IDLE RACE Birthday Party RARE Orig UK 1968 EX++ LP

	£		113
	$		150

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4. Europe £10. Rest of World £14. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE IDLE RACE

Album Title: The Birthday Party.

Producer(s): Eddie Offord, Gerald Chevin & Idle Race.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Skeleton and the Roundabout; Happy Birthday; Birthday; I Like My Toys; Morning Sunshine; Follow Me, Follow; Sitting in My Tree.

Side 2: On With the Show; Lucky Man; Don’t Put Your Boys in the Army, Mrs Ward; Pie in the Sky; The Lady Who Said She Could Fly; End of the Road.

Label/Format: Liberty – Original blue format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: LBS 83132.

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. A very good weight for any record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare and lightly played copies are even rarer. This is a an elusive album.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: LBS 83132 A // 1 / LBS 83132 B // 1

Musicians: Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar, piano; Dave Pritchard - guitar, vocals; Greg Masters - bass guitar, vocals; Roger Spencer - drums, vocals.

Brief Info: A superb concept type debut album blending psychedelia with pop with the majority of the songs written by a young Jeff Lynne. Although it received good press on issue, it failed to sell well and is a very elusive album to find. Even from these early days, it was clear Lynne was a special talent and this later blossomed into huge sales with the Electric Light Orchestra. The band played many radio sessions and airplay was not the cause for the lack of sales – The Idle Race simply could not buy a hit and the split in 1970 became inevitable. Not only is this a superb album it was also brilliantly packaged in a gatefold cover. The centrefold comprises a vast party with tables of celebrities – the full ‘guest list’ was as follows:

1. Richard Starkey, M.B.E. 2. Stuart Henry, D.J. 3. Jimmy Young, D.J. 4. Jeff Lynne, Idle Race Aged 8, 5. Tony Blackburn, D.J. 6. Alan Freeman, D.J. 7. Kenny Everett, D.J. 8. Lyndon Johnson, Politician 9. “Ace” Kefford, Move 10. Hob Holness, D.J. 11. Paul Whitehead, Artist/Designer 12. Little Richard 13. Oliver Hardy 14. An elderly fan 15. Pete Myers, D.J. 16. Tommy Steele 17. Gregory Masters, Idle Race 18. John Lennon, M.B.E. 19. Robin Scott, Controller of Radios 1 & 2 20. Duncan Johnson, D.J. 21. Hank B. Marvin, Shadows Lead Guitar 22. Frankie Lyman 23. George Harrison, M.B.E. 24. Paul McCartney, M.B.E. 25. Roy Wood, Move (Formely with Idle Race) 26. Dave Pritchard, Rhythm Guitar & Vocals, Idle Race 27. Jeff Lynne, Vocal & Lead Guitar, Idle Race 28. Gregg Masters, Bass Guitar Vocals, Idle Race 29. Gordon Andrews 30. Brian Jones 31. Roger Spencer, Drums & Vocals, Idle Race 32. Bob Reisdorff, Director Liberty Records 33. Chris Denning, D.J. 34. Terry Wogan, D.J. 35. Mike Lennox, D.J. 36. Mr. Ten Per Cent 37. Mrs. Dave Pritchard 38. Duke of Windsor 39. Pete Drummond, D.J. 40. Jonathan King, T.V. Personality, musician and Scholar 41. Bev Bevan, Move 42. Barry Alldis, D.J. 43. Ray Williams, Sugartown publisher and Idle Race Manager 44. Jimmy Saville, D.J. and T.V. Personality 45. Edward Offord, Produces Idle Race Records 46. Hughie (Double Your Money) Greene 47. Keith Skues, D.J. 48. Gerald Chevin, Idle Race Record Producer 49. Warren Mitchell (Alf Garnett) 50. Andrew Lauder, Production Libtery Records 51. David Ryder, D.J. 52. Dave Cash, D.J. 53. Martin Davis, Director Liberty Records 54. Roy Wood (as he was with The Idle Race, 1965) 55. Emperor Rosko, D.J. 56. Stevie Winwood, Traffic 57. Johnny Moran, D.J. 58. David Symonds, D.J. 59. Pete Brady, D.J. 60. Frankie Vaughan 61. Scott Walker (Aged 16) 62. Mike Raven, D.J. 63. Buddy Holly 64. Roger Spencer (Age 5) 65. Peter Murray, D.J. 66. Mike Ahern, D.J. 67. Ed. Stewart, D.J. 68. John Peel, Poet & D.J. 69. Peter Brady, (Invisible Man) 70. Bill Haley 71. Gene Vincent 72. Elvis Presley 73. Cliff Richard 74. Fats Domino 75. Alan Black, D.J. 76. Bernie Andrews, Radio One’s “Top Gear” Producer.

The album was reissued in 1976 with the success of ELO but included totally different artwork. This original first pressed copy is in super condition, the record looks little played and sounds fantastic. A rare opportunity to own this sadly overlooked psych gem.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a gatefold format with front and back laminate, the inside is matt and smooth finished. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd.

Lamination – Front & Back: Both side in impressive conditition, the laminate fresh, clear and shiny with barely even a hint of any friction rubs or dulling, even under light. With practically full adhesion and very few creases, this will take a lot of beating. There is a small rub on the bottom right front corner. The back outlines the guests at the party, 76 were in attendance.

Cover Inner Gatefold: What a superb inner and with a host of stars cleverly made to attend this fantasty Birthday Party. This was little wear at all and looks fantastic.

Top Edges: A little mild thickening or burring to the end panels but few will be a great deal neater.

Bottom Edges: As above, even better if anything.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, neat and quite sharp with little wear and barely any hints of burring or thickening. The back edge thickness appears double that of the rest, clearly this panel made with thicker card. Possible a little mild feathering has been nipped in the bud with a trace of glue (that from the distant past and being somewhat critical). Record enters on this back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal compression and folded square. A slight tilt from left to right. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate this is totally scuff-free and smooth to the fingertip.

Corners: A moderate rub on the bottom right front as mentioned already. The rest have little wear at all and they retain excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this very fragile late 60’s cover, one that could prove very difficult to find much better. Never easy to find at all in fact, as stated, when reissued the artwork was totally different. This is a time-piece for the late 1960s and always a delight to view these famous old names that you can actually put a face to. This beautiful item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(–): a Polydor-style lined inner that has aged a little with mild discolour and some darkening of the edge adhesive. The lining is very clear with minimal crinkle as seen through two very crisp and undamaged window circles. Some corner creasing but all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and this being ultra critical. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Any surface traces are tiny, very few and faint as seen with scrutiny under bright angled light. Visually a super record that should please most collectors, this appears very little played.

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 beautiful and intrinsically important 60s piece 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 barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Beautifully produced and with a superb stereo mix, this brings out a fantastic psych feel to the quality songs. Few copies will match let alone outperform this earliest of pressings. 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 immensely difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended.

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.

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’.