QUINTESSENCE In Blissful Company SCARCE Pink Island LP

	£		69
	$		91

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: QUINTESSENCE

Album Title: In Blissful Company.

Producer(s): John Barham.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Giants; Manco Capac; Body; Ganga Mai; Chant.

Side 2: Pearl and Bird; Notting Hill Gate; Midnight Mode.

Label/Format: Island – Original full pink format with white i logo. These are the early, deeply coloured salmon pink types which are less often seen variants of the standard pink labels. Both are smooth finished with a deep inner ring ridge.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive. Spindle marks are light+ to moderate on side two. These only show under light and the fact there are a few more than I would normally like to see, this is NO way reflects in the sound quality of this most difficult of Island albums. I would truly and honestly state, this is one of the cleanest and best sounding ‘In Blissful Company’s I have ever heard as a genuine first issue. The fact-of-the-matter is, some owners used the spindle as a guide to locate the hole, thus spindle marks are only a mere guide to usage and in no way definitive. This is a fantastic record and one of the most difficult and uncompromising on this label – at last one that offers really impressive and hugely enjoyable sound with barely anything unwanted. Few ever will on the evidence of others I have heard previously.

Cat Number: ILPS 9110Q.

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: 140 grams. A very good weight for this or any record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: and I regard this as one of the most difficult albums on the Island label for several reasons. The music style and content first: varying levels of sound with complex vocals, guitar parts and flute, all testing those delicate grooves for complex information and hugely intolerant of heavy tracking or stylus abuse. The groove information on side one especially resembles the rings of Saturn with wide and narrow bands of dark and light areas. Can you imagine a 10+ gram blunt mono needle scraping into these delicate grooves – the disastrous results and the terrible sound would be unlistenable. This record even with a small few light surface marks, plays superbly and devoid of the crackle, pressing sounds and distortion few seem to avoid. All is focused, sharp and precise and those complex surfaces, that look more like a hi-fi test record, plays with the most enjoyable and pleasing of sound - it will take an almost unplayed one to better it. The cover is one of the most lavish on this label too. A stunning design that cried out for laminate protection, but alas, not to be. Most are seen in very poor condition with all forms of wear on the outer surfaces – this one is not perfect but still very attractive. The inside has a 12 page book and this has die-cut parts that seldom remain intact without tears and damage – this one has bucked the trend and has all the pages nigh-on perfect. Lastly, the inner sleeve: this is rarely found with unsplit edges, creasing and even ringwear, this one is little short of as made and I have never seen one that even comes close. To find this album at all is difficult, hardly a big seller and I still feel Quintessence are one of Island’s most under-appreciated acts with many prog collectors still to discover their talent. Finding an intact copy is a challenge and with a first issue record sounding this clean, almost a lottery. A rare and elusive album.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9110Q A // 1 1 1 1 & ILPS 9110Q B // 2 1 2 5 (side one ‘1’s could be ‘7’)

Muscians: Shiva Shankar Jones - voice, keyboards, percussion; Raja Ram - flute, percussion; Sambhu Baba - bass guitar, guitar; Maha Dev - guitar; Allan Mostert - lead guitar, bass guitar, sitar; Jake Milton - drums, percussion.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The first, and rarest of three albums Quintessence made on Island, only the first two were on the pink format. The quintessential hippy band, formed in London, that skillfully blended Eastern religion and chants with English electric guitars. All very smooth and working perfectly, Raja Ram’s superb flute work holds all the songs together beautifully and this band’s music and style worked very successfully, but sales were only very modest. Both the pink album’s packaging was spectacular too, with the second album’s front cover opening from both sides like a doorway into heaven. This album has a mystical type inner sleeve (included here) and a 12-page book that remains fully intact to the cover with no damage to the die-cut pages. I rate this band highly, I can think of few others with a similar sound – wonderful mystical progressive rock with light jazzy elements that deserved a wider audience, and the same still goes today. For those still to hear this band, this is a great place to start and this very solid first issue does it’s splendour high justice.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(-): only marked down for some moderate spine rubbing and relatively modest edge wear that few will ever avoid. An unlaminated gatefold format with a 12-page book inside. This is stuck, not stapled, hence vulnerable to falling apart. Some pages have die-cut shapes which makes them fragile and prone to all forms of damage. This is a totally matt and smooth cover. It was printed and made in England by E. J. Day. This includes the unlined card inner sleeve.

Cover Front: I hope I have not over-graded this one, my opinion of the main areas showing little wear over-shadows some moderate spine and modest edge rubbing. The front has stunning artwork that cried out to be laminate protected, but Island seldom lamianted any of their classic covers. Rarely will this fragile and brightly coloured graphic be seen devoid of often significant wear. This has very little and still looks very pleasing to the eye. There is a press mark near the top of the spine of edge but not a great deal else. Any traces of rubbing are very light indeed and this keeps near full ink retention. The lack of creasing is another significant factor as is the lack of grubbiness or real ageing. A super design and looking strong.

Cover Back: The back has little to fault at all, any hints or rubbing are ultra faint and few. The lack of ringwear is particularly noteworthy, few will ever avoid it.

Cover Inner Gatefold and Book: Very little to fault inside this most fragile of inner gatefolds. The book is as solid as when made with no damage, wear or handling traces to the black and white surfaces. Some are die-cut with small shapes, all are crisp, neat and sharp with no tears. The pages all close to perfect with just the odd tiny corner tip crease. Never underestimate how hard this cover is to find intact with no damage to these fragile pages – I have seen a few literally torn to shreds or with the book missing altogether.

Top Edges: Light to moderate patchy rubbing.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mainly sharp with little wear and no feathering or trimming. Record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: A solid and quite thick spine, but here is where most of the wear is. Hardly excessive but I usually offer items with as minimal wear as I can possibly find. This has patchy rubbing, some moderate mostly near the centre and the top corner areas with lesser patches elsewhere, mainly on the bottom fold. This means some text has eroded: the band name is largely intact with some lower letter clipping. The album title is the most affected with ‘In Blissful’ large gone, ‘Company’ remains as does all the ‘Stereo ILPS 9110Q’ catalogue number.

Corners: All corners have moderate rubbing but is largely only seen with end-on viewing and little encroaches on to the actual main faces which is positive news. Fine shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A difficult and challenging cover and with all considered, this is a very respectable and still enjoyable one to hold and view. The main large areas e.g. front, back and inside are very impressive and attractive. The spine shows the most wear, but personally, I do not wish to dwell on spine viewing too long. The major positives, for me, far outweigh the lesser negatives – however, you can see the pictures, so look and decide yourself – any doubts…

The Inner Sleeve: MINT: a word I rarely contemplate using on any part of any album set unless merited to the nth degree. This equally wear-prone inner sleeve is simply in supreme, as made condition and nothing else to add other than they rarely ever are. I have never seen one that even comes close to this.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very impressive visual cop of a very complex record. This has areas of dark and light bands, some fine grooves and some very wide, all this denotes varied and complex sound and confirms this suffers badly with any overplaying or mistreatment from heavy needle abuse. This record is very clean, shiny, jet black and very solidly pressed on thick vinyl. A few fine and light surface marks on side one but minimal traces on side two that looks exceptional – my grading is somewhat conservative and finding this better will prove very difficult indeed. Visually a super record that should please many, if not 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 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 impressive complex record plays even above it’s high visual grading with almost nothing fault. Clear, distortion-free sound, yes NO distortion, even those difficult and demanding flutes and electric guitars are fully sharp and focused, all frequencies are precise and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. The quiet and challenging final chant is devoid of ruinous surface sounds, pops or clicks and again I have rarely heard another copy that even comes close. Those vocal parts at the end of ‘Mightnight Mode’ are immensely prone to clipping, crackle and break-up. As the tracking angle become more critical towards the centre, these fragile grooves, which here are very fine and compact, often got shredded by worn heavy stylus. Hence, so few will play quiet and in focus as it does here. Surface sounds throughout are minimal indeed, and few copies will better this significantly. The more moderate spindle marks do not tell the real truth on this record, I am sure this as been played very modestly and generally, carefully on better quality equipment – the difference it makes preserving the original sound is almost immediately apparent. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this elusive Island prog-psych classic. This record will prove difficult to find better and being realistic, the cover will too and the inner probably will never be beaten (only possibly matched). With all considered, this is a copy I am more than happy to highly recommend – but the cover is not for the more discerning collector.

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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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]) = £14. Add £4 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’.