JETHRO TULL This Was VERY RARE ORIG UK 68 ISLAND MONO.

	£		69
	$		91

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NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: JETHRO TULL

Album Title: This Was.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: My Sunday Feeling; Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine For You; Beggar’s Farm; Move on Alone; Serenade to a Cuckoo.

Side 2: Dharma For One; It’s Breaking Me Up; Cat’s Squirrel; A Song for Jeffrey; Round.

Label/Format: Island - Full pink original with orange and black ‘eyeball’ logo. The surfaces are very rough textured and have a very deep inner ridge. This being the ultimate and true genuine first pressing with no ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ at the 6 o’clock position or ‘BIEM’ text under the orange logo. The second format labels, that look at first glance the same as these seen in my pictures but are not. The ver first issue, made in tiny numbers for the briest of time, did not include aforementioned extra text details and the first pressings are much rarer and harder to find that subsequent versions. (Please see label pictures for all information).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and highly attractive. Spindle marks are around moderate but ultra fine and faint and only really showing under angled light. These vintage textured labels are tough and not as easily marked as the standard smooth finish Island labels.

Cat Number: ILP 985.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 161 grams. A super heavyweight pressing, more typical of the real first issues.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: any mono copy of this classic is elusive. The first format label issue is rarer still and few will be found in decent playing conditions and still with an attractive cover. Few Island rock albums were ever issued in mono at all, this being probably the most famous of them all. The first available examples had no ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ or ‘BIEM’ on the labels as per these.

Original Year of Release: 1968.

Matrix Nos: ILP + 985 + A / ILP + 985 + B

Musicians: Ian Anderson - flute, mouth organ, claghorn, piano and vocals; Mick Abrahams - guitar, nine string guitar and vocal; Clive Bunker - drums, hooter and charm bracelet; Glenn Cornick - bass guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Jethro Tull’s debut masterpiece and many agree it was never bettered, it even charted at 10 in the UK. A genuine rock classic, a debut of incredible maturity that fitted in nicely between blues and prog. Mick Abrahams was the darling of the clubs, and for a brief moment offered a challenge to Clapton, especially with his showpiece ‘Cat’s Squirrel’. Shortly afterwards he left the band to form Blodwyn Pig. Anderson became the undisputed leader and live he and the band were tremendous. On record they rarely got much better than this and ‘Dharma for One’ that opens side two has probably the best ever (short) drum solo ever - this just has to be heard on the original mono format, it has breathtaking sound, as has the whole album. This copy has been played a few times and has a few marks, but virtually all are on the surface and superficial with no sound. Four or five clicks on the penulimate track but little else and this rare mono original offers superb, focused and clean sound throughout. This album totally blew me away and was a joy to play-grade, this too via a ruthlessly revealing LP12, a stereo system for which this vintage record was not really designed for. But apart from the odd minor blemish, passed with flying colour. Not for the perfectionist, but most fans will treasure this.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: a gatefold format with both front and back laminated. The inside of the gatefold has two external flipbacks on the top edges. Printed and made in England and includes the massive wide spine – one of the widest on a standard cover ever made. Also the back and spine confirms the ILP mono number. Later covers, of which were predominately stereo, dropped the internal flipbacks and had a much narrower standard spine. This original beautiful format was exclusive to the first issues in either mode.

Lamination – Front & Back: Due to the construction format of this original cover, it is one that does not often wear well. The culprit is that super-wide spine which lifts the left edges upwards and puts more strain on a thin spine. This often means significant laminate issues and damage to spine itself. Finding this cover without lifting or major creasing is an achievement. And so few will be seen with an erect and uncrushed spine, many being totally flat and badly damaged. This very fine example – possibly undergraded when all considered – has little to really fault with the most wear on the bottom left front corner which has only a moderate rub that few seem to avoid. Both front and back retain a lovely deep shine, freshness and clarity, and amazingly, barely a lift to the laminate at all. A tiny blister on the front spine edge near the centre and that’s it – so small in fact, it is hardly worthy of mention. A few surface creases on both sides, just a couple near moderate but with very modest visibility. The majority near the edges, so little detracts or catches the eye and this is still a visual delight. The vulnerable spine edge area both sides being very neat and still crisp and sharp – that quite unusual these days. A few light marks seen under light and a little mild dulling, but amongst the least I have yet seen on a wide-spine original. The front artwork has to be one of the greatest ever in the Island catalogue and this does it superb justice. A 44-year-old and vulnerable cover, but looking very impressive, not for the perfectionist, but most will treasure it.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Again impressive with damage to those unique four flipbacks that have not pulled, stuck or pulled. As on all, a mild secondary crease is seen to the right of the central fold – the reason? – the gap when closed due to the spine thickness, it always happens, here only light and mild. All the unprotected artwork clean and fresh with no writing or marks. A delicate inside that sets a very high standard.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four show barely any traces of wear, all laminated and straight. Rarely seen better in fact, the only rubbing to the very end tips that few, if any will ever avoid.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear, any thickening or burring, as seen viewed end-on is gentle only quite light – both edges are guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge.

Spine and Text: The spine is massively wide and measures 9 millimetres. It has retained it’s shape very well and remains erect and quite solid. One gentle compression and semi-crease towards the bottom. Both hinges very solid indeed and this will not flatten as it has NOT been rammed back into shape. Those that have been that have lost their ‘spring strength’ will only fall flat again within minutes – there lies the difference. It has retained all it’s laminate so all text is perfect and unworn including the prized mono Cat. No. The lack of real wear or damage to possibly the widest spine ever made on a single album (Zappa’s original ‘Lumpy Gravy’ is the only other contender I have seen), is very unusual and gives this cover added class and character. There is barely even a chip to the fold hinges but the bottom front corner has rubbed. Please see details on my close-up pictures.

Corners: The right four have mostly only small tip rubs and retain fine to very fine shape. The spine ends mostly similar with a moderate rub on the front bottom. Against the odds, the spine top is impressive with lovely shape and little wear, the bottom still very respectable especially as this is often the ‘guide’ edge to a storage rack or case, hence these corners are more often seen battered, broken and badly damaged.

Cover Summary: A very fine true original with just enough to remind of it’s considerable vintage and vulnerability, but it will never prove easy to find a great deal better. There are far more positives than negatives on this one and it’s the best I have seen for some time. Not for the perfectionist, but many, if not most will enjoy it.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a plain polylined inner with a neat clear lining as seen through two crisp and undamaged window circles. Minimal creasing with the edges unsplit with no repairs. Some reasonably mild discolour and ageing which is largely inevitable over time. It is UK Patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT / VERY GOOD. A copy clearly played several times with some marks seen mostly on side two, most of which are surface and superficial with no sound. Four or five clicks were heard on the penultimate song but not a great deal else. Side one has few noteworthy marks at all. Clean with a fine shine, intense black and very heavily pressed on high quality Island vinyl. An absolute first mono rarity that has been enjoyed but the quality of the sound has not suffered and the lack of groovewear or distortion is a major and significant bonus. This heavyweight pressing gave a superb account of itself, or I would not have purchased or offered, be in no doubt about that. Not for the visual perfectionist, but being honest, how many early mono records will not have a few visual marks or blemishes? This was a perilous time for vinyl with most being played on very heavy tracking record players tipped with inferior, softer sapphire stylus that chipped and wore far more quickly. Few changed them regularly and set up without due care. Records were bought to entertain where there was far less alternatives available at the time, so hardly surprising to see so many popular titles written off and rendered unlistable. So with all these facts - not fiction - considered, this is still a lovely piece. My priority over all else, is sound quality – and this one really still delivers.

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 classic debut album plays above it’s visual grading even up to the maximum with little to fault. I have already mentioned the few brief clicks on ‘Song For Jeffery’ but there is little else on the playing areas of this still impressive record. A couple or three at the very end after the music ends on the delicate short final song ‘Round’ which plays way above average, this being a difficult innermost quiet track. Clean mono sound that has a powerful mix that exceeds the stereo version and is loudly recorded. This plays with fully focused, sharp and precise sound that is devoid of the dreaded distortions so many of the early copies now have. The innermost songs with that delicate, difficult flute sections always are a concern for any copy played too many times on heavy equipment - no worries here, the sound remains fully intact with effortless tracking. It should now remain so for many years when played on a modern lightweight turntable. This is not an easy album and so often it disappoints even on clean visual copies. I detected no groovewear or high frequency clipping with no ‘mono’ noises from either channel. Sometimes one channel can play very quietly, the other with noise on a stereo system, that NOT the case here. These vintage single channel albums were never really designed to be played on such equipment but designed for the ‘Dansette’ generation. The short but spectacular drum solo on ‘Dharma for One’ sounds amazing with real power, depth and believablity – the set has an in-the-room presence. I enjoyed this mono copy immensely, it has been far too long since I heard one. I seldom offer records with marks, but I had the opportunity to audition this on my own equipment prior to purchase and it surpassed my expectations. If this album had failed to please me, I would not have even offered it, that simple. As far as I am aware, the first issue mono is the only way to hear this mix and it really is something to be admired. The tiny few and mostly minor sound blemishes will just remind you are listening to a 44-year-old record, but nothing will make you cringe or hide for cover. This presents the music quite differently and sounds amazing, even via a very revealing system. We all know what these types were mostly played on and what they can be like these days. Given these facts this copy has survived well and importantly performs very impressively. If this vintage and scarce mono Island classic is needed, this, for most collectors should not disappoint. One of the true Island masterpieces and this, even with a few marks, does it nigh-on maximum justice for audio quality.

End Piece: Again its frightening to think how old this record is, to find a mono original that plays this well is marvellous. Who would have thought 44 years ago Ian Anderson and his band would still be playing under this name? This record and cover were robustly made and its a good thing they were. Just holding this vintage mono pressing is a joy - it was subsequently pressed many more times but most-all in stereo. The mono version has long been out of print and remains unique to vinyl. This is a rare record with price guides now reflecting the fact and conditionwise it has stood the test of time – Very Good for me means a very fine playable, enjoyable and good quality record – not a beaten-up, trashed unlistenable mess. It has a few relatively light visual and (very brief) sound blemishes but no real flaws. Play this record loud and prepare to be thrilled - a true classic worthy of a good home – Yes I rather enjoyed this one.

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 ask 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’.