FAMILY Music In a Doll's House SCARCE Orig UK 68 LP

	£		170
	$		225

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £11.75. Rest of World £15.75. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: FAMILY

Album Title: Music in a Doll’s House.

Producer(s): Dave Mason.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Chase; Mellowing Grey; Never Like This; Me My Friend; Variation on a Theme of Hey Mr Policeman; Winter; Old Songs New Songs; Variation on a Theme of The Breeze.

Side 2: Hey Mr Policeman; See Through Windows; Variation on a Theme of Me My Friend; Peace of Mind; Voyage; The Breeze 3 x Time.

Label/Format: Reprise – Original tri-coloured steamboat format.

Label Conditions: Both in very fine and attractive condition: clean with less than spindle marks that are mostly quite fine with modest visibilty, especially on side two A couple of thicker ones on side one do show more just below the hole.

Cat Number: RSLP 6312.

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: 178 grams. A massive heavyweight pressing, impressive even by Reprise standards of this era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce as a first issue. Available in both mono and stereo but the mono cut is well documented for pressing faults and few will ever play without distortion. The stereo issue does NOT suffer the same flaw. Also this copy includes an ORIGINAL insert sheet, the first I have seen for some considerable time.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6312 A-2G / RSLP 6312 B-1G. The tiny stamper codes are: A 1 / A 1

Musicians: Roger Chapman - lead vocals, harmonica, tenor saxophone; John Whitney - lead guitar, steel guitar; Jim King - tenor, soprano saxophones, harmonica, vocal; Ric Grech - bass guitar, violin, cello, vocals; Rob Townsend - drums, percussion.

Brief Info: Issued in the UK in 1968 to great acclaim but it only peaked at 35 in Britain and it failed to even chart in the US at all. ‘Doll’s House’ is a classic album and one of the greatest UK debuts ever. Blending powerful rock with psychedelia and superbly produced by Traffic’s Dave Mason. Fronted by the slightly eccentric Roger Chapman with one of rock’s most powerful and inventive voices his vibrato voice remains distintively unique. A highly inventive and thrilling debut, the use of saxophones, cello and violin at this time was highly inventive and gave Family extra profile – an album that thrills from beginning to end and still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did on issue. This is a very fine stereo copy and it plays well with little unwanted. The cover is hugely impressive and even includes the original Reprise inner sleeve – and importantly, a very rare original insert sheet that is seldom seen as so few copies even included it. It has the original stereo sticker on the back to obscure the mono number. The main blemish to what is still a lovely cover, is a fairlyh long, fine tip-in on the bottom flipback end. This was done by a previous owner, NOT by me. I see why it was done as it clearly is better than a long white surface pull – without doubt this cover had stuck, maybe to a protective cover as laminate ends can be quite tacky and this is far from uncommon. It is a reasonably neat ‘enhancement’ and with the main and magnificent back panel unblemished, this detract little – but clearly not for the perfectionist. Special note must be made on the actual record that is one of the heaviest pressed Reprise records I have ever held. Weighing-in at an incredible 178 grams and both sides with an A1/A1 stamper, this actually made my LP12 platter groan to get up to speed.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: this NOT taking into account of the flipback end tip-in – you decide yourself how much this affects what is still a very impressive original example. One of my favourite covers of the 1960s, this one does it very high justice. A single format with front laminate that wraps around the closed edges on to three large external rear flipbacks. The main back panel is matt and smooth. This was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and this has the original ‘Patents pending’ text. The back has the factory stereo sticker on the back top right corner, just below the flipback to obscure the mono prefix. The insert sheet is an original, NOT a repro and the original Reprise inner sleeve is included.

Lamination & Front: Not only one of the greatest albums of the late 60s, one of the greatest covers too – and that’s front and back. The lamination is still very clear, fresh and shiny and all is fully adhered which is never guaranteed. A few fine edge hairline type surface creases and a more moderate thumb crease near the right entrance edge. Even under light, there is barely any hints of dulling or friction rubs and the famous artwork still looks fantastic and retains geniune freshness. Now over 43-years-old, this is a splendid front to hold and enjoy.

Cover Back: One of my favourite back covers ever: the gorgeous doll on the tricycle looks fantastic, please see my close-up picture. Blemishes?, well few other than the aforementioned central area tip-in above the laminate end on the bottom flipback, this is around 12 cm long with clearly this area became stuck to something at sometime. Although I generally disagree with enhancements of any kind, I can clearly see why the previous owner decided to do it and I will not pass judgement on that – I simply mention anything of note in this area I see and will never attempt to hide anything. There are a few light flipback surface creases and a few small chips to the side laminate end but these are verhy minor indeed. The beautiful main back panel is practically unworn and ultra clean and attractive with no rubbing, grubbiness or creasing. The stereo sticker has barely aged at all and is now partially transparent to expose the ‘RLP’ mono prefix, this has and has minimal discolouration, I have no doubts it has never been removed or tampered with. Both front and back are attractive and most collectors will enjoy them – but with the tip-in not for the more discerning this time.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both practically unworn and retaining full laminate that is still very smooth to the touch with no scuffs. One tiny surface chip near the top right corner.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering, a little thickening and small burr traces on the front edge seen more viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A very strong spine that is practically as made. It retains unpeeled laminate that still shines as well. Solid, straight with minimal traces of compression, the ends very gently tapered in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid, unscuffed and clear laminate.

Corners: Small tip chips or rubs only on the right pair and all retain excellent or better shape.

Cover Summary: An impressive and hugely pleasing all-round example of this classic original cover – never forget the great age, even with with the flipback end enhancement, it will prove difficult to find much better. This attractive item should please many collectors, but as stated already, not the perfectionists.

The Family Insert: EXCELLENT(++): I reitterate again: this is an original insert and thus far, the very best one I have ever seen. Spotting an original is quite easy: simply look under a magnifying glass to see the tiny screen dots from the printing plate. These should be consistent and tiny and totally in black with NO colour at all. Originals are immensely scarce and seldom seen or offered, when they do surface they are invariably in poor shape. This is clean, still fresh, unmounted with no tears or marks of any note. The top corners have very light semi creases that show little, that apart, almost as made.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: an unlined Reprise inner made with thin paper and how this has survived the years unsplit with a massive thick record inside is little short of remarkable – there is no evidence of any repairs. Only marked down for creasing to the top corners, there is little else really to fault.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is very clean with fine shine, intense black and massively pressed, even by Reprise 1960s standard. An extraordinary weight record and way over average for any standard issue. Any surface marks are few and very fine indeed – clearly played a few times by the clues given by the labels, but the surfaces are still impressive with any marks mostly hairlines as seen under bright angled light. There are no penetrating scratches and for a record this age – this was still issued in the mono era – it has survived the perils of the time well. Visually a strong record that should please many 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: This classic album plays up to and even exceeds it’s 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 light, gentle and very infrequent (this played on very sensitive equipment), a little very briefly on ‘Hey Mr Policement’, but this deep-grooved top quality early pressing gave an impressive overall performance. No pops or significant clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing overall. Such a shame the mono version, that does offer different sound and mix, rarely, if ever plays to this standard. That version has a documented pressing fault (confirmed by John Whitney) but did not affect the stereo version. Few copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Just enough to occasionally remind of what you are actually listening too – that is a 1968 vinyl record. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played fairly modestly and it appears mostly with due care and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. The massive pressing weight is always welcome for the more discerning collector too. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove difficult to find much better and merits strong recommendation with just a few blemishes to cover, record and inner to detract the connoisseurs.

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 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] = £4.25

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]) = £11.75 (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]) = £15.75 Add £3 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’.