WISHBONE ASH Argus RARER ORIG UK 1972 MCA (DECCA-PRESSED) EX+ LP, GREAT EXAMPLE.

	£		67
	$		89

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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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be signed and trackable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers 100% reliable service without it.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take longer 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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

ANY ITEM or ITEMS TO BE PAID WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF 6 DAYS or they will be cancelled – NO EXCEPTIONS.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion, as will any bidder who cancels a bid. Please only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: WISHBONE ASH

Album Title: Argus

Producer(s): Derek Lawrence

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Time Was; Sometime World; Blowin’ Free.

Side 2: The King Will Come; Leaf and Stream; Warrior; Throw Down the Sword.

Label/Format: MCA, first issue format pressed by Decca. These have matt, gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. This classic album plays very impressively.

Catalogue Number: MDKS 8006

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Few vintage records are ever perfectly ‘flat’, so some slight or very gentle arm movement is normal. If any record I offer has more than that, I will mention it, and it can be assumed all I offer should track without issues, even on budget turntables.

Weight of this Record: 141 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Moderately scarce as an early 1972 pressing. The early copies of this album on this label were pressed by Decca, for me the very best record manufacturer. Clean lightly played copies with a superb little worn cover are hard to find.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: 7-LNMG-256-2L / 7-LNMG-257-2L

Mothers / Stampers: 1 BI / 2B CU

Musicians: Martin Turner – bass guitar, vocals; Andy Powell – lead, harmony lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, vocals; Ted Turner – lead, slide, harmony lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, vocals; Steve Upton – drums, percussion. With: John Tout – organ.

Brief Info: The third album by the UK rock quartet Wishbone Ash, their 1972 masterpiece that was named Album of the Year in some music magazines of the era. A brilliant progressive album with elements of folk with Mediaeval themes. The cover is one of my personal favourites, and so rarely seen in better conditions – a typical matt gatefold that usually wears badly – that a shame, with its mysterious warrior observing the UFO on the opposite back, this sets my imagination into overdrive. One that demanded lamination, but never including it in the UK. Hence finding this in anything like top condition is very difficult indeed, especially with a very early heavier Decca-pressed record inside. But this cover-protected example has survived the years in terrific condition and is the best example I have seen in nearly 20 years. The record appears little used and plays superbly. Wishbone Ash hit their absolute peak with this set – it peaked at No 3 in the UK albums charts, and deservedly so. Their sound featuring the dual harmony guitar work of Andy Powell and Ted Turner, and rarely, if ever did it sound better than on this magnificent album. For those still to discover this landmark album, this copy does it near maximum justice.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace, includes the 1972 date-coded Decca-style polylined inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Not only my favourite Hipgnosis cover, but one of my favourites ever – and at last, one those does it supreme justice. This has been cover-protected, and the difference is immediately apparent. This has the least wear I have seen on this cover in two decades. Fresh, clean and very attractive, that famous mysterious warrior looks stunning with hardly any creasing, rubbing or grubbiness. No fading or sticker issues, this is beauty and sets a standard to be beaten – these rarely get seen this nice.

Cover Back: The odd very fine edge hairline crease apart, this back is equally impressive with barely anything to fault. The lack of penetrating rim marks or ring wear is a massive plus, also the lack of grubbiness on the pale UFO area is hardly ever seen. Open out fully to see the Warrior observing the UFO over the distant mountain range with hardly any wear is an amazing sight – and always has been – a sublime cover for design and condition.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The dark band graphic inside also has little to fault as-seen.

Top Edges: Both straight, flat and flush with barely a trace of wear.

Bottom Edges: Only very gentle, very patchy light rubbing on these dark storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both edges are naturally open with no adhesive on either inside. All four edges are clean, mostly sharp with any thickening little and light as seen viewed end-on. Record traditionally enters on the back edge, all are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: This original cover has the wide spine that remains solid, straight with hardly any trace of compression, also folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. A gentle tilt to right only that the wider spine seldom avoid as the barest minimum. All text is perfect and unworn, also nicely centred as-seen.

Corners: Any tip rubs very small and light on the lower ones, hardly anything on the top pair. Excellent or better shape retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: A stunning all-round example of this unforgiving, but sublime Hipgnosis design 1970’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find better. One that immediately attracts attention due to its unusual beautiful condition. A ‘thinking man’s’ piece of cover art, this gorgeous item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: with only the usual darkening, which is patchy, of the seam area adhesive. A Decca-style polylined inner with two perfect undamaged window circles, the lining still clear and fresh. Minimal creasing with all edges naturally intact with no repairs. This is date-coded 9-72 (September 1972).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite heavily pressed on high-quality Decca-manufactured vinyl. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface traces few, very light, wispy and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, barely anything even registers. Slightly patchy dulling seen under light is simply a trait of a record not being removed from its sleeve for many years, totally harmless and virtually unseen on room light. Visually a lovely record that should please many, if not most 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic album, that still sound fresh today, plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering 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 are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues* or inherent pressing noises. That too with some very quiet passages. Few available copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played lightly and has been very well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

I am one of the most established sellers on Ebay, trading since 2001 and offering the finest 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 all elements of the items I offer for sale. You may notice I only submit records quite sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade – visuals alone do not always tell a true story. I will try to 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 it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. I hope the item below is to your liking – any questions can be emailed and I will do my best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, major 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie 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 D7500 DSLR 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.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid bid retractions. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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 only 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 2 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive – if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund if the item is returned in the same condition is was sent e.g. as per the listing pictures.

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, 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.