INCREDIBLE STRING BAND 5000 Spirits… UK Orig EX++ LP

	£		62
	$		82

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND

Album Title: The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of an Onion.

Producer(s): Joe Boyd.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Chinese White; No Sleep Blues (‘Sleeping’ on label); Painting Box; The Mad Hatter’s Song; Little Cloud; The Eyes of Fate.

Side 2: Blues for the Muse; The Hedgehog’s Song; First Girl I Loved; You Know What You Could Be; Me Name is Death; Gently Tender; Way Back in the 1960s.

Label/Format: Elektra – original orange and black format with rough textured labels (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in STUNNING conditions – both remind of new with just one tiny spindle trace on each side. These are simply gorgeous and rarely will these vintage Elektra labels be seen quite like these.

Cat Number: EUKS 7257.

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: 130 grams. A good average weight.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: and even more so in stereo and in this incredible condition. This early example has the US cover with the UK-pressed record. Elektra were a company that did that regularly – many Doors and Love albums are seen with the original US cover. What makes this somewhat special is the fact, this cover is in equally superb condition and that is never guaranteed. If you want this superb folk classic looking and sounding almost as new, look no further, this will prove immensely difficult to match or find better.

Original Year of Release: 1967.

Matrix Nos: EUKS-7257 A / EUKS-7257 B

Musicians: Mike Heron - vocal, and multi-instruments; Robin Williamson - vocal and multi-instruments; Danny Thompson - double bass; Licorice - vocal; John Hopkins - piano.

Brief Info: The second ISB album and very rare as a 1960s original in stereo – quite why the price guides suggest the mono versions are rarer I do not know. This was the era of the mono record and far more sold in that mode compared to stereo. It must be the fact the mono version is more likely to be found trashed due the heavy tracking of the equipment they were usually played on. This is a beautiful copy that without any doubt, has hardly even been played. It includes spectacular psych artwork cover – one of the classics from the 60s. This is an acid-folk classic with the Scottish pair in tremendous vocal and instrumental form – female backing vocals are from Licorice. Uniquely eccentric British folk, Heron and Williamson were true originals and few others sounded quite like them and this must rank as one of their finest works. Bass rhythm is provided by the wonderful Danny Thompson of Pentangle, unique in his own right too. This truly a fantastic example with the cleanest sound yet heard from a first issue. The original US cover looks superb and the record plays beautifully and this band’s albums are never easy, being acoustic with no loud volume to mask any unwanted sounds and glad to state there are barely any here at all. The details and clean sound embedded into these unworn, barely played grooves will please most-all vinyl connoisseurs and this was a delight to play-grade.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High: US covers are more prone to wear and damage, but when seen like this they are a thing of equal beauty and this has little to fault.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single unlaminated example that was printed and made in the US. This has a slight surface sheen and is smooth finished.

Front & Back: Both sides are in similar super condition with little to fault. Bright, rich and vivid colour on the quite stunning artwork, this is clean, fresh and supremely attractive. Any marks or blemishes are tiny, few and faint and any rub traces are minuscule as seen with scrutiny under angled light. The lack of ringwear and noteworthy creasing is a massive bonus on this very early original cover that will prove very difficult to find better.

Top Edge: Very faint rub traces only.

Top Edge: Light to near moderate patchy rubbing, this, the traditional storage edge, seldom will escape a little wear at the very least.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear no feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. The odd minor tiny burr trace if being critical viewed end-on. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with barely any compression. All text is perfect and unworn, the white surface a little darkened but unrubbed. ALL edges are totally unsplit with NO repairs – this always worth reitterating if so on US covers.

Corners: Light tip rubs but very fine to excellent shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this beautiful, colourful 60’s cover, one that could prove very difficult to find much better – especially the original US version that was included with many of the early UK issues. This outstanding example should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: this one came with a plain white unlined inner that has barely any real wear but has fairly modestly darkened with age, mostly around the edges. Two pristine window circles, minimal creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and this hardly does this barely played record full justice. With nothing more than very fine, faint surface traces or hairlines seen critically under bright angled light, a better copy of this vintage record will prove immensely difficult to find. A superb visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy barely run-in in vinyl terms and remember the vast age of this record. Visually a super record that should 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This scarce stereo Elektra record plays even above it’s 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 sound is minimal, ultra light and very infrequent and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album. I have never heard a better example and unlikely ever to do so. Acoustic folk albums are always more challenging to find clean on vinyl with no great volume to obscure minor blemishes. All the vocals and acoustic instrumentation is sharp, precise, clear and focused and this album has totally natural sound, clearly little played and carefully stored and modestly handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find 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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 3 or 4 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). 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: 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.

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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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]) = £14. Add £4 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’.