VAN MORRISON Astral Weeks VERY RARE ORIG UK 1968 EX LP

	£		377
	$		499

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £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: VAN MORRISON

Album Title: Astral Weeks

Cat Number: WS 1768

TRACK LISTING:

Side 1: “In the Beginning’’: - Astral Weeks; Beside You; Sweet Thing; Cyprus Avenue.

Side 2: “Afterwards’’: - Young Lovers Do; Madame George; Ballerina; Slim Slow Slider.

Label/Format: Warner Bros – original orange format – please look and enjoy, this title will not be seen on them too often. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions & Overview: A little mild grubbiness seen to the left of the WB logo on side one, that apart both very clean, fresh and attractive – side two particularly is superb with only light and fine spindle marks that hardly even show. Side one not a great deal different, spindle marks being light+ and less than moderate, again quite fine with low visibility with normal viewing. No chipping or wear around the rims of the dark hued colour which will show blemishes freely (should any be be present). Side one has a moderate mark on which is non-feelable and produces next to no sound at all – a couple or three super-faint ticks were just detected – and overall, this is my best copy of this classic yet. For sound it’s simply breathtaking and has hardly anything unwanted. Massively pressed with the earliest B 1 / C 1 mother and stamper codes and the ultimate detail of the master tapes – for the connoisseur and audiophile listener, no other example or format of this evergreeen masterpiece will really do.

Country of Manufacture: England.

A Special Note and Rarity: Original orange WB copies of this wonderous record are very rare make no mistake about it. Even the early green label repressings are not so easy either - but an orange ‘Astral’ is a very special record. Only relatively recently, have the price guides given any idea of the real rarity of this album as an original. It failed to chart, sold in very small numbers and has always been very elusive and most that show up are trashed. It’s classic status remains undimished and demand for orange label originals is high amongst serious collectors. This copy plays superbly – it has ultra fine surface trace marks seen critically under angled light – mostly on the dead wax areas being honest, and one moderate mark towards the end of first song and on the second. BUT, this is NOT a penetrating scratch, more a surface scuff and 99.99 per cent harmless with just two or three ultra faint ticks (just) heard and little else. So not for the visual perfectionist, but finding and original that sounds this clean (played on very sensitive equipment too) will never prove easy. Here, Morrison takes you to a different world, this man was on a creative high and was truly inspired – a massive change in direction from the classic RnB of Them. Few noticed it on issue, even fewer shelled out to buy a copy and those special orange labels were not available for very long before being replaced to the more familiar green format. I have never, and doubt if ever will find a pristine original of this album, all I have seen or had, have had marks, and some with more significant clicks, but this has little to fault for sound at all and this gave me my most satisfying audio pleasure to date. I am not quite saying ‘perfect’, but it will take an exceptional one to better this significantly. The cover is also in very fine condition with little more than some fine edge creases with ageing generally mild. It has the original WS 1768 number of course along with three large rear flipbacks. An impossible album to categorise, simply file this album under ‘genius’.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: WS 1768 A-1 *T STEREO and WS 1768 B-2 *T STEREO.

Stamper Codes: B 1 / C 1

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: 181 grams. A MASSIVE super-heavyweight – I knew this was going to tip-the-scales big – but I did not realise quite how big until the pointer went just over the 180 gram line. This is indeed a full 30 grams heavier than the last one of these I offered back in early 2009 – so, and I am always trying, these do not come along often. I consider any record over 150 grams heavy and anything over 160 grams exceptional. But few standard issue albums hit 180 grams and his massive thick piece even makes early Beatles albums feel lightweight. This one of the earlies ever made and a near freak pressing. This actually made my LP12 platter groan up to speed taking a couple of seconds longer than usual to do so.

Brief Artist & Album Info: I can think of few better albums ever made to welcome in the New Year than this sublime and timeless classic.

After the disbandment of Them and a hurried issued Blowin Your Mind, Van Morrison took a short time out and then issued one of the greatest albums ever made - I say this unreservedly and with full conviction - it remains, and always will in my personal top ten albums ever. Recommended and worshipped by the critics for well over 40 years, this underground masterpiece has now become part of the establishment. It cries to be listened to without interruption, which may explain why it failed to reach either the UK or US charts. It wanders and weaves, repeating themes and lyrics as if one song, yet we never tire of ‘gardens wet with rain’, ‘champagne eyes’ or the wonder of how Morrison can make a place like Ladbroke Grove seem so hauntingly evocative. The record is also a great educator in opening your eyes beyond pop, to soul and jazz, and although Morrison continues to return to it’s themes again and again, this is his core. A true timeless classic of immense beauty and sung with such power and emotion it takes you through highs and lows of joy and sadness. For me one of the greatest lyrical albums ever made, even surpassing the greats like Dylan and Cohen - no music-lover can fail to be moved by this record. This one album alone made this man immortal and it has and never will age. I swear when I was play-grading this copy the shiver and tingle factor rush down my spine came like no other album can make happen. This is a deeply mystical experience, at times with great intensity (‘Beside You’), Morrison puts his entire soul into this song.

Divided by the two sides, called ‘In the Beginning’ and ‘Afterwards’ this album has eight songs, and not even a second of time is wasted, every track is sublime. Few can move like ‘Madame George’ or ‘Cyprus Avenue’ and the beauty in ‘Sweet Thing’ and ‘Ballerina” is beyond my words. Delicate strings, interweave with guitar and occasional reeds. The acoustic bass, played by Richard Davis, formerly with Miles Davis’ band gently pulsates from the speakers from this amazingly perfect production. A record with an interstellar musical feel and the musicianship throughout is quite magnificent. It is so very special – to offer a copy as an original is almost an honour and to own one a privilege. Not only is this aural experience difficult to track down, it’s even harder in anything like decent conditions. With a record that plays beautifully with very little unwanted, and an attractive original cover, this is a copy way above average. As stated already, side one has a moderate scuff, but superficial and barely with a hint of any sound at all. For a delicate 43-year-old record it’s in very fine overall condition and will not realistically be easy to find much better. Bought by the few but cherished and well played for those who did. In my 12 years on Ebay, this is only my fourth original and all have had marks, an album that just seems to attract them. This has only one that really catches the eye, but when harmless, why worry? Most that surface will have more than just one believe me. With such stunning music and very clean sound that is totally distortion and almost noise-free, this sets a high standard. Personally, I have no qualms in being reminded I am holding and listening to a 40+ year old record, it’s all part of the vinyl and original experience, but this gives few clues away being honest. I just hope the winning bidder enjoys this monumentous experience even half as much as I did.

Cover Condition and Details: EXCELLENT: or very close to. A single format with a laminated front, this wraps around the closed edges and ends on three large rear external flipbacks. Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd and includes the correct original number WS 1768.

Cover Lamination and Front: A revealing front which is deceptively difficult to find in really strong condition. This retains a fine shine, clarity and decent freshness with barely any lifting and less than moderate dulling around the massive record’s rim shape. One has to be realistic: a 180 gram super-heavyweight record inside a 43-year-old cover will leave impression, unless stored outside, it is near impossible to avoid. But this is sufficiently mild enough to only really show under angled light. The classic graphic of Morrison looks superb with no scuffs and few blemishes bar a few half moon creases, again these show little with normal viewing. The cover’s edges have mostly fine hairline surface creases, mostly near the spine. Any rubbing or chipping to the exposed right edge where the laminate ends short of full width are small, few and very light and overall, this front sets a high standard.

Cover Back: This predominately white and unprotected back shows little real wear but has very slightly darkened with age and has fairly mild grubbiness traces and odd tone spot. The panel has avoided any creasing and any rim impression very faint and gentle indeed. The three vulnerable flipbacks are in lovely shape too and will prove difficult to find much better. All are solid with clean ends that have remained devoid of burring. A small crease near the top left corner, any others are very few and even lighter still and again, this back sets a high standard given all the facts.

Top Edge: Barely any hint of wear at all, quite thin but neat and straight with full laminate protection.

Bottom Edge: Largely the same again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Solid and still quite sharp with any thickening to the very edges very light as seen viewed end-on, feathering has been avoided as has any softening or any significant burring, again good indication the record has been removed modestly. Record entered on this vulnerable edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: A superb spine too: with such weight to support when holding the record, this could easily buckle and ‘break’ over the years,. This is solid, straight, with minimal compression and all the laminate is intact with no peeling and even retaining rich shine. ALL text is perfect and unworn under the solid laminate with a surface that remains mostly smooth to the fingertip, hence scuffs have been avoided as have any of those front side hairline creases.

Corners: Any tip rubbing is small and light and fine to very fine shape is retained. I can see no evidence of any tipping-in either.

Cover Summary: A very fine and still attractive all-round example of this rare classic 60s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better and with an orange labelled original record inside. This pleasing and solid item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: This came with it’s original polylined inner which is UK Patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text. It has some creasing and crinkle but only gently ‘aged’. Both window circles are neat and crisp and the lining clear. Against all odds (as the record had been stored inside it), all edges remain intact with no splits or repairs. Minimal discolouration either and always nice to offer the inner that came with the record, something I always do if at all possible.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close WITH one moderate scuff on side one as stated several times already. I do not know how much this degrades from EX, so I just state it is there and CAN be seen (BUT barely heard at all). Still a very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and MASSIVELY pressed on super-heavyweight vinyl that just exceeds 180 grams. By any standards, this is huge and few standard issue black vinyl records hit anything like this colossal weight – only ‘manufactured’ pictures discs do which I hardly classify as a proper vinyl record. A copy with only very modest plays on all the evidence with any other surface marks only very fine and faint as seen far more critically under angled light – these being only ultra fine hairlines mostly seen on the run-out areas. Clearly a copy with a mishap in the past, but the great news is it caused no audio ‘damage’ and only a mark that will only detract the more visually discerning collector. Personally, I can live with a mark if it has minuscule to no sound as there is nothing more important that audio quality for me (or I would hardly invest in a top quality high-end turntable). The one mark apart, this is still an attractive record that should please many, and even still most collectors need this very rare first-press album.

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 is a record to really get excited about and it’s always a slightly nervous experience to play-grade a genuine rare classic for the ‘first’ time. I gladly had and took the opportunity to hear this before purchase as the mark was an obvious concern – I am delighted to say, it is nigh-on fully superficial with just a couple of three ultra faint ticks (just) noted on my super-sensitive LP12. As soon as the stylus made contact and I heard that gorgeous bassline and strings the tingles began - only the most stunning records and recordings give me this sensation - sounds daft?, well I simply tell it the way it is. This record’s production and sound is gorgeous: the details and clarity make for a very special experience. The emotion from Morrison’s vocals simply flow from the speakers. This is such an emotional trip, you wont be listening out for the odd faint tick or crackle trace (of which there are very few at all). Tracking throughout is easy and effortless and hasten to add no jumps or sticks – the music and vocals just flow. Even better there are no hints of sound degrading or groove wear. All songs play beautifully – minus the mark, this would be near unbeatable and this super-detailed, deep groove monolith pressing takes you into the recording studio itself. Again I emphasise this was played on one of the most revealing decks ever made, a Linn LP12, it reveals all what’s good and bad on a record and takes no prisoners in revealing all, and there is nothing bad on this copy. Few albums, from any genre, take you to a different place quite like Astral Weeks, beautiful is too small a word for this one. A monumental issue of pure genius and super rare with the orange labels, why this failed to sell initially is a mystery to this very day. Let’s be totally honest, few vinyl records this age will be totally blemish-free from start to finish, and many will be deeply scratched and unlistenable with horrendous distortion and noise caused by worn or chipped stylus that were more than abundant in the 1960s. This delicate and complex recording still has marvellous sound, focus and clarity and no damage to those critical groove walls. That emotional experience still nigh-on fully in fact, there is little to compare to this. Impossible to pigeon-hole, this is not pop music, simply a mystic experience by the master of the craft. Yes, it has a mark, but given all the facts it’s a record I am delighted, even privileged to offer and it’s one I can hardly recommend highly enough – and those gardens are still wet with rain.

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’.