KEVIN AYERS Banamour N/M UK Harvest Orig & Rare Insert

	£		547
	$		725

Artist or Band: KEVIN AYERS

Album Title: Bananamour.

Producer(s): Kevin Ayers & Andrew King.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Don’t Let It Get You Down (For Rachel); Shouting in a Bucket Blues; When Your Parents Go to Sleep; Interview; Internotional Anthem.

Side 2: Decadence; Oh! Wot A Dream; Hymn; Beware of the Dog.

Label/Format: Harvest – the earliest example with a totally genuine factory sticker on side two (Please see my label scan). This is pristine and it will be very apparent to any winning bidder this has never been tapered with. This has the gramophone text on the rims and at the 3 o’clock position, this always has the EMI boxed logo. This copy is sensational, it was a factory sample demo for a famous DJ of the period and quite honestly I am not even sure it has been played.

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with barely a discernible spindle trace to be seen, they could both pass as new. A minor manufacture blister trace on side one if being critical. You are unlikely to ever see a first pressed copy of this title better.

Cat Number: SHVL 807.

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. [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: The album itself is scarce. The earliest pressings as a factory sample in practically mint conditions are rare. The record looks hardly even played and the incredibly wear-prone cover has been beautifully preserved as I hope my pictures will prove. Not only that, this incredible copy includes the ultra rare insert. I do not use the words ‘ultra rare’ lightly either, this insert is one of the rarest ever issued inside any album not just within the Harvest catalogue. Just about ever copy of this album seen or offered will never have this insert and indeed it’s the first time I have ever seen it. So rare and elusive, some fellow sellers and serious collectors even doubted its existence – but seeing is believing – this double folded ‘family tree’ insert is near impossible to find and within the Harvest issues, it rarer than practically any album on this famous prog label. Included with a mere handful of first issues, this copy comes from the ‘DJ’ collection recently acquired, most barely played and very well and carefully stored for many years and most probably not seen light-of-day for decades. More details on this insert further down. A ‘complete’ copy of this album will without doubt one of the rarest Harvest albums ever made - make no mistake about it.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: SHVL 807 A-3 / SHVL 807 B-3

Stamper Codes: 1 A / 1 M (or H)

Musicians: Kevin Ayers – Guitar, Vocals; Archie Legget – Bass, harmony vocals; Eddie Sparrow – Drums; Steve Hillage – Lead Guitar; Mike Ratledge – Organ; Robert Wyatt – Harmony Vocal; David Bedford – Orchestral Arrangement; Howie Casey – Tenor Saxophone; Dave Caswell – Trumpet; Tristan Fry – Cymbal; Lyle Jenkins – Baritone Saxophone; Ronnie Price – Piano; Barry St. John – Vocals; Liza Strike – Vocals; Doris Troy – Vocals.

Brief Info: The former Soft Machine man, this was Ayers fourth album that ended his first series of Harvest titles. Slightly more accessible than his more experimental early works and including some lovely haunting songs that pays tribute to Nico (Decadence), the pivitol track on the album and ‘Oh! Wot A Dream’, for Syd Barrett. Now featuring a new band, this has a different sound but Ayers distinctive vocals are dominant throughout. This is another world class, first pressed copy and one of the very few that includes the elusive insert. I was almost doubting its existence myself, this being the first and only one I have ever seen. For fans of Harvest Records, the man himself of prog collectors, this is another unmissable piece.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High++. Within the Harvest catalogue, few are more wear-prone than this. The deep purple ink is totally unforgiving and most seen are badly rubbed and ringworn. Worthy of a second look I feel, I seriously doubt if a much better example, that’s available for sale will still exist.

Cover Grade and Format: Undergraded at EX++, this is as close to Mint(-) as this cover ever will be. An unlaminated gatefold format with the front and back quite heavily textured. The inside is smooth. The outer card is quite soft and intensely coloured, it usually suffers all the perils of rough handling, price sticker damage, creasing, ringwear and bad storage and few will even look half this good. Being a factory sample, this went directly to the DJ and never had any price stickers applied to t the delicate cover’s surface. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and INCLUDING the ultra rare INSERT.

Cover Front: Never seen a better one ever: the front looks fantastic and the sheer beauty and richness of the colour has to be see to be believed. Blemishes? well almost too few to mention really but a small, fine, faint rub trace near the top against the inside seam and a couple of hairline creases on the edge – yes, that’s it. Any surface marks barely even register and this stunning front is close on reference standard. The textured surface looks beautiful and has no speckle e.g. rubbing on the raised areas to cause white spots, this retains all its ink and it totally unfaded and fresh. Cover protected, I doubt if this has been handled for years. Contender for Harvest’s most difficult covers, this defies all the odds and looks wonderful.

Cover Back: All pretty the same, there merest trace of a press rub arc near the very top edge but little else to fault with reference to the above. Simply incredible.

Cover Inner Gatefold: This spread looks brand new.

Top Edges: Both as made, yes I had to pinch myself on these. The dark ink, the soft card but both are unworn and I guarantee, NO touch-ins.

Bottom Edges: Practically the same with just a small rub on the back right corner area. Minuscule white traces on the very edge of the edge if being somewhat critical but try to ever find these better.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any wear and no feathering. Record enters on this back edge.

Spine and Text: The spine is also unworn: Solid, straight, uncompressed but folded slightly off-square so the right corners do not meet up flush. Truly this is pretty much the only blemish on this wonderful cover and ironically made in manufacture. All the rich purple ink fully intact with no fading or rubbing and ALL text is perfect and unworn - totally as made.

Corners: Microscopic tip rubs and that’s being really critical too, all pretty much as made again and retaining great shape and definition.

Cover Summary: An age defying and totally stunning all round example of this original 70’s cover, one that will prove nigh-on impossible to find much better. This beautiful item should please all collectors.

The Insert: EX+ Contender for the rarest ever insert in any rock album. So rare, I feel certain few have ever seen it so I happily described what included on the six segments. Only a tiny amount of first-mades apparently ever included it and I had even doubted its existence until very recently. It’s three times A4 size with two manufactured folds. One side has a complex family tree which is entitled: ‘The incestuous Tales of Canterbury Heads. In other words is tracks the history and development of the UK ‘Canterbury’ prog scene up to the date of this issue. Opposite this Kevin Ayers discusses this family tree in a detailed interview and this continues on to the other side. The front has a portraith of the man himself and the piece in the middle a few short sentences about the album. All black and white and made on fairly thin matt finished paper. The only reason of a down grade from Mint(-) is a crease on the front with a tiny nick to the bottom edge, the crease is just about present on the other two pages as well but these show little. Clean, fresh and clearly little handled and GUARANTEED TOTALLY GENUINE. Just about ever example of this record you will see will NOT include this very rare insert and that is also guaranteed.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-) with just one ultra fine hairline on side one with no sound whatsoever. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence, try to find a genuine first pressed copy better. Visually a super record that should please all collectors again.

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 wonderful Harvest record 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. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Kevin Ayers albums are critically revealing and often they have surface sounds or even mild distortions, this has none at all and plays to near perfection. Few copies will even match this let alone outperform it I feel certain. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has barely even been played and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove near impossible to find better and can be strongly recommended. This truly is the first copy I have ever seen that includes the insert, do not let this very rare piece slip the Net.

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 (£35).

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’.