ALAN PARSONS PROJECT Tales of Mystery and Imagination SCARCE UK EX++ 1st PRESS.

	£		22
	$		29

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible.

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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled 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: THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT

Album Title: Tales of Mystery and Imagination

Producer(s): Alan Parsons

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: A Dream Within a Dream; The Raven; The Tell-Tale Heart; The Cask of Amontillado; (The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether.

Side 2: The Fall of the House of Usher: Prelude, Arrival, Intermezzo, Pavane, Fall; To One in Paradise.

Label/Format: Charisma, original pink Hatter format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces very few and faint.

Catalogue Number: CDS 4003

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: 111 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Fairly scarce as a first issue.

Original Year of Release: 1976

Matrix Nos: CDS 4003 A//5 EAR 1 1 3 & CDS 4003 B//5 EAR 1 1 1

Musicians: Alan Parsons – Organ, Synthesiser, Guitar, Keyboards, Recorder, Vocals; Eric Woolfson – Synthesiser, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Vocals; Dennis Clarke –Saxophone; Leonard Whiting – Vocals; Arthur Brown – Vocals; John Miles – Guitar, Vocals; Jack Harris – Vocals; Francis Monkman – Organ, Keyboards; Kevin Peek – Guitar; Terry Sylvester – Vocals; Laurence Juber – Guitar; Andrew Powell – Keyboards; David Paton – Guitar, Bass, Guitar, Vocals; Ian Bairnson – Guitars; David Katz – Violin, Leader, Orchestra Contractor; Burleigh Drummond – Drums; English Chorale – Vocals; Bob Howes – Choir, Chorus; John Leach – Percussion, Vocals, Cimbalom, Kantele; David Pack – Guitar; Smokey Parsons – Vocals; Joe Puerta – Bass; Jack Rothstein – Leader; Daryl Runswick – Bass, String Bass; David Snell – Harp; The English Chorale – Choir, Chorus; Stuart Tosh – Cymbals, Drums, Vocals, Tympani; Billy Lyall – Piano, Drums, Glockenspiel, Keyboards, Recorder, Fender Rhodes; Jane Powell – Vocals; Les Hurdle – Bass; Christopher North – Keyboards.

Brief Info: Prior to forming this progressive rock band, Alan Parsons was best known as a record engineer and producer. He is famed for work on two major works – The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ and Pink Floyd’s classic ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’. ‘Tales of Mystery and Imagination’ is the debut album by his ‘Project’. It is based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe and it sold fairly well. Beautifully produced and recorded by Parsons, and including a host of quality musicians seen above, no expense was spared for this quite lavish set. I actually bought a copy myself on release after hearing a couple of tracks on the radio. Parsons went on to make several more albums under the ‘Project’ name during the later 1970s and way into the 1980s, then as a solo artist thereafter. He has become quite a cult figure in the field of progressive rock and a major artist in the genre’s history. I have always rated this album highly and it still sounds as fresh as when issued back in 1976. This a lovely copy, the record appearing hardly played, and another from the lot I have been offering lately from a high-quality collection. The record plays beautifully and has a cover without the usual heavy wear most seem to acquire over time, the lyric/graphic booklet insert is also included.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: arguably better, this is very prone to all forms of wear and rarely seen without it. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by James Upton Ltd, includes the original inner sleeve and the 8-page booklet.

Cover Front: Even with a little gentle, mainly on the edges, this is one of the finest example of this unforgiving cover I have seen in ages. One that has avoided fading and sticker issues, the deep green fully intact and strong. One light crease near the top left corner on the spine and the odd small tip rub. Any rubbing to the main face is tiny, very little and light, it remains fresh and attractive and will prove difficult to find much better.

Cover Back: The back is even better with little to fault, the lack of creasing and especially ring wear is a huge plus for this cover.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Nigh-on perfect as-seen.

Top Edges: Both straight and near flush, any rubbing little, very and light.

Bottom Edges: Largely as above, actually better if anything.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both edges are open, probably designed to store the booklet in the front. All are clean, mostly very sharp with hardly any thickening, even as seen viewed end-on. Record normally enters on the back edge, all are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Solid and thick, mainly straight with barely any compression and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and near parallel. Any surface or fold rubbing little, small and light, all text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: Any tip rubs are small and light, excellent shape retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this very wear-prone 1970’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better. This attractive item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: just the usual discolouration of the seam adhesive areas to lightly age it. A soft-lined Phonogram inner with two perfect undamaged window circles, the lining almost as-made. Hardly creased with no edge splits or repairs.

The Booklet: PRACTICALLY MINT: the 8-page graphic/lyric booklet is practically as-made with no creasing, toning/ageing at all. The two original staples clean, untarnished or loosened. This integral part of the album is unlikely to be found better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): arguably better. A superb visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite solidly pressed. A copy appearing hardly on all the evidence with any surface traces bordering on minuscule. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, barely anything even registers bar a tiny dull spot within the pressing that does nothing. Visually a super record that should please many, if not 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 snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This superb first album plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. This on an album with some very quite passages, this is very well pressed indeed and was a delight to play-grade. Offering 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 hardly registered and no tracking issues*, this is a beautifully produced album by Parsons himself. Few available copies will outperform this very early, first pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Few covers will show much less wear and this one has been cover-protected most of its time. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.