KEITH CHRISTMAS Stimulus - Backed by MIGHTY BABY N/M LP

	£		241
	$		319

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: KEITH CHRISTMAS

Album Title: Stimulus.

Producer(s): Sandy Robertson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Travelling Down; Bedsit Two-Step; Roundabout; Ice Man.

Side 2: I Know You Can’t Lose; Metropolis; Trial & Judgement.

Label/Format: RCA Victor – orange label (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: very clean and attractive with only a couple of small, light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. This wonderful record looks barely even played reitterated by pristine sound.

Cat Number: SF 8059.

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: 147 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: Very Rare indeed, my first ever copy of this elusive album. It will be seldom seen or offered and rarely in better condition than this.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: XGBS-0245-2K / XGBS-0246-2K

Stamper Codes: 1 B / 1 B

Musicians: Keith Christmas - vocals, Guitar; Mike Evans - bass, Roger Powell - drums, Martin Stone - electric guitar, Ian Whiteman - piano; Gordon Huntley - steel guitar.

Brief Info: One of the truly ‘lost’ singer-songwriter folk classics of the late 60s, this album is very rare and highly sort-after by connoisseurs of the genre. Apart from being elusive and a really good album, psych collectors seek this one out too because the backing musicians include Mighty Baby. Keith Christmas is no mean guitarist himself and his style can be compared to Roy Harper, John Martyn and Michael Chapman, this was his debut album. An album of quite long songs with just seven on offer - all beautifully crafted and performed, this is an impressive first release with some sublime acoustic guitar playing. The back picture of the man was done by Shelagh McDonald who later worked together on a few projects. For those seeking out this very rare album - well the search may now well be over - do not lose this elusive album - a better visual or playing copy of the record will not be found.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High, the back especially so.

Cover Grade and Format: EX, a single format with a laminated front that wraps around the spine edge. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace.

Lamination & Front: A really nice front with our man looking a little green and strange (please see close up picture). The laminate is very shiny and clear with minimal traces of any friction rubs or dulling. A mild lift-line on the spine edge but it hardly shows with the white backdrop that fails to highlight this common flaw. A few light surface creases and marks and a relatively mild record impression - no great surprise given the weight of the record inside all these years. I would doubt if the record has been removed for decades. A few very light and faint tone spots when viewed up close but overall, ageing is modest and for most, more than acceptable. The right edge sees the laminate end well short of full width, but the exposed strip is clean witih no grime-line formation. The slightly rough-cut from the guillotine blade is apparent on the front. The front artwork is beautiful and worthy of second look - you will not see this often (to say the very least).

Cover Back: The unprotected back is clearly highly wear-prone and with only a ring arc at the top and light rubbing near the bottom, I consider this fairly exceptional. Such covers are often deeply ringworn with full circles especially with such heavy records inside so long. The odd small mark and handling trace or two but hardly any creasing or major wear, this will also prove hard to find much better.

Top Edge: A couple of mild surface grazes or little real significance.

Bottom Edge: Little real wear but a few light tone spots.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, fairly sharp - not the cleanest of machine cuts being honest - with little wear or feathering. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, reasonably straight (minor bowing), uncompressed. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate, some mild grazing can be felt with the fingertip and a few small tone spots are present mostly on the bottom nipped end.

Corners: Mild tip rubs but neat shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very rare late 60’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better - it will never prove easy to find at all being honest. This nicely preserved item should please many collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: To grade this lovely rare record less than Mint(-) would not be doing it full justice. With just the odd faint surface mark or two, totally superficial and playing with perfect sound, this is well worthy. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. The difference in weight and quality of the early ‘Victor’ albums compared to the horribly lightweight and flimsy ones that came in the early 70s is very apparent when picking this one up. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. 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 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 ‘lost’ psych-folk classic plays up to its 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. Barely even a trace of any surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. So-much-so, this is now my reference copy to enjoyed anywhere, I could not let an opportunity like this go being the first copy I have ever seen and I will never find a better playing copy - of that I am certain. Few will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and probably no more than once or twice. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove near impossible 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 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: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. 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 thick stiffners for even extra protection. 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 and well as 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 NOT surface mail abroad. I never make 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, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

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 (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£39).

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’.