GENTLE GIANT Three Friends RARER Orig Vertigo Spiral LP

	£		55
	$		73

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: GENTLE GIANT

Album Title: Three Friends.

Producers: Gentle Giant

Track Listing:

Side 1: Prologue; Schooldays; Working All Day.

Side 2: Feel the Paint; Mister Class & Quality?; Three Friends.

Label/Format: Vertigo – original Spiral format. This is a very first pressing without the ‘Made in England’ text that, when present on the second pressing, lies between the 1 and 2 o’clock position of the side two label (above the P 1972) (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in superb clean conditions. Very clean, fresh and attractive with any of the tiny few spindle marks, light, fine and faint. These only just seen under angled light. Although this album’s cover has a sticker pull issue and a little modest wear, the actual record is in super condition and offers wonderful clean sound.

Cat Number: 6360 070.

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: 112 grams. Not one of the heavier Vertigo albums I have held, but issued in 1972, the year when vinyl weight plummeted in many cases due to the oil shortage of the time, this is no real surprise.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: and first issues are harder still to find. By now, a well-established label, but soon to change to the Spaceship format. The first issue format without the ‘Made in England’ text on side two were soon replaced by the second pressing that omitted it.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: 6360070 1Y // 2 420 1 1 2 & 6360070 2Y // 2 420 1 1 5

Musicians: Kerry Minnear - Keyboards, Vibraphone, Percussion, Moog, Vocals; Ray Shulman - Basses, Violin, 12 String Guitar, Vocals; Gary Green - Guitars, Percussion; Derek Shulman - Vocals; Malcolm Mortimore - Drums; Philip Shulman - Saxophones and Vocals.

Brief Info: Arguably their best Vertigo album - Gentle Giant were more challenging than some progressive bands. Complex music patterns with many time and structure changes - you either love or loathe them, but for sure they were original and had their own unique sound. Personally, it took me a while, but I now think they are great. Talking of sound, their production values were amongst the best and this, and other from their catalogue are of audiophile standard. They usually appealed to fans of Yes, King Crimson, van der Graaf Generator and similar bands. ‘Three Friends’ is a concept album about, well, three friends and their journey through life and experiences. This was their third album and my personal favourite from their catalogue, never too easy to find on the genuine original Swirl format (the differences mentioned above). As stated also, this one has a cover sticker tear, but the record is lovely and offers very impressive, clean sound. So not one for the more discerning or specialist collector, but for those wanting an original with nigh-on top sound at what could be a reasonable price, this could be it – or even a vinyl upgrade?

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High: most-all Vertigo covers were unprotected and suffered accordingly. Few avoid rubbing, grubbiness and especially ringwear. As per this one, many show price sticker issues, the surfaces on these non-laminates simply refuse to let them go.

Cover Grade and Format: Around VERY GOOD: minus the moderate sticker tear near the front top right corner, I would have graded nearer Excellent. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England. Includes the swirl inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Shame about a moderate sticker tear near the top right corner, this apart it has not a great deal else to fault on what is a very clean and attractive front. A crease on the spine top corner and a blue sticker directly below the small Gentle Giant logo near the same area. There are few other creases and the surface remains clean and fresh looking with any rubbing very light and minor indeed. Clearly the sticker tear is the main concern and thought need to be given if this is the one for you.

Cover Back: The back has some fairly fine rim arc rubbing – light ringwear in other words – and some corner tip creasing and rubbing. In terms of ringwear, this is very light on a cover that is vastly prone. A few light marks seen under light but any rubbing is unusually light. Ironically, some of the least I have seen on what I deem an unforgiving cover.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A couple or three tiny surface chips and very minor tip creasing to the top pair. Little else to really fault.

Top Edges: Mainly light and patchy rubbing, nearer moderate for the central inch on the back.

Bottom Edges: Mostly light rubbing on the back, more moderate on the front.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The closed (tucked and folded) front has barely any wear at all. The open back is mainly sharp to very sharp with little wear and is guaranteed, untrimmed. Any thickening or burring is small and very mild.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal compression and folded square, the edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. The surface shows little wear but cannot rule out a small tip-in near the top corner. The folds are very nice indeed with just a tiny few small chips or rubs – these especially often wear very badly. All text is present and unworn with just an ultra fine central surface crease from the cover being opened over the years. This I reitterate, ULTRA fine.

Corners: All the corners have rubbed, ranging from light to near moderate with some tip creasing.

Cover Summary: A cover with issues for sure, but by far the most significant is the sticker tear – most-all-else is quite light and traits these Vertigo covers so often acquire anyway. The sticker still attached has ‘69’ on it, whether this is the culprit for the tear opposite, I have no idea. It seems firmely attached and my hunch is not. It is not out-the-bounds of possibility, the sticker attached is a price reduction one, that purely a guess. Anyway, clearly this is not for the more discerning collector, but the record more than compensates, and that is the crucial part – you cannot play a cover can you? Still a nice looker and many will enjoy it.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: with a price and number written on one top left corner area. This has lightish darkening of the adhesive on the seams and mild toning, so modestly aged but still a nice looking Swirl inner. The lining solid and quite clear as seen through two very neat, crisp window circles. Hardly any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT to EXCELLENT(+): with little more than a few fine surface marks or hairlines. A very fine looking visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite solidly pressed. I am sure this copy has been played little and offers very impressive, clean and enjoyable sound. Visually a super 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 prog-gem plays even above its high visual grading 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, odd gentle trace if being somewhat critical, but this has some really quiet passages and silence is a very tough ask on a record fast approaching forty. No pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging album. Gentle Giant albums, like King Crimson and VDGG, were roller-coaster rides of loud and quiet passages. A very clean performance with barely anything unwanted and I enjoyed this one immensely. Few copies will match or outperform this very early pressing I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, the lack of any groovewear and crackle especially are a bonus on such complex recordings and this retains it’s audiophile quality clarity with perfectly focused sound. This actual record will prove difficult to find significantly better as a genuine first issue and on that basis can be highly recommended – but please do consider the cover of course.

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. 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 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: 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.

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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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]) = £14. Add £4 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’.