DONOVAN - HMS Donovan - RARE ORIG UK 1971 Dawn EX++ LPs

	£		122
	$		161

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering the Rarest Folk Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down with Picture & All Shipping Rates.

Artist or Band: DONOVAN

Album Title: HMS Donovan.

Producer(s): Donovan & Mickie Most.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Walrus and the Carpenter; Jabberwocky; The Seller of Stars; Lost Time; The Little White Road; The Star.

Side 2: Coulter’s Candy; The Road; Things to Wear; The Owl and the Pussycat; Homesickness; Fishes in Love; Mr. Wind; Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

Side 3: Celia of the Seals; The Pee Song; The Voyage of the Moon; The Unicorn; Lord of the Dance; Little Ben; Can Ye Dance.

Side 4: In an Old Fashioned Picture Book; The Song of the Wandering Aengus; A Funny Man; Lord of the Reedy River; Henry Martin; Queen Mab; La Moora.

Label/Format: Dawn – original orange labels. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: All very clean and fresh with mainly light spindle marks. Some a little long but not many of, being on smooth orange labels, they do show a little, but without any doubt, this pair of records have received only very light use.

Cat Number: DNLD 4001.

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 these Records: 136 / 135 grams. Good solid weights for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Firstly, this is a rare album in it’s own right. It sold very poorly, the popularity of folk had subsided and even the once popular Donovan was now struggling to sell records in significant amounts. This a real shame as this double set is a joy. There was now were more popular styles of music on offer - hard rock, progressive rock with glam-rock just around the corner. So finding early examples of this acid-folk classic is never easy. Now a few first pressings included a poster, a large and truly beautiful one too. For the few who did shell out and buy this record that included one, most could not resist but to display it (and why not?). After time, many were torn down and discarded or ruined by the trauma of wall hanging (tears, pieces missing and strong evidence of mounting etc, etc). Well this copy did not include the poster, so I have made a fantastic reproduction one taken from an original. It’s full size and has the two folds as the original did. I could not reproduce in one piece however, so it’s been carefully put together (quite skilly, if I so say so myself, by me). Printed on high quality paper and looking as good as the original - arguably even better. There is no use of visible cellotape or glue and its very solid indeed. This is a FREE piece for any winning bidder, you are bidding ONLY on the record and it’s cover, not the reproduction poster. Having a repro is better than not having one at all especially one looking so nice. It has to be regarded as one of the best posters ever included inside a long-playing record, the artwork is simply breathtaking as I hope my pictures show. It took me several hours to reproduce but my patience I feel was more than worth the effort. Original posters, often in tatty conditions, command big prices and this free offering is way better than a compromise.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: DNLD 4001 A-1 *T / DNLD 4001 B-1 *T / DNLD 4001 C-1 *T / DNLD 4001 D-1 *T [these matrixes are identical the only other copy of this record I sold last year on Ebay, both had orange labels].

Mother & Stamper Codes: G 1 / G 1 / A 1 / F 1

Brief Info: The term ‘acid folk’ is often misused, but ths album is the perfect true ‘acid folk’ album. A truly beautiful double set now issued on the Pye spin-off label Dawn. It sold very poorly and remains one of the most elusive albums in his catalogue. Record one has music of surreal charm, using classic children’s poetry written by the likes of Lewis Carroll, Thora Stowell and Edward Lear beautifully arranged with music by himself. Record two comprises mainly self-written material with some magical and haunting songs. Some famously covered by other artists including ‘Lord of the Reedy River’ (Mary Hopkin and Kate Bush) and the most wonderful of all ‘The Voyage of the Moon’, one of his very best songs ever. The lack of commercial success must have surprised the record company and Donovan himself. A real shame for such a treasure. Not only is the material so charming, the packaging is also noteworthy. The cover is fabulous but the real star was a large double-folded poster. So elusive and rarely seen, it came with an initial few copies and as this sold so poorly, few ever saw or owned one. Of those that made into people’s collections, the law of averages states many were used, damaged and disgarded. Hence I could not resist in making a repro in full colour, a FREE item for any winning bidder, as few have seen or own one, this will give more than an insight of the beauty of this rare item. For those who own this album without the poster, it really is not quite the same – a bit like those who own Black Sabbath’s ‘Master of Reality’ without the gloomy dark poster – it’s simply incomplete. But the poster for this album is MUCH RARER than the Sabbath one and that is no understatement. I fully realise a repro is not the same as the real thing, but unless vast prices are shelled out for the very few that surface, this will be more than ample compensation. It looks nigh-on the same and a repro one is better than none at all (in my opinion anyway). This is no photocopied job, this is way better. For fans of this man who missed out on this initially, well this is a superb and (very near) complete example. A massive bonus too, the records play beautifully and this set has a bit of a reputation of not doing so. Often noisy and less than wonderfully pressed, this was a pure joy from beginning to end with little anything unwanted. Dawn records are a lottery, but only very rarely will a ‘perfect’ pressing of this one be found. A little light surface sound was only really noted briefly on side one, this within the pressing and not crackle, it’s only very minor indeed and overall, this is as good as they ever get. Do not lose this spellbinding dreamy acid folk classic.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High: matt gatefolds with heavy thick records inside are a sure-fire recipe for rubbing and ringwear. This being more vulnerable than most because the ink seems ‘softer’ and very easily marked. Possibly due to a micron thin matt coating, like applied to some postage stamps that mark just as easily. A simple fact is, some covers are more resistant to wear, handling and storage than others, this one is highly intolerant.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and for looks this is a very conservative grading. An unlaminted gatefold format with matt finish. Printed and made in England by Howard’s Printers. Includes a superb reproduction colour poster, that being honest, a first glance could be the real thing - arguably even better.

Cover Front & Back: Beautiful with stunning artwork on both outer faces. In terms of wear, this has very little and for a gatefold double set this is remarkably well preserved. The lack of ringwear is particularly worthy of mention. Barely any creasing and no fading, this is simply out of a child’s fairytale. Under light, some light surface marks are seen to the totally uncompromising ‘soft’ ink (or coating) that is very matt and marks very easily. With normal viewing, both sides looks fantastic with any minor wear or minor blemishes near the corner tips and odd edge area. What a gem this is and it will prove very difficult to find much better. A real work of surreal art and this does it high justice.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Like many covers this great age, a little toning has crept in, mostly near the top edges. This is reasonably light and quite faint, but there nonetheless. In terms of actual wear, this has barely any.

Top Edges: Any patchy rubbing is very light and faint.

Bottom Edges: Mainly light patchy rubbing, more moderate in the odd small area of two.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both crisp and sharp with barely any wear and no feathering or trimming. Devoid of burring and clean looking. Records entered on these right outside edges.

Spine and Text: Very impressive given the format: solid and quite thick, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up perfectly together and virtually parallel. A light surface ‘graze’ near the bottom end corner. All text is perfect and totally unworn and artwork practically the same, even the fragile folds retain practically all their ink.

Corners: Light to moderate tip rubs but encroachment on to the main faces is tiny. All retain very fine shape.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inners: Both the plain polylined inners are included and have mirror-image the same information including the ‘Patents pending’ text, again reinforcing the fact these records came together. These have aged with moderate patchy browning. The window circles are neat and crisp and the linings firm and very clear. All edges are secure but some creasing on corners, a practice many did to hold the record more securely inside.

The Repro Poster: Again I emphasise this is a reproduction. This was made in three separate pieces and joined on a tab very neatly on the back with NO cellotape showing and no use of glue. The folds are in the same positions as the original and this is full size. This looks fantastic and will enhance this first-pressed Dawn set. Just look at that stunning artwork in close-up, this is no cheap photocopy and more than matches the original. The neat rear joins are the only real clue this is a repro and not the real thing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a superb visual pair that are very clean, ultra shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A pair very lightly played on all the evidence with a genuine freshness and clearly modestly handled. A few light and fine surface marks are nigh-on unavoidable unless unplayed, but this has very few. Visually super records that should please 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 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: Both records play up to their high visual grading with very little 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. Any surface sounds are minimal but a little gentle surface sound was noted on side one for a short time. This is not crackle, but a light pressing sound that seems to be a trait of this album and even the label itself. Dawn records do not have a high reputation for pressing quality and are somewhat variable. In terms of this fragile album, I found this a very pleasing pressing overall. I almost expect there to be issues with some noises present, but on this one, far less than usual. I noted no significant pops or clicks and I could enjoy this double set with little unwanted. Soft, delicate and gentle music, this is the ultimate test for any vinyl record, but this pair offer generally clean sound and will prove difficult to find better. Strangely, I have found the orange originals to be more ‘variable’ than the purple label later ones – it seems a real lottery. Near maximum pleasure was gleaned from this pair, and I am sure even the most discerning collectors will treasure them. If clinical absolute silence is mandatory, well the fairly low-fi CD version I own will offer just that, only good enough (just) to play in the car and not a higher-end home system. Few copies will match or outperform this ultimate first pressing I feel sure. I am certain both records have been played only lightly (with a little enthusiastic hole searching for align the spindle in the distant past). Depending on the record player used, this could be a challenge to locate. Practically nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these beautiful Dawn records, a little gentle surface sound is easily acceptable for me, it’s heavy clicks or worse still, teeth-grinding distortion I cannot tolerate – and this set has neither. This pair will prove difficult to find much better and can be highlhy recommended. Do not under-estimate just how difficult this one is to even find, let alone so clean and under-used. I wish I had an original poster to offer (of course), but in the meantime, this will do just nicely and it gives collectors of all budgets chance to at least see one. One to show friends front on, they will not even spot the difference.

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.

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.

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 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 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: 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); 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 [£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 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’.