SIGNED MICHAEL RAVEN & JOAN MILLS - DEATH AND THE LADY VINYL RECORD LP AUTOGRAPH

	£		500
	$		663

Michael Raven & Joan Mills Death and the Lady LP - FHR047
Signed by Michael Raven

This listing is for a copy of the extremely rare vinyl pressing of Death and the Lady, an acoustic folk album by guitarist Michael Raven and singer Joan Mills. There were only 250 copies of this album pressed in 1972, and finding them is very difficult. This copy is signed on the reverse in black biro by Raven, 'Best Wishes Mike Raven'. 



I have only played the LP through once since acquiring it, in order to test it. Here are some details on the condition - I am trying to include every small detail that you may want to know, no matter how small:

SLEEVE (VG):
Original paper inner sleeve is present, it is yellowed due to age. It has printing on one corner. The outer sleeve is in good condition, on the top-left corner and the left edge the laminate is coming away from the card a little and is a teeny bit creased. There is no significant ringwear on the front, except for a little at the top and the right-hand side (a faint yellow mark that follows the shape of the record, more obvious on the top mark). The bottom-right hand corner is a little bent, the other 2 corners are in good condition with minimal creasing. On the back, Raven's autograph is at the top. There are a few small creases on the left side, and across the top-left corner. There is some slight discolouration on the top edge of the sleeve on both sides. There are no split seams or tears in the cover. Please see photos as pictures are worth a thousand words. If you need more details or photos please don't hesitate to ask!

VINYL (VG+):
Vinyl has been tested and played all the way through. Visually, the record is glossy and has a nice shine to it - it doesn't look like it has been played many times. There are a couple of marks on the vinyl, but these are not obvious unless you get the record in the light at the right angle. They do not affect play as there was no skipping etc. when it was tested, and they are purely cosmetic. See photos! 
On side 2, there is a very slight crackle on some of the tracks, but these are barely audible and do not ruin the listening experience at all. The first track on the b-side ('The Lichfield Greenhill Bower Processional') has more crackle than the other tracks on that side. 'Can Y Melynd', an acoustic track on that side, has a little more crackle too - again, not enough to seriously affect the listening experience. Side A is a lot better than Side B when it comes crackling and pops, and has very little of it - the first track is a little crackly and Robin Hood's Dance has a little too, but most of the A-side sounds crystal clear - Lisa Lan, an acoustic track, standing out especially. There is no distracting surface noise between tracks and no skipping. Overall, the record sounds very good - the person who listened to it with me didn't even notice some of the pops/crackles I did, showing how insignificant they are if you aren't looking for them. For a record this old (released in 1972), it sounds very nice!
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I have not cleaned this record using any kind of Spin Clean-type device since purchasing, I very carefully wiped away any fluff from the surface using a soft cloth prior to testing. This LP would likely sound even better after a thorough clean, and this may eliminate some of the crackling/surface noise!


It is impossible to know how many vinyl copies of Death and the Lady still exist today - only 250 were pressed and I can imagine that a lot of them are already in collectors' hands, or were lost/forgotten/thrown away. This one is signed by Michael Raven as well, and as Raven passed away in 2008 having an autograph makes this even more special.


A very enjoyable, and very rare album.

The record will be posted out 1st Class, with signature confirmation and insurance, in a record mailer. If you wish to pick it up in person so you can have a listen & look at it, you are welcome to.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have, I am happy to answer an supply additional photos if needed.


Thanks for looking!