CAT STEVENS Tea For the Tillerman Orig Pink Island RARE

	£		139
	$		184

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

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. 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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: CAT STEVENS

Album Title: Tea For The Tillerman.

Track Listing: Where Do The Children Play?; Hard Headed Woman; Wild World; Sad Lisa; Miles From Nowhere; But I Might Die Tonight; Longer Boats; Into White; On The Road to Find Out; Father and Son; Tea For The Tillerman.

Label/Format: Island (Full pink format with i logo) [Yes you read correctly].

Label Condition: Stunning deep pink originals, clean and fresh and looking quite magnificent. Spindle marks are light(+) to moderate(-), fraction more than I normally offer but this is still a very fine copy and its rarity is so clearly underrated. No wear around the hole areas indicates more to me this copy has been played only relatively lightly. (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Cat Number: ILPS 9135.

Mono or Stereo: Stereo (not issued in mono).

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: Rare, if anyone says otherwise, dont listen. This album was the final pink Island to be issued on this format before being repressed on the far more common Pink Rim version. Pink copies are so rarely seen, how many were actually issued would have been relatively few and simply finding one in any condition is difficult enough. When a strong playing and clean copy comes along with a near mint cover, its one to be cherished, I bet many Pink collectors lack this one.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9135 A3-U and B-3U - The tiny stampers are 1L / 1H

Brief Artist & Album Info: In all honesty, one of the rarest albums I have yet offered on Ebay. This for me is easily top ten best ever Pink Island albums and think how many classics there were: Jethro Tulls first pair, King Crimson’s debut, Fairports first three on Island, Fotheringay, Traffics debut, Free’s first three, ELP’s debut and of course Nick Drake - others too. A man at his most inspired and at his creative peak, this has least 6 masterpieces included. This wonderful record is a pure classic and what a pleasure to offer for me again one of the most understated rare UK albums around - this is a genuinely rare record on Pink being issued right near the very end of the Pink format life. This contains 11 songs of the finest ever within this genre - most collectors and fans will know this already and it does need me to elaborate further. The hugely important factor its on the Pink label and its in fine condition, the cover is stunning and could almost pass for new. So a very rare opportunity to own what I honestly believe to be the toughest Pink Island of them all - if you need this one, dont lose it - it could be an age before I have another to offer.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-), its a gatefold format with laminate both sides. The inner gatefold is heavily textured and is almost rough enough to use as sandpaper - its truly beautiful. .

Lamination: Superb, both sides have a very rich lustrous shine and no dulling whatsoever. No peeling and any dry areas are almost so small they are hardly worth a mention - but my regulars know me better - there are a couple of real tiny ‘blisters’ on the bottom corners that are honestly tiny and a small one on the back bottom edge near the left - hardly any of these even show. Hugely important is the lack of creasing, there are hardly any at all! There are a few light surface marks but devoid of any deep indentations, little of anything shows unless scrutinised closely under angled light. This laminate is exceptionally wonderful.

Cover Front: A fantastic front, one of the most famous from these times - how could anyone resist this. Clean and unworn with stunning artwork still as fresh as manufacture day.

Cover Back: Pretty much the same again, the back features all the lyrics. This back and front does not even show any pressmarks and certainly no ring damage or wear - remarkable and exceptional.

Cover Inner Gatefold: As close to perfect as you will ever (may) find. The very heavy texturing is perfection itself and has no rub whites on the raised areas. A light secondary crease near the centre fold hinge if being very critical but I would guess most had. I would still wager this centrefold will never be found better.

Top Edge: Virtually unworn.

Bottom Edge: Virtually unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear. Record entered on right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and square with no wear until the last couple of milli-meters of the top and bottom corners, a very thick spine that is totally uncompressed, text is perfect and unworn under the uncracked laminate.

Corners: All four show a little wear, almost all is just to the very corner tips. All still nicely shaped too.

Cover Summary: Possibly the best cover of the 1970s, a truly beautiful item that I am proud to offer.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX+/EX++ A superb visual copy. Super clean, shiny, jet black and very heavily pressed. A few light surface traces and a small light scuff near the very start of side one, the majority of which is on the run-in groove. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please most collectors again.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays generally up to its high visual grading with little major to fault. Some very brief light surface sound for a few revs at the very beginning, surface sounds after this are minimal, infrequent and very light indeed. This stunning recording has a very loud and powerful mix and any unwanted sounds, if indeed any are even present, are lost in the rich sound. Strong, undistorted replay, noting no groove-wear, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very full sound - the detail and resonance of the acoustic guitar and bass-lines are in a class of their very own and my speakers actually only just coped with the dynamic range of this recording (this is my smaller play-grade system). Steven’s vocals could easily have been in the room, stunning vocal fidenlity that will astonish. No pops or ticks were noted, and few copies will play significantly better than this. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played lightly and has been generally well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, if anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this Pink classic - its been some years since I have heard this on pink and I swear the sound detail and dynamics are far superior to the Pink Rim pressings. This copy could prove near impossible to find let alone find in much better all round condition.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: I will say for the last time, this is a genuinely hard album to find on Pink - if you have not heard the classics ‘Where Do the Children Play’, “Wild World’, ‘Sad Lisa’ and ‘Father and Son’ on the original Pink pressing, well you really have not heard them at all. Even with the odd light minor surface sound blemish this is a rare copy to be proud of and even if you think your not really a huge fan of this fine singer/songwriter - this album will more than prove you wrong, rarely has an album of such quality demanded to be included in any serious collection. If, like for so many I would guess, this final Pink Island album has passed you by - done miss it again - good luck – Mike.

Having the Powerseller Logo: This is recognition from Ebay for the highest possible customer services, satisfaction and quality, it should reassure any potential bidder that all items are described, graded and shipped to the highest standards possible. Customer care of the highest order is a standard feature here and I am proud to have achieved this recognised standard of excellence from Ebay with help from collectors and buyers from all over the World - I thank you all.

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3.00; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £5.50 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOT profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more and I often actually lose money on this part of service - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be worthwhile.

I can accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders OWN risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.