FREE (Second LP) RARER UK 1st Island Pink Rim Textured.

	£		130
	$		172

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering the Very Best Quality Rock to the World

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

Artist or Band: FREE

Album Title: Free.

Producer(s): Chris Blackwell.

Track Listing:

Side 1: I’ll Be Creepin’; Songs of Yesterday; Lying in the Sunshine; Trouble on Double Time; Mouthful of Grass.

Side 2: Woman; Free Me; Broad Daylight; Mourning Sad Morning.

Label/Format: Island – very first pink rim format (initially issued on pink i). Both sides have a very deep inner ring ridge and side two has a gorgeous rustic surface, side one is smooth. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in truly beautiful conditions with no spindle marks on side one and only a couple on side two. These are exceptional and look barely even handled with a freshness and sheer good looks few will ever match.

Cat Number: ILPS 9104.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: A massive 155 grams. This being a full 30 grams heavier than the last pink i ‘original’ I last sold. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Rarity: These early pink rim copies I truly consider rarer than the first full pink pressings. Also possibly less likely to have been played on mono equipment that some still used in the late 60s. When the label design changed yet again, some had rough surfaces, this has one of each and is massively pressed. Exceeding many ‘pinks’ by some distance, these rare first pink rims utilised the same matrixes (as listed further down), these being large and very deeply punched. These are NO inferior repressings, in fact I consider them superior and rarer. Only short afterwards were the pink rims EMI pressed with ‘U’s on the new matrix numbers and certainly then, the vinyl became thinner and lesser in weight. The cover is the same, and take a look at this one. Immensely difficult to find devoid of grubbiness and wear, this is little short of reference quality and the front – still one of the best Island ever dare put out – is little short of full Mint. A copy like this is rare and one for the discerning Island collector and Free fan.

Original Year of Release: 1969. This copy would have been issued in 1970.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9104 + A2 / ILPS + 9104 + B2 [these are large, deeply punched roman characters].

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘PECKO’ & ‘PORKY’

Brief Artist & Album Info: Free’s second album and one of their most cherished. A band in high demand and why not? I have always felt they were a little underrated and now justice seems to be done. Featuring their most famous lineup of Rodgers, Fraser, Kossoff and Kirke this classic British blues-rock band had a wonderful unique sound and hearing them via their original format is a real pleasure. Their albums were beautifully recorded and produced with the basslines at the front of the mix giving a solid and punchy, rhythmic sound. ‘Free’ saw the band progressing with a more individual sound with powerful songs and Kossoff’s stinging guitar coming more to the forefront - Rodgers bluesy vocals are sublime. This album features a very daring cover for the time - a naked girl viewed from way down and the centrefold is erotically morbid – both beautiful in their own way. This very heavily pressed, first pink rim copy plays superbly, without any doubt, hardly even played and little unwanted at all, this too on an album with a fair number of quietier, even gentle songs. I have heard copies of this album that crackle, this too on all label variants but these early pink rims rarely fail to please. Just a little light surface sound was noted at the very end of side one as the music fades away from a tiny mark. So small not even easy to see, this is the only sound blemish noted on the entire album and the overall audio quality is outstandingly good. The cover is so often seen very grubby and tired looking and are never easy to find attractive. This one goes beyond ‘attractive’, it’s stunning and the front almost has to be seen to be believed and that’s not taking anything away from the superb back and inside. For audio pleasure and sheer good looks, this could be the best value-for-money upgrade you could ever want. Almost too lovely for words.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-) and merely a whisker off being graded full Mint. I would say this looks as clean and fresh looking as one just purchased and I am under no illusion of the boldness of the statement. An unlaminated gatefold format that was printed and made in England, and still by E. J. Day as per the first pinks, this is just the same.

Cover Front: This is as pristine as you will ever see, one of the most daring and best Island cover fronts ever issued. This is reference and connoisseur standard and looks practically new. Any blemishes are so tiny and minor, it’s almost an insult to mention them. Okay, a couple of near microscopic rub traces near the bottom edge, but that’s it and look hard to see them. Even under angled light, there is barely a blemish to the critically revealing matt surface. No grubbiness whatsoever, t his looks barely even handled, clearly cover-protected from new, I felt almost guilty removing it for my photographs. One faint spine edge crease barely shows, again, that’s it. As fresh and gorgeous as manufacture day, this has to be seen for real to be fully appreciated. So good infact, you will not want to hide this away in a rack, it should be framed.

Cover Back: Immensely difficult to find devoid of often major grubbiness and ringwear. This is also in stunning clean condition with any marks or blemishes minuscule. So critically revealing being so white, but it’s still just that, white with no toning or grubbiness worthy of note. Very slight friction rubs are just seen under light, this being somewhat critical too. No ring marks or creasing, any set-off from any contact in manufacture or shop is also minute. Quite truly, I cannot even imagine finding these two immensely delicate surfaces better than this with such an early pressed record inside. Remember too, it’s weight and thickness, how this has avoided impression and ringwear, I do not know – but seeing is believing.

Cover Inner Gatefold: No messing here, both faces are Mint. Looking stunning with nothing to fault. Just look at the naked girl, seen blowing dust from Rodgers’ square stone amid the sparse gravestone scene. So wonderful and artistic, I had to take a close-up picture. Marvellously morbid and more than a hint of eroticism, this will not be seen better, possibly ever.

Top Edges: One small rub front right, that apart both look practically as made and very straight too.

Bottom Edges: Ultra faint rub traces on the front edge, again both very straight and fresh looking. These resting edges will rarely be seen better than this.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, both very sharp with no wear at all and guaranteed untrimmed. The front edge is closed hence the record enters on the back.

Spine and Text: In terms of wear, there is none. Being immensely critical, traces of darkening but I emphasise, this is being critical. Very solid, straight and uncompressed. Folded perfectly square so the right edges meet dead flush and perfectly parallel, what a different that detail makes too the more discerning cover purist. The fine text is totally unworn.

Corners: All bar the top right front, the edge that has the small rub, are in superb condition. That has that same small rub but barely even shows. All retain immaculate, little short of pristine shape and of a quality that is so rarely seen.

Cover Summary: A beautiful looking example and one that will remain in memory for some time. Finding these like this is an immense challenge but so worth waiting for. I have offered some really nice ones of these previously, but this has to be the best yet. So few available ones will ever surface quite this good, an exceptional one in all respects.

The Inner: This first pink rim pressing included a plain white unlined inner which is correct. Soon to be replaced by the familiar blue polylined inners but this pre-dates them. This has little real wear but the back has crumpled near the top. Without doubt pushed too hard inside in the maker’s factory where workers often were less than subtle. The discerning owner would never have done this for certain. I guess I could have substituted with another, but I always feel reluctant to do so when the original is available. Still no splits or tears and still generally clean too.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ to Mint(-), a superb record to match the beautiful cover. Very clean with lovely shine, intense black and very heavily pressed. These very first pink rims were often of exceptional weight, soon to be drastically reduced by the impending oil shortage of 1973 where quality unfortunately dropped. Amongst some collectors, they are very highly prized and sort after. Any surface blemishes are very few and ultra faint indeed, merely removal traces that barely any record will not have as the barest minimum. One tiny blemish one the very end of side one as mentioned above emits half a dozen gentle ticks as the music fades to nothing, the only small blemish on the entire record. Given it has some very gentle songs, this is exceptional by any standard. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence reitterated by magnificent sound. Visually a super record that should please most-all 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 snippetts 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 fantastic Free album plays to its high visual grading with practically nothing to fault – the ‘practically’ is the tiny blemish at the end of side one as mention already above. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Barely any surface sounds were detected and no other pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album that does have several quieter songs and passages. Even these plays well and quiet, any unwanted sounds are almost ear-to-the-speaker faint and gentle and few will be disappointed with the quality of this top quality pink rim record. Throughout, the sound is fully focused and sharp with no groovewear distortions, one that has avoided any harsh treatment from old record players. This was a highly pleasureable album to play-grade and it will take an exceptional copy to even match it for clean, sharp and focused sound. Truly, I have seen near mint copies of this album before, but often they crackle constantly and fail to please. Groovewear or pressing issues cannot be seen of course, only heard, so only buy proven play-graded records, that’s the soundest advice I could ever give. I have yet to hear any copy of this title that will play absolutely ‘silent’ throughout but this gives a superb account of itself and practically nothinig spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. For enjoyable sound, this copy will prove immensely to find better and this merits very high recommendation. Both cover and record are of the highest possible quality so do not lose this one.

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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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’.