FREEDOM Is More Than a Word RARE ORIG UK VERTIGO SPIRAL

	£		216
	$		286

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down with Picture & All Shipping Rates.

Artist or Band: FREEDOM

Album Title: Freedom is More Than a Word.

Producer(s): Malcolm Koss.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Together; Miss Little Louise; Sweaty Feet; Brainbox.

Side 2: Direction; Going Down; Dream; Ladybird.

Label/Format: Vertigo – original full swirl format and small logo on side two. This later Spiral album was not issued with the large logo on side two. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and highly attractive with only light to light+ and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Both retain utmost freshness and beauty and both look hardly even handled, the full spiral is totally unblemished or chipped from rim to hole. Side two is immaculate with no grubbiness or ageing at all.

Cat Number: 6360072.

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: 116 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Quite rare: in terms of Spirals this has always been an elusive album. It sold very poorly, such-much-so, it proved to be their last album and they folded. Never easy to find in top conditions either and this is a beauty. The cover will prove nigh-on impossible to find better. This one was owned by the drummer Bobby Harrison who signed the inside (please see this detail in close-up). The record looks modestly played and has superb sound with little unwanted and even the inner sleeve is ultra clean. One for the discerning Spiral collector, this will prove immensely difficult to find like this again.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: 6360072 1Y 1 420 1 1 3 / 6360072 2Y 2 420 1 1 2

Musicians: Roger Saunders - piano, lead guitar, vocals; Steve Jolly - lead guitar; Pete Dennis - bass guitar, acoustic guitars, vocals; Bobby Harrison - drums, congas, vocals.

Brief Info: Now a four-piece band but this did nothing to improve the fortunes of Freedom. This sold very poorly indeed and proved to be their last. The members went their separate ways to back several different pop acts. This is an album that blends softer rock with some heavier tracks and I feel this was one of their better records. For certain, it’s never been an easy one to find, and for those needing this to fill another gap in their Spiral collection, it will prove near impossible to find much better. The huge die-cut front cover is obviously fragile and those that do surface are usually seen damaged or tatty. Here the crucial open rectangle is pristine. To emphasise this I took close-ups with white paper behind to highlight the crispness of the cut. It will never be found better, it’s simply not possible, this is perfection. The signature of the drummer, Bobby Harrison is feel adds to this copy, but that’s just my opinion. If cover’s do include a signature, it’s hardly better than a band member and owner. We all know how badly these unprotected Swirl covers wear, but this is truly superb and a pleasure to view and hold. Truly, as fresh and clean as when made all those years ago, this is one to really get excited about. So many confined to bargain-bins with huge price reduction or ‘to clear’ stickers attached. Often removed later and taking half the cover’s surface with it, this has suffered no such abuse and this is so clean, I am actually wondering if it was ever in shop at all. Even the inner is in superb condition and the record plays beautifully with little unwanted. Do not under-estimate this one, it’s seldom seen or offered, it is sure to please most collectors wanting it.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+. Vertigo covers from the classic ‘Spiral’ era are notoriously wear-prone as few ever had laminate. Many were intricate and delicate and high percentages are seen worn and damaged. This is no different with its large cut out front. Finding one like this is almost a chance in a million.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-). An unlaminated gatefold format with a large die-cut rectangle cut into the front. The window reveals the Old English style text from the inner gatefold. The inside is signed by the drummer Bobby Harrison ‘God Bless Bobby Harrison’. If this is a issue to the purist, do not bid. Printed and made in England and includes the Spiral inner.

Cover Front: This front is simply breathtaking and grades in its own right practically Mint. I really can find nothing of note, bar a tiny corner tip rub, to fault, this looks almost brand new. The crispness of the die-cut rectangle is pristine and will never be beaten. The cover is immaculately clean, fresh with no creasing or rubbing. Like WOW!!

Cover Back: Stunning, a dream-piece example of a difficult cover, no rubbing or ringwear and as clean as when it left the printing press. Both front and back have to be seen to be believed - both are of connoisseur standard. Double WOW!!

Cover Inner Gatefold: This has been signed by the drummer Bobby Harrison. The turquoise ink states ‘God Bless Bobby Harrison’ and he was the main-man of the band so this I feel is a real bonus to fans. If this is an issue to the collector, do not bid. The inside practically match the quality of the outsides. Just a couple of tiny dot pull spots are seen near the bottom (but look hard). Beautiful artwork and classic Spiral design all seen to the highest possible standards. The sheer beauty of this fragile cover can only be fully appreciated when seen for real.

Top Edges: Both practically as made up to the corner tip that have tiny rubs. Both ultra straight too.

Bottom Edges: Both practically as above, odd faint rub trace being somewhat critical, try finding better.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any traces of wear and no feathering, guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this back edge, the front being sealed.

Spine and Text: A tiny bottom tip chip off Mint. A stunning spine that looks fantastic, solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn and this sets a standard others can only dream of.

Corners: Small to tiny tip rubs on all. Again try to find them better, all retain very fine shape.

Cover Summary: A wonderfull all round example of this very fragile 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to even match, let alone find better. This could (and very likely to be) one of the very best in existence. It sold so poorly, there will not be too many around anyway. The better ones that survive locked away in valuable collections and rarely, if ever available for sale. This beautiful item should please all collectors (if the Bobby Harrison signature is acceptable of course).

The Inner: EX++ and only downgraded from Mint(-) for some light gum darkening on the top opening. This is very clean and fresh looking with a perfect window to reveal the solid and clear polylining. Barely any creasing and no edge splits or noteworthy marks. These Swirl inners are also difficult to find like this and this the perfect match for the outstanding cover and record.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX, A very fine visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with very fine surface marks under light, the whispy hairline types that have no effect on sound, this appears modestly played reitterated by high quality audio sound. Just one fine hairline produced around four very faint ticks, the only blemish on what is outstanding clean sound. Visually a lovely Spiral record that should 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 snippetts 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 rare record plays even above its high visual grading with practically nothing 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 barely even registered and no other pops or clicks were noted, just the briefest low-level clicks mentioned above, the only noteworthy blemish on a wonderful sounding record. An exceptional clean pressing throughout. Few copies will match or outperform this pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played only lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and finding it at all will be hard enough, this 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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon 2M moving magnet cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth 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 - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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); 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 timewasters. 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 neccessarily 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’.