STEPHEN STILLS (1st) RARER Orig UK 70 Atlantic Plum LP

	£		23
	$		30

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: STEPHEN STILLS

Album Title: Stephen Stills

Producer(s): Stephen Stills.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Love the One You’re With; Do For the Others; Church; Old Times Good Times; Go Back Home.

Side 2: Sit Yourself Down; To a Flame; Black Queen; Cherokee; We Are Not Helpless.

Label/Format: Atlantic – Original red and maroon ‘Plum’ format. (Please see my label scan)

Label Condition: Both very clean, fresh and attractive examples that show only light, mainly fine and faint spindle marks. A copy that appears only very modestly played and with terrific clean sound.

Cat Number: Atlantic Deluxe 2401004.

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: 142 grams. a very above average weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Fairly scarce: and check out the matrixes below, this is one of the earliest copies you will find. The original inner sleeve is date coded /1070 manufactured within a week or two of issue.

Original Year of Release: November, 1970

Matrix Nos: 2401004 A 1 1 1 2 and 2401004 B // 2 // 2 1 1 1 1 [these matrixes speak for themselves]

Musicians: Stephen Stills - vocals, guitars, bass, piano, organ, steel drum, percussion; Calvin Samuel - bass; Dallas Taylor - drums; Conrad Isedor - drums; Ringo Starr - drums; Johnny Barbata - drums; Jeff Whittaker - congas; Jimi Hendrix - guitar; Eric Clapton - guitar; Booker T. Jones - organ, vocal; Sidney George - flute and alto saxophone. Vocals/backing vocals: David Crosby, Graham Nash, John Sebastian, Rita Coolidge, Priscilla Jones, Claudia Lanier, Cass Elliott, Henry Diltz, Liza Strike, Judith Powell, Larry Steele, Tony Wilson, Sherlie Matthews.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Stephen Stills debut masterpiece and one of the truly great ‘solo’ classics from this period - a five star recording in every department. A highly inventive and successful time for the man, in the space of a couple of years he made two solo albums, released the superb Manassas double set and was part of CSNY, his fellow colleagues make guest appearances on this album too amongst a host of others including Hendrix, Clapton and Ringo Starr. This sublime release proves Stills as a highly talented musician and this classic is varied, covering Memphis soul, folk, blues, rock and even pop. The opening track is a trademark diamond of his and all-round this album was probably never bettered. The only real surprise it made only 30 in the UK, so not quite selling the in the numbers it justified, hence the world is hardly awash with UK originals. This is a strong example and just look at those stampers seen above – how many ‘1’s do you need?

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a single format and laminated both sides. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group.

Lamination – Front & Back: One of the most beautiful pieces of artwork to be put on to an album cover and this one does it near full justice. This one is fully laminated, not all were, I have seen several 2401004 originals with full matt covers. Just a couple of relatively minor blemishes stops an even higher grading: a very light thumb crease on the back entrance edge. And the original owner very neatly put his name and date of purchase on the back top right. This had faded to virtually nothing and I easily wiped off any ink trace off the laminated surface. But under angled light, the fine impression can be seen, but in it’s own way, not a bad thing because the date is 19-12-70 which proves just how early this copy is. This was issued just a month prior to this date and is one of the earliest originals you will ever see. This is a very impressive vintage sleeve – the laminate is very shiny, fresh and clear with any dulling very mild and faint – indeed, hardly on the front at all and with normal viewing, nothing even shows. Also, and more unusually, this is fully adhered with no lifting and the cover artwork remains a lovely real white, not cream or off-white, but almost as it was made. So many white covers darken and age, often the result of a nicotine environment, we have all seen them. The difference to this cover in particular cannot be measured in words, only looks, and who wants brown or yellow snow (unless it’s on a Frank Zappa album?). There are a few fine and mainly very light edge hairline creases but how many will avoid that over 42 years? Barely any hint of record impression and no rubbing or dulling around the rim. The entrance edge and all closed edges on the back have narrow exposed strips where the laminate ends short. Even these critical areas remain white and ungrubbied, no doubt the one-and-only owner from new looked after this cover well and this remains a very attractive piece.

Top Edge: Very straight, fully laminated, white and unworn.

Bottom Edge: Practically the same again, any rub traces are tiny and very faint indeed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly very sharp, with minimal traces of any thickening or burring, this is guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and straight with possibly a little neat, gentle compression, the ends are gently tapered in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn, centred a fraction low. Again, the laminate solid and uncracked, and even this retains a fine shine, ultra white with no toning and mostly smooth.

Corners: Minimal traces or rubbing, being white, little would show anyway. All retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this classic early-70’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find significantly better. I reitterate, the first owner’s sig and date hardly even register with normal viewing and with such a significant date in this case, I think it even adds something. It can be seen under angled light but still only lightly. This attractive example should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: little real wear but naturally aged with mild darkening, mostly around the adhesive areas of the seams. This retains it polylining which is very clear with only modest crinkle as seen through two crisp and undamaged window circles. Any creasing few and light and all edges unsplit with no repairs. The really important factor for the collector, is the /1070 date code. Manufactured within a week or two or issue and again proves how early this copy is (please see this detail in close-up).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): very clean and shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A few very fine and faint surface traces on side two viewed under bright angled light and an ultra minor and small scuff trace. One full circle ‘cutting’ mark on ‘To a Flame’ within manufacture, this has NO effect on sound whatsoever. Side one has barely anything at all and this is very attractive record. Another bonus on these Polydor ‘Plum’ pressings is, there is NO bag rash e.g. dulling of the surfaces from the polylining of the inner sleeve. This is more than worthy of mention because records that have not been removed for many years often do acquire this. Both surfaces retain genuine freshness and both labels the same. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a splendid clean record that should please many, if not most 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This very early original plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds hardly even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing – as you hope for for such an early copy. These carry all that beautiful detail and presents the music with clarity and realism that no other format really matches. Just listen to that incredible acoustic guitar opening, this is a gateway to the studio itself. Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain 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. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

End Piece: The words ‘classic’ and ‘masterpiece’ are often overused, but I make no apology for using them on this one. A truly magnificent album that any music lover could not fail to like. Stills was inspired on this album and he rarely again reached such levels of brilliance as a solo artist again. This copy does it near full justice and this is my first worthy copy for some time.

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 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’.