MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND Messin' Orig. Vertigo EX++ LP

	£		19
	$		25

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND

Album Title: Messin’.

Producer(s): Manfred Mann.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Messin’; Buddah; Cloudy Eyes.

Side 2: Get Your Rocks Off; Sadjoy; Black and Blue; Mardi Gras Day.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Original spaceship format. Although issued in 1973 and the cover carrying the famous collectable Spiral logo on the inside, this album was never issued on the swirl format, it probably only just missed the cut and the spaceship copies are the earliest made. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both almost as new: ultra clean and highly attractive with only the odd, ultra light and faint spindle mark. Side one indeed looks to have none at all.

Cat Number: 6360 087 de luxe.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 131 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 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: Scarce: not a big seller and finding a better copy will prove immensely difficult.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: 6360087 1Y 2 420 1 1 4 / 6360087 2Y 2 420 1 1 2 1 6

Musicians: Manfred Mann – synthesiser, organ; Mick Rogers - guitar, vocals; Colin Pattenden – bass guitar; Chris Slade – drums.

Brief Info: The third Earth Band album and first on Vertigo, the first two were issued on Philips. After the less-than-successful incursion into jazz rock via Chapter 3, Manfred Mann assembled his Earth Band and ventured into progressive rock which eventually became very successful for him. Brilliant live and still possibly underrated within the prog-rock genre, it’s long time this was put right. The theme for this album is the destruction of the planet (highly topical then as it clearly is now), hence the spooky alien-type gasmark on the front cover with planet Earth seen through the die-cut window. The early albums were not big sellers though and this one is never an easy one to find and this copy is a beauty. The cover is delicate with a die-cut large hole on the front – here it’s in almost as new condition with barely any traces of wear, truly a connoisseur’s example. Clearly made in the best Vertigo ‘swirl’ tradition, this would have made a classic ‘Spiral’ cover and only missed out by months before the label format changed. The record looks little played and sounds superb, audio quality is practically perfect. For prog collectors, this copy is unmissable.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+: these die-cut covers rarely escape wear or damage. When found near pristine, with the cut-out parts intact and almost as new, they are treasured by the serious collectors, this will seriously remind the discerning collector what they looked like when first purchased.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-) and little short of full Mint, rarely will this one be found much better. An unlaminated gatefold format with a die-cut front. Printed and made in England.

Cover Front: Jaw-drop immaculate, this is a thing of real beauty. Practically nothing to fault and this is not an easy one: the large die-cut hole that exposes the planet from the centrefold, is pristine with a crisp, totally sharp circumference that is completely devoid of any burring or damage or inkloss. Please see my close up picture of this with white paper behind to highlight the crispness of the die cutting and lack of any damage. The same goes when viewed from the inside out. A totally flawless circle and it’s so rarely seen quite like this. No creasing and barely any traces of rubbing or marks - just a tiny ultra faint surface mark (well more a blemish than mark), but this is almost being ridiculously critical. Unmissable artwork in the best Vertigo tradition with very intense colour with no fading. In this real world, this will prove near impossible to find better.

Cover Back: Exactly as made, superb again, clean, fresh with no creasing or ringwear which is a major bonus on this one. An ultra fine glue trace near the right edge clearly present from manufacture, but it barely even shows. The lack of rubbing or grubbiness is almost remarkable and I doubt if this cover has seen light of day for decades.

Cover Inner Gatefold: This inside is Mint, as new and looks fantastic, I reitterate the die cut hole is pristine again.

Top & Bottom Edges: All dead straight and totally unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Totally immaculate: clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering. The front edge is neatly folded inside rather than being cut and stuck. Record entered on this right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: A superb spine that is as near perfect as they ever get on these type. Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up quite close together and parallel. Just the hint of a rub and the top cornertip has rubbed a little, all text is perfect.

Corners: A tip rub to the spine top but little else, all retain fine shape and attractive definition.

Cover Summary: It just goes to show, with great care, careful handling and storage, even the most fragile of covers can still look practically new even after all these years. A supreme all-round example of this scarce and delicate early 70’s cover, one that will prove close to impossible to find much better. This beautiful item should please all collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ and just the odd faint hairline off Mint(-). A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence reitterated by fantastic clean sound. Visually a super record that should please the majority of 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 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 quality Vertigo prog album plays up to, and even exceeds 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. Any surface sounds barely even register and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will match or outperform this early pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure 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 – a band at this time waiting to be fully discovered. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and is 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 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’.