STACKRIDGE (1st) RARE UK DECCA-PRESSED MCA 1971 Debut Classic EX+ LP.

	£		43
	$		57

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: STACKRIDGE

Album Title: Stackridge.

Producer(s): Fritz Fryer.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Grande Piano; Percy The Penguin; The Three Legged Table; Dora, the Female Explorer; Essence of Porphyry.

Side 2: Marigold Conjunction; 32 West Mall; Marzo Plod; Slark.

Label/Format: MCA – very rare white label format, possibly, but not certain, made for export. Never seen these before on this album and I doubt if many were even made. These have printed text and have a matt, smooth finish (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with any of the fairly light spindle usage only really showing under angled light. A few of these are quite thick, but still barely show with normal full-on viewing. The record’s playing surfaces are very clean with minimal surface marks and offer lovely clean top-quality sound as you would expect from a Decca-pressed record.

Cat Number: MDKS 8002.

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: 142 grams. A very good and typical quality Decca pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England. With these white labels that are not Decca standard, I have a strong hunch this copy was made for export.

Rarity: Quite rare as a first pressing. I have never seen this album on this black and white label before and I would be confident to state it is the rarest example made.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 7-LNMG-242-2L / 7-LNMG-243-2L

Mothers / Stampers: 1 BI / 1 BI

Musicians: Andy Cresswell-Davis - lead vocals, backing vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, harmonium; James Warren - lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar, acoustic bass guitar, acoustic guitar; Michael Evans - violin, backing vocals; Michael Slater - flute, backing vocals; Billy Bent [aka Billy Sparkle] - drums, triangle.

Brief Info: A somewhat unusual and quite original British band, this was one of the first albums on the MCA label and is quite rare and seldom seen. Sales would have been minimal, especially on the first format label, this by a distance is Stackridge’s most sort-after album. Quirky and varied with a host of influences and styles. Blending rock, pop, classical with folk and psychedelia they claim inspiration from the likes of The Beatles (George Martin was a later producer), Syd Barrett, The Incredible String Band and even Frank Zappa (amongst others). Their early works are of very interesting and entertaining and deserve more attention. Never really commercial or big sellers, but in their own strange way, almost unique in a crowded market of progressive music at this time. After now hearing this album via different sources over the last few years, this has climbed into one of my favourite pieces of this type. It can be argued they never quite sounded this good again, but this debut is simply superb, especially after a few plays (as the best albums invariably are). This is a very nice copy and offers top quality sound from a Decca pressing – later ones on the rainbow labels were not Decca-made. This is the very first one of these I have ever seen on the rare black and white MCA-Decca label - this similar to export Rolling Stones records of the early 1970s, this relatively poor-selling record considerably rarer.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace.

Cover Front: Very little to fault on this wear-prone cover front, clean, fresh and attractive with hardly any rubbing or creasing. Any marks bordering on minuscule, this is real nice.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same with just the odd faint edge crease and a gentle trace of rim impression near the top that will ever avoid as a bare minimum.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Superb, practically nothing to fault at all.

Top Edges: Practically devoid of wear, both straight and sit flush when closed.

Bottom Edges: Similar again, this rare on these storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Any thickening or burring seen viewed end-on, very light and little. Record enters on either edge as both are naturally open with no adhesive marks to either inside – this has been the case on other copies of this I have had.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal traces of any compression, also folded square, so the edges meet up closely together and parallel that always makes for a much neater and attractive cover. A little gentle surface crinkle with any rubbing very light, hence the text shows very little wear and is well centred.

Corners: Small tip rubs only and all retain very fine, or better shape.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this rare original early 1970’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better as this often wears badly. This attractive item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a Decca-style heavy-duty polylined inner that is British patented. Two immaculate window circles and ultra clear lining. Around moderate seam adhesive darkening (mostly less) with hardly any creasing at all, no edge splits or repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy with only modest plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, ultra light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. 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 rare black and white label copy of this very early MCA record plays up to it’s high visual grading, and most-all above with very 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. Any surface sounds minimal and this is an exceptional clean pressing as you would expect from Decca. 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 modestly and mostly with due care and appears well stored and carefully handled. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, a real grower with a few plays, this band had an almost unique sound at this time. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended, and possibly one for rarer label collectors.

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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 ask 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] = £4.75

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]) = £12.50 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.