NICK DRAKE Bryter Layter V. RARE Orig Island 70 EX++ LP

	£		315
	$		417

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: NICK DRAKE

Album Title: Bryter Layter.

Producer(s): Joe Boyd.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Introduction; Hazey Jane II; At the Chime of a City Clock; One of These Things First; Hazey Jane I.

Side 2: Bryter Layter; Fly; Poor Boy; Northern Sky; Sunday.

Label/Format: Island – Original pink rim format with witch logo (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both ultra clean and highly attractive with only very light, few and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Side one has a piece of flash residue still attached to the hole rim, these rarely stay attached long as the spine breaks them off. Still attached nearly 40 years after manufacture is a rare sight to see. In fact this record is so tight on my LP12 spindle, it was truly difficult to get on and off the turntable. Without a shadow of doubt, this record has hardly been played.

Cat Number: ILPS 9134.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 121 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.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9134 A-1U / ILPS 9134 B-1U

Stamper Codes: 1 A / 1 T

Rarity: Rare and elusive as a first pressing. In his short recording lifetime, his albums failed to sell and even early reissues are elusive. This copy is the ultimate first pressing and it looks hardly even played and includes an attractive, little-worn cover (for a change). This is one of the rarer Island albums and finding copies in such conditions is getting more and more difficult and demand exceeds supply.

Buyer Warning: I think it is very worthy of mention about the recently issued reissues of the three Nick Drake Island albums. These are very similar indeed to the first-issues and beware of them being offered as ‘originals’. I will outline the most obvious differences which is easy for me here as I have a reissue of this album right here front of me. Firstly the record: they look very similar at first glance but the reissue has scripted (written) matrixes with A2 and B2 numbers. The original matrixes can be see above. Next the cover: A couple of very obvious differences, the original has a finely textured surface, the reissue a smooth surface and a semi-gloss surface, the original being matt. Also the reissue is mauve colour whereas the original is a much deep violet-blue. Also the spine on the reissue is a totally different colour being a turquoise blue, the original being pretty much teh same as the front and back (allowing for minor fading over time). One more thing too, the coloured bands on the original are orange and magenta, the reissue are green and purple. I think these points should dispell any doubts and I really think this should be made clear as the reissue carries the original E. J. Day Group imprint as the first-made.

Musicians: Nick Drake - vocals, guitar; Dave Pegg – bass; Richard Thompson - lead guitar; Dave Mattacks - drums; Mike Kowalski - drums; Paul Harris - piano; Ray Warleigh - alto saxophone; Lyn Dobson - flute; John Cale - viola, harpsichord, celeste, piano, organ; Chris McGregor - piano; Pat Arnold and Doris Troy - backing vocals.

Brief Info: Born Nicholas Rodney Drake on June 19, 1948 and died November 25, 1974. An English folk-singer-songwriter of immense talent. He made just three albums and they all failed to sell during his lifetime. Over time, his work has since grown in popularity and stature and all three are highly sort after and he is now regarded one of the most influential folkesque singer-songwriters of the last half decade. He signed to Island Records when only 20-years-old, and released his debut album Five Leaves Left. His first two albums are reputed to have sold less than five thousand copies as first issues and his reluctance to perform live or give interviews were major factors to his total lack of commercial success. He suffered with depression and insomnia and his song lyrics often portrayed these troubles. He died after the completion of his third album from an overdose of an anti-depressant. On this timelessly beautiful record, possibly my favourite of the three, he is backed by wonderful musicians including the nucleus of Fairport Convention and also John Cale of The Velvet Underground. His vocal lacked a great range but it remained highly expressive nonetheless and indeed it took me some time before appreciating this now iconic artist myself. Like most others, his albums eluded me for many years but the wait was well worth it. This is only the second example of this album as an original, unlike the debut it was never issued no the Pink Island label, the pink rims ARE the original. This is a lovely copy too, hardly played and including an attractive cover. The original covers are so highly wear-prone and will available examples will be found with little to no wear, this has a little. With so few sold or existing on the pink rim label I just wonder how many actually survive quite like this. Bought and appreciated by only a lucky few initially, this man’s original works are amongst the most sort-after for album collectors these days. This is a very rare opportunity, do not lose this one, it will be posted FREE signed for and fully insured as standard.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+.

Cover Grade and Format: A fine EX example, and it could be argued better since most are seen so worn these days. So delicate and frail, this will rarely be found a great deal better than this (if indeed you can find one at all). An unlaminated, matt, single format with a finely textured finish. Made with very soft card that will rub and ringwear almost by looking at it. It was printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group, London and Bedford. [Beware of reissue substitutions, please see my ‘Buyer’s Warning’ above.] This early pressed example includes its original plain white unlined inner. The blue inners were made available in 1971, a little later than this one was issued.

Cover Front: Very deeply coloured and fresh-looking with minimal rubbing or marks. Just the odd tiny one and given just how unforgiving these surfaces are, this is quite exceptional. The texturing is very fine and can be seen best with angled viewing. Any creasing is very light with one towards the top edge and one on the bottom left corner, these being very fine indeed. So-much-so, they have barely even broken the ink to show any white, the bigger top one especially shows zero. Minimal traces of handling, these matt surfaces show fingermarks freely if present, but few here and overall this front will take a fair amount of beating.

Cover Back: Very similar again and possibly even better, the lack of ringwear or significant record impression to both sides is great news and unusual. Again this side has minimal traces of any rubbing and few marks and any tiny creases confined to the edges. These finely textured surfaces can speckle but this too has been avoided and I am certain this cover has been cover protected for most of its time.

Top Edge: Two or three very fine surface creases and the odd small rub only. Far less wear than I would normally expect on a fragile colour surface like this.

Bottom Edge: Mainly light, slightly patchy rubbing, this ‘storage edge’ will seldom have a great deal less.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear and no feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal compression. Again slight rub traces, odd chip or two and fine hairline crease but all text is present and solid with mimimal blemishing. Similar covers often suffer horrendous rubbing and can even become threadbare. Please see my three text close-ups to show all is intact.

Corners: These have light to moderate tip rubs but most retain fine shape and good definition.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very rare and fragile early 70’s cover – guaranteed genuine too. One that will prove difficult to find much better, finding another at all will not prove easy anyway. This beautiful item should please many collectors but not quite connoisseur standard.

The Inner Sleeve: Near Mint: as stated above, the earliest examples of this album did not include the blue inner, these came in 1971, a few months after this album’s release. This is plain white and unlined, it’s very clean, uncreased and all closed edges unsplit or torn.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ / EX+, A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A copy played very little on all the evidence reitterated by clean playing surfaces and superb sound. Side one has hardly a noteworthy mark at all and side two just one fine surface mark with NO sound and ultra fine surface hairline traces that just catch angled light. Merely removal type blemishes that do not affect sound at all. Remember manufacture for records was often less than subtle, a know well a person who worked in a pressing company and he has a few interesting tales to tell about how these things were produced. Music documentaries on television occasionally show the production lines in record manufacture, and how they were rammed inside covers too, its hardly surprising some had minor abrasions even when purchased from new. Themore experienced record collector will know this anyway but some will be less aware. Few will retain such lovely clean, pure good looks and obvious low plays as this one, it will be immediately apparent to any winning bidder. Visually a super 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 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 major Island rarity plays up to, and most all exceeds its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Beautifully produced with a genuine atmosphere, this is a gateway into the recording studio with Drake’s voice and guitar having an in-the-room presence. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no noteworthy pops or clicks were heard, this is an exceptional clean pressing for a challenging album. Mainly a low-volume melancholic album, this has few passages to hide the odd minor blemish but glad to state there are barely any anyway. Few albums like this and of such an age will play through devoid of the odd single groove tick, the format hardly allows it. Few copies will match or outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly 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, a true delight, it really is a shame this did not sell in greater quantities simply to satisfy the amazing rise in interest for this man’s work. With so few originals around, the reissues are an option of course, but nothing can thrill more than holding and listening to an original – just imagine, this copy was actually in the shops when the man himself was still with us. This copy will certainly prove very difficult to find significantly better and is strongly recommended. A beautiful rare record that more than justifies the memory of the legendary, mysterious and elusive artist.

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 ‘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, 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 even 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 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for 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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

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 ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance 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: 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’.

PLEASE NOTE: The slight label variation on this copy confirms it's an early second pressing from 1972 - sorry for any confusion – Mike