WISHBONE ASH (1st) RARER 1st PRESS, Dogbone Label LP

	£		46
	$		61

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £11.75. Rest of World £15.75. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment – returns within 14 days only. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: WISHBONE ASH

Album Title: Wishbone Ash.

Producer(s): Derek Lawrence.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Blind Eye; Lady Whisky; Errors of My Ways; Queen of Torture.

Side 2: Handy; Phoenix.

Label/Format: MCA – orange-red and pink first ‘dogbone’ format pressed by Decca.

Label Conditions: Clean and still attractive. Spindle marks are moderate with the same visibility. This and the fact the playing surfaces have numerous totally superficial marks indicate a fair amount of usage. But in terms of sound quality, the visuals are deceiving as this record offers superb sound that has barely anything to fault. A solidly pressed original by Decca, the marks on the record are purely on the surface as fine hairlines of friction scuffs. Maybe some over-zealous dry-cloth ‘cleaning’ the culprit? – a guess, but whatever, this record plays superbly but visually not for the perfectionist.

Cat Number: MKPS 2014.

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: 151 grams. A typical top quality heavy Decca pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Early pressings of this rock classic are scarce. The pink and orange recognised as the first pressing and significantly harder to find than most of the subsequent versions. The MCA label format and colour was changed many times and never too easy to keep up with. A brown and red variant of this format exists and then the black and blue ‘diamond’ format followed (in two slightly different styles), then the more familiar all black format in 1972-73. No format was around too long before it was changed again making the early ‘dogbones’ very collectable and desirable. The early-pressed heavier records were made by Decca, and their pressings were second to none for quality. As stated above, this appears played several times, but still offers very impressive and clean sound – if it didn’t, believe me, I would not even consider offering it – rare or not.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: 7-224 / 7-225

Musicians: Andy Powell - lead guitar and vocals; Ted Turner - lead guitar and vocals; Martin Turner - bass and vocals and Steve Upton - drums..

Brief Artist & Album Info: Debut album from these dual lead guitar rockers, a great band in their early days and this one remains one of their finest ever albums. If quality guitar-driven rock is your type of music, this splendid album will please. It has only six tracks with side two being occupied by the lengthy ‘Handy’ and the equally long, classic ‘Pheonix’, the two centrepieces of this album. This vintage copy has the rarer and sort-after orange-red and pink MCA labels, the guides until recently stated the originals were on the black labels which was so hopelessly incorrect it was embarrassing. At last, the price guides have this now listed as the first pressing which is correct. Also the first cover was printed by Moore & Matthes and has a wider spine, these are far more elusive, soon reprinted by Robor. For collectors of classic British rock, this debut original is up there.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: The first Moore & Matthes covers are far more prone to wear than later ones mainly due to the thicker spine that tends to flatten and crush. These covers invariably held heavier early pressed records which inflicted more stress and few escape significant ringwear on the back.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: in terms of real wear, this has little and this one is more than prone. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Moore & Matthes and includes the wider spine. Only slighter ones were Robor printed with thinner spines, these appear far more frequently.

Cover Front: A lovely front with little to fault. Very slight edge rubbing is lightly seen on the top edge (just) but clean and uncreased. Very mild and faint friction rubs or odd small blemish are seen under angled light but this front will not prove easy to find much better.

Cover Back: Again a little edge rubbing is seen and there is a fine lightly darkened rim rub seen on the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. The lightest form of ringwear but not penetrating with no ink loss or card exposure, this is some distance off that and it has very modest visibility. As stated, few avoid some ring impression, these early Decca pressings were thick and heavy. The lack of grubbiness and creasing is another bonus too.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A little ‘secondary’ creasing each side of the thick spine which is pretty much the norm and few will ever avoid it totally and here very mild indeed. That apart, little else to fault with just the odd small surface mark or two seen under light.

Top Edges: Patchy rubbing on the back, lesser on the front.

Bottom Edges: Some fairly light rubbing, these edges are pale and this registers little.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear, any thickening or burring is very mild indeed. Record enters on the back edge, the front is also open, it appears unstuck with only the faintest traces of any adhesive, so clearly no enough to hold long-term. I decided to leave this well alone as this is neat and re-application of adhesive can cause waving and distortion of the line.

Spine and Text: This has the trademark M&M wider spine and clearly this is vulnerable. But this is in super shape being solid and thick, straight with barely any compression, no crushing and any tilt mild. Folded square, so othe edges meet up closely together and parallel. Unusually, this has little rubbing at all up to the ends that have a little. Many, if not most of these will be totally flattened over the years, this one still very erect and not rammed back into shape. Those that are, will only fall flat again quickly. All text is present and unworn as is most-all of the flow-around graphic. Even the folds retain most ink as well with any rubs or chips tiny, few and faint.

Corners: All corners have moderate rubbing, less apparent however on a fairly pale cover. Fine to very find shape is retained.

Cover Summary: Still an attractive rarer original cover, just enough to remind of the considerable 40+ years of age but with modestly light real wear. This Moore & Matthes first printed version should please many collectors but not the highly discerning.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a Decca-pressed MCA copy includes it’s original polylined inner. This is date coded 12-70 so very early indeed. In a very respectable close to excellent condition. This blue inner has neat, crisp window circles and an incredibly clear, solid lining. Some modest seam glue darkening, all edges secure and unsplit with no repairs. No hard creases and general mild darkening only. A couple of minor printing flaws that has nothing to do with wear and I feel looking just-right for it’s great age.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VERY GOOD: a tale of two sides – one has plenty of fine surface marks or light scuffs and side two very few at all. My grading averages out the two sides. A speculative guess is over-enthusiastic dry cloth cleaning – I can think of little else it could be. But these surface marks are very fine and totally superficial so they have no effect on sound whatsoever. If they did, this would NOT be offered. There are NO penetrating scratches, hence the sound is unaffected and remains very impressive and clean. Viewed normally and not in close up, this remains a fine looking record, clearly used and enjoyed a few times but do not be put off. If you want a clean sounding original and not worry about visual perfection, this could be for you.

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 debut album plays way above its visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Yes true, I was even surprised myself by how supremely well this top quality Decca record plays. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a full dynamic range and detailed sound. The sound on the earliest pressings always seem a little more ‘open’ than later ones. Any surface sounds barely even register and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing, but as you would expect from Decca. Put as straightforward as possible: Forget the Marks – they do NOT sound and this superb album plays as good as an unmarked, little played copy. The surface marks are simply ignored and the record excels. Few early copies will match or outperform this rarer ‘dogbone’ pressing for audio quality. If indeed these fine marks were due to dry-cloth cleaning, the owner saw the error of their ways and did not do on side two. As stated, this is NOT for the visual purist, but if the music is deemed more important than looks, this superb first issue really delivers. So this could indeed be a first issue at the right price, for the right collector. A very good looking record that plays practically to the top level, and on that basis, it merits strong recommendation.

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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 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 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] = £4.25

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]) = £11.75 (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]) = £15.75 Add £3 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’.