JULIAN'S TREATMENT A Time Before This VERY RARE UK N/M

	£		310
	$		411

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: JULIAN’S TREATMENT

Album Title: A Time Before This.

Producer(s): Miki Dalton.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Chapter 1, First Oracle; Chapter 2, The Coming of the Mule; Chapter 3, Phantom City.

Side 2: Chapter 4, The Black Tower; Chapter 5, Alda, Dark Lady of the Outer Worlds; Chapter 6, Altarra, Priness of the Blue Women.

Side 3: Chapter 7, Second Oracle; Chapter 8, Pt. 1, Twin Sunds of Centauri; Pt. 2, Alkon, Planet of Centauri; Chapter 9, The Terran.

Side 4: Chapter 10, Fourth fromt he Sun; Chapter 11, Strange Things; Chapter 12, A Time Before This.

Label/Format: Young Blood (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: All four immaculate: ultra clean and attractive with only a couple of small, light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Side one has the embossed ‘K T’ tax codes. Not seen these on before on a 1970 record, I thought these had been dispensed with at this time. Being white-on-white, these are not too easy to see but hopefully my scan will reveal them. Both characters are like new with no wear at all, both sharp, clean and totally uncompressed. I am certain this stunning double has been played no more than once or twice and is a reference standard copy that will remind again what a brand new copy once looked like.

Cat Number: SYB 2.

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 these Records: 138 / 128 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 140 to 150 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, 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 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Very rare: One of the ‘lost’ prog-psych classics of the golden era. This did not sell well and is seldom seen or offered. Try to find a better copy than this too – a copy time has overlooked and forgotten. Both records look and play like new and the cover is the same. Not only that, this is the ultimate first pressing, just look at those matrix, mothers and stamper codes below. This was within the first 300 ever made making it one of the rarest examples you will ever hope to see. A world-class example that will thrill even the most discerning connoisseur collector reading this. Totally unmissable, do not lose this amazing set.

Matrix Nos: SYB 2 A-1 / SYB 2 B-1 / SYB 3 A-1 / SYB 3 B-1 /

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 G & 1 G / 1 G

Original Year of Release: 1970

Musicians: Julian Savarin - organ, Mellotron; John Dover - bass; Del Watkins - guitar; Jack Drummond - drums; Cathy Pruden - vocals.

Brief Info: Julian’s Treatment was the brainchild of Dominican-born keyboardist Julian Savarin. This was their only album as such, although a second album ‘Waiters on the Dance’ was issued under his own name but includes the band name again on the cover. This is one of the greatest ‘lost’ prog-psych albums ever issued, it failed to sell because of financial problems and lack of promotion. Now highly sort-after by fans of this genre and rarely will it ever be seen or offered better than this. The ultimate first-pressed example in truly stunning conditions. A concept piece, quoting from the cover: “A story… a fantasy story set in part of our galaxy. A story about the people whom we believe live in this galaxy. This hidden universe. Told in music… in words… in sounds. Listen to it… think about it… enjoy it!” A very easy task, but not on the original vinyl format however. The story is told with superb female voices from Cathy Pruden. Her interpretation of Savarin’s music and expressive style gives this classic set extra class. She left before his second project and was replaced by Jo Meek. If anyone has yet to discover Julian’s Treatment, well this is up there with the most essential albums of its type. That said, I have never heard anything else quite like this before. This UK version was a double album – a fairly short double set but the extended groove widths give the ultimate in high fidelity sound and this plays beautifully throughout with nothing unwanted. The prized ultimate four sides with the 1 G mothers and stampers – it just does not get better than this. This sci-fi prog-psych classic is simply out-of-this-world – do not let this slip the Net.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate.

Cover Grade and Format: I am reluctant to grade this beautiful gatefold cover less than Mint(-), but strictly EX++ with only minor traces of wear. It’s fully laminated inside and out. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd and has the ‘Patents pending’ text.

Lamination – Front, Back & Inside: The laminate on all surfaces is ultra shiny and clear and fully adhered with no blisters or lifting. The front and back under angled light shows very mild friction rubs around the records rim shape. Few double sets will ever avoid this of course and here it’s very light indeed as are any surface marks or minor blemishes. With normal viewing, all looks near perfect and simply stunning fresh conditions. There is barely a crease to be seen. The laminate ends a little short of full width on the opening edges, but the exposed strips are clean and unchipped with no grime-line formation. One opening, there is a lovely fresh crackle from the laminate and the beautiful inner artwork is revealed (please see close-up picture). Here the laminate gleams with freshness and clearly it has rarely ever been exposed. The centrefold hinge has no cracking and the laminate remains fully intact and unpeeled. Most I am certain would put a Mint grading on this cover, I am very circumspect in using the word but it sure is a beauty. Rare enough even to find let alone like this, I feel certain it will prove incredible difficult to find much better.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four unworn, practically as made.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear and no feathering, the odd tiny burr trace being critical when viewed end-on. Records entered on these right outside edges.

Spine and Text: Beautiful and as new: Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up closely together but not quite flush – but parallel. All laminate intact and strong, there was not text printed on the spine.

Corners: The odd tiny tip rub only and all retain excellent shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very rare early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please most-all collectors.

The Inners: Both plain white unlined inners are included in EX++ conditions. Barely any creasing, all edges unsplit, generally clean with minimal ageing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: To grade both these records less than Mint simply would not be justified. I rarely will ever contemplate using the word on a record I know that’s been played but quite honestly, all four sides could pass for new. I cannot see a mark at all and all surfaces gleam with a mirror-like sheen. Near virgin vintage grooves that simply demand to be heard again soon. Again, I am reluctant to even offer this supreme album, over time this has become a real favourite and I know I will never find another like this again. For the serious collectors out there searching for the ultimate first pressed UK copy, the wait could be over. A supreme visual pair that are super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A pair not even run-in in vinyl terms. The discerning owner played his records once or twice most and carefully stored them away. I am certain these records have not seen light-of-day for decades. Visually super records that will please 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 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: Both records play up to their high visual grading with 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. Wide grooves mean super-fi sound and details, this is beautifully produced. I am sure this would have fitted tightly on to a single album but the sound compression would have made it sound inferior. Here the full dynamic range can be utilised and can be enjoyed to the maximum by audiophile listener. Practically devoid of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will even match let alone outperform this earliest ever pressing I feel sure. I am certain both records have been played no more than twice and have been clearly well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these fantastic records. This set will prove nigh-on impossible to find better and can be unreservedly recommended. An album that will remain in my memory long after it has gone – simply wonderful.

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 Samba Moving Coil 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.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. The 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. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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’.