SOFT MACHINE Third ULTIMATE 1st-PRESS A1–D1 MATRIXES, BARELY PLAYED PROG CLASSIC

	£		42
	$		56

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £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 – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing 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 to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: SOFT MACHINE

Album Title: Third.

Producer(s): Soft Machine.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Facelift.

Side 2: Slightly all the Time.

Side 3: The Moon in June.

Side 4: Out-Bloody-Rageous.

Label/Format: CBS – original deep orange format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions & Info: All four in truly STUNNING condition, you will be hard-pressed to find these two ultimate first issue records better. Four ultra clean, fresh and hugely attractive labels and as fresh as when they were pressed back in 1970. This one from the same lot as the rare 1G / 2 G Beatles ‘Revolver’ and others I am currently offering. In this batch, there were a number of top quality CBS albums as very early originals including some superb Miles Davis albums circa 1967 to 1970 which will be coming very soon. There are barely a spindle trace to be seen on any – maybe the odd one if you look hard enough. The playing surfaces truly remind of new. Okay, the cover has the almost unavoidable ringwear, but is a true first issue E. J. Printing with very matt surfaces and thinner card. Later ones that look very similar were printed by MacNeill and have a gentle shine surface, these are little more durable. This pair of records have ultimate first matrixes and are much heavier pressed, thus ringwear is near impossible to avoid, unless the records are stored outside the cover which simply did not happy in most-all cases. I doubt if this pair have seen light-of-day since the 1970, all four playing surfaces come as close to looking new as they ever get. Lastly, a well known fact, this prog-rock masterpiece does not have a great dynamic range in terms of production, that a pity because I personally rate this as one of the greatest jazz-prog albums ever made. But first issues do have a distinct edge in audio quality over later ones and do sound ‘better’. Having had both first and second issues (a few beyond), I have more than proven this to myself when compared. So any collector who enjoys the more challenging music from this golden era in progressive rock, both these records will prove the ultimate ones to own. Indeed they will prove a massive upgrade for many and I am certain both discs have hardly been handled, let alone played.

Cat Number: S 66246.

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 these Records: 141 / 142 grams. These are very good solid weights for this record and label.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarcer as a first issue as outlined further up. Finding both records maybe played once (if indeed at all) prior to my mandatory sound-check is some task.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: S-66246-A1 / S-66246-B1 / S-66246-C1 / S 66246-D1

Mothers / Stampers: A 3 / A 1 / A 2 / A 2

Musicians: Mike Ratledge – Hohner Pianet, Lowrey organ, piano; Hugh Hopper – bass guitar; Robert Wyatt – drums, vocals, organ, Hohner Pianet, piano, bass; Elton Dean – alto saxophone, saxello. Guests: Lyn Dobson – soprano saxophone, flute; Jimmy Hastings – flute, bass clarinet; Rab Spall – violin; Nick Evans – trombone.

Brief Info: A double masterwork and arguably their best album and truly essential. Progressive jazz-rock, complex and compelling this a true tour-de-force and remains a hugely important work from the ‘Canterbury’ scene. Uncommercial and not to everyone’s taste, but I love this album. I enjoy more challenging music and this is just that. Four sides, four tracks, three instrumentals. Electric keyboards, rasping winds and drums, no-one sounded quite like the early ‘Softs’ - this is truly inspired stuff. This is one of the first pressings made, it came from a collection awash with such issues – the one owner worked for a record company. Indeed I am not sure I have ever seen a A1, B1, C1, D1 pressing of this album before – I certainly have never seen all four sides looking practically new. As stated, the cover always gets ringwear, and when heavy pressed records have been left undisturbed for 44 years, it is hardly any surprise this cover has some. Still a nice example and the records sensational – it even still has the mirror-image CBS promotional inners. A better pair of record for ‘Third’ are unlikely to be found, ultimate upgrade examples and heavy pressed and offering probably the most detail and range this album can – it hardly gets better.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: arguably better for one that rarely, if ever wears well. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt surfaces. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group. Only slightly later, the reprints were made by MacNeill Press and differ visually with a gentle semi-shiny finish. Only originals carry the ‘Day’ imprint as seen in my close-up picture.

Cover Cosmetic Improvements: None Apparent.

Cover Front: Thin card gatefolds with thick heavy records inside for 44 years is a sure-fire recipe for ringwear. This has arcs as the top and bottom as seen, in terms of this cover, this is quite mild for an original. The MacNeill ones are a little more durable. I am not sure if I have ever seen a ‘Day’ first edition without any ringwear, they must be mighty rare if anyone owns one. The rim arcs apart and one tiny surface chip, this front has little else to fault bar traces of corner tip rubbing.

Cover Back: Same as the front, over time, I have seen a number of far worse examples than this, indeed this is still one of the best originals I have seen or had.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Superb – very clean, fresh and looking little short of as-made. Any minor blemishes only seen critically under angled light. The inside is always less prone to rim rubbing, difficult to actually say what the difference is, but for certain, the front and back rarely escape.

Top Edges: Some fairly light rubbing near the ends, both straight and meet up flush, always the best news for maximum neatness.

Bottom Edges: Moderate rubbing to these storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, fairly sharp with a little thickening at the bottom, any burring slight, both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. Records entered on these edges.

Spine and Text: Solid and thick, straight with little compression and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. A trace of tilt to the right being ultra critical and maybe slightly faded, but in terms of this one, minimal – this surface is also very sensitive to light and often goes strange colours. A little rubbing to the ends but all text is fully present, that always a bonus as well, even the folds retain practically all ink.

Corners: Moderate tip rubbing, the spine pair have raised endings, so they may appear eroded, but not the case. Fine to very fine shape mostly retained.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this highly unforgiving early 1970’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. This splendid ‘Day’ original should please many, if not most collectors if the almost mandatory ringwear is not an issue. Day originals I am sure will exist with no ringwear at all, but good luck finding one (especially with records of this condition inside, and as early pressed).

The Inner Sleeves: EXCELLENT(+): for both. I cannot grade lower because both are barely worn as such, just the usual darkening that happens over time. A mirror-image pair that promote CBS records (or course) up to the late 1960s–1970. Hardly any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs, these were never lined. Always nice to include the two nigh-on identical inner sleeves for sets of this age.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++) to PRACTICALLY MINT: a superb visual pair that are super clean with wonderful shine and very solidly pressed. A pair hardly even handled, let alone, these have the lustre and looks of practically new records. Two of the four sides are as close to genuine unmarked as you will ever see, the other close with any surface traces bordering on minuscule all viewed under bright angled light. Actually wondering if any A1/B1/C1/D1 ultimate first issue will ever be found better? Most fans of this type of music back in the day of issue, played them heavily and the majority on less than groove-friendly record players. In vinyl terms, this pair are barely even run-in and will prove near impossible to find better. Visually an amazing pair that should please most-all 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 set plays up to the high visuals with very little unwanted. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is as good as it gets from a first-press pair. The album has a slightly muted production that is well known, but the earliest copies will give that little bit extra in terms of detail and dynamic range, that is why audiophile collectors want the earliest pressings they can find. No matter how clean and barely used this set is, finding any example that will play ‘silent’ is a near impossibility. This highly complex music has some very quiet passages – as most progressive rock has – so the odd gentle tick and crackle hint is practically unavoidable. Here any surface sound are minimal indeed. Side one and four have gentle openings before the music really kicks into gear, little was heard even here, but the odd gentle reminder you are playing 44-year-old vinyl – I do mean gentle as well. These openings have finer compacted grooves and will always be a difficult part of this album. I remind, I play all my records on very revealing equipment and few more clinical than the world-renowed Linn LP12. With passages of such difficult, the odd sporadic tick will happen from even a tiny surface fragment, but try finding this challenging album better. Few copies will match, let outperform this top quality first pressing I feel sure. I am certain both records have barely been played – these quite typical from their source. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these super-clean looking records – I really love this album and being honest, this one betters my own personal copy. Unless absolute silence is mandatory – which is a near impossibility – these records earn my highest possible recommendation. I have never seen this double set better and unlikely to either.

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’.