TINY TIM For All My Little Friends SCARCE Orig UK 69 LP

	£		20
	$		27

Artist or Band: TINY TIM

Album Title: For All My Little Friends.

Producer(s): Richard Perry.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: On The Good Ship Lollipop; Sunshine Cake; Mickey The Monkey; Hot And Cold Water; Two Times A Day; Chickery Chick; Oliphant The Elephant.

Side 2: I’m A Lonesome Little Raindrop; They Always Pick On Me; Aren’t You Glad You’re You; Sadie The Seal; The Viper; Bill The Buffalo; Remember Your Name and Address; What The World Needs Now Is Love.

Label/Format: Reprise – original tri-coloured steamboat format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: very clean and attractive with only a tiny few ultra light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: RSLP 6351.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 146 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce especially as a UK first pressing. Most of these are seen as US pressings.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6351 A-1 H / RSLP 6351 B-1 H

Stamper Codes: A 1 / D 1

Brief Artist & Album Info: Well now for something completely different: born Herbert Khaury this eccentric entertainer regularly played on the New York Greenwich Village circuit during the early to mid-60s. A bizarre figure with his long straggly hair, beak-like nose and camp mannerisms, he had a warbling, falsetto voice and played ukulele and this all round novelty actually gave a him a hit single with ‘Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips in 1968. He could also sing baritone and alternates his style throughout. He worked under many pseudonyms but settled on Tiny Tim borrowed from a Charles Dicken’s character in A Christmas Carol. Strange yes, but this guy has a charm and personality that makes his records very enjoyable if you have the taste to try something different. I can just about remember seeing him on TV appearing on the ‘Andy Williams Show’ in the late 60s, and even then thinking ‘this man is pretty weird’. Well after all these years I finally get to hear his final ’60s album, and I did not hold out much hope of actually liking it - but to my surprise I love it! - I enjoy all things weird and different and boy this is just that. As the cover suggests, this is an album of children’s-type songs and all given the Tiny Tim treatment and sound. Clearly of limited sales potential and commercial appeal, this did not sell well and is very difficult to find as a UK pressing. Obviously an act like this only has a limited shelf-life and any sales would have been from around the issue time and I doubt if this was available for any great length of time. So if you feel like a strange surreal ride from those wacky times, you might just find yourself enjoying one of the most strangely unique albums and voices I have yet heard - this guy’s sound is beyond description and if you have never experienced it, well its for real and for sure its unlikely to be copied on record ever again - Tiny Tim was a true one off.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Quite high.

Cover Grade and Format: Around EX overall, the front is in supreme condition and on its own would grade Mint(-). The lower grade takes into account of the rear bottom flipback that has a piece of clear tape applied. That apart, it has little else to fault and looks lovely. A single format with front laminate that wraps around the closed edges on to three large rear flipbacks. It was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.

Lamination & Front: A beautiful front cover with a distinct surreal psych effect of Tiny Tim singing to his little friends. This looks stunning and is almost factory-fresh with near perfect laminate. Clean, shiny, clear and fully adhered with no blistering. A faint rub around the record shape near the top but this is almost invisible and there is barely a crease to be seen. The colourful artwork can be enjoyed to maximum advantage through the ultimate clear laminate. This ends a fraction short of the right edge but even the exposed strip is clean and unworn. This rare cover front will prove near impossible to find better.

Cover Back: The back is superb with just the clear tape on the bottom flipback being the only minor blemish. It appears the flipback end had lifted and the end pulled, so clearly the tape was applied to stop damage and hold secure. This is ultra clean and clear and shows very little. The other two flipbacks are immaculate and very clean and untaped. The unprotected back panel is generally clean with little to fault at all with minimal handling traces and no creasing or ringwear. The extreme left edge has a trace of toning. Even with the minor flipback blemish, this will prove very difficult to find better.

Top and Bottom Edges: Barely any wear to either.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear or feathering. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: The spine is practically as manufactured and that is immaculate: Solid, straight, uncompressed, then ends gently tapered in manufacture. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate (and even this retains fine shine).

Corners: The odd small tip rub but all retain very fine shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A lovely example and so hard to find like this. I doubt if this has seen light-of-day for decades and is a Tiny Tim time capsule. One from a bygone era and it will please many, if not most collectors. If the tape on the back is an issue, do not bid (but truly it shows little).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++, and plays beautifully with nothing to fault. A very fine visual copy that is unbanded, super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A couple of small, light surface marks but none sound, a thick and heavy record, these surface blemishes are totally ignored and this was a real joy to hear. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please 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 snippetts 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: An idiosyncratic album of great charm, this man was unique and here sounds magnificent on this 40-year-old record. It plays even above its high visual grading with nothing 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 no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will outperform this earliest pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, of the three Reprise Tiny Tim albums, this is by far the most elusive. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended..

End Piece: A mildly imperfect cover but the record more than compensates, I can add little more to my opening blurb, this simply is as bizarre as they get, a fun figure, boarding on novelty but more than worth a listen, this is a ‘fun’ album. I honestly enjoyed this one and I feel many others will too, it’s genuinely a hard one to find and sales would have been far less than the first album. As they old saying goes “They dont make ‘em like this anymore’’ - and in this case, isn’t it the truth?

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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. 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 offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.