FREE (2nd) UK Island Pink Rim EX++ LP & Classic Cover.

	£		29
	$		39

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £11.75. Rest of World £15.75. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment – returns within 14 days only. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: FREE

Album Title: Free.

Producer(s): Chris Blackwell.

Track Listing:

Side 1: I’ll Be Creepin’; Songs of Yesterday; Lying in the Sunshine; Trouble on Double Time; Mouthful of Grass.

Side 2: Woman; Free Me; Broad Daylight; Mourning Sad Morning.

Label/Format: Island – Pink rim format with smooth finish (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both in clean and attractive conditions. Spindle marks are moderately light and only really show with angled viewing.

Cat Number: ILPS 9104.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 118 grams. Thinner than 1960s pressings but this pink rim pressing offers super sound with very clean playing surfaces.

Rarity: The early pink copies are getting elusive and usually somewhat expensive. This is a lovely slightly later pressing with modest useage and offering a very clean cover, record and inner. For the Free vinyl fan who wants the music without the considerable outlay for an original. Also the advantage of the 1970s copies, they were far less likely to have been played on heavy-tracking mono equipment. Also I have found some early copies were not that well pressed at all, often with invisible pressing noises and distortion.

Original Year of Release: 1969. This one from around 1972 or thereabouts.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9104 A-5U / ILPS 9104 B-5U [both punched, not scripted].

Run-Out Groove Etchings: 1 GM / 1 GH

Brief Artist & Album Info: Free’s second album and one of their most cherished. A band in high demand and why not? Featuring their most famous line-up of Rodgers, Fraser, Kossoff and Kirke this classic British blues-rock band had a wonderful unique sound and hearing them via their original format is a real pleasure. Their albums were beautifully recorded and produced with the basslines at the front of the mix giving a solid and punchy, rhythmic sound. Free saw the band progressing with a more individual sound with powerful songs and Kossoff’s stinging guitar coming more to the forefront - Rodgers bluesy vocals are sublime. This album features a very daring cover for the time - a girl viewed from way down and the centrefold is erotically morbid – both beautiful in their own way. Both record and cover are in very fine conditions – not perfect, but pleasingly attractive. One for the vinyl fan who simply wants a still early copy and the quality of the music.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): even with a small thumb split on the back opening edge, this is more than worthy of this grade as it has little else to fault. I have neatly repaired this small area and it now has very modest visibility. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Robor and includes a blue lined Island inner sleeve.

Cover – Front & Back: One of the classic Island covers and here seen to near maximum advantage. The small split on the back opening edge neatly repaired by myself and it now appears as only a small crease. The daring front looks magnificent with few marks and barely aged at all. A small few very fine edge creases but little else. The back has darkened a little with a slightly more mature look that I actually admire in an old cover. A couple of small corner tip creases and any grubbiness on the white surface very little and slight indeed. The lack of ringwear and major creasing always a bonus this somewhat unforgiving cover.

Cover Inner Gatefold: One or rock’s greatest centrefolds: looking impressive with barely anything to fault. The girl is seen blowing dust from Rodgers’ square stone amid the sparse gravestone scene. Marvellously morbid and more than a hint of eroticism, this will not be seen a great deal better.

Top Edges: Barely any hint of wear up the the ends, both are incredibly straight as well.

Bottom Edges: Again straight and any rub traces tiny, few and faint.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front edge is tucked and folded with a real end, not cut and glued, this gives a much neater, more de luxe finish. The back entrance edge is clean, mainly sharp with little wear with minimal thickening or burring.

Spine and Text: Very solid, straight and uncompressed. Folded squarely so the edges meet up closely together and practically dead parallel. The fine text is unworn and any discolouration of the white mild with only hints of age.

Corners: The spine pair are impressive, crisp and neat. The right ones are almost the same with only small tip rubs mainly on the top. All retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: One of the best covers ever put around a rock album and a genuine Island classic. A lovely example that does it near maximum justice and worthy of the price alone. Not quite for the perfectionist with the small repair, but this is minor and neat. This is a difficult at the best of times and this will not be beaten too easily. Obviously not a first printing that were made by E.J. Day, but the differences are few. This will please many collectors for sure.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a lined Island inner with the Basing Street address. Again little aged with only mild adhesive discolour to the seam areas. A little light crinkle and all edges unsplit with no repairs. This retains fine colour which is worthy of mention as these often fade and even ringwear, this has none and only mild rim impression.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and visually a very impressive copy with playing surfaces showing few blemishes at all. Any surface marks are very small and few as seen under angled light and I am sure this has been played very sparingly and with due care. Very clean, intense black and very solidly pressed, the surfaces retain a lovely shine. A record to please 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 fantastic Free album plays up to it’s high visual grading and most all even above with very little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound with no hidden pressing nasties. All frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Minimal surface sounds and only the odd minor sporadic tick or so – few records or copies of this one will play with less unwanted. This one does have some quiet songs and passges and Island pressing quality is known to be variable. But this very clean looking record gave an impressive account of itself. Remember, I play-grade ALL my records put to auction on an LP12 and the equipment listed further down - ruthlessly revealing - nothing escapes. And being honest, nothing spoilt my enjoyment of this timeless classic. Throughout, the sound is fully focused and sharp with no groovewear distortions, one that has avoided harsh treatment from old record players. This was a highly pleasureable album to play-grade and it will take an exceptional copy to better it significantly. Truly, I have seen near mint copies of this album that crackle constantly and often quite loudly. There are a few variant pressings on the early pinks, and some are not great. Island had their records pressed by different manufacturers with varying degrees of reliability and quality. I have yet to hear any copy of this title that will play absolutely ‘silent’ throughout, if that is demanded, well the digital format will offer that. But to experience the original sound and detail, only the vinyl record really offers it. The richness of the sound and clarity stopped my listing at times, this has a gorgeous production and detail. And with a truly memorable cover it comes in, this set will take a fair amount of beating, it will please most collectors and merits strong recommendation.

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]) = £11.75 (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 [£46 maximum]) = £15.75 Add £3 per extra LP. (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’.