CAT STEVENS Tea for the Tillerman RARE Orig Pink Island

	£		199
	$		264

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: CAT STEVENS

Album Title: Tea For the Tillerman.

Producer(s): Paul Samwell-Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Where Do the Children Play?; Hard Headed Woman; Wild World; Sad Lisa; Miles From Nowhere.

Side 2: 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 – Original pink i format.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with a lovely intense, deep pink finish. A very small scuff trace on side two on the text at the 3 o’clock position as can be seen on my scan. Spindle marks are light and very light. This evidence suggest very few plays at all and this is a lovely record.

Cat Number: ILPS 9135.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 141 grams. A very good weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Firstly, this is a rare record, make no mistake about it. Few copies of this record were issed on the original full pink i format, most early editions seen on the pink rim or later labels. Issued at the very end of the full pink label run, this is one of the most elusive Island albums ever made as an genuine first pressing. It indeed proved the very last UK full pink label album issued, the catalogue number falls between two new pink rim titles – namely: Nick Drake’s ‘Bryter Layter’ (ILPS 9134) and The Amazing Blondel ‘Evensong’ (ILPS 9136). It even begs the question, was it meant to be issued on the Pink label at all? Repressed almost immediately on the new pink format and seldom seen or offered. Way under-valued in those so-called Price Guides, Cat Steven’s career only really took-off when the record-buying public discovered the brilliance of this album – but by then – the original pink label copies had all but gone.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9135 A-3U / ILPS 9135 B-3U. This is the earliest Pink Rim pressed I have ever seen.

Stamper Codes: 1 T / 1 T

Musicians: Cat Stevens – Guitar, keyboards, vocals; Alun Davies – Second guitar, John Ryan – Bass; Harvey Burns – Drums; Jack Rostein – violin.

Brief Info: With the sheer rarity of the pink Island first pressing, many collectors are more than happy to settle for a Pink Rim pressing. But for the serious Island and Cat Stevens collector, nothing else will do than a first pressed pink i original. For me the ultimate Cat Stevens album, a record of incredible beauty and including several outstanding and memorable songs. A man now inspired and near his musical peak, no music lover could fail to be moved by this beautiful music. The man in supreme voice and including the most perfect production with a full backing. Packaged too in gorgeous cover, this record proves beyond any doubt what an exceptional singer-songwriter this man is and every record collection should include this truly memorable record. This a very lightly played original, not perfect with a few clicks on ‘Sad Lisa’, but all the positives outweigh any small negatives. This only my third copy ever in over 10 years selling on Ebay.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a gatefold format with front and back lamination, the inside is matt finished and quite heavily textured. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group. This imprint is tiny and only seen on the extreme right edge near the top corner inside the gatefold. You will need a magnifier to see this detail, I have checked it exactly that way and I can confirm this is the first EJD cover. This first-issue cover also has the very wide spine (as seen on my close-up pictures).

Lamination – Front & Back: This is very attractive indeed: fresh, clear and shiny laminate both sides, the only lift is a very small top right corner blister on the front, it hardly even notices. Any surface creasing is fine and few and there is minimal traces of any friction rubs or dulling. The lovely graphic can be enjoyed to almost maximum advantage and inside, a lovely first pressed pink label record.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Beautifully dark and textured and looking fantastic with practically nothing to fault.

Top Edges: No wear and both only a whisker off being fully straight.

Bottom Edges: As above. All four remain ultra smooth to the fingertip with no scuffs or peeling.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear and both guaranteed untrimmed. Devoid of thickening or burring, the record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: A superb spine, little short of perfect: thick and wide, solid, straight with no crushing or compression. Any tilt is minimal and this much wider than standard spine is still erect and folded square. All text is pristine under solid, clear and uncracked laminate.

Corners: Any tip rubs are minuscule and all retain near mint shape with no dinks.

Cover Summary: A highly impressive and first E.J. Day cover that few will ever better. One to please most-all collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: This came to me inside a plain white unlined inner, being an EMI-pressed Island record, this is probably correct. Also reitterated by the ‘Patent Applied For’ text. This has some mildish toning but hardly any darkening, barely any creasing and the edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: this being ultra cautious and conservative. A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, light and faint. However, one ultra fine, small and faint mark on ‘Sad Lisa’ does emit a few clicks, most are light and only brief, but present nonetheless. If not for this mega faint mark, it would have been graded Excellent(++). Without the audio evidence, I feel it is so fine it would not have even been noticed at all, even under bright light which I inspect all my records under. Visually a super record that should please most collectors again.

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 rare and final Pink Island record mostly plays above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. I have mentioned the few clicks, most of which are light, on ‘Sad Lisa’. Any other light ones are the odd one-off here and there. This is a fragile album as most will already know and finding one that will play pristine with nothing unwanted at all will prove difficult – particularly so on the oldest copies. A mere trace of crackle as the very beginning soon disappears and overall, this album offers strong, distortion-free sound with all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is very high with an audiophile quality production with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops were noted and overall, this is a very clean pressing. Few copies will outperform this ultimate first pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. The brief, mostly light clicks aside, nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. A genuine classic that refuses to age and simply gets better on every listen. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be highly recommended. Clearly the blemish on ‘Sad Lisa’ may concern the highly discerning collector or audiophile purist, anyway, I have clearly mentioned this small mark and brief clicks, so make up your own mind. What is for sure, this will not be seen or offered often, and clearly a great opportunity for fans of this wonderful singer-songwriter and Island collectors.

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 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 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 stiffeners 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 FIVE 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: Please as 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.

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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.