MANFRED MANN Chapter 3 RARE 1st PRESS VERTIGO SPIRAL LP

	£		107
	$		142

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

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: MANFRED MANN

Album Title: Chapter Three.

Producer(s): Dave Hadfield.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Travelling Lady; Snakeskin Garter; Konekuf; Sometimes; Devil Woman.

Side 2: Time; One Way Glass; Mister, You’re A Better Man Than I; Ain’t It Sad; A Study in Inaccuracy; Where Am I Going.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Original large Spiral format with the very first Philips label credit at the 6 o’clock position. (please see this detail in close-up). The ultimate proof this being the absolute first pressing.

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: ultra clean, fresh and very attractive with only very light and few, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. These are truly exceptional and appear barely handled or likely played.

Cat Number: 847902.

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: 140 grams. A very good solid weight.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce, and as a genuine first pressing with the Philips label credit (seen in close-up), quite rare. Like so many on this most prized and collectable label, this sold in small numbers. The massive intensity of the recording does not tolerate heavy stylus abuse and the cover is one of the most difficult in the entire Spiral catalogue. This one has a strong cover but with some edge rubbing, the record offers stunning sound quality with pristine focus and clarity of those intense rasping horns. There are a couple of dull areas on the playing surfaces almost certainly where the inner has mildly reacted but this has NO effect on sound whatsoever, and in terms of being barely played with the very best sound possible, this will not be beaten.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 847902 1Y // 3 420 1 1 5 & 847902 2Y // 3 420 1 1 5

Musicians: Mike Hugg – keyboards, vocals; Manfred Mann – keyboards; Bernie Living – saxophone; Steve York – bass; Craig Collinge – drums. Guests: Brian John Hugg – acoustic guitar, Harold Beckett - trumpet.

Brief Info: A second major phase change for the former beat-pop keyboard player. Now on Vertigo, this is jazz with a progressive edge and some songs are quite ‘out-there’ too. Heavy rasping reeds recorded very loudly, this album is incredibly intense and full-on. Some incredible soloing and free-form improvisations, this bares no resemblance of previous Mann work at all. It proved to be a short-lived experiment with just one more following, also on the Swirl label – it fared no better. Heavy jazz workouts are not commercial, especially with an artist known for a particular more commercial style previously. But for those who do enjoy more experimental avant garde jazzy music, this is first-class. You either love or loathe this album, another similar one on this label is the Keith Tippett album ‘Dedicated To You, But You Weren’t Listening’. Chapter Three was the third album issued on Vertigo, the very first issues included the Philips credit on the label, these are far rarer and elusive, especially so in very fine condition. The original cover included the original ‘Vertigo’ warning on the back. This is a record hugely intolerant of heavy tracking or thick stylus – massively intense and complex, this one plays with supreme sound and was a genuine thrill to play-grade. I have come to really love this album, it simply blazes from the speakers with a loud sonic delivery that no other format will ever come close to matching. The first issues in barely played condition offer this amazing album at it’s very best and I now regard this as a Spiral classic.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+. Most seen are heavily ring worn, rubbed and creased. They fade and age very badly. This one is not perfect with some edge rubbing, but the main faces show some of the least wear I have yet seen.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with fragile and unforgiving green ink that rubs almost by looking at it. This is matt-finished and smooth. Printed and made in England and includes the original Vertigo Warning on the back. The word ‘Vertigo’ later dropped and changed to ‘Label’.

Cover Front: By a distance, the best front I have seen on this unforgiving cover. Just small and light rub traces seen near the top and edges. Few will survive a great deal better and those that do, will rarely be offered. Few marks and barely a crease to be seen. The delicate surface still has intense colour and freshness, it really does set a high standard.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same, the lack of deeply penetrating ring wear is a massive bonus for sure. Any rim rubbing is very light indeed with mere traces near the top and bottom (but look hard). A little gentle rubbing is seen on the spine fold and few will ever escape this at best. Barely any creasing again and please the first issue ‘Warning’ text in close-up.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Very impressive and one of those insides that also wears badly. The odd small chip or two or small rub but again, never seen better.

Top Edges: A small few light chips, minor rub traces.

Bottom Edges: Light to moderate patchy rubbing. Storage edges that are near impossible to find without rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: These edges crisp and neat. The front is sealed and barely thickened or burred. The back entrance is clean and still sharp, the odd tiny burr trace viewed end-on, but few will have fared better than these.

Spine and Text: Most of any rubbing on an impossibly difficult surface is on the bottom fold hinge. This being light to moderate and patchy. The main surface itself has little wear and almost unbelievably, has ALL the text perfect and unworn – this a significant factor for the more discerning collector. I guess a wear-free example of this cover may exist, but I cannot hold my breath that long.

Corners: Again, light to moderate tip rubs with fine to very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: I can hardly reitterate enough how wear-prone and intolerant this cover is, and with this in mind, my grading could be deemed harsh. With the main areas, e.g. the main four faces looking very impressive, this is one that can be held and enjoyed. Not good enough for the purist or connoisseur Vertigo collector, but it will never prove easy to find a great deal better – especially with a genuine first pressed record inside that has hardly been played.

The Inner Sleeve: MINT(-): and guaranteed original with this record (like all from this small and impressive collection). There are few better guides to what is inside when an inner looks this unworn or used. The polylining is ultra clear as seen through two window circles that are crisp and neat and totally undamaged. Possibly slightly faded being critical but very clean without the usual browning of the adhensive areas on the seams that all remain unsplit or repaired. Barely a crease to be seen either with a solid and crisp top entrance. A real beauty that makes the record label look fantastic when inside.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): in terms of marks or usage, this has practically none. The plain-and-simple fact-of-the-matter, any record that has not been removed from the inner sleeve for decades, often reacts with the polymer of the inner sleeve. This has a couple of dulls on side one and a smaller trace on side two that have NO EFFECT on sound whatsoever. I will not degrade a hardly played, little short of immaculate record because of this well-known reaction to these lined inner sleeves of this time. Unless severe, no sound is heard and this very much the case here. A very impressive visual copy that is clean with rich shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. In terms of stylus or friction marks, barely any at all and this is a well looked after record and without doubt, hardly even played. My grading ignoring the dulls is my own opinion, some mind deem different, make your own choice. Visually a very clean first pressed record that should please many, if not most 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 genuine first issue and very early Spiral record plays up to it’s visual grading with practically nothing to fault. This too on a hugely challenging record with an intense loud cut sound and mix that offers incredible full-on sound and sonic delivery. Massively powerful, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Full-throttle and dynamic jazz-rock, all the reeds are fully focused and precise with no clipping or distortions – that a massive factor for the sound purist and audiophile listener. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted. Some hugely impressive soloing and blowing, this will please fans of other Vertigo favourites like Ian Carr and Nucleus and the aforementioned Keith Tippett. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this rarer ‘Philips’ credit first pressing I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – so loudly recorded, this has real intensity and pizzazz – it simply fizzed from my speakers. This copy will prove difficult to find better as a genuine first issue and can be highly recommended. The cover is strong, but not perfect, the record excels for sound and was a joy to play-grade – lovely inner too – do not lose 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 programs. 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 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] = £4.25

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’.