WISHBONE ASH Argus RARER UK 1972 MCA Hexagonal Label LP

	£		51
	$		68

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: WISHBONE ASH

Album Title: Argus.

Producer(s): Derek Lawrence.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Time Was; Sometime World; Blowin’ Free.

Side 2: The King Will Come; Leaf and Stream; Warrior; Throw Down the Sword.

Label/Format: MCA – very early black and blue ‘diamond’ format pressed by Decca. At last, the price guides now recognise this label format as the original, the black labels came a year or so later, meaning the original hexagon format was not available for very long (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both clean and attractive with spindle marks on the lighter side of moderate.

Cat Number: MDKS 8006.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. a very good weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate for a prog album, this sold well. Earlier pressed examples are less easy.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: 7-LNMG-256-2L / 7-LNMG-257-2L

Mothers / Stampers: 1 UM / 2? CM

Musicians: Andy Powell & Ted Turner - lead guitars, acoustic guitars rhythm guitar and harmony guitars; Martin Turner - bass guitar; Steve Upton - drums, percussion.

Brief Info: Brilliant album, brilliant cover, this is classic rock near its very best. Guitar-driven music with seven great tracks. Double lead guitars go head-to-head with stunning effect, melodic and captivating, this is easily Wishbone Ash’s greatest ever album and a bona-fide rock classic that has more than stood the test of time. Inbetween, a couple of gentle songs that are equally good, I never tire of listening to this tremendous album. A record so good, they found it hard to ever live up to it again – who could resist that wonderful haunting and mysterious cover? For those who thrive on classy guitar-rock, ‘Argus’ is near unbeatable and is without doubt one of the best rock albums of the 1970s.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and arguably better. An unlaminated gatefold format, printed in England by Robert Stace. Includes the original polylined Decca style inner.

Cover Front: My enjoyment of this cover’s artwork has never diminished in nearly 40 years, it still remains my personal favourite and this looks very impressive. This is highly prone to wear, sticker marks, fading and grubbiness. This has little to fault with any rub traces, marks or ageing minimal and faint. A small few very fine, small and faint surface creases show little and this classic old warrior will seldom be seen looking more impressive.

Cover Back: A mild crease near the top right corner and a little record rim impression near the top edge which is the mildest beginning of ringwear. Appearing on a very pale area, this registers little, these thick Decca pressed records are never cover-friendly, but this one has withstood any potential wear very well. Again clean and attractive and note that UFO just above the mountain top.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Few marks with any traces or rubbing very light, retaining lovely rich brown colour that again will prove quite hard to find better.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both in super conditions with any traces or rubbing tiny and very faint.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp to very sharp with barely any wear and no feathering, both open and untrimmed. Record enters on either edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with minimal compression and folded square, both right edges meet up reasonably close together and parallel. This is quite thick with any tilt, slight as is any rubbing. All text present and practically unworn.

Corners: Any tip rubbing is light and all neat with very fine to excellent shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very difficult cover to find in really nice condition, shame UK versions were not laminated, with such wonderful artwork, they more than justified it. This clean, attractive, little-worn example should please many collectors.

Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: the Decca-style polylined inner has little real wear, just some fairly light glue darkening on the seams that few avoid. Both window circles are very neat and crisp and the lining very clear indeed with only very modest crinkle. All edges unspit with no repairs and minimal creasing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very fine visual copy that is clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed (especially so given the year of issue). But Decca pressings for MCA Records are amongst the best ever made and rarely did this company skimp on vinyl weight or the quality of their pressings. Even the edges are smoothly finished with no cutting rim. A copy that has been played a few times for sure, any surface marks are few, light and faint with no penetrating scratches. For those who bought the early copies of this classic album, most played them heavily, sometimes almost to destruction, this has not happened on this very fine, very early example and it still offers clean and enjoyable sound. It should please many 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 rock classic plays up to its high visual grading and most-all exceeds it with little nothing to fault. It has strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a full dynamic range and detailed sound. An album better enjoyed with some volume to bring out the details more. At times a difficult title on vinyl as there are several very quiet passages including the intros to ‘Time Was’, ‘The King Will Come’, ‘Warrior’ and ‘Throw Down the Sword’, ‘silence’ will be very difficult to achieve but this plays with little unwanted. The odd faint trace of surface sound is just evident being critical with the odd sporadic gentle click here and there, a record like this, fast approaching do not forget, will rarely be heard without a few minor sounds – just enough to remind what you actually listening too. The lack of loud irritating pops and clicks is always a bonus on this album and few copies will better this significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp and appears carefully stored and handled overall. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this brilliant record, easily the most difficult in the Wishbone catalogue. This copy will prove quite difficult to find significantly better, especially so on the early-pressed format. ‘Argus’, a thing of rare beauty and excellence and this example does it strong all round justice and merits high 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 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.

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 prompt payment is a problem, please do not bid.

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: 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 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. If you cannot pay, DO NOT BID.

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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.