THE BYRDS THE BALLAD OF EASY RIDER 1st UK PRESS EX/VG +ULTRA RARE PRESS CUTTINGS

Matrix Side 1. ''SPBG 63795 A1'' Side 2. ''SPBG 63795B1''

Catalogue number CBS63795 Originally released 1969

Overall condition is EXCELLENT

Sleeve EXCELLENT

The gloss laminate front / matt back sleeve is still bright and glossy in very good condition with no tears or splits but there is a slight creasing and ringwear where the top edge of the record sits. The colours are still very bright and there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers; apart from the factory applied ‘Stereo’ sticker on the back

Spine EXCELLENT the spine is firm and totally legible

It is complete with the original orange CBS advertising Inner. I will also include the original plastic outer that I bought with it, which still fits tightly and has successfully kept the dust off for all these years

Record EXCELLENT The record itself is clean and glossy and the disc retains its deep, black vinyl sheen. There are some faint hairline marks, but nothing ugly or deep to affect the sound quality

Labels EXCELLENT The original orange rough textured labels show some minimal signs of use, have no writing and are clean with minimal spindle marking.

Audio Quality VERY GOOD The record itself is clean and glossy and plays well apart from vinyl hiss and crackle between tracks that unfortunately are noticeable in some of the quietest passages but vanish after a few seconds and don’t detract from the overall sound, which is still amazing. There are also a few ‘pops’ on side two, although deep cleaning would probably remove them.

But, to quote the Record Collector grading system for the category of VERY GOOD, it, “displays no major deterioration in sound quality”

It lays flat on the turntable and plays well without the needle sticking or jumping.

(Please remember even new, factory fresh vinyl is likely to have some clicks and pops, but the richness of sound will always be better than digital. OK eventually the robots and aliens will make digital sound as good, but until then, it’s a compromise, you have to choose; deep rich tones and a beautiful sleeve (often with lyrics or other notes) or clinical sterility with nothing to see and a narrow frequency range.)

Until 1970 I only ever played my albums on a Garrard Sp25 Mk11 with a Sonotone 9TAHC cartridge and from 1970 onwards on a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure N75 ED-T2 cartridge and stylus, tracking at 1.5 grams which I continue to use today – although the stylus has been replaced regularly

Tracks: SIDE ONE Ballad Of Easy Rider, Fido, Oil In My Lamp, Tulsa County Blue, Jack Tarr The Sailor, SIDE TWO Jesus Is Just Alright With Me, It's All Over Now Baby Blue, There Must Be Someone, Gunga Din, Plane Wreck At Los Gatos (Deportee), Armstrong, Aldrin And Collins

PRESS CUTTINGS I’m also including two press cuttings from Melody Maker from the same period I found them tucked in behind the album. I think they are both very rare, as I’ve never seen them referred to in books or on the web,

but they cover a lot of the early ground, which is why they’re relevant to the disc.

Summary: this ICONIC, masterwork album is a lovely piece of genuine memorabilia from a bygone time that changed the world, as well as the way that music is made, and would grace any collection. If you weren’t there you can’t really appreciate the amazing impact of the Byrds on the music scene and beyond. They invented Folk-Rock, Raga-Rock, Country-Rock and too many other styles to list. Every single member who left, went on to form a new innovative group while McGuinn continues to produce amazing music. If you haven’t heard it on vinyl this could be for you. It certainly doesn’t sound 52 years old.

If you check my feedback you will see many people think my grading is spot on.

I’m not a dealer of any sort, but am just downsizing and having to clear things out and trying to survive on a poxy pension. Good luck with your bidding and feel free to ask any question.

A Word About Payment and Postage It will be posted as soon as payment has cleared, which must be paid within 24 hours of the end of the auction. This may seem harsh but I’m fed up with time wasters!

I use 12" Vinyl LP Record Cruciform postal mailers and protect them with an additional layer of bubblewrap. In the UK I use Royal Mail Signed For.

Price for postage is for 2nd class. If you are outside the UK, I will use Ebay’s Global Shipping Program and you are therefore accepting their shipping terms and charges over which I have no control.

Record Collector grading system used

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays 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, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that 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.

FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and / or defaced.

POOR: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.