EAST OF EDEN Snafu - SCARCE ORIG UK 1970 Deram Stereo LP

	£		33
	$		44

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

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: EAST OF EDEN

Album Title: Snafu.

Producer(s): David Hitchcock and East of Eden.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Have to Whack It Up; Leaping Beauties For Rudy/Marcus Junior; Xhorkom/Ramadhan/In The Snow For A Blow; Uno Transito Clapori.

Side 2: Gum Arabic/Confucius; Nymphenburger (1); Habibi Baby/Beast Of Sweden/Boehm Constrictor; Traditional.

Label/Format: Deram (Please see my label picture).

Label Conditions: Both very gently aged a little with light hints of discolouration and moderate spindle marks seen under light. But still quite attractive and, have NO fears, this top quality Deram record still offers superb clean sound throughout. If it didn’t, I would not offer it.

Cat Number: SML 1050.

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: 136 grams. A quite typical weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: even though it made the lower-end of the UK album charts. Although the labels may indicate it has been played several times, both playing surfaces are impressively clean with only very fine and faint surface marks seen under light. And importantly, this very complex progressive album plays superbly well.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ZAL-9435.P-1W / ZAL-9436.P-1W

Stamper Codes: 1 C / 1 B [a very early example indeed and one of the very first ever pressed]

Musicians: Andy Sneddon - bass guitar; Dave Arbus - violin, flute, saxophone, trumpet, Ron Caines - alto saxophone, Geoff Nicholson - guitar, vocals; Geoff Britton - drums.

Brief Info: East of Eden’s second album and for me easily their best, this is very progressive jazz tinged rock music and their most challenging and compelling set ever. With winds and violin, this at times reminds me of Zappa’s Mothers in the late 60s and one reed solo reminded me of Bunk Gardener’s amazing one on ‘Uncle Meat’. After this album, and a change of label to Harvest, the mood of their music mellowed and became far easier and less adventurous. The debut and ‘Snafu’ remain their most satisfying works and are highly sort-after by prog collectors. An elusive record and this is a very fine copy with a very decent cover and a lovely-sounding, very early pressed record. With the complex sounds and critically revealing reed and string instruments fully focused with no clipping or distortion, this could prove difficult to find better. Elements of avant garde, the final track on side one is very strange and this has the looped sound into the dead wax area.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): a single format with the front laminated with Clarifoil that wraps around the closed edges and on to the back via the spine. The back is unprotected and matt, it has the mono/stereo peep-hole with the inner sleeve filling the circle to denote if a mono or stereo copy. The blue inner on this one confirms a stereo pressing. Printed and made in England by Clout & Baker Ltd.

Lamination & Front: This has always been a difficult cover, the back especially so. The laminate on the front retains a fine shine and clarity with a fine degree of freshness. The spine, as per usual, has a fairly fine lift but remains solid with no peeling and minimal cracking. Some fairly modest rim dulling is seen under light and any creases are few and mostly very light indeed. No press marks and little detracts from this still attractive front that shows far less wear than most I have seen.

Cover Back: The very dark back is obviously prone to rubbing and ring wear. This has some patchy and reasonably light rim rubbing and so few will ever avoid it. Often this is total, deep and penetrating, so this really has not faired at all badly. Again, minimal creasing and the peep-hole is neat and crisp. Overall, very respectable given all the facts.

Top & Bottom Edges: The top shows little wear at all and still very smooth to the fingertip. The bottom laminated fold largely the same with just the back end panel a little thickened in places due to natural pressure from storage.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, fairly sharp with little wear, any thickening very mild and only a few small traces of burring mostly seen viewed end-on which also reveals how thin the card is too. This entrance edge is guaranteed untrimmed, the laminate end on the front still wide and also barely worn.

Spine and Text: Quite solid and straight with a little compression here and there. A few fine surface hairline creases but all the text fully present and unaffected. Mild toning hints seen near the fine creases and ends.

Corners: Any corner wear is modestly light with the odd tiny tip crease and very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: Wear prone and seldom seen in really top conditions, this one has a little wear, but in context fairly modest. So one that should please many collectors, but not the highly discerning.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(–): and just a little ageing overall. This a Decca-style lined inner and in blue to denote a stereo record is inside, this colour code polylined inner fills the cover’s back peep-hole. A little creasing on the corners and mildish rubbing on the edges, but less discolouration than many seen. Both window circles are immaculate and the polylining very clear indeed. No edge splits and including a 4/70 date-code as well as ‘Foreign patents pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is clean with a fine shine, intense black and solidly pressed. Made by Decca, so tough and very well pressed, and this album needed to be with complex sound that has some very quiet passages. Most of any surface traces seen critically under angled light being very fine and light with no affect on the sound. Visually an attractive stereo copy that should please many 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 brilliant prog album that I personally rate very highly, plays even above it’s visual grading with very little to fault at all. 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 barely even registered and pops or significant clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly complex and challenging album. Reeds and violin always difficult to track, but all fully focused, precise and crisp. The final song on side one is very strange and includes a bizarre repetitive loop on the run-out grooves. I love this more out-there progressive music and this is should be higher lauded than it ever is – I really treasure this album especially as it was their last in this very progressive style. Few available copies will better this for clean and enjoyable sound. Both channels are clean and sharp and this copy really delivers in it’s entirety. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, the later change in musical direction was a disappointment generally for fans who had the taste for this album and this really is a prog-classic. This very early copy could prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

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’.