BLIND FAITH Rarer Orig UK Polydor 1969 EX LP & Cover

	£		115
	$		153

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: BLIND FAITH

Album Title: Blind Faith

Producer: Jimmy Miller.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Had to Cry Today; Can’t Find My Way Home; Well All Right; Presence of the Lord.

Side 2: Sea of Joy; Do What You Want.

Cat Number: 583059.

Label, format and Condition: Polydor (please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both look practically as made – I am struggling to find any spindle traces at all.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 135 grams. A very good solid weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Moderately scarce with a little worn original ‘girl’ cover – that with apology, I cannot show due to Ebay policy. This being hugely inconsistent with ‘selective’ removals, if this cover is ‘banned’ on Ebay, why are they not ALL removed?

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 583059 A // 1 420 1 2 2 0 & 583059 B // 1 420 11 2 3.

Musicians: Eric Clapton – guitar; Ginger Baker - Drums, percussion, Steve Winwood - keyboards, vocals; Ric Grech - bass.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Probably the first ever band to have the dubious tag of ‘supergroup’, but this is exactly what Blind Faith were. Featuring Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, both ex-Cream, Steve Winwood (Traffic) and Rick Grech (Family). This amazing band only made the one album, many at the time thought it a disappointment but this record has grown amazingly in stature over the years. The buying public at the time probably expected more massively long Clapton solos and maybe even another Mr Fantasy, what they got instead was six songs, three of which are truly magnificent and even the slightly overlong ‘Do What You Like’ is a real grower. This short lived, but famous band, were actually more in the news at the time for the somewhat daring cover they chose to put out for this album. It certainly caused a few raised eyebrows and some retailers in the UK refused to stock or sell it. An alternative very plain, non-gatefold cover based upon the centrefold of the original was issued so the more sensitive sellers to keep their morals clear. But most collectors will want the original of course, a truly beautiful cover and this very early example is a really lovely example (again, apologies for not being able to show it). I have the opinion, if I cannot show the front, I will not show any of it at all. The record has hardly been played and offers nigh-on pristine sound. The only issue for the visual perfectionist, is the record’s surfaces show some dulling seen under light, simply because it had not been removed from it’s polylined inner for decades. So some evidence of bag rash that has NO effect on sound – this a fairly common trait of Polydor records that reacted to the mild acid of the polymer inner bag lining. In most cases, totally hardless, unless severe. So the fact this copy has barely been played has worked a little against it I suppose visually. But for those who want a very early copy that offers fantastic cleans sound and a very attractive, original ‘girl’ cover, this offers exactly that.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high+ seldom seen much better than Very Good, this one does not wear well. The bright and colourful artwork rubs, fades and marks so easily and the back often suffers horrendous ringwear. The only mild issue on this one is on the back top edge has has a mild crease line where the back panel is a little proud of the top fold. In terms of real wear, this superbly attractive example has little.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. The front is made with single thickness card. Printed and made in England by MacNeill.

Cover Front: Truly beautiful artwork that has barely any surface blemishing at all and one of the most attractive, fresh and barely worn examples I have yet offered or seen – such a shame I cannot show this – with all the really explicit web sites on the world-wide-web, why is deemed offensive to show this beautiful work of art? I do not make the rules, I simply have to follow them. This front has deep, rich and vibrant colours with no rubbing or fading, this looks fantastic and just compare to many seen these days. There is just one ultra faint and small surface crease near the right edge centre and with normal viewing, it barely even shows. A remarkable achievement on a single thickness card that retains the freshness of just printed.

Cover Back: Apart from the top edge, the back is practically the same as the front – the lack of ringwear is unusual and makes an enormous difference to the visual pleasure of this cover. The top edge has a horizontal crease where the end is proud of the actual inner fold, it has modest visual impact and is practically the only blemish on the entire cover which is arguably undergraded.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The odd tiny mark or two, but this is superb and it will take a remarkable example to better it.

Top Edges:Mild thickening in places with minimal traces of any burring, unfeathered and generally neat.

Bottom Edges: Clean, sharp with baely any wear and again no feathering. Any rubbing is very light indeed and being the traditional resting edges on a well-known delicate cover, these have very well indeed.

Right Edge, and Type: Both in super shape being neat, crisp and sharp with any traces of burring or thicking tiny, few and faint. The record enters on the back and both edges are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: An absolutely superb spine and rarely seen like this. Solid, thick and dead straight with no compression or crushing. All text is perfect and there is no rubbing again to the vulnerable black surface. Even both folds have avoided wear and that is somewhat unusual. I have scrutinised this very closely for tip-ins (colouring in of worn areas), there is none apparent at all.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and light, very light crease traces at the foot of the spine (this being ultra critical). All retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A real looker with all the major positives far outweighing any minor negatives – this sets the bar high. When so many of these are seen tatty and worn, this is like a breath of fresh air. This beautiful item deserves to be seen – and for the last time, sorry I cannot show it. The crease on the top of the back the only issue for the more discerning collector – but most will enjoy this one.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): with just a crease on the back left top seam and little else to really fault. This is the original Polydor polylined inner that is date-coded 119 (November 1969), reitterating just how early this copy is. This has aged little with two pristine window circles and ultra clear lining. Minimal darkening of the seams that all remain solid and unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I always find it hard to put a grade on a barely played or marked record that has dulling caused by the inner sleeve. The fact that it’s present means the record has barely been removed from the inner sleeve for many, many years. Totally harmless seen as dulling under light, this has NO effect on sound at all and this is still a very impressive record. Minus the dulling, I would grade as EX++, with the dulling I suppose EX is more appropriate. Very clean, and still with fine shine, intense blackness and very solidly pressed. A copy hardly played on all the evidence with hardly a real mark or blemish worthy of mention. Visually a super record that should please many collectors, but not the highly discering visual perfectionists.

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 wonderful Polydor record plays even above it’s 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. Devoid of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for an album that does have a few quiet passages. The dulling caused by the inner sleeve lining has NO effect on sound at all. Few copies will match or outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to significantly better and 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 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’.