I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges.  However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale.  No shipping to Russia currently.

Bread, Love And Dreams : The Strange Tale Of Captain Shannon And The Hunchback From Gigha 1W / 1W 1st Press 1970

This very collectable first stereo pressing plays to an incredible standard with no interference.  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is sensational!  I cannot emphasise enough just how clean and precise the audio is which is all the more impressive when you consider the age of the album and how quiet it is for the vast majority.  There is just one minor static tick and 3/4 seconds of very quiet background static on S2 but that hardly qualifies as interference and it easily qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE archive classic.  The word 'rare' certainly applies with this album and especially in this condition.  The vinyl is in lovely condition also and has clearly hardly ever been played, if at all!

The laminated cover has been very well preserved with only minimal wear and it has the stereo / mono indicator hole on the back.  It comes complete with the original Decca inner which has only a little wear.

SKL 5048 // ZAL-9694.P-1W / ZAL-9695.P-1W // U 1 / U1

The audio on S1 is Mint(-)

The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T3 Near Mint+)

The laminated cover is very strong Ex

The original inner sleeve is Ex-

The Decca labels are Mint-

Visual description

This vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches.  Under a bright light I can see some faint hairlines but clearly they are 100% superficial as they have no affect on the audio.  The vinyl is so clean with no grove or surface wear and the blue Decca labels are practically 'as new' with no obvious spindle wear.

Play grading

The lead in on S1 has no background so I am already expecting the clarity to be impressive!  And 'Hymn For Sylvia' delivers in every respect.  From start to finish the clarity and depth of the audio is STUNNING and of course you have to take into account the gentle nature of the music.  There is no hiding place here and I can safely say there are no ticks, clicks, pops or static - the playback is crystal clear - as always I listened to every track in full.  This is without doubt a Mint start to the album.

The intro on 'Masquerade' is perfect and McNiven's opening vocal has no intrusion.  This more up tempo number continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none.  Rew's backing vocal adding a different layer to the track and again the clarity of sound is just phenomenal.  So far this first pressing is playing 'as new' and that is the honest truth.  If there is literally no background and no loss in sonic quality why not describe as Mint.  This is Mint

'Sucking On A Cigarette' is of the same high end standard with nothing to detract from the audio.  Each note is so clean and precise and again the clarity cannot be faulted.  An example of this is the long fade out which has not even a single dust tick.  Once more I am 100% confident in grading this as Mint such is the quality of the audio.

The intro 'He Who Knows All' has no intrusion and the opening vocal is just as impressive.  In fact every vocal and instrumental section is flawless as again there is no background, no static etc.  It's incredible to think this vinyl is 54 years old - it's playing like one that was pressed only last week!  Despite being the final track on the side there is no loss in quality and Mint is again deserved.

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The intro on 'The Lobster Quadrille' has just one barely audible tick and when I say barely audible I mean exactly that!  the opening vocal is 'as new' and proceeds in the same way.  The vocals and melodies are the star of the show but the music adds so much more to the sound also and especially when the audio is so clean and fresh, nothing is missed as you can hear each note perfectly.  Mint

The quiet 'spoken' intro from Rew on 'Butterflyland' plays with stunning clarity - there is just one light static.  The following acoustic section is perfect and her next vocal is equal to that.  From then on it plays beautifully with a clarity of sound that could not be enhanced in any way.  McNiven this time on backing vocal and the depth and warmth of the audio is just incredible.  Has this record ever been played before?!  I will grade as Mint- because of that one minor static sound but even that does not qualify as interference!

The acoustic intro on 'Purple Hazy Melancholy' plays beautifully with zero background and this time Davis' opening vocal is more or less perfect with only a couple of barely audible statics.  It continues to play with sublime clarity with only a 3/4 seconds of very quiet static in the middle section.  I mention this to be 100% complete with my grading because as my regular customers know I will write down any background even if barely audible and this static believe me is so so quiet!  The rest of the track plays with STUNNING clarity and Near Mint+ is definitely a fair assessment of the audio.

'Sing Me A Song' is 'as new' from start to finish with no background of any kind.  Once again I cannot emphasise enough just how pristine the audio is!  Mint

'The Strange Tale Of Captain Shannon...' plays with phenomenal audio from the word go.  Every section plays with imperious quality, I just cannot fault it.  In essence it could not play better and the mid instrumental section is a prime example of that.  From start to finish there are only a couple of barely audible statics maybe but I truly believe it deserves another Mint grading.  It is a remarkable finish to one STUNNING album!

In summary this rare and very collectable first pressing plays with exceptional audio with no interference and I do not use the term 'no interference' lightly.  One minor tick and 3/4 seconds of very quiet static does not equate to interference in my opinion!  The clarity, depth and warmth of the audio is breath-taking and when you consider it is a relatively quiet album the playback could not be any more impressive.  In conjunction with a fine cover this is unquestionably a FINAL UPGRADE version.  This was a first time listen for me and I have to say I loved it!  All the tracks are strong - great melodies and musicianship.

The Cover & Inner Sleeve

The laminated cover is in excellent condition with only minor wear.  The edges have no marking / rubbing and the spine is very clean also with only minimal crimping at the top and bottom and it remains 100% legible of course.  All four corners are in superb shape and the opening edge has no handling wear either.  The front cover is in lovely condition with only a couple of minor creases and a little laminate lift near the top left corner.  The back cover isn't laminated and yet remains very clean with only minor 'spotting' lower left next to the opening edge and a faint scuff mark next to the indicator hole.  There is a minor crease in the top right corner but this is only very minor.  An excellent example overall.

The original poly-lined Stereo Decca inner (date coded 6-70) has just one very small side split, some light creasing and a little writing in pencil by the top edge.

Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT-VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers

This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine

SKL 5048 // ZAL-9694.P-1W / ZAL-9695.P-1W // U 1 / U1

I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.

Any questions please feel free to ask

Please pay within 4 days of auction end

Recent Feedback

Postage & Packaging

I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping.  This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage.  The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered.  Any over-payment will always be refunded.

The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD).  An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known.  Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing.  Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask.  Many thanks.

All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection.  They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection.  I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.

The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each.  There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up!  Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!

UK Postage Rates (First Class Recorded - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item 

EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £15.95 then £2.00 per extra

USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)

LPs/12" singles : £24.95 then £2.50 per extra 

REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)  

LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra

If you are not entirely happy with your purchase please contact me before leaving feedback and I will always resolve any issue, 100% guaranteed.  If you would prefer to send the item back I will also pay the return shipping cost if I am at fault, I am only human after all!!