BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST Orig Rarer Pre-EMI UK 70 EX++ LP

	£		53
	$		70

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Classic Progressive-Rock to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST

Album Title: Barclay James Harvest.

Producer(s): Norman Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Taking Some Time On; Mother Dear; The Sun Will Never Shine; When the World Was Woken.

Side 2: Good Love Child; The Iron Maiden; Dark Now My Sky.

Label/Format: Harvest – original format with no EMI logo and Gramophone text on the rims.

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic: very clean, fresh and highly attractive with only very light, few and fine spindle marks.

Cat Number: SHVL 770.

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: 147 grams. Above average for this one as first issues so often are.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Much harder to find without the EMI logos on the labels, the vast majority seen and offered include them.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: SHVL 770 A-2 / SHVL 770 B-1

Stamper Codes: 1 R / 1 GD

Musicians: John Lees – guitar, vocals; Woolly Wolstenholme - keyboards, vocals; Les Holroyd - bass; Mel Pritchard - drums. Features The Barclay James Harvest Orchestra.

Brief Info: So sad to hear the news of the death of Woolly Wolstenholme, the original keyboardsman for this much-loved band. Instantly bringing back happy memories of watching them play many times during the 1970s. One of the very early albums in the Harvest catalogue and typically, like the majority, not a big seller. From the very modest beginnings, this band became popular, especially in Europe, Germany in particular. After four albums on Harvest, they switched to Polydor and then sold far more albums. From the very outset, ‘BJH’ used orchestra within their progressive sound which was hardly common at this time. It gave their music a classy and rich sound and this was developed still further on their next two Harvest albums with beautiful effect. Most rock fans will know the stunning ‘Mockingbird’ from ‘Once Again’. This seven track debut laid strong foundations and is a very fine album in its own right and this being one of the most beautiful original examples I have ever seen or had. A fantastic all-round copy that plays superbly with little unwanted and the cover is a true work of art and so rarely seen devoid of often significant wear. I hope my pictures do this full justice, and without doubt, this is a rare opportunity to own this landmark album in such strong condition.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high indeed - it has all the ingredients for rubbing, ringwear, edgewear and most all have it.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT(-): but where is the minus? I have rarely, if ever, been more tempted to grade one of rock’s most wear-prone covers full Mint, and this truly deserves it. An absolutely stunning example that simply looks as good as new. An unlaminated gatefold, made with soft card with a heavily textured front and back – the inside is smooth. This has the ‘Patents pending’ text and was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse.

Cover Front, Back & Inside: From corner tip to corner tip, and everything inbetween, this has barely any traces of wear or rubbing at all. The same goes for any creasing of which there are little more than the odd tiny, ultra fine edge hairline (but look hard). The richness of the artwork and lack of speckle, marks or grubbiness to the gorgeous graphic is simply stunning. I have seen a few exceptional examples of this over the years, but NONE better than this, a very difficult cover that is practically perfection and one for the discerning connoisseur collector – this without doubt, will prove to be the ultimate upgrade and a keeper copy for life. I will instantly add also, this has NO tip-ins or enhancements, it came from a prestige collection that were cover protected from day one and this has barely even been handled or seen light-of-day. The difference will be immediately apparent for any lucky winning bidder. This elusive Harvest cover is simply world-class.

Top Edges: Both immaculate, as made – dead straight with no rubbing at all.

Bottom Edges: These are white, as made and pretty much still are. One minor, small rub trace only.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Even the front extreme edges have no chipping or burring, quite remarkable for a cover like this. Record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Again pristine Mint: very solid, straight with no compression and folded square with the right edges meeting up parallel and very close to flush. Amazingly, this vulnerable soft black spine shows no wear or rubbing at all and the deeply coloured text is totally perfect as can be seen on my close-up picture.

Corners: All corners again are little short of as made with superb shape retained with barely a tip rub to be seen.

Cover Summary: A cover of extreme beauty and rarely will this be seen quite like this again, especially with issue format record inside that has hardly been played either. This remarkable example should please every collector needing one, they simply could hardly get better.

The Inner Sleeve: MINT(-): issued prior to the promotional inners that promoted this early Harvest album amongst others, this came with a plain white polylined inner sleeve. Like the rest of this set, it’s barely aged at all and looks just perfect for the record and cover. The two windows are crisp and sharp with the lining very clear and still firmely attached. Hardly a noteworthy crease to be seen and all edges secure.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): marked down a tiny degree from Mint(-) because of a single click on the final song from a mark so tiny, it took me nearly five minutes to even locate it. So fine and tiny, the only way I could find it was to watch the label rotate and match the area with the one-off click. Then under light, I could just about see it. A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy little played played all the evidence with any surface marks or blemishes few, light and faint. Visually a super record 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This very early Harvest record plays even above it’s high visual grading for practically all with little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and with just the one click of any note as mentioned above, this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album that does have some quiet passages. None more so than the opening to ‘Dark Now My Sky’, the final song on the album, the grooves so compact and fine, it’s no small wonder any microscopic mark could be inflicted. Yes, that is where the one-off click was noted. Few copies will match or outperform this one significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing (bar one click) spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. A finer first issue will prove elusive and the cover sets the standard to ever be beaten.

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 QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 stiffners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 neccessarily 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’.