JETHRO TULL This Was RARE Orig UK 1968 Pink Island MONO

	£		68
	$		90

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: JETHRO TULL

Album Title: This Was.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: My Sunday Feeling; Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine For you; Beggar’s Farm; Move on Alone; Serenade to a Cuckoo.

Side 2: Dharma For One; It’s Breaking Me Up; Cat’s Squirrel; A Song for Jeffrey; Round.

Label/Format: Island - Full pink original with orange and black ‘eyeball’ logo. The surfaces are very rough textured and have a very deep inner ridge. (Please see label scans for all information).

Label Conditions: Side one has a little mild ‘speckle’, almost certainly minor printing splash. Also two small neat signatures as can be clearly seen on my scan. Side two has no visual blemishing and looks superb. Spindle marks are on the light side of moderate and these textured surfaces make them almost invisible.

Cat Number: ILP 985.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: A massively impressive 150 grams. These very first pink rim pressings with the textured labels were often heavier pressed than the full pink originals. [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).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Now rare and elusive in mono: the first copy worthy of offer I have seen for simply ages. Not perfect but it has the most incredible sound with immense dynamics and mono detail and power. A little, mostly minor surface sound in a few places but the music takes over totally. Finding respectable examples with the elusive ILP number is never easy and the far, far better than ‘respectable.

Original Year of Release: 1968.

Matrix Nos: ILP + 985 + A / ILP + 985 + B

Musicians: Ian Anderson - flute, mouth organ, claghorn, piano and vocals; Mick Abrahams - guitar, nine string guitar and vocal; Clive Bunker - drums, hooter and charm bracelet; Glenn Cornick - bass guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Jethro Tull’s debut masterpiece and many agree it was never bettered, it even charted at 10 in the UK. A genuine rock classic, a debut of incredible maturity that fitted in nicely between blues and prog. Mick Abrahams was the darling of the clubs, and for a brief moment offered a challenge to Clapton, especially with his showpiece ‘Cat’s Squirrel’. Shortly afterwards he left the band to form Blodwyn Pig. Anderson became the undisputed leader and live he and the band were tremendous. On record they rarely got much better than this and ‘Dharma for One’ that opens side two has probably the best ever (short) drum solo ever - this just has to be heard on the original mono format, it has breathtaking sound, as has the whole album. Even with a few minor surface sounds, this is an extraordinary album and fine copy. Not up to connoisseur standard but most collectors will revel in this wonderful album.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate.

Cover Grade and Format: EX(-) but actually looks far better and retains high attractiveness. A gatefold format with both front and back laminated. The inside of the gatefold has two external flipbacks on the top edges. Printed and made in England and includes the massive wide spine – one of the widest on a standard cover ever made. Also the back and spine confirms the ILP mono number.

Lamination – Front & Back: Both sides look superb and the laminate remains very shine and clear and all is fully adhered with no lifting or blisters. Mild dulling when held to angled light and a few light surface creases, none remotely heavy and the majority near the edges. The artwork looks fantastic and remains fresh and attractive. The spine fold on the front side has peeled exposing the black cover surface and this I feel sure has been lightly touched-in in places but very neatly so, it looks less than ‘obvious’. In terms of wear on this cover, this is the most on this cover but it still only mild. Given the genuine age of this rarer mono cover, both front and back still look really nice to the eye.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Very mild darkening or slight ageing to the flipbacks but little actual wear at all to the main surfaces which both remain attractive. The flipbacks are neat and undamaged and stuck down fast with neat ends. However, there are two neat signatures near the top left corner area – how much this degrades a cover I will leave to any interested collector – there are no set rules on this and any opinions are subjective.

Top & Bottom Edges: All four show barely any traces of wear, all laminated and straight. The odd minor chip or two only.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering. Record entered on this right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: The spine is massively wide and measures practically 10 millimetres. It has retained its shape well and is not crushed or compressed. The top fold has peeled and the black has probably been touched-in in places as mentioned already above. The spine itself has retained all its laminate as has the bottom fold line. All text is perfect and unworn including the prized mono Cat. No. The lack of real wear or damage to possibly the widest spine ever made (Zappa’s original ‘Lumpy Gravy’ is the only other contender I have seen), is very unusual and gives this cover added class and character.

Corners: Most somewhat surprisingly neat. The spine pair have scuffed slightly and again the odd small touch-in seems highly likely. The right sets are quite neat and retain fine shape and definition.

Cover Summary: Lovely just to hold a mono example of the famous blues-rock cover. Viewing a still attractive one makes even more enjoyable. A few minor enhancements and the sigs are arguably a blemish but at least I mention all I see. With all taken into consideration including great age and vulnerability, this is a splendid example. Not connoisseur standard but most realistic collectors will like it. If the blemishes I have mentioned are an issue, please do not bid.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VG++, and not trashed like so many I see these days. A copy clearly played several times with some light surface marks and one fine straight line mark which is more like a scuff. This is totally non-penetrative and has NO sound and any clicks on this album are very few and any present ultra light indeed. Clean with a decent sheen, intense black and very heavily pressed on high quality Island vinyl. There are NO deep penetrating scratches and only one very fine one on track two has a few ultra faint ticks. A mono rarity that has been enjoyed but the quality of the sound has suffered little and the lack of groovewear distortion is a major and significant bonus. Again not for the connoisseur collector but many fans will treasure this.

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 classic debut album plays above it’s visual grading even up to the maximum with no too much to fault. Mostly stunning clean mono sound that has a powerful mix that exceeds the stereo version and is loudly recorded. This plays with cleanly and is devoid of the dreaded distortions so many of the early copies now have. The innermost songs with that delicate, difficult flute sections always are a concern for any copy played too many times on heavy equipment - no major worries here, the sound remains mostly sharp with effortless tracking and fine clarity. It should now remain so for many years when played on a modern lightweight turntable. This is not an easy album and so often it disappoints even on clean visual copies. Any traces of groovewear or high frequency clipping is tiny and faint and any present is ultra brief and this while listening very critically on a highly revealing deck. Such albums were never really designed to be played on such equipment but more mono record-players of the day. The start of side two, mainly the run-in grooves do have some moderate surface noise but when the music starts it becomes almost totally masked by the sheer power and volume of the song. It disappears very quickly anyway. A little intermittent surface sound was noted between a couple of the joining grooves on this side but again the music plays really well. The final short quite song, ‘Round’ has light surface sound which hardly seems unusual. A few collectors have told me they have experienced problems with the song even their own very clean copies (mostly in stereo hasten to add). Overall, this retains great sound, at times it gave me the rare tingle factor that only the best recordings ever can. The short but spectacular drum solo on ‘Dharma for One’ sounds amazing with real power, depth and believablity – the set has an in-the-room presence. I enjoyed this mono copy immensely, it has been far too long since I heard one. When I saw the playing surfaces I feared there would be more clicks and possible unwanted sounds but this surprised me a fine and very positive way. If this album had failed to please me, I would not have even offered it, that simple. I reitterate, it will not be good enough for the audiophile perfectionists reading this. But if perfection on all the old classics was waited for little if anything would ever be offered. The few and mostly minor sound imperfections will at times remind you are listening to a 40-year-old mono record but nothing will make you cringe or hide for cover when the music on side two starts. We all know what these types were mostly played on and what they can be like these days. Given these facts this copy has survived well and importantly performs very well indeed. If this vintage and scarce mono Island classic is needed, this, for many collectors should not disappoint. However, if you have doubts, do not bid. This Very Good record is just that purely by definition - VERY GOOD.

End Piece: Again its frightening to think how old this record is, to find a mono original that plays this well is marvellous. Who would have thought nearly forty years ago Ian Anderson and his band would still be playing under this name? This record and cover were robustly made and its a good thing they were. Just holding this vintage mono pressing is a joy - it was subsequently pressed many more times but only in stereo. The mono version has long been out of print and remains unique to vinyl. This is a scarce record and conditionwise it has stood the test of time – VG for me means a very fine playable, enjoyable and good quality record – not a beaten-up, trashed unlistenable mess. It has a few relatively light visual and sound blemishes but no real flaws. Play this record loud and prepare to be thrilled - a true classic worthy of a good home – Yes I rather enjoyed 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 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: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. 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 thick stiffners for even extra protection. 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 and well as 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 NOT surface mail abroad. I never make 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, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

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 Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£39).

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’.