far less visual impact. As stated, a small back central area split I repaired as neatly as I could, and it shows little.

Bottom Edges: Both these storage edges are well rubbed but not split – a tiny thin in the centre of the back. Again being white, these have far less visual impact which makes a considerable difference.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front closed, the back open for storage and they have both faired well and remain quite neat and sharp. Even viewed end-on, there is minimal thickening or burring, these are guaranteed untrimmed, all examples of this cover have the stereo/mono information box very close to the side, and this is no different and fully present.

Spine and Text: The spine has moderate rubbing to the ends, also patchy rubbing on the main surface. Somewhat against the odds, the text remains mostly present and intact with just a little clipping to the band name ‘COMUS’. Still quite solid, straight with a little tilt to the left. Folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. Although there is some wear, this has not faired too badly with the majority of the graphic intact including the fold hinges themselves.

Corners: Moderate to moderate+ corner wear and rubbing with fair to fine shape.

Cover Summary: A very rare and famous cover, this one is not for the highly discerning or purist. That said, being as elusive and few around as there are, sometimes a little give-and-take is the order-of-the-day. With the main areas e.g. front, back, inside and even a decent spine and opposite edges, this is one that still looks very nice to hold and view. Edge wear on such covers is less easy to avoid, and the rubbing being on white edges anyway, it shows less. Importantly, the main creature graphic looks superb, so many collectors will be happy. A ‘perfect’ example of this album commands huge prices these days, and this a very solid copy that is actually better than a compromise. So you pays your money and takes your choice (as we say in the UK).

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a heavy duty polylined plain inner twih two crisp undamaged window circles and clear lining. A little light corner crinkle but no hard creases and all edges unsplit with no repairs. This is UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

The Lyric Insert: EXCELLENT(+): printed both sides and guaranteed original. An integral part of the album and (apparently) often missing or torn. This is clean, still quite fresh with barely any marks or significant creases. All those macabre and very dark lyrics can be followed on this crucial sheet that also includes band member pictures in both photographic and drawing form. A really lovely insert in very impressive condition.

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.]

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading & Sound: EXCELLENT: or better, any marks are few and mainly very light. Purely surface types that have no sound as mainly seen under bright angled light. Even though one label in particular may indicate a fair degree of usage, the record surfaces appear less so. A splendid record with fine shine and looks impressive, also very heavily pressed. As stated further up, a couple of ultra fine circular ‘cutting’ marks – only small arcs, NOT full circles by any means, cause a couple of very brief pressing sounds. I rarely expect from considerable experience, any Dawn record to play ‘perfectly’, only very rarely will there not some issue within pressing, and from what I have been told, this is a notoriously hard one to find without often substantial issues or problems. So even with this tiny blemish that comes and goes almost in an eye-blink, this could be one of the lucky ones in that respect. These super-fine ‘marks’ that are actually not that easy to even see, have nothing to do with wear or usage, but purely a trait of manufacture. With no penetrating ‘needle’ marks, this is still a lovely record and sound quality for most very fine with any surface sound gentle, light and infrequent – merely traces, this being played on a very sensitive Linn LP12 Sondek as well, as per all my records. Most collectors will know Dawn records are lottery and at least I am mentioning any issues. What is important, I found this record an immensely enjoyable experience and it exceeded my expectations. It offers strong, still clear and focused sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear with no pops and no noteworthy clicks - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. The manic stringed instruments still focused and this album has that immense darkness and sonic delivery of the music that still makes for a creepy, eerie, almost spine-chilling experience. I always find this label a nervous initial listen, you simply never know what to expect, often with invisible issues, but audible ones. A full play-grade is essential (for all records). Only the couple of ultra quick sounds on side one, for an instant, marred by almost total enjoyment of this daring and groundbreaking album. Since discovery some time ago, it has been a long-standing favourite of mine and I would not offer any copy that did not please me. All said and done, this one is likely to prove difficult to find substantially better, but is not for the audiophile perfectionist – will any original copy ever be? There were simply so few made or sold, a genuinely rare album using the term ‘rare’ in the correct context. This is a solid original that will please many collectors who do not expect or ancipate perfection. And this is one I can strongly recommend for the right collector – I truly loved it. Albums hardly get darker or more chilling than ‘First Utterance’.

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’.