CAT STEVENS Tea For The Tillerman RARE ORIG UK 1970 PINK ISLAND EX LP. A CLASSIC

	£		150
	$		199

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 – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

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. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full 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. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked 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: CAT STEVENS

Album Title: Tea For the Tillerman.

Producer(s): Paul Samwell-Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Where Do the Children Play?; Hard Headed Woman; Wild World; Sad Lisa; Miles From Nowhere.

Side 2: But I Might Die Tonight; Longer Boats; Into White; On the Road to Find Out; Father and Son; Tea For the Tillerman.

Label/Format: Island – Original pink i format with a matt smooth finish.

Label Conditions/Info: Both in superb condition with any of the very small few spindle marks very fine, light and faint. Indeed, side one has hardly any and barely register at all. This one of the cleanest copies of this legendary album I have yet had.

Cat Number: ILPS 9135.

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: 151 grams. a heavy pressing by EMI.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This is a very scarce record, make no mistake, only after time did this man become more of a household name and most of his albums are seen as later pressings. Few copies of this record were issed on the original full pink i format, most early editions seen on the pink rim label. Issued at the very end of the full pink label run, this is one of the most elusive Island albums ever made as an original and it’s availability was limited and ultimately brief with the pink rim format only weeks way. Also the first pressings included an E. J. Cover with a heavily textured inner gatefold. Of the tiny few of these I have personally seen, most have been in pretty poor playing and visual conditions. This one offers very impressive clean sound throughout, a tiny brief few, very gentle ticks on ‘Sad Lisa’ come and go fast and not a great deal else. Finding a pristine first issue copy is beyond difficult and the odd tiny blemish is probably as good as they realistically get – this was a real joy to play-grade. Do not underestimate just how rare this one is on this, the last original pink Island album made.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9135 A-3U / ILPS 9135 B-3U (scripted which these were when first made)

Stamper Codes: 1 P / 1 GD

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘STERLING LH’ [on both sides, in tiny punched type].

Musicians: Cat Stevens – Guitar, keyboards, vocals; Alun Davies – Second guitar, John Ryan – Bass; Harvey Burns – Drums; Jack Rostein – violin.

Brief Info: With the rarity of the pink Island first pressing, many collectors are more than happy to settle for a Pink Rim pressing. But for the serious Island and Cat Stevens collector, nothing else will do than a first pressed pink i original. For me the ultimate Cat Stevens album, a record of incredible beauty and including several outstanding and memorable songs. A man at his musical peak, no music lover could fail to be moved by this beautiful music. The man in supreme voice and including the most perfect production with a full backing. Packaged too in gorgeous cover, this record proves beyond any doubt what an exceptional singer-songwriter this man is and every record collection should include this truly memorable record. This copy on offer is a very impressive one, most of any blemishes are very minor indeed and finding this better will prove incredibly difficult. Pink rim and later pressings are common, but a full pink NOT so. Not one you will see often and only one in several thousand will be a true first.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a gatefold format with front and back lamination, the inside is heavily textured with a matt surface. This is thick and heavily made with the very wide spine. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group (seen on the bottom right of the inside cover when viewed vertically as pict, I have tried to capture this small detail in a picture because it is important). Later covers had smooth insides and were printed by other companies, some even abroad, also the spines were much thinner. So first covers are unique to the pink pressing and are not seen often either.

Lamination – Front & Back: Clean, still fresh with fine shine and clarity. With practically full adhesion (a couple of very small lift on the front top edge), and with most any creasing fine and faint. This superb artwork can be enjoyed to near maximum advantage with any dulling also light, gentle rim impression and dulling on the back, mostly near the top edge is seen with angled viewing – I have yet to see one of these with none and near impossible to avoid on a 44+-year-old cover. With the thicker original records, this is so hard to avoid.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Beautifully dark and textured and looking very impressive. A little natural creasing to the right of the spine fold that again is a natural trait with thick spine covers. The E. J. Day’ imprint still clear and unworn, but very small, and being on a textuured surface, hard to read without a magnifier. But this an important factor along with the texturing for an original. This fragile surface has little to fault at all.

Top Edges: Thick and straight, also still very smooth with little to fault. Just a tiny tip rub on the right front.

Bottom Edges: As above, even better if anything.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, most sharp with little wear, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way. The front is closed, so the record enters on the back. Slight ‘curl’ being critical, as laminate tends to contract over the years.

Spine and Text: A magnificent spinle: very wide and thick, solid and straight with no compression. All the large text is pristine perfect and unworn under the solid, clear and unpeeled laminate that remains ultra smooth to the touch. Folded a fraction off-square, so the edges are not quite parallel towards the far right, this again being almost overly critical and most-all I have seen have been the same.

Corners: Minimal and mostly only gentle tip rubbing and all retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A lovely example of this now 44+-year-old cover – with superb artwork and quality construction – and actually laminated too, only a small percentage of Island covers were, this will prove quite hard to find much better. Island were a company that used laminate sparingly, but did so here and it gives it an almost de luxe finish and look. I feel sure this will please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a plain white, unlined solid inner, in terms of real wear, barely any. Minimal creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: with any surface marks very fine and whispy as seen more critically under bright angled light – this probably worthy of a (+). A very clean record that retains fine shine, freshness and is heavily pressed. As stated, a tiny few light ticks on ‘Sad Lisa’, a delicate song that seldom will play ‘perfectly’, a super-fine, barely detectable hairline blemish the likely culprit. Actually this was hard to even see and had to follow the record’s rotation to do so. This is still a highly impressive record and first pressings always seem to carry that extra tiny detail and information the audiophile listener wants and this copy really delivers. For looks and sound, this has to be one of my finest yet, lacking the usual surface sound and pressing issues some seem to have. This never to be dismissed lightly on what proved to eventually be a very popular record. A factor is, the early copies were more likely to have been subjected to heavy tracking and less sympathetic record players, and this album does not tolerate them well. This one has largely avoided such issues.

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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic original and very late pink Island record plays mostly above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. A very elusive first press that offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound – a genuine hi-fi standard recording, the man himself could be performing within your room. Any surface sounds are minimal and faint. As stated already, a very brief few gentle light ticks on ‘Sad Lisa’, any odd faint crackle trace nigh-on impossible to avoid totally on this fragile recording – I have to remind again, this is a 44-year-old record with practically no loud passages to obscure the odd minor blemish, but this has little and it will take a near remarkable example to better it significantly. Also, this was played, as all my records are, on very revealing eqiupment as listed in detail further down. If clinical silence is demanded, well the digital format will offer exactly that, but will not deliver the detail and sheer realism this first pressed record offers. Any minor blemishes are a price worth paying for owning the genuine article – this is way Stevens and Samwell-Smith wanted this evergreen classic to sound. This record I feel sure has not been played that many times and has no pressing issues. Issued at a time when many were still using dated mono equipment, this early example would so often have been used on the like. A special note on the very difficult final last song, a short one, but immensely hard to find that plays cleanly. There is a vocal cresendo with a host of singers on one brief part, this in most cases breaks up and distorts, here NOT the case and without doubt, this is one of the few I have heard that keeps this very difficult part precise and in full focus. Many, if not most fans and Island collectors will enjoy this evergreen classic, do not underestimate how difficult it is to find as an original and this type of clean and little-used condition. It 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 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 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. 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 - 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 Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, 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 14 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 – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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’.