FAMILY A Song For Me SCARCE Orig UK 1970 EX LP + Insert

	£		66
	$		87

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: FAMILY

Album Title: A Song For Me.

Producer(s): Family.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Drowned in Wine; Some Poor Soul; Love is a Sleeper; Stop for the Traffic (Through the Heart of Me); Wheels.

Side 2: Song for Sinking Lovers; Hey - Let It Rock; The Cat and the Rat; 93’s O.K. J; A Song for Me.

Label/Format: Reprise – original three colour format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with the less than moderate spindle marks being very fine and faint with no wear around the hole area. One played a few times but I suggest mainly carefully and this super original offers superb sound throughout.

Cat Number: RSLP 9001.

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: 155 grams. A typical heavyweight thick pressing from this label and it’s respective year.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce on the original label, especially in top playing conditions and including the elusive insert. Although this sold well in the UK, it failed to even chart in the US. Most seen have horribly worn covers and records played into submission. This is a very fine all-round example with a more than highly respectable cover, fine insert and lovely record that offers fantastic sound. A record not available long on this format, most seen are repressings on the tan label, by 1970, the tri-colour labels were nearing their end.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: RSLP 9001 A-2 / RSLP 9001 B-2

Mother & Stamper Codes: G 1 / W 1

Musicians: Roger Chapman – vocals, percussion; John Whitney – guitars, banjo, organ; Robert Townsend – drums, percussion, harp; John Weider – guitars, violin, dobro; John ‘Poli’ Palmer – vibes, piano, flute.

Brief Info: The third Family album and last to feature on the tri-colour Reprise label format. Now with two new band members: John Weider on bass and ‘Poli’ Palmer on keyboards, flute and vibraphone, these replaced Ric Grech who went to Blind Faith and Jim King left for personal reasons. This album offered a variety of sounds and styles and proved very successful in the UK but failed to attract attention within the US. A complex recording with intricate sounds and this vintage early-pressed copy plays superbly well with practically nothing unwanted. Even Weider’s, at times wild sounding violin remains focused, precise and sharp, and there are few greater tests than this. This was a hugely enjoyable play-grade and I feel sure this is my first copy of this album I have submitted to Ebay.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+: very dark, gatefold, matt-finished covers with very thick and heavy records inside 40+ years equals all the ingredients for rubbing (to all areas), fading, ringwear and creasing. Few grade beyond very good these days.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(++): and a more than respectable example of a totally unforgiving sleeve. A matt-finished, unlaminated gatefold format. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press. This has the correct RSLP 9001 number and includes the original insert.

Cover Front: Retaining a high degree of fine looks with barely a blemish to the actual graphic at all. Any rubbing to this surface is very light and faint and creasing is modestly light too. Retaining a rich dark colour with a few lightish marks only. Compared to some I have seen, this is still a high standard and lacking the usual penetrating rubbing most seem to acquire.

Cover Back: The back is similar again, even better if anything, the lack of ringwear is a great news as so few will avoid it on the originals. A couple of thumb-type semi-creases but few others and again rich deep colour is retained with rubbing very light indeed.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A little rubbing near the edges, but little else to fault with great band-member artwork.

Top Edges: Only very light patchy rubbing, more near ends.

Bottom Edges: Modestly light rubbing on the front, the back edge has moderate, more consistent rubbing, both rubbed more near the ends.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering or trimming. Record enters on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Although the bottom edge has taken some rubbing, which is hardly unusual being the ‘resting’ edge, the spine has remained in lovely condition and shows little wear. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up very closely together and parallel. All text is near perfect and unworn which is a real achievement on this one.

Corners: All corners have moderate rubbing as I guess you would expect. All retain fine shape.

Cover Summary: All considered, a highly respectable all-round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find significantly better. This still eye-pleasing item should please many collectors but clearly not the more discerning this time.

The Lyric Insert: EXCELLENT: this original matt-finished insert is in very fine condition with just a fine surface crease that’s mostly seen on one side, far less on the lyric side. Little else to fault really being clean and still fresh with sharp edges and no tears.

The Inner Sleeve: The original heavy-duty polylined white inner has aged a little with the usual browning of the glue on the seams and a few minor tone spots. Both the window circles are practically as made and the lining clear and solid as are the edges that have remained unsplit with no repairs. One lightish corner crease and minor ruffle, but for an inner this great age housing a very thick, heavy record for 40+ years, this is still in very fine condition.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is clean with a nice shine, intense black and heavily pressed. A copy with modest plays on all the evidence with any surface marks, few and fine with no penetrating scratches at all. Visually a really nice record that should please many, if not 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This more progressive sounding album 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. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will outperform this original label pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played modestly and has been clearly carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This record will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be highly recommended. The cover may have some wear but the record has little and offers wonderful audio quality.

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 Moth 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 - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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); 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 timewasters. 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 neccessarily 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’.