GENTLE GIANT Octopus RARE ORIG UK 1972 VERTIGO SPIRAL EX+ LP, SUPERB SOUND/INNER

	£		178
	$		236

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

In this most difficult year, I hope these varied quality albums bring some seasonal cheer.

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – lovely albums – some rare – ENJOY!

And as ONEADAYRECORDS enters its 20th year selling on Ebay – I would like to wish all my customers – regulars and newcomers – a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS & A SAFE, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Postage: UK £4.95. Europe (including Russia) £12.95 (£1 per extra record). Rest of World £19.95 (£2 per extra record). All my records are sent in boxes and the price of them has increased over time and these are my first price increases for nearly 10 years. Royal Mail prices have also gone up again. I will never compromise on quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be trackable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers reliable service without it.

Artist or Band: GENTLE GIANT

Album Title: Octopus

Producer(s): Gentle Giant

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Advent of Panurge; Raconteur, Troubadour; A Cry For Everyone; Knots.

Side 2: The Boys in the Band; Dog’s Life; Think of Me with Kindness; River.

Label/Format: Vertigo, a genuine first pressing on the highly collectable spiral swirl format. These have matt, quite smooth surfaces. A very issue includes the Alucard Music credits beneath the track titles which are clearly seen on this copy. The second and final spiral pressings had these credits changed to ‘Excellency Music’.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only a tiny few light, quite fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area, side two with a mere couple only. This album purchased new by one owner who put his records to tape, this record appears hardly played and sounds fantastic.

Catalogue Number: 6360080

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps or Lateral Movement: Assume all records I offer have no significant warping or lateral movement to cause sound or tracking issues. All should play fine even on budget turntables.

Weight of this Record: 127 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, and hardly played genuine first issues scarcer still.

Original Year of Release: December 1972

Matrix Nos: 6360080 1Y//1 ? 420 1 1 6 & 6360080 2Y//1 ? 420 1 1 2

Musicians: Gary Green – electric guitar, percussion; Kerry Minnear – piano, Hammond organ, Mini-Moog, electric piano, Mellotron, Clavinet, harpsichord, regal, vibraphone, cello, percussion, lead vocals, backing vocals; Derek Shulman – lead vocals, alto saxophone; Phil Shulman – trumpet, tenor saxophone, mellophone, lead vocals, backing vocals; Ray Shulman – bass guitar, violin, viola, electric violin, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals; John Weathers – drums, bongos, varispeed cymbal, xylophone.

Brief Info: The fourth Gentle Giant album, and last on Vertigo in the UK, all four were on the prized Swirl format. A quality progressive rock band that many consider amongst of the finest of the genre. Never a commercial band with quite challenging music with intricate time structures and complex songs. They gained a loyal following with some prog-rock fans and their albums sold steadily rather than heavily. ‘Octopus’ is regarded as one of their very best – and even one of the very best on the swirl label – and included cover graphics by Roger Dean – the American version was very different. This a really lovely record and hardly played, it sounds fantastic and as usual, is superbly produced. The cover very prone to rubbing and ring wear and has the tendancy to ‘green’ which few seem to avoid, this simply an effect of its colour and ink used, and often seen on other similar style sleeves (The Kinks ‘Muswell Hillbillies’ comes immediately to mind). Overall, this cover is still impressive as well but does show quite mild rubbing, and being honest, I have hardly even seen one without any.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. The Octopus graphic by the famed graphic artist Roger Dean. Printed and made in England, uncredited. The soft-lined swirl inner is included.

Cover Front: An attractive front, and this incredibly difficult to find much better, it is highly prone to rubbing – and often heavy – and few will ever avoid it. Any on this front being light and mostly confined to the edges that show the usual green hue – this is simply the trait of this cover as many fans and collectors will know. This is still clean, fresh and attractive, the lack of creasing, sticker issues and grubbiness makes this one to hold and enjoy.

Cover Back: The back is similar, but as the record is stored inside the back area, it will always press on the thin card and the rim areas will always show on the unforgiving ink. So a little quite mild – certainly in context for this cover – rim rubbing has occurred, this mostly near the top area. This has minimal traces of creasing and still one of finest backs I have seen for this impossibly challenging cover.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Superb with hardly anything to fault.

Top Edges: Both little short of immaculate, straight, flat and flush without wear or fading – and that is very unusual.

Bottom Edges: Similar, with just very light, equally patchy minimal rubbing. These perilous storage edges have fared impressively, and being cover-protected for most of its time has ensured the fact.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a real tucked and folded edge which is straight and hardly worn (one very small rub only). The open back storage edges are both still very sharp with barely any thickening. Give these are not quite flush in construction, a near remarkable pair emphasising the record has not been inserted and removed many times.

Spine and Text: A stunning spine which has minuscule hint of wear. Solid, straight with barely any compression and folded square, so the edge folds meet up very closely together and parallel. The text and flow-round graphic barely unworn, faded or aged and will prove beyond difficult to find better.

Corners: Any tip rubs very small and light, better than excellent shape retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: A strong and attractive all-round example of this uncompromising, challenging and most difficult Swirl cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This attractive and unusually fresh item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: only marked down for the usual browning of the seam area adhesive that few escape, here being moderate. Being a late swirl label Vertigo album, this had the soft-lined inner, it has the dual British Patent numbers: 800153 & 973939 with number details: 4913 000 15801 311. A couple of quite fine creases, any others few, gentle and light with a little natural crinkle. Two neat window circles and the lining intact without damage and only unavoidable crinkle. All edge folds naturally intact with the top entrance being neat and crisp.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks ultra fine, wispy and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, hardly anything even registers. Any dulling from the inner minimal on the run-ins and this record plays superbly. Visually a super original 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This Vertigo prog classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. This is superbly produced and mixed and offers fantastic analogue sound and separation. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is a very clean pressing with no tracking issues* or inherent pressing noises. Few available copies will outperform this early first pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this lovely record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.