Nick Drake Pink Moon UK LP First Press Island ILPS 9184 VG++ Condition RARE

	£		134
	$		178

I have several rare collectible first pressings for auction this week, including all three Nick Drake albums. Please be sure to look at my other items. All start at 99p with NO reserve. Please await invoice BEFORE you pay. Shipping rates include insurance (see the bottom of this listing). Combined shipping rates are always offered.

Nick Drake – Pink Moon was issued in the UK on 25th February 1972 on Island ILPS 9184. This is a first pressing with the pink rim labels. Matrix numbers are: ILPS 9184 A-1U / ILPS 9184 B-1U.

Drake’s third and final album was recorded at Sound Techniques again although, this time just with engineer John Wood present. Drake had allegedly voiced dissatisfaction with Bryter Layter and had been talking for some time about recording a simple album with stripped down arrangements. Consisting simply of Drake’s  guitar and vocal (apart from a single line piano overdub on the title track – played by Drake), the sound is extremely intimate and stark.

Three of the songs on Pink Moon sound like little more than works in progress. ‘Know’, with its two string repeated guitar part and minimal vocal, is as simple as the album gets, yet even the least developed tracks on Pink Moon seem somehow complete. It is a short album (less than half an hour) yet totally self-contained and direct. The guitar playing, particularly on tracks such as ‘Road’, is as good as anything Drake recorded.

The album’s last track ‘From the Morning’ is notable for containing the line ‘now we rise and we are everywhere’ which would later feature on Drake’s headstone.

Tracks:

Side 1

1.   Pink Moon           

2.   Place To Be                  

3.   Road          

4.   Which Will           

5.   Horn          

6.   Things Behind The Sun

Side 2

1.   Know         

2.   Parasite               

3.   Free Ride            

4.   Harvest Breed              

5.   From The Morning

Musicians:

Nick Drake: Vocals, Guitar, Piano

Produced and Engineered by John Wood

Recorded at Sound Techniques, Chelsea

The unlaminated gatefold sleeve of heavy card, printed and made by Tinsley Robor Group Ltd., is in Very good ++ condition. There are one or two light creases to the front, dinks to both the top corners, mild wear to the bottom edges and the bottom spinal corner. The spine is still strong and square with the spine text perfectly legible. There is slight ringwear on the rear at the very bottom. The inner gatefold is absolutely lovely with no real issues.

The vinyl is also in Very Good ++ condition. The playing surfaces are mostly beautifully clean but there is a visible scuff on S1T4 (“Which Will”) which causes 7 or 8 audible “scuffy” clicks. Other than this there are a couple of clicks right at the very beginning of S2T1 (“Know”) and also a couple of clicks on S2T2 (“Parasite”). Beyond this there are instances of the gentlest of crackle and a sporadic light tick. Really nice! The labels are like mint. Supplied with the original blue Island innersleeve and a scanned copy of a 2 page article from ZigZag Magazine Issue 49 (January / February 1975) titled “Nick Drake – The Final Retreat” by David Sandison. 

I am not a dealer but a serious collector. All my records come from my private collection. Please read my ME page for details of my philosophy on descriptions and gradings. I absolutely guarantee my gradings as played through my system. All my records are cleaned on a Moth Mk II RCM and play-graded in their entirety on a Rega Planar 3 turntable with RB300 tonearm and Denon DL-304 MC cartridge tracking at 1.5 g through an azur 840a amp via Chord Odyssey 4 bi-wired cable into KEF Q900 speakers. Inferior component-type turntables without proper tracking are more prone to sticking and jumping than high-grade turntables. If you love vinyl, do yourself a favour and invest in a decent system if you don't already own one. You don't have to pay thousands. Excellent quality 2nd hand turntables are available on eBay for around £100 (about the price of 1 rare LP). Your investment will be more than rewarded by the additional listening pleasure you derive.

BUT if, unexpectedly, you are unhappy for any reason, please get in touch.

Grading :

M = Mint - as new

NM = Near Mint - very few, light signs of usage that don’t affect play - the cover has only minor signs of wear.

EX = Excellent - some signs of usage, but very little lessening in sound quality – the cover might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VG = Very Good - no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch - normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.

G = Good - the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches - the cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

+ and - are used as appropriate.

Payment

Payment is expected within 3 days of auction end. PAYPAL is welcomed. In the UK cheques or direct credit into my bank account (please ask for the account details) are also fine. 

Non-paying bidders will be reported to eBay.

Shipping Policy :

If not still sealed, records are taken out of the sleeve to avoid splitting. They are posted in professional mailers with proper stiffeners for extra protection. These are pre-used and so are provided free of charge. A polythene sleeve is also always included. 

Postage / Shipping Charges

The following rates insure all packages up to a value of either £250 or £500, dependent upon destination. Additional insurance may be available for a higher fee.

UK 

1 LP                     £7.35

2 – 3 LPs            £8.65

Europe

1LP      £13.60

2LPs    £15.30

3LPs    £16.60

The Americas / Asia / Australasia / Rest of the World (ROW)

1LP      £16.55

2LPs    £19.45

3LPs    £22.30