CAMEL Mirage - FULLY SIGNED BY ORIGINAL 1974 BAND

	£		155
	$		205

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Overseas packets that go through the customs system, can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to process and deliver, this IS normal. For Russia, this can take even longer and is out of my control, so please be patient.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: CAMEL

Album Title: Mirage

SPECIAL NOTE: This copy is FULLY signed on the back cover by the ORIGINAL band members making it a very special piece for fans and collectors. Even more relevant as it includes Peter Bardens, who sadly, if no longer with us. The signatures all very clear and distinct and without a dedication – so perfectly neutral for any fan. A perfect item for framing as the condition matches the quality. Both cover, insert and record in super conditions – the record offering pristine audiophile quality sound.

Producer(s): David Hitchcock.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Freefall; Supertwister; Nimrodel: The Procession, The White Rider.

Side 2: Earthrise; Lady Fantasy: Encounter, Smiles for You, Lady Fantasy.

Label/Format: Deram Gama – small label size format. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive. Spindle marks are few, light and faint, this record appears very little played, and then with utmost care on quality equipment.

Cat Number: SML 1107.

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: 126 grams. Average for era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Any album fully signed by their original members that date back to the mid-70s is rare. Especially so when kept in such fine condition, this is a very rare opportunity for collectors of prime-era progressive rock.

Original Year of Release: 1974

Matrix Nos: XZAL-12754.P-2W / XZAL-12755.P-2W

Mothers / Stampers: 1 C / 2 ? C

Musicians: Peter Bardens - organ, piano, celeste, mini Moog, mellotron, vocals; Doug Ferguson - bass; Andy Ward - drums, cans, bottles, body mist; Andy Latimer - guitar, flute, vocals. The four original band members all signed the back cover of this album as seen on my pictures.

Brief Info: A brilliant band I had the pleasure of seeing live several times during the 1970s. Melodic progressive rock, this was their second album and one of their very best. Sound perfection is guaranteed here and beautifully pressed on the ever reliable Deram label, a subsidiary of Decca. This is a supreme high fidelity recording and one I regularly used to use to test new pieces of equipment. Just listen as the pull-ring is opened on the can and the contents poured into a glass – this sounds directly in the room. If your system does not sound wonderful playing this album, it probably won’t on anything. For fans of the 70s prog-scene, Camel were up there with the very best and this album is unbeatable.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single unlaminated format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace, includes the original insert sheet.

Cover Front & Back: The front has little to fault: the odd faint surface crease, any marks tiny, few and faint. The back is the most interesting in this particular case. It is signed by, from top, left to right: Andy Ward; ‘ta’ Peter Bardens ‘x’; ‘Cheers!’ Andy Latimer and Doug Ferguson. All the signatures are beautifully crisp and sharp with no smudges or dedication, so even more perfect for framing. As stated above, sadly, Peter Bardens is no longer with us, so clearly his signature is now a finite item and likely quite rare. Acquiring covers fully signed by the original members was never an easy task and this is a wonderful piece of prog-rock history. This back cover is practically unworn. I needed no convincing from the previous owner these were 100% genuine and any winning bidder will have no doubts either.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both straight with barely any rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with barely any wear at all, this too on quite thin card. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed. The inside has the original owners name, this only seen if looked for inside the sleeve where the record is stored.

Spine and Text: Again barely any wear with just a central compression – quite likely the guys pushed on this when signining? All text perfect and unworn as is the entire surface bare the narrowing of the centre.

Corners: All very crisp and neat with minimal traces of any tip rubbing.

Cover Summary: A rare, and who knows, possibly unique fully signed Mirage cover? For sure an item that will rarely, if ever be offered again, and also not in this superb condition. An opportunity not to be missed for rock memorabilia collectors, this is really quite special. The record includes a Decca lined inner sleeve also in superb condition.

The Insert: PRACTICALLY MINT: ultra clean, fresh with all edges sharp, a lovely insert, printed both sides to make this set complete.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed on top quality Deram vinyl. Barely any blemishes or marks at all, but the merest hint of inner bag rash when viewed ultra critically under bright angled light. Totally harmless and on a scale of 1 to 10 – barely even a 1 – but I will always mention what I see no matter how trivial. 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 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 brilliant Camel album 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 fantastic with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Camel’s albums were very polished and beautifully recorded with real high-end high-fidelity sound and this is no exception. No surface sounds were detected and no pops or clicks were noted and this is a typical quality pressing. Camel and Decca were made for each other: they both produced quality and few rock bands were much better produced, this is a genuinely exciting album musically and sonically. All the vocals and instruments are fully focused, precise and crystal clear – an album that leads you directly into the recording studio with mastertape quality. A copy that will be difficult to match or better. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, Camel still remain one of my favourite progressive bands and this, along with ‘Moonmadnbess’ are my absolute favourites. This record will prove very difficult to ever find better and merits my highest possible recommendation. If you have never heard Camel, please give this a try, you WILL want more – the fully signed cover is the icing on the cake – do NOT lose this one.

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 Terrarium Black 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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 2 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). 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 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] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 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’.