BUDGIE Never Turn Your Back… VERY RARE UK 1973 EX++ LP

	£		156
	$		207

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Overseas packets that go through the customs system, can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to process and deliver, this IS normal. For Russia, this can take even longer and is out of my control, so please be patient.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: BUDGIE

Album Title: Never Turn Your Back on a Friend.

Producer(s): Budgie

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Breadfan; Baby Please Don’t Go; You Know I’ll Always Love You; You’re the Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk.

Side 2: In the Grip of a Tyrefitter’s Hand; Riding My Nightmare; Parents.

Label/Format: MCA – original intense matt black format.

Label Conditions: Both little short of immaculate: ultra clean, super-fresh and hugely attractive. The odd ultra fine and faint spindle trace if scrutinised closely enough, but this rare original record appears hardly even played.

Cat Number: MDKS 8010.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 150 grams. A more typical Decca-pressed heavyweight original. Later examples on the rainbow label (with a different catalogue number) were much thinner and lighter.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare as a near mint first pressing. MCA were a label that changed it’s design very quickly, sometimes within weeks. First issues of this album on the black label are elusive and difficult to find. This particular one was one of the shortest-lived of all and came and went quickly. A rare chance for collectors and fans of this band that are in high demand, this record will prove near impossible to find better – it has hardly been played for sure.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: 7-LNMG-277-2L / 7-LNMG-278-1L

Stamper Codes: 1 B / 1 B (or possibly ‘C’, but to my eyes under a magnifier, I think both are ‘B’), whichever, they are either the very first or still very early in the Decca pressing sequence of ‘BUCKINGHAM’.

Musicians: Burke Shelley – vocal, bass; Tony Bourge - guitars; Ray Philips - drums.

Brief Info: Superb third album from this Welsh heavy rock trio. Famed for rather spectacular, if bizarre, artwork on their covers, often with budgies in different forms of dress. This is another classic Roger Dean design famed for his wonderful artwork on progressive-rock sleeves. Self-confessed as ‘not the greatest composers’ and ‘not particularly subtle’ and ‘not progressive’ but a ‘freaking good Rock band’. I guess that sums it up pretty well actually, rarely a critics favourite but like Uriah Heep, this band were quite popular and their mid-period and later albums sold fairly well. Of course, featuring the expressive and unusual voice of Burke Shelley that gave Budgie their almost unique sound. This rare original black format label original copy looks hardly played and has clean powerful sound. Beautifully, and very heavily pressed by Decca – this album at times, really rocks – who’s a pretty boy then?

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: or very close to. An unlaminated gatefold format, printed and made in England by Robert Stace, and it includes the original MDKS 8010 inside – beware of substitutions that have a different number.

Cover Front: Classic Roger Dean artwork and this front has minimal traces of wear and is very clean too. The only blemish of any real note, is a little light creasing near the top right corner. Superb colour and no rubbing, any marks few and very faint as seen critically under light.

Cover Back: A faint rim impression and ultra faint rub around it near the top edge. A few fine surface marks under light, but with a 150 gram record inside for nearly 40 years, this wear-prone back will also prove hard to find much better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A few very fine surface creases near the edge that show little, any surface blemishes few and faint and this looks very attractive indeed.

Top Edges: Both straight and barely worn at all.

Bottom Edges: Very similar again, the odd very gentle rub trace.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear, any thickening or burring mild and light as seen viewed end-on. Record entered on the back edge, both are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, thick and straight with any compression light. Folded squarely so the edges meet up very closely and parallel. Barely any rubbing at all and all the large, bold and plentiful text fully present as seen on my spine area picture. Even the folds have avoided wear which is never easy.

Corners: Any tip rubbing is very light and gentle and all retain excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A very nice example, that as an original will prove very difficult to find much better. It will please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a Decca-style heavy-duty polylined inner that has only aged a little with mild darkening around the edges with a copule of small tone spots. The lining remains super-clear as seen through two crisp and undamaged window circles. Minimal creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): A very impressive visual copy that is very clean, intense black and heavily pressed on top quality Decca-pressed vinyl. I have never seen a better original, this is clearly hardly played. Any surface traces seen critically under bright angled light are little more than ultra fine hairlines that of course, have no affect on the sound. Finding such an early copy better could prove near impossible.

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 rock gem 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. This blows away the later, thinner pressings. Any surface sounds barely registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is a very clean pressing – as you would expect from what I regard as the very best of record manufacturers – Decca. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this quality, and now getting rare rock album. This copy could prove very difficult to find better and merits my highest possible recommendation.

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] = £4.75

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]) = £12.50 (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]) = £16.50 (£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 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’.