TIM BUCKLEY Starsailor RARE ORIG UK 1970 STRAIGHT EX+ LP. HIS RAREST CLASSIC.

	£		98
	$		129

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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 – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing 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 to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full 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. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked 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: TIM BUCKLEY

Album Title: Starsailor.

Producer(s): Tim Buckley.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Come Here Woman; I Woke Up; Monterey; Moulin Rouge; Song to the Siren.

Side 2: Jungle Fire; Starsailor; The Healing Festival; Down by the Borderline.

Label/Format: Straight – matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both in beautiful condition: very clean, fresh and attractive with only a tiny few, small and faint spindle traces on side one, and barely any at all on side two.

Cat Number: STS 1064.

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: 138 grams. A very good solid weight.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This has always been a difficult album to find as a UK Straight original. It sold very poorly and was quickly deleted. Unlike some other UK Straight albums, it was not repressed and was not available very long at all before the demise of the label. This was a very late Straight album, one of the final ones in fact, so availability was only very brief and few bothered anyway. US copies are easier found, but still elusive, especially here. Also finding clean pressed copies is also difficult, I have heard several American copies with loud pressing rasps and major distortion. The UK pressings seem more consistent – that said, I have seen or heard very few – this one plays great with very little unwanted with no pressing issues at all. An album over time that has gained considerably in stature, many regard it a mini classic and is now very sort after. But like many such albums that went almost unnoticed at the time, finding one now is increasingly difficult. I actually consider this the rarest and one of the very best of all the Straight albums, it is seldom seen or offered. So a great opportunity to experience an original and one of the finest to ever grace this most alternative of labels.

Original Year of Release: 1970 (possibly 1971 in the UK)

Matrix Nos: STS 1064 A1 / STS 1064 B1

Musicians: Tim Buckley – guitar, 12-string guitar, vocals; John Balkin – double bass, electric bass; Lee Underwood – guitar, piano, pipe organ; Buzz Gardner – trumpet, flugelhorn; Maury Baker – percussion; Bunk Gardner – alto flute, tenor saxophone.

Straight & Bizarre: Straight and Bizarre were two record labels formed by Frank Zappa and his business partner and manager Herb Cohen, they were manufactured and distributed by Warner Bros in the United States. Their intention was to promote and issue albums by very alternative and non-commercial artists (chosen by Zappa) and give himself and them the freedom to release their music without restriction and censorship. Straight was initially chosen for more accessible acts and Bizzare for the less mainstream, but it only briefly worked out with all but Lenny Bruce, Wild Man Fischer and The Mothers of Invention ending up on Straight. All except The Mothers albums issued in the US on Bizarre are rare and elusive with a few exceptions – Captain Beefheart’s classic ‘Trout Mask Replica’ surprisingly sold reasonable well, but few others did. Most were simply too weird and out-there for most people’s tastes or simply unknown acts (including Alice Cooper in the early days), and these artists’ albums were now highly sort-after by collectors. Straight album bands and artists were: Captain Beefheart (2), Alice Cooper (3), Tim Buckley (2, his most experimental). Jeff Simmons (1), Lord Buckley (1), Judy Henske & Jerry Yester (1), The GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) (1), Tim Dawe (1), The Persuasions (1) and Rosebud (1) on Reprise/Bizarre. Both Straight and Bizarre folded in 1973 when Zappa’s new label Discreet label emerged. A small few were repressed before this time on Warner and Reprise. However ‘Starsailor’ was not one of them probably due to a dispute over rights when Straight Records went. It had long been out-of-print and CD copies near impossible to find.

Brief Info: ‘Starsailor’ was album number six for Buckley and it proved a commercial disaster. His previous albums were hardly best-sellers either, but this one hit a new low with material too unaccessible for most. Largely gone was his early folk sound and it followed two other similar very poor sellers in ‘Blue Afternoon’ and ‘Lorca’. It was the second on Frank Zappa’s Straight label, and a bit like Captain Beefheart’s seminal album ‘Trout Mask Replica’, this took Buckley’s ideas of free-form music and expression into deeper avant garde territory. The album includes possibly his best-known song – the achingly beautiful ‘Song to the Siren’, easily the most accessible on the set, but most of the material too way-out for most listeners. Buckley uses his voice as an instrument with extremes in tone, range and expression. This against a backdrop of jazzy rock backing that includes two former members of The Mothers of Invention, the Gardner brothers on winds. A difficult and challenging work that needs perseverance to be fully appreciated, again like the magnificent Beefheart Straight albums, the songs get entrenched into the mind and those repetitive chords become addictive for those prepared to listen. Now regarded by many music fans and critics as a masterpiece, it regularly features highly in all-time great album lists. A typical Straight album that gave Buckley poetic licence for total vocal and musical expression without any constraints or thoughts about selling units in shops. This a magnificent high in his musical catalogue, but it proved brief – after ‘Starsailor’, a new style was adopted with a far less ‘out-there’ sound. In Tim’s quite short career, his output was quite unpredictable and varied, and few could have predicted this brave, bold and daring release. This a contender for one of the greatest albums that even today, many would have still never heard – time to put that right with the superb UK original that is unreservedly recommended. These are not seen or offered often.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: rubbing on the top and mainly bottom edge being the main issue. A single unlaminated format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Shorewood Packaging Co Ltd and includes the ‘Patents Pending’ text.

Cover Cosmetic Improvements: None Apparent.

Cover Front: A fairly ‘basic’ cover from Shorewood, I have the feeling this was made with anticipated low sales potential – which proved more than correct. Apart from corner rubbing, this has little else to fault, and this cover with similar Shorewood types at this time, rarely prove durable, hence most seen are rubbed and worn. So nice to see this one has survived the years generally well. Clean, still fresh and attractive with hardly any creasing at all. It retains a ‘KEDDIES’ price sticker of 2-49 on the top right, so this probably bought in 1971 or thereabouts. I remember this department store well in Colchester in the 1970s, now long since gone.

Cover Back: No great expense made for this very sparse and basic back. A low resolution black and white graphic of Tim with album text credits below as seen in close-up. But this a genuine UK cover and they are much harder to find than the American-made versions. A little fine edge creasing and slight grubbiness traces, but not a great deal else.

Top Edge: Near moderate slightly patchy rubbing, still straight with no splits or repairs.

Bottom Edge: Moderate to moderate(+) rubbing, but this has not really spread off the edge and only really shows when viewed end-on. Again, no splits or repairs.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear. Any thickening or burring minimal and light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge and guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with some surface crinkle and mild compression in places. All text is perfect and unworn, also well centred on quite a narrow depth – so this vulnerable edge has faired well overall.

Corners: Moderate tip rubbing with mostly fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: A difficult, rare and challenging cover, the surface on these are more prone to wear than some. So overall, a very strong all-round example. One that could prove very difficult to find much better with the front and back especially in very fine attractive condition. This elusive item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: VERY GOOD: simply due to creasing and crinkle, this mainly due to the manufacturing. A basic plain white unlined inner with no edge splits and neat window circles.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): side two even better with little to fault. A small mark on ‘Song to the Siren’ but is close to ignored with a mere couple of faint ticks and little else – this fragile and beautiful song plays very well indeed. A lovely visual copy that appears hardly even played, very clean, fresh with equally fine shine and solidly pressed. Two superb Straight labels that are barely marked at all. The one small visible mark apart, any other blemishes are ultra fine and faint, also few, as seen with more scrutiny under bright angled light. Also emphasis must be made on pressing quality which is exemplary throughout with no inherent pressing rasps or distortions. I have never heard an American Straight copy that plays anything like this well. This UK rarity only pressed in tiny numbers for a predictable very limited market – and this one really did hit an all-time low in that respect. As stated, far too experimental and ‘out-there’ for most music buyers of the time. Finding this wonderful original much better will never prove easy.

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: Arguably the one album that made Tim Buckley a legend. What a voice and what an album! This Straight classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything 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 are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing, that never to be dismissed lightly on this sometimes unpredictable label. As stated just a couple or three ticks at the very beginning of ‘Siren’ and little else at all. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this rare UK original I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – this really takes the senses to new levels and Buckley for me never sounded better before or after this. One of those ‘lost’ classics that almost sunk without trace at the time, it could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended for those with an ear to listen.

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’.