GRAM PARSONS 'GP' ex-Byrds First Solo Classic UK N/M LP

	£		33
	$		44

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: GRAM PARSONS

Album Title: GP.

Producer(s): Gram Parsons & Rik Grech.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Still Feeling Blue; We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning; A Song for You; Streets of Baltimore; She.

Side 2: That’s All It Took; The New Soft Shoe; Kiss the Children; Cry One More Time; How Much I’ve Lied; Big Mouth Blues.

Label/Format: Reprise – original deep tan format with deep inner ridge (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and highly attractive with only ultra light / very light and mostly faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: K 44228.

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: 140 grams. [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 135 to 145 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, many 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 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: not a big seller especially in the UK. So-much-so, this original UK pressing includes a US-made cover that has a huge Kinney sticker on the back for the British market.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: K 44228 A1 / K 44228 B1

Musicians: Gram Parsons – vocals, acoustic guitar; Emmylou Harris – vocals; Barry Tashian – vocals, rhythm guitar; Ric Grech – bass guitar; John Conrad – bass; Ronnie Tutt – drums; John Guerin – drums; Sam Goldstein – drums; Glen D. Hardin – piano, organ; James Burton – electric guitar, dobro; Al Perkins – pedal steel guitar; Buddy Emmons – pedal steel guitar; Byron Berline – fiddle; Alan Munde – banjo; Ron Hicklin, Tom Bahler, Mitch Gordon, Lewis Morford – backing vocals; Hal Battiste – baritone saxophone.

Brief Info: Gram Parsons debut ‘solo’ album, he was a former member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. A superb album within the country-rock genre and featuring the wonderful Emmylou Harris on several songs. This is the ultimate UK first pressing which included an imported US-made gatefold cover, which rarely is as immaculate as the record – both are practically like new. The heavyweight cover avoiding all the perils US sleeve often suffer and looking superb. The record is breathtaking, probably played two or three times only and with pristine perfect sound. A bold statement on such a delicate album I know, but if anyone has seen or owns a better one, well sure would love to see and hear it. For fans of this tragically short-lived legend, this is sublime example of this classic album.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-), a heavy card, US-made unlaminated gatefold format. Includes the huge Reprise K 44228 sticker on the back for the UK market. The US version had a different Cat No of MS 2123 which is seen inside and on the spine. This sticker is pristine mint and clearly never removed, tampered with or picked at. (please see my close up of this detail).

Cover Front: Blemishes? well few, and on a cover like this, this is near remarkable because unless kept in cottonwool, they do not wear well, but when seen like, a thing of genuine beauty. Under light, faint gripper marks can be just seen near the bottom edges of both sides. Merely manufacture pressmarks that were there from day one and nothing to do with wear or mistreatment - they barely show anyway. One microscopic rub trace near the left edge (but look very hard to see it), and that’s about it. This incredibly preserved front looks almost like new and came from a discerning collectors collection. The lack or surface marks, creasing and abrasions on an import cover is truly remarkable.

Cover Back: The back looks brand new, no messing with other details, suffice to say the lack of ringwear is highly significant and unusual and the sticker is incredible too.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Pristine Mint, nothing to add.

Top Edges: One tiny chip only up to the corners.

Bottom Edges: Very faint rub traces only, no splits anywhere.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering. The alignment is out a little in manufacture with a trim that is not straight. ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED, as made. Record enters on this back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, thick and very robust. Straight with barely any traces of compression and folded square, The top and bottom edges dead in line and parallel but as stated above, the right edges veer off slightly near the top. Cut in manufacture off-straight, no so unusual on US covers (and indeed sometimes UK ones too). All text is near perfect and unworn with just a couple of mild rubs.

Corners: Odd tip rub or two and all retain exceptional neat shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A truly beautiful all round example of this very fragile 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. The right trim being the only blemish, but as made, as will be immediately apparent to any winning bidder. Any non-manfacture trimming is easily spotted and obvious for most discerning collectors, this simply has NOT happened to this cover and that is a 100 per cent guarantee. This beautiful item should please most-all collectors.

The Inner: The original unlined white plain inner is included, this was made in England, just one corner fold but little else to fault bar mild age darkening.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I rarely even consider offering a played record grade as full Mint, but I sure am tempted on this one. A supreme visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed, way over average weight for a record from 1973. By then, oil and vinyl was in short supply and many records were pressed very thinly. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence and barely a noteworthy mark or blemish trace worthy of mention. Visually a super record that could pass for new, it will please most-all 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 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 beautiful vintage record plays up to its high visual grading with 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. Devoid of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly delicate album. Few copies will evne match, let alone outperform this very early pressing I feel certain. Not sure if perfection can be beaten can it? Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove near impossible to find better and my highest possible recommendation is mandatory.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). 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.

POSTING & PACKING: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty 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. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); 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]) = £12. (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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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’.