TRAFFIC John Barleycorn Must Die RARER UK 1st Press LP

	£		75
	$		99

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: TRAFFIC

Album Title: John Barleycorn Must Die.

Producer(s): Guy Stevens, Steve Winwood & Chris Blackwell.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Glad; Freedom Rider; Empty Pages.

Side 2: Stranger to Himself; John Barleycorn; Every Mother’s Son.

Label/Format: Island – Original Pink format (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both fresh, clean and very attractive with deep rich colour. Any spindle marks are very few, light and faint as seen under angled light.

Cat Number: ILPS 9116.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 137 grams. A good average weight for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Much scarcer as an original. This has the dual Island and United Artist’s matrixes.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9116 A/2 (UAS 5504 A) 6/3/70 / ILPS 9116 B/2 (UAS 5504 B)

Stamper Codes: ‘STERLING LH’ (on both sides)

Brief Artist & Album Info: This fourth Traffic album has a more traditional feel, especially the classic title track - but the material is quite mixed. Six songs feature and all are superb, Traffic were now a three piece with Steve Winwood on organ, piano and percussion; Chris Wood on Sax, flute, electric sax and percussion and Jim Capaldi on drums and percussion. This is the rarer dual matrix original with the rustic and wear-prone cover – this all changed on subsequent pressings. This is without doubt one of Traffic’s most popular and best ever albums and this lovely example plays with beautiful sound.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High: a somewhat uncompromising cover that is massively prone to all forms of wear and sticker marks. Seldom seen without some toning even when kept within a non-smoking environment.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and arguably better still. An unlaminated gatefold format with the rustic look and feel with matt finish. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group. Later examples lost this famous imprint and looked much different, they certainly became more wear-tolerant than these originals.

Cover Front: Very mild discolour traces around the extreme edges and the odd faint surface crease or two, but little else to fault on this splendidly attractive front. Any marks are few and very faint indeed and the lack of sticker issues and grubbiness, scuffing and major discolour is a welcome bonus.

Cover Back: Almost the same again, lightish toning around the edges but not a great deal else.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Practically perfect and looking superb.

Top Edges: Minimal evidence of any rubbing or even discolour.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and both quite sharp with little wear and both guaranteed untrimmed. Any burr traces or thickening is mild and only seen viewed end-on. Record entered on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight, uncompressed and folded square, the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. All text is present and practically unworn, the spine surface has darkened a little possibly due to exposure in a rack storage system. Without any doubt, this cover does change hue purely by light over the years.

Corners: A likely very low impact dink on the spine bottom, but being solid and robust, this has only minor visual impact with a fairly gentle crease. Any evidence of tip rubbing is slight on a cover that does withstand it well. Very fine to excellent shape is largely retained.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this quite wear-prone early 70’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better. This famous old sleeve should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a Polydor-style lined inner that is guaranteed the original, this date-coded 0770 (July 1970), the exact month and year this classic album was issued. This has aged little and is only marked down a little for a small tear on the rear window circle that I neatly repaired, it barely even shows now. Both circles are crisp and sharp and the lining ultra clear and even devoid of crinkle. Any creasing, discolour or marks minimal and light. All edges unsplit with no repairs needed here.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite heavily pressed. A copy played very modestly and with utmost care, so typical from this collection. Any surface marks are tiny, few and very faint indeed as seen critically under angled light. Visually a super record that should please most-all 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic title even exceeds it’s very 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. A fantastic Island pressing too with barely any traces of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album– this does have a fair number of quieter passages. Few copies will match or outperform this original dual matrix pink ‘i’ pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been largely well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This record will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as 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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.