ANNE BRIGGS - THE TIME HAS COME 1971 UK 1st press CBS 64612 Scarce folk classic

	£		230
	$		305

ANNE BRIGGS - THE TIME HAS COME

1971 UK STEREO ORIGINAL PRESSING - CBS 64612

Matrix Numbers : Side 1  S-64612-A1, stampers 1, 2;  Side 2  S-64612-B1, stampers 1, 1

A gleaming copy of this English folk classic; played only a few times and a true upgrade copy of this extremely rare record by one of the godmothers of English folk

The condition of both sides of the vinyl is excellent+ - a real gleamer with almost all of the original gorgeous sheen intact. In fact both sides of the vinyl come across as perfect in normal daylight. When scrutinised under a bright light there are a few wispy hairlines, and hairline scuffs, in evidence but these are few and there is nothing below the surface that would interfere with the superb sound quality. Though not quite near mint condition vinyl you would need to search high and low to find a better copy. 

The Gordon/Graphiti designed matt outer sleeve is in excellent condition. There is no rubbing or scuffing on either of the top or bottom edges and the spine is also nicely intact, being rigid and with all writing completely unblemished. Held in a bright light and at the right angle there is some very mild ringwear in evidence on both sides; and on the front side there are five some very mild 1-2cm surface creases  ("crease" is probably too strong a word, more like surface "cracks") perpendicular and adjacent to the edges, and what looks like the residue of an original price sticker positioned towards the top right hand corner. The reverse side is difficult to fault, apart from the very mild and not immediately obvious ring wear. The sleeve itself is renowned for its fragility and partly due to it's delicate nature I have never seen a perfect or even near mint copy. I suspect that the condition of this sleeve is about as good as it gets for such a rare first press copy - a strong excellent.

The quality of the audio is superb. Not quite perfect because there is the occasional nano second of crackle which I am certain is just natural static on the record - this happens even on first play of a brand new record, and of course such crackle (mild and very occasional though it is) is accentuated by this type of music - if such occasional interference was present on a Led Zeppelin album you wouldn't notice it! Yes, there is the odd light "pop" but on close inspection of the vinyl there is no obvious cause. I'm probably being over cautious here because every single track on this beautiful album makes for a great listen. Anne Briggs 1971 debut album is excellent but this one is even better : wonderfully resonant, clear vocals with superb musical accompaniment exhorting great clarity throughout. This is why I love vinyl so much - records such as this allows the listener to hear all the extra detail in music that is discarded when master recordings are compressed for CD's and MP3's. Play this record and you'd think that Anne Briggs is in the same room as you!

 The side 1 label is perfect apart from a 3cm light spindle trail that is only visible under a bright light and when tilted at an angle, the side 2 label is perfect!

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. Sandman's song

2. Highlodge HAre

3. Fire and Wine

4. Step Right Up

4. Ride, Ride

5. The Time Has Come

Side 2 :

1. Clea Caught A Rabbit

2. Tangled Man

3. Wishing Well

4. Standing On The Shore

5. Tidewave

6. Everytime

7. Fine Horsemen

Comes complete with original plain white "Made In England" inner sleeve - no tears, no splits, no age discolouration, fully functional...perfect!

A beautiful copy of this iconic super rare 1st pressing with sound quality that is difficult to beat,  deserving pride of place in any serious vinyl collection.

Anne Briggs, deservedly famed as one of the UK's true great folk innovators right up there with the likes of Vashti Bunyan and Sandy Denny.

IF THIS ITEM INTERESTS YOU THEN YOU MAY LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY OTHER 60's/70'S VINYL OFFERINGS ALSO CURRENTLY ON EBAY : SOME REAL RARITIES!

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

A bit about myself : I have been collecting UK vinyl for over 45 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. But now I am retired and a combination of space requirements and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. 

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller, and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no questions asked" refund policy. If you are happy with your purchase then please leave me feedback on ebay so that I can then do the same for you.

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take care in removing the record from the outer sleeve and properly protecting it in a separate white inner sleeve in order to prevent outer sleeve damage in transit, I do discount P&P for multiple purchases. I do NOT profiteer from postage costs. I DO take great care in minimising all risk thereby ensuring, as far as possible, that your purchase reaches it's destination in exactly the same condition as when I post it. For this record, the item will be posted Royal Mail tracked and signed for and costs are : UK £6, continental Europe £9, and Rest of the World £12. Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

Description: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packag­ing might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good

Description: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable sur­face marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

Description: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

Fair 

Description: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for prop­erly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor

Description: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

Description: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.