FAIRPORT CONVENTION What We Did… UK Island 1R/1G Press

	£		26
	$		34

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Album Title: What We Did On Our Holidays

Producer: Joe Boyd

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Fotheringay; Mr Lacey; Book Song; The Lord is in This Place…How Dreadful is This Place; No Man’s Land; I’ll Keep it With Mine.

Side 2: Eastern Rain; Nottamun Town; Tale in Hard Time; She Moves Through the Fair; Meet on the Ledge; End of a Holiday.

Label & Format: Island – very early pink rim format with smooth surfaces. A very early EMI pressing with the 1R / 1G mothers and stampers which equals in this case, a very clean, quiet pressing of a difficult album. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic: ultra clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces tiny, very few and incredibly faint. Without doubt, this superb copy has hardly been played.

Cat Number: ILPS 9092.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm (this record was not issued in mono in the UK).

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: 126 grams. An average weight for this pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Early copies of this album in such condition are scarce and elusive. This one pressed in 1971 and with the very first ‘1’ mother and almost the ultimate first stampers ‘1R and 1G’. ‘G’s being the very first off the line and ‘R’ second. These are never easy to find.

Original Year of Release: January 1969. This an early pressing from 1971.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9092 A-3U / ILPS 9092 B-4U.

Mothers / Stampers: 1 R / 1 G

Brief Artist & Album Info: This remarkable band’s second album and first on Island and within any genre of music, one of the greatest albums ever. It was Sandy Denny’s debut album with the band as well. One that boasts an embarrassment of influences and riches, binding together to make their own. This was their ‘beatnik’ phase, treading the psychedelic underground and featuring some stunning gems including Sandy’s beautiful ‘Fotheringay’. Examples of electric traditional songs too in the equally brilliant ‘Nottamun Town’ and ‘She moves Through the Fair’ - neither song, as a by-the-way, being British. Dylan’s masterpiece ‘I’ll Keep it with Mine’ is covered too with a delightful version. Significantly, Richard Thompson’s development as a unique sounding guitarist and songwriter began to bloom. This evergreen classic album failed to sell well, and failed to even break into the charts. Thus genuine first issues are hard to find and most that do surface are invariably well played and worn. Also, the first issue covers were a little more unusual than most as only the front was laminated. So a very early clean pressed pink rim copy is hardly a second-best. The early ‘second printed’ covers were FULLY laminated and the very best EMI pressings were often cleaner made. So no qualms in offering this very impressive copy that has hardly been played and offers VERY impresisve sound. For those who value the music and it’s audio quality over an earlier label (and expense), this could be just the copy you have been waiting for.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single, FULLY laminated format which is totally correct for this pressing. This covers all the folds and spine and being totally honest, is way better than the first printing that only was laminated on the front. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group.

Cover Front, Back & Lamination: Being fully laminated gives this a distinct edge over the first uncredited printing. But never to be complacent – this cover is still fragile and often has major laminate issues. Often seen very dulled, badly creases because of the thin card and many suffer large areas of lifting on both sides. This one has little to fault and certainly nothing major at all. Both sides retain fantastic shine, freshness and clarity and only a very thin sliver of non-adhesion on the spine that has only very modest visiblity – indeed the front has little as all. Another huge bonus is the lack of friction rubs or dulling, even under angled light, there are minimal traces at all. Mildly around the rim being critical, but few could ever avoid this as a bare minimum. There are some fine hairline type surface creases on the edges but barely any away from the sides at all which all adds up to both sides being exceptional and very attractive. Dark, richly coloured artwork that has not aged at all. The opening edge of both sides and the back top and bottom have exposed strips where the laminate ends short. These natural vulnerable areas are in strong condition too with just a very fine rub trace on the back bottom. This is up there with the best I have seen and finding this better will prove beyond difficult.

Top Edge: Almost as made: straight, smooth and with full laminate retention.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly very sharp with little wear, any burring or thickening very light and little – a small one near the bottom of the back as seen viewed end-on. Guaranteed untrimmed with those exposed ends being the ultimate proof which are reassuringly wide. The record is stored on this vulnerable edge which is very neat being so vulnerable.

Spine and Text: A very impresisve, if quite thin spine, clearly delicate. The text only states ‘FAIRPORT CONVENTION’ and the ILPS 9092 catalogue number and all text is pristine perfect and quite well centred (please see my close-up picture). Solid, straight without compression worthy of note.

Corners: Any tip rubbing is very mild and gentle and all retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A difficult cover in superb condition. One that bucks the normal trend being fully laminated on a slightly later issue. The originals had no manufacture credits, but this more lavish and superior one was EJ Day made and that usually speaks for itself. This quality example should please many, and being realistic, most collectors. This came in the early plain white unlined inner. Many pink rim later pressings had blue inners but initial ones had white inners. This has modeately darkened with age and more so on the seam areas. One neat edge split from movement and hardly any creasing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): an exceptional clean EMI pressing for Island. Very clean, with a lovely shine, intense black and solidly pressed – both labels look fantastic too. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks tiny, very few, light and faint as seen (very critically) under bright angled light. No damaging heavy-tracking vintage stylus have been let near this one. This came from a top quality collection and it has been well looked after and hardly used. So seldom do really clean examples of this record show up, and few will better for looks (or sound) I feel sure. One to please most-all 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 groundbreaking classic plays up to it’s high visual grading with very little 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 are minimal indeed, very infrequent and gentle – just the odd trace here and there to remind you of what you are actually listening to – a vinyl record over 40-years-old– and few will play a great deal better. I remind too, I play all my records on a very sensitive system including the legendary Linn LP12 that takes no prisoners in revealing any blemishes. No pops or significant clicks were noted from a top quality pressed record. No pressing noises, crackle or distortions – the invisible enemy of even the cleanest looking records. Few copies will match or outperform this standard first pink rim issue significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been very well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful copy – one with several quiet passages that will test out vinyl record to the limit. This 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 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’.