THE MOODY BLUES In Search of the Lost Chord RARER UK MONO

	£		49
	$		65

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: THE MOODY BLUES

Album Title: In Search of the Lost Chord.

Producer(s): Tony Clarke.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Departure; Ride My See-Saw; Dr Livingstone, I Presume; House of Four Doors; Legend of a Mind; House of Four Doors (Part 2).

Side 2: Voices in the Sky; The Best Way to Travel; Visions of Paradise; The Actor; The Word; Om.

Label/Format: Deram – Original large format DSS, brown meaning in this case, mono (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with a little less than moderate spindle marks that are mainly fine and light, only really seen under angled light.

Cat Number: DML 711.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 148 grams. A typical very solid pressing on this quality label. Deram were part of Decca and pressed by them.

Rarity: Scarce in mono: those that show invariably have been heavily played and often with major sound deterioration. This is certainly NOT the case with this copy.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Country of Manufacture: England.

Matrix Nos: ARL-8270-1W / ARL-8271-1W

Stamper Codes: 1 B / 2 BU

Musicians: Justin Hayward (12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, tablas, piano, mellotron, bass guitar, harpsichord, percussion and vocals; Mike Pinder (Mellotrons, piano, harpsichord, cello, acoustic guitar, bass and auto-harp); John Lodge (bass, cello, tambourine, snare drum, acoustic guitar, vocals); Ray Thomas (C flute; alto flute, soprano saxophone, vocals) and Graeme Edge (Drums, timpani, tambourine, tablas, piano).

Brief Artist & Album Info: The ‘Magnificent’ Moodies third album, the follow-up to the stunning Days of Future Passed, it features their most famous line-up as seen above. A wide and varied array of instrumentation that blends beautifully to create some of the most inspired and brilliant songs of the latter 60s. Few bands thrill me more today from this period than the Moodies, like many, if not most, I too discovered them later than I care to admit (but I was quite young at this time). Sublime melodies that use that most wonderful of instruments, the mellotron regularly – that lovely delicate ‘whooshing’ sound that gave their music a uniquely haunting edge. Along with Hayward’s perfect vocals which include poetic readings, this was innovative pop-psychedelia that evolved into early progressive music. Easy on the ear with infectious songs that remain in the subconscious for hours after playing. I remember from my schooldays hearing the wonderful single ‘Nights in White Satin’, reissued from the previous album, it left a lasting impression – I even had this song played at my wedding in 1984. This album is one of around seven essential albums to own, they set standards of excellence few ever could match. Not had a mono copy of this one for ages, most seen are too heavily played for my liking. Although this one has some spindle usage evidence and one fine line surface mark on side two – which is practically ignored – this offers very impressive and clean mono reproduction. The mix and delivery of the music quite different to the stereo, this will please many collectors who like that very 60s sound.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a gatefold format, laminated with Clarifoil front and back. It was printed and made in England by Robert Stace. The back has the ‘also available in stereo’ text and has NO mono/stereo peep-hole, these came in 1969. One other piece of detail on the first covers, the front graphic bleeds off into the spine near the top and bottom – this seen in close-up.

Front, Back and Lamination: A gorgeous looking cover with terrific artwork as most of their early albums had. This now 44-years-old, and here just enough to lightly remind of the fact. This evidence only subtle with the back a little darkened with a more ‘mature’ look to the white areas. This apart, not a great deal else to fault – if indeed ‘fault’ is the word for a little natural ageing. The front looks superb, this is only single thickness card, hence delicate. So with just one very small hairline crease on the spine edge and a fine, small one on the bottom right corner, this is almost remarkable. There are hardly any on the back either. The laminate retains excellent shine, clarity and all is fully adhered with no lifting at all. Even under light, barely any hint of friction rubs or dulling with just that hint of ‘age’ on the back. These outside faces will take a fair degree of beating.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside is predominately white and unprotected. This has aged little with any discolouration or set-off gentle and light. Just a little hint of darkening on the very edges and the odd light tip crease, but little else.

Top Edges: Practically no wear or thickening at all, and the front has avoided any real burring to the ends.

Bottom Edges: Being the usual storage edges, these have thickened a little with a little gentle burring seen viewed end-on. However, there is no chipping to the main front, back and inner sides which makes a big difference.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Very clean and sharp with hardly any traces of wear. No feathering and minimal thickening or burring, these are guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on the back edge. Quite unusually too, the single thickness front lies totally flat to the back. So often, with laminate contraction over time, these can bow and crinkle, not the case here.

Spine and Text: A superb spine too: solid, straight with no compression and folded square with the edges meeting up very closely together and parallel – this makes a for a very neat and attractive finish to the cover. All text is perfect and unworn under the very solid and uncracked laminate. A detail also on these early covers – mentioned above – is the front artwork graphic bleeds off into the top and bottom of the spine – later covers omit this detail. This seen in close-up.

Corners: All are crisp and neat with hardly any traces of rubbing. A small crease on the front bottom right as mentioned already, but even this has avoided feathering or any real degree of softening. In fact all corners retain excellent or even better shape.

Cover Summary: One of the classic 60s covers and it will seldom be found much better with the original DSS logo and ‘mono’ on it. A genuine 1968 example that gives few clues to the fact. It should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: The vintage polylined Decca-style inner is included in a very fine near excellent condition. Minimal creasing with a neat clear lining and no damage to the window circles. A little darkened, more to the seam adhesive areas, but all edges unsplit with no repairs. This is British patented and has the ‘Foreign patents pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: but with a non-feelable surface line across side two, this is ignored with no audio interference at all A very clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed record made by Decca, one of the toughest and best record manufacturers ever. Even the edges feel machine smoothed and not razor sharp like many. Other than the aforemenioned superficial mark, there are few others and any present are fine, light and faint as seen under angled light. A lovely record, especially so given the age and mode, so many are seen literally trashed. Not for the perfectionist, but many fans and collectors will enjoy it.

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 quite elusive original mono record plays up too and most all exceeds its high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, distortion-free mono sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. All Moody Blues albums are vintage hi-fi favourites, the recording quality and pressings are second to none. The production and audio quality was ahead of it’s time and even today, some 44 years after issue, still pleases. Very few traces of surface sound and no pops. Any gentle clicks are very few indeed and few mono copies will have less blemishes than this. Few mono records this great age will play ‘silent’ in their entirety and the odd tiny blemish is considered by most as normal. Not really designed to be played on a clinical and revealing stereo system, but this record still delivers and I enjoyed immensely. There is little to fault on this record anyway and it will take an amazing other first pressing to better this one significantly. Both channels are clean, sharp and focused, certainly played a few times, but not excessively so. Often the flute and mellotron on vintage Moodies albums can distort with an echo type reverb caused by groove wear – a mild distortion that ruins the beautiful sound. There is none of this present on this lovely copy and minimal traces of any crackle were heard. Little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic album. This copy could prove difficult to find significantly better with the DSS mono labels and -1W matrixes and this can be highly recommended.

End Piece: One of the greatest albums of the 1960s by one of the greatest ever bands from any era. A copy worthy of this title, timeless, classic progressive popular music. It’s amazing to think that the next two albums were arguably even better, it just proves what a fantastic band The Moody Blues truly were. Cleaner sounding mono originals do not come along too often – and I am not saying this is perfect – but even on an uncompromising LP12 and brand new moving coil cartridge, this gave an impressive account.

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 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] = £4.25

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’.