MOODY BLUES On The Threshold… RARER Orig 69 Deram LP

	£		23
	$		30

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £11.75. Rest of World £15.75. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: THE MOODY BLUES

Album Title: On the Threshold of a Dream.

Producer(s): Tony Clarke.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: In the Beginning; Lovely to See You; Dear Diary; Send Me No Wine; To Share Our Love; So Deep Within You.

Side 2: Never Comes the Day; Lazy Day; Are You Sitting Comfortably?; The Dream; Have You Heard (Part 1); The Voyage; Have You Heard (Part 2).

Label/Format: Deram – Original large format logo, full size examples (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, still fresh and attractive with only very light, few and faint spindle marks. Any traces of handling or usage very light and modest indeed.

Cat Number: SML 1035.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 157 grams. A more typical heavyweight pressing made by Decca.

Rarity: The album itself moderate. But first or early issues are a different matter. Most seen are the small Deram logo and label, later pressings. Early copies includes the peep-hole mono/stereo indicator on the back cover and had the large lyric book stapled inside. These so often tatty and spoilt and the records played to destruction. This is a very solid and attractive example and it appears very modestly played, these are harder to find.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Country of Manufacture: England.

Matrix Nos: ZAL-8827-2W / ZAL-8828-2W

Stamper Codes: 1 M / 1 G [these are very early indeed, the ‘G’s being the ultimate first]

Musicians: Justin Hayward – vocals, guitar, cello; John Lodge – vocals, bass; Ray Thomas – vocals, harmonica, flute, tambourine; Graeme Edge – drums, percussion, vocals; Mike Pinder – vocals, mellotron, organ, cello.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The ‘Magnificent’ Moodies fourth album, the follow-up to the stunning Days of Future Passed and In Search of the Lost Chord, it features their most famous line-up of. A wide and varied array of instrumentation that blends beautifully to create some of the most inspired and brilliant songs of the late 60s. Few bands thrill me more today from this period than the Moodies, like many, if not most, I too discovered them later than I care to admit (but I was quite young at this time). Sublime melodies that use that most wonderful of instruments, the mellotron regularly – that lovely delicate ‘whooshing’ sound that gave their music a uniquely haunting edge. Along with Hayward’s perfect vocals which include poetic readings, this was innovative pop-psychedelia that evolved into early progressive music. Easy on the ear with infectious songs that remain in the subconscious for hours after playing. I remember from my schooldays hearing the wonderful single ‘Nights in White Satin’, reissued from ‘Days’, it left a lasting impression – I even had this song played at my wedding in 1984. This album is one of around seven essential albums to own, they set standards of excellence few ever could match. This dynamic and very detailed early-cut stereo version expands their sound even further and this copy does it fine justice.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and this does it scant justice. A gatefold format, laminated with Clarifoil front and back. The 14-page book is very secure with three original staples, two of which are solidly into the outer spine as manufactured. It was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and still has the ‘Patents pending’ text. The back has the peep-hole mono/stereo indicator which is filled with either a red or blue inner sleeve, blue here for stereo.

Front, Back and Lamination: In terms of wear, this cover has little and retains fantastic shine, freshness and clarity. The back has little to fault bar the usual rim dulling at the top and bottom – here only quite mild. The peep-hole is pristine, crisp and sharp. Two surface creases on the front with a mild ripple, but few other creases (bar hairline edge types), and little spoils the richly dark artwork. Even under light, barely any dulling or friction rubs – just a few small dull spots near the top edge. A major bonus is the lack of lifting to either side, and for a cover this considerable age, it has more than withstood the test-of-time.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The solidity of the lyric book is unusual and refreshing, most work loose and many become detached altogether, this rock solid and unstressed or even loosened. All pages very clean and looking hardly handled and all three staples untarnished and solid. The right side band picture is stunning and looks fantastic. The left side has avoided set-off and finding this impressive inside better will prove immensely difficult.

Top Edges: Both neat, straight and unworn and retaining all laminate.

Bottom Edges: A couple of minor press marks just to the right of centre on front, those apart, as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and sharp with minimal traces of any wear and no thickening or burr traces of any real note. Record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with the usual natural central ridge that forms from opening. All text is perfect and unworn under the fully retained and barely ‘broken’ laminate – this somewhat unusual. Both retaining staples as solid as when made.

Corners: All corners are crisp and hardly worn at all, they all retain superly neat shape.

Cover Summary: One of the classic 60s covers and it will seldom be found much better with a much rarer early record inside. Just the front creases blemishes the front a little for the really discerning, but most will enjoy this.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: the Decca style heavy duty inner has aged a little and has one corner crease. No edge splits or repairs and the ultra clear lining is seen through two immaculate window circles. Mild discolour only, this is date-coded 43212/68.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): With so few marks and very clean playing surfaces, this can be considered an almost exceptional example given the traumas such records suffered back at the time. Very clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed – a top quality UK Deram pressing. Any surface trace marks are few, light and faint as seen when scrutinised under angled light, few will show fewer. Visually a super record that should please many 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 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 super record plays up too and most even exceeds it’s high visual grading with little 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. The stereo mix is wonderful as it images so well. All Moody Blues albums are vintage hi-fi favourites, the recording quality and pressings are second to none. The production and audio quality was ahead of it’s time and even today, some 42 years after issue, still impresses. Any surface sound is very gentle, light and infrequent – this too on a record with some quiet passages. Few records this great age will play ‘silent’ in their entirety and the odd tiny blemish is considered by most as normal. There is little to fault on this record and it will take an amazing example to better this one significantly. Both channels are clean, sharp and totally unstressed, I feel sure this record has been played very sparingly and it appears with great care. Often the flute and mellotron on vintage Moodies albums can distort with an echo type reverb caused by groove wear – a mild distortion that ruins the beautiful sound. There is none of this present on this fine copy and all is well focused and defined. Most collectors know the perils of what records had to face at this time and fewer numbers around can withstand being played on modern, critically revealing equipment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic album, I always expect a little surface sound from such records, it’s almost ‘normal’ to do so. From the very beginning of ‘I am…’ to the looped sound of the final run-out grooves, you will know you have something very special here. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and merits strong recommendation. If silence is mandatory or non-negotiable, well the digital format is an option of course, but these vintage Moodies albums offer the perfect presentation of the sound as only they can.

End Piece: One of the greatest albums of the 1960s by one of the greatest ever bands from any era. A copy worthy of this title, timeless, classic progressive popular music. It’s amazing to think that the next album was arguably even better, it just proves what a fantastic band The Moody Blues truly were. Any music lover cannot fail to enjoy this album, I for one cannot get enough of them.

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] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £11.75 (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]) = £15.75 Add £3 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’.