MOUNTAIN Nantucket Sleighride SCARCE ORIG UK 1971 ISLAND EX LP.

	£		51
	$		68

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: MOUNTAIN

Album Title: Nantucket Sleighride.

Producer(s): Felix Pappalardi.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Don’t Look Around; Taunta (Sammy’s Tune); Nantucket Sleighride; You Can’t Get Away; Tired Angels.

Side 2: Animal Trainer And The Toad; My Lady; Travellin’ in the Dark; Great Train Robbery.

Label/Format: Island – original pink rim format with matt, smooth surfaces (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clea, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces very fine, very few and faint.

Cat Number: ILPS 9148.

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. Somewhat above average for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Fairly scarce and more so as a first pressing which this is, confirmed by the matrix details below. Also this is in lovely clean condition.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: This has two sets of numbers ILPS 9148 A-1U (5500-SA) / ILPS 9148 B-1U (5500-SB)

Stamper Codes: R / R (this the earliest I have seen, only ‘G’ stampers were earlier)

Run-Out Groove Etchings: Side one has ILSP (error corrected above). Both sides have ‘STERLING LH/RL’. Also 12/28/70 / 1/4/70 ‘audio matrix’

Musicians: Leslie West - guitar, vocals; Felix Pappalardi - bass, rhythm guitar, piano, vocals; Corky Laing - drums, percussion; Steve Knight - organ, handbells.

Brief Info: A US heavy rock band, this was their second album and first for Island and what a classic it is too. Although it contained no hit singles it sold fairly well and the title track will be known to many as it was used on television for the political show ‘Weekend World’ back in the 1970s. The inside of the gatefold cover shows a harpooned whale and explains the somewhat strange album title. A ‘Nantucket Sleighride’ refers to the harpooning of a whale and the resulting pull the animal gives to the boat until it’s rendered exhausted. Not pleasant, but a fact anyway. I consider this one of Island’s best kept secret titles, it gets far less acclaim to fame than it should and this was a delight to hear again from such an early pressed copy. One in very fine condition also, clearly little played and with an attractive cover, one in the minority of laminated Island classics. This should please most fans of the band and label.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a gatefold format with laminate on the front and back, the centrefold is matt. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group. This includes it’s original blue lined inner.

Lamination: Front & Back: A beautifully designed and very ‘pretty’ cover, how lovely to see an Island cover laminated, so few were. This is only marked down from a higher grading for a moderate crease on the back top right corner and a half moon laminate crease near the back left edge. The laminate on both sides is clean, still quite fresh with fine shine. Barely any lifting with any dulling very light as seen under angled light. Superb artwork and overall, this has survived the years well.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The same crease just shows lightly, that apart, little else to really fault.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both solid and quite thick with full laminate retention on all. All four mainly straight with hardly any traces of wear and still smooth.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any traces of wear and no trimming guaranteed. Record enters on the back edge, the front being closed.

Spine and Text: Solid, mainly straight, uncompressed and folded square, so the edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. Fully laminated with all text perfect, no peeling and mostly smooth.

Corners: The corners are very neat and show hardly any traces or rubbing. Even the one with the crease has kept it’s shape well.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this highly attractive early 1970’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. The back laminate crease likely from an impact from the past the only factor of real note, so not for the highly discerning, but this should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(–): this has aged a little with some reasonably light crinkle, but no hard creases. Edge adhesive darkening as so often, but retaining deep colour, these so often fade. All edges unsplit with no repairs and the lining intact. This includes the original text: ‘island records ltd basing street london w11’.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is clean with a decent shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed. Any surface marks are very fine and faint as seen with scrutiny under bright angled light. Visually a lovely record that should please many 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 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 quality, and heavier than average Island record plays even above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high and is best enjoyed with volume. This has a full dynamic range with good detail and powerful bass dynamics especially – a trademark of Mountain’s sound. Any surface sounds minimal and light and plays with little unwanted. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played only lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful album. This copy could prove difficult to find much better and can be highly 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/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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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] = £4.75

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]) = £12.50 (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]) = £16.50 (£17.50 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’.