EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER Tarkus RARER Orig UK 71 EX LP

	£		21
	$		28

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER

Album Title: Tarkus.

Producer(s): Greg Lake.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Tarkus: Eruption, Stones of Years, Iconoclast, The Mass, Manticore, Battlefield, Aquatarkus.

Side 2: Jeremy Bender; Bitches Crystal; The Only Way (Hymn); Infinite Space (Conclusion); A Time and a Place; Are You Ready Eddy?

Label/Format: Island – Original Pink rim format.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with only light to light+ and fine spindle marks. The faintest of faint handling traces near the hole but you will need a magnifier. Two superb playing surfaces and audiophile sound on a very heavy first pressing.

Cat Number: ILPS 9155.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. Over average even for a first pressed copy.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate in theory but the genuine first Island pressings are far, far harder to find. If you find a copy on the Island pink rim format, it does not guarantee a first pressing. In fact most found are second Island pressings or even later Manticore examples. There are several differences between a first and second Island pressing namely: a) the first pressings have an A-1U / B-1U matrix number and include the ‘PORKY’ / ‘PECKO’ run out groove inscriptions and b) the cover is constructed from very thick and heavy card and was printed and made by the E. J. Day Group Ltd, the second examples were Howard’s or Robor covers. As a ‘first pressing’, this is quite a scarce record.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9155 A-1U / ILPS 9155 B-1U

Mothers / Stampers: 2 MG / 3 LD

Etchings: ‘PORKY’ / ‘PECKO’ on run-out grooves

Musicians: Keith Emerson – Hammond organ, St Marks Church Organ, Piano, Celeste, Moog; Greg Lake - Vocals, bass, electric & Acoustic guitar; Carl Palmer - Drums, assorted percussion .

Brief Info: Second brilliant album by the popular progressive trio and what a lovely copy this is, it plays beautifully with awesome clean sound and has two very clean playing surfaces. Never issued on the full Pink Island label, this is usually seen as a second press pink rim or later Manticore. Side one is occupied by the title ‘Tarkus’ – a suite in seven parts and is an ELP classic. Virtuoso musicianship with audiophile sound quality and dynamics with all three members excelling again, this is high class, high tempo prog-rock and fans wanting a true genuine heavy early pressed copy need not look any further.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high, the original thicker card covers are even more susceptible to all forms of wear. Highly rub and ring wear prone, it’s almost impossible to find with none and this beautifully designed, but unlaminated cover is always a challenge.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with very matt surfaces and a real heavyweight. Thick card and superbly constructed, importantly, this original was printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group as seen on my close-up picture. Beware of later printed covers, these being much thinner and lighter by Robor being offered as ‘first’.

Cover Front: One of the best I have seen for a long while. This has only the faintest of rub traces near the edges and barely any creasing at all. Lovely deep rich colour as well.

Cover Back: Always difficult, again any rubbing is very light and few will how a great deal less on this unforving very matt finish. Light rim rubbing near the top and bottom edges is almost impossible to avoid totally. So many are seen with full ring circles and deeply penetrating ring wear and high percentage of inkloss of which this has really avoided. Again, hardly any creasing at all.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Very impressive with rich deep colour and minimal ageing. Any traces of set-off are minimal and light and again, this is so prone. On opening, this has a lovely fresh ‘creak’, so the central area still has some original ‘spring’ which I have rarely encoutered before. Please not also, the ‘E. J. Day’ imprint as seen in close-up which guarantees a first UK printing.

Top Edges: Some light patchy rubbing and a few smallish chips. Both very straight and robust.

Bottom Edges: Light patchy rubbing on the front edge, more moderate on the back. Again straight, solid with no splits.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any wear and no feathering, any burr traces or thickening is minuscule. Record entered on the back edge, the front is fully closed. Viewing end-on just reitterates how thick this card is, few UK covers had card this weight and thickness.

Spine and Text: Thick and robust spine and in very fine condition with just a small central rub on the top fold but little else up to the very ends that have also faired very well. Rock solid, straight with mimimal compression with any tilt minor. Folded squarely so the edges meet up flush and very close to parallel. All text is perfect and unworn and that is is a real bonus.

Corners: All corners have rubbed from quite light to moderate. Even so, these retain fine to very fine shape (or better).

Cover Summary: Do not underestimate the rarity of an E. J. Day ‘Tarkus’ cover, they are way harder to find than the later versions and they are definitely more prone to wear. With most of any noteworthy rubbing on the top and bottom edges, I consider this to be a strongly attractive example. The main areas, being the inside, outside and spine area all being little affected by wear or ageing, it sets a high standard. This heavyweight card is immensely vulnerable and does not withstand the test-of-time as well. This rarer ‘Day’ cover should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: this pre-dates the blue Island inner and is the plain white unlined type. This is solid hardly any creasing but has some fairly modest toning around the adhesive areas of the seams. All edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a super visual copy that is very clean with fine shine with an intense black finish. Heavily pressed and side one has hardly any blemishes at all, even viewed under bright angled light. Side two has only a few ultra fine and faint surface marks when viewed the same. 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 rarer original ‘Tarkus’ plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault – and this is not the easiest record to find that will do so. With such detail and complex sound embedded, this was a record that could be easily worn if not treated with due respect and many often have crackle and distortion – this plays beautifully and has no traces of distortion or groove-wear clipping. Strong, dynamic, fully focused and powerful sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and utmost detail. This is a record with real hi-fi quality and will make any worthy system sound superb. Any surface sounds were minimal, very faint and infrequent and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a very challenging, complex recording. Massive highs and lows in volume and intensity – yes a typical progressive album, this is a real rollercoaster ride. Few copies will match or outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played only mostly and generally with care. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic prog album. This record will prove very difficult indeed to match or find significantly better. The cover has a little wear, but few avoid it and it is never easy finding the A-1U/B-1U pressings so clean, this record 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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 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 as 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] = £4.25

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 (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 (£17 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’.