STRAY 1st Album SCARCE ORIG UK 1970 TRANSATLANTIC EX LP, DIE-CUT DETAIL PERFECT.

	£		156
	$		207

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received if possible.

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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: STRAY

Album Title: Stray

Producer: Hugh Murphy

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: All in Your Mind; Taken All the Good Things; Around the World in Eighty Days; Time Machine.

Side 2: Only What You Make It; Yesterdays Promises; Move On; In Reverse/Some Say.

Label/Format: Transatlantic – first UK pressing purple and white format with matt, very gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, fine and faint spindle marks.

Cat Number: TRA 216

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.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, and rarer as a first issue. Notoriously difficult with a decent cover, the die-cut windows on the front more often seen badly torn, often with pieces missing altogether. This impressive example fully intact as seen in close-up.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: TRA 216 A2-U / TRA 216 B2-U (stampers are 1 R and 1 A)

Musicians: Stephen Gadd – vocals; Derek Bromham – guitar; Gary Giles – bass; Richard Cole – drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: It seems at last this band are getting the recognition they deserve for some very fine albums – the early material is superb and this debut album goes beyond that – it’s brilliant. I have to confess to missing out on this band all those years ago myself. Put simply, this is a guitar rock classic, with its very distinctive die-cut cover, it should not have been missed by so many when first issued – hands up – guilty. Maybe being issued on a slightly more specialist label – Transatlantic that was better known for folk music – but did occasionally offer a few diverse artists. Even Zappa and the Mothers of Invention made one appearance on it with their classic Uncle Meat. Stray played rock, and brilliantly too. This is a mini-classic with flowing guitars, fine vocals and real melody, even catchy at times. They failed to really attract their audience at first – being a little too ‘glam’ for hard rock fans, and too rock for the glam-rock buyers. This a first issue label copy, it was quickly repressed on the new Globe format. The record clean, very well pressed and plays great. The delicate flimsy front cover, made all the more so with its die-cut windows to spell-out the band name. This has a little wear and only gently aged, importantly, the die-cut details are fully intact with nothing to fault as-seen. Whether Stray were hard rock or glam rock, who really cares – it’s ‘All in Your Mind’.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with matt quite smooth surfaces. The front is made with single thickness card with five die-cut windows to spell out the band/title name. It rarely escapes major damage with tearing and creasing often rife. Chunks missing or crudely repaired are almost the norm. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd. The plain white inner sleeve is included.

Cover Front: The ‘STRAY’ cut-out windows are superbly intact with no creasing, burring or tears. I have seen this detail better and well worthy of the close-up picture. A plain white surface that will rarely escape grubbiness, toning and general ageing, also being only single thickness card, rarely seen without heavy creasing. The only creasing on this front near near the bottom left corner and a few hairline types on the spine edge. Mild discolouration with marks only few and light, and no sticker issues. Given the unforgiving nature of this front, it has fared well and with the main feature fully intact and little short of perfect, it is rarely seen as such.

Cover Back: The same quite small crease on the spine bottom corner, but little else to really fault on this impressive back.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The right side with artwork looks impressive with little to fault, any rub traces or toning tiny and light. The left white side has traces of set-off where the ink from the right rests upon it when closed, this is very light indeed put into context, and near impossible to avoid totally. A couple or three gentle creases apart, there is little else to fault, again the die-cut areas, of course now seen in reverse, are perfect again.

Top Edges: Both straight and flush. The back fold has rubbed half way to right.

Bottom Edges: Again straight and flush, the fold this time rubbed on the left side. Any thickening to the thin front light.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The single thickness front is clean, sharp with again minimal hint of thickening or burring – again flat. This has been naturally protected by the back as the spine has a left tilt. Any thickening to the back entrance edges is light as seen viewed end-on, all are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Again, a single thickness spine, so fragile and under-strength, few will escape wear and damage. This one solid with minimal real compression, but with a gentle tilt to left that few can hope to avoid as the barest minimum. The actual surface has minimal discolouration, and importantly, all text fully present, strong and unworn. This another considerable plus for this cover.

Corners: Light to moderate tip rubbing, but being white, this has less visual impact. Fine shape is retained with just the dink on the left corner.

Cover Summary: ‘Difficult’ and ‘challenging’ are more than a fair ways to describe this fragile cover. And with so little to really fault on this one, it has far more positives than negatives. Being only lightly aged, it should please many fans and collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a plain white unlined inner that has hardly aged at all. Two perfect window circles and all edges unsplit with no repairs. The paper with a gentle rough surface feel and barely even discoloured.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite heavily pressed. A copy with modest plays on all the evidence with any surface marks light and quite faint as mostly seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, few even register. 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This brilliant debut album plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering 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 are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few available copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played relatively lightly and has been quite well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.