QUINTESSENCE Dive Deep SCARCE Orig UK 71 Island N/M LP

	£		62
	$		82

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: QUINTESSENCE

Album Title: Dive Deep.

Producer(s): Quintessence and John Barham.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Dive Deep; Dance for the One; Brahman.

Side 2: The Seer; Epitaph for Tomorrow; Sri Ram Chant.

Label/Format: Island - original pink rim format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: very clean and highly attractive with only a couple of very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Another from the DJ collection recently acquired, this is again a stunning copy of a scarce album.

Cat Number: ILPS 9143.

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: 149 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 135 to 145 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, many 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 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: never major sellers and all three of their Island albums are somewhat elusive - also try and find a better copy than this.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9143 A-2U / ILPS 9143 B-1U

Stamper Codes: 1 A / 1 M

Musicians: Raja Ram - concert, alto and electric flutes, chimes; Shiva - vocals, keyboard, hand drums; Shambu Baba - bass guitar, Jew’s harp, acoustic guitar, narration; Jake - percussion, drums; Allan - lead guitar, vina, acoustic guitar, bass; Maha Dave - rhythm guitars.

Brief Info: The third and final album for Island before moving to RCA. A wonderful progressive trance-rock band and still undervalued by many collectors. With mystical rhythms and improvisations including chants and plenty of superb flute-work by Raja Ram and guitar, this band deserved to sell more records. Live they were popular at the festivals, or fayres of the time, they even sold out two nights at the Royal Albert Hall. For those seeking this elusive album, well a better example is unlikely to be found. The fragile but quite beautiful cover is little short of mint and illustrated inner the same - try to find one even half as good. The record has clearly hardly been played and sound superb. Just the odd ultra faint surface scuff from the unlined inner but look hard to see them - no effect on sound of course. For an album now fast approaching forty, this is a near reference standard copy.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: Undergraded at Mint(-), apart from a tiny faint corner rub, I would have been tempted to grade as full Mint. A near impossible cover to find like this, this will delight even the most critical discerning collector, I have never seen one quite like this before. A single format made with very soft and thin card with a gorgeous textured surface. One time has forgotten, this would not have seen daylight for decades and has obviously hardly been handled or removed from its protective cover. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press.

Cover Front: I cannot stop looking at this - it has to be seen to be believed - one of Island Records lost gems and this could easily pass as new. The honest truth here: I have seen more wear on brand new covers than this and please remember just how fragile and delicate this is. One of those soft flimsy covers you dare not hold in one hand as it bends, not rigid enought to support its own weight. Immensely beautiful with rich, vivid and totally unworn artwork - well worthy of another look. This is world-class, I am struggling to even find a crease and there is zero, yes ZERO rubbing or pressmarks with no speckle to the gorgeous textured surface. No sticker traces either because I am certain this never went into a shop, almost certainly sent directly to the first owner. I have no superlatives left for a cover like this, but for sure it’s a remarkable piece.

Cover Back: Practically the same same with just a very few ultra fine hairline surface creases on the spine edge. Not even a hint of any ringwear.

Top Edge: Totally unworn and dead straight - yes true.

Bottom Edge: Same again with just a tiny corner rub on the right - the only minuscule trace of wear on the entire cover.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: One of Island most delicate spine but again almost as made. Solid, straight with minimal traces of any compressions. Any marks or wear are so tiny you will have to get out the magnifiers. All text is perfect and unworn and the ends are neatly tapered in manufacture. The colour is a deep pink-magenta and this is totally unworn, faded or rubbed and guaranteed NO touch-ins or enhancements - all this cover is just as MacNeill Press made it.

Corners: Microscopic tip rubs on three, light rubbing on the right bottom one. No creasing, no dinking and all retain supreme shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A world-class example of one of Island’s most colourful covers. If anyone owns or has seen a better one I sure would like to too. As near a flawless specimen standard cover as you will ever find anywhere. This beautiful item will please all collectors.

The Inner: Mint, yes true - this looks brand new. Clean, fresh and very attractive. This is unlined making the edge fully intact (and unrepaired) unusual. Barely a crease worthy of mention and no grubbiness, this is the perfect inner for the perfect cover.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: N/M / EX++ with just a very light surface paper scuff on side two that only shows under angled light and has no effect on sound. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. One of earliest pressings too with very low stampers. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence and typical from this collection. Visually a super record that should please most 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 brilliant Island record plays up to 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. At times challenging with some quiet passages but even these play superbly. Few copies will match or outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well and ultra carefully stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. A near ultimate copy for the serious Island collector, the cover will be the ultimate upgrade.

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’.