MACHIAVEL Jester - SCARCE ORIG 1977 HARVEST LP, SUPERB-PROG ref. GENESIS & YES.

	£		18
	$		24

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: MACHIAVEL

Album Title: Jester

Producer(s): Erwin and Machiavel

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Wisdom; Sparkling Jaw; Moments; In the Reign of Queen Pollution.

Side 2: The Jester; Mr. Street Fair; Rock, Sea and Tree.

Label/Format: Harvest with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with hardly any spindle traces.

Cat Number: C 064 99289

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: 118 grams. Quite light, but pressed on quality pure vinyl.

Country of Manufacture: Belgium. The label states ‘Made in Great Britain’, but I would doubt that is the case, the labels were almost certainly pre-printed with the usual Harvest design, including that text, then the black text matter printed on top – like over-prints on vintage postage stamps. This made more certain with the inclusion of ‘The Gramophone Co Ltd’ text on the rims, by this time, long since changed to ‘EMI’. Machiavel are a Belgian band, this is a Belgium copy, it was not issued in the UK and is in demand from prog-rock collectors, those especially into bands like early Genesis, Yes and Gentle Giant and others.

Rarity: Scarce: not seen often.

Original Year of Release: 1977

Matrix Nos: 4C 064 99289 A / 4C 064 99289 - B

Musicians: Mario Guccio – vocals, flute, sax, clarinet; Jean-Paul Devaux – electric guitar, 6-string and 12-string acoustic guitars, vocals; Albert Letecheur – pianos (acoustic, electric & honky tonk), harpsichord, String Ensemble, Mellotron, synthesiser, tubular bells, glockenspiel; Roland De Greef – bass, cellobass, 6-string and 12-string acoustic guitars, carillon, bells, whistle, comb, tape effects, vocals; Marc Ysaye – drums, vocals, tambourine, maracas, percussion, gong, wood blocks, glass blocks, broken glass, bells tree, sleigh bells, flextone, nutcracker.

Brief Info: The second Machiavel album, and most consider it their very best. A Belgian prog-rock band playing music like early Genesis and Yes, and far better than many other soundalike bands of a similar ilk. But far less-known outside their native country – their albums were not even issued in the UK, but attracted a major label in EMI and pressed on the classic Harvest label format. An in-demand album by progressive rock collectors, this is top-quality symphonic rock with the vocals sung in English. This a very fine copy, but an ultra fine hairline does produce some very gentle ticks on the beginning of the final track on side one, so not for absolute purists. They bothered my very little being so light, and this blemish apart – this a complex album of varying volume (in the classic prog-rock style) – has little else to really fault. Superbly packaged in a gatefold cover with a full English lyric inner sleeve. Sorry I cannot show the inside of the gatefold as the artwork is very rude indeed, I know for certain it would be taken off – it is very arty and impressive – actually quite famous in rock cover circles. This the first example I have ever had to offer, fans of aforementioned prog-acts from the early 1970s era are sure to enjoy this impressive album.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a gatefold format with the front and back laminated. The very erotic inside is matt and smooth (sorry again, cannot show this due to Ebay rules). I presume all elements of this set were manufactured in Belgium. Includes the double-side lyric/graphic inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: The laminate both sides retains excellent shine, freshness and clarity with barely any dulling and no lifting. Very few creases and no peeling, the graphics both sides are impressive. There is a (possible) light reaction line on the pale left side, but not the back, so this is not definitive.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A very erotic and rude drawn inside graphic, this has barely (no pun intended) anything to fault at all. Again, sorry I cannot show this, I would be sure it would be removed.

Top Edges: Both straight, flush, parallel and flat with full laminate retained and no wear.

Bottom Edges: Practically the same, one very small chip only.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a real tucked and folded edge that is unworn. The back edges are clean, very sharp with no wear. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal compression and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate.

Corners: Minimal traces of any tip rubbing. All retain better than excellent shape with no bashes or dinks.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this somewhat controversial 1970’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. This impressive item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlined lyric/graphic inner printed on both sides. Two edge splits I neatly repaired to stop them widening and showing little. A little gentle creasing or crinkle mainly near one corner. Still clean and fresh, all lyrics in English.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VERY GOOD(++): a fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence, but some surface marks/scuff, mostly light and fine, one fine hairline emits some gentle ticks (my term for those very gentle and light types, as opposed to moderate or louder clicks or bangs), as mentioned already on the start of the final song on side one – they really are light and I had little issue with them myself, but this not for purists who are intolerant of anything. This plays very well this apart with most-all other visual blemishes purely superficial. Visually a fine, scarce Harvest record that should please many collectors, but not perfectionists.

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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality prog-rock album, that would have been equally at home during the golden era of this music in the early 1970s, plays even above it’s nice visual grading with little to fault bar the aforementioned gentle ticks on the early part of ‘In the Reign of Queen Pollution’. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound, this is very well produced and recorded. Like most classic prog, it has quiet and louder passages, hence finding any copy that will play without issues will be very difficult. So overall, this plays superbly well and my play-grade was very enjoyable - the very gentle ticks bothered me very little, but all listeners are different. Any pressing surface sounds are minimal, few and faint, overall is a very clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Little spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful album. It could prove very difficult to find significantly better, in the UK especially, and can be highly recommended – but I repeat – NOT for audiophile purists who only want total perfection at any cost.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £4.75

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

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.