CLEAR BLUE SKY Clear Blue Sky A1/2Y2 1st PRESS VERTIGO Ex- COVER & NM+/M- AUDIO
£
262
$
347
£ 262
Sold For
Nov 23, 2025
Sold Date
Nov 13, 2025
Start Date
18
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
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.
Clear Blue Sky : Clear Blue Sky A1 / 2Y2 1st Press Vertigo 1970
This has to be the most stunning example of this classic prog album that I have ever sold. Having played every track in full I can confidently say the clarity, definition and power of the audio is spectacular! There is basically no interference, a couple of static ticks yes but they are not intrusive. It can only have been lightly played based on the stunning visual quality of the vinyl, the minimal spindle wear and of course the audio quality. In my opinion it qualifies as a FINAL UPGRADE archive first pressing and I am sure the winning bidder will not be disappointed!
The only real issue with the cover is one small sticker removal on the front but aside from that it is in great condition. One of Roger Dean's earliest works it is very clean with hardly any marking which is impressive when you consider 'white' it is. The original Vertigo inner sleeve is also in excellent condition.
This is one of the earliest first pressings because on the spine the original title 'Play It Loud' is blotted out in red ink.
6360013 A//1 1 1 4 --- 6360013 2Y//2 1 1 1
The audio on S1 is Mint(-) (T1 Near Mint+)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-) (T2 Near Mint+)
The gatefold is Ex- The Vertigo inner sleeve is Ex
The Vertigo labels are Near Mint
Visual description
The vinyl is in superb condition and still has a lovely glossy sheen with no marks or scratches. Under a bright light I can only see a few faint hairlines and there is nothing that stands out. There is no groove or surface wear and the run outs grooves are super clean also. The Vertigo labels are near perfect with only minimal spindle wear.
Play Grading
'Journey To The Inside Of The Sun' is of course comprised of three separate sections and the opening track 'Sweet Leaf' plays with stunning quality from the word go. The 'heavy' intro is so strong and deep with no background and it continues to play with phenomenal clarity and power. I only only heard one very quiet static and one light tick during a couple of the quieter 'moments'. For three 18 year old lads the maturity of their work is clear and you can see why this first pressing is so collectable. Led by Simms guitar and aided by the rhythm section of White and Sheather the musicianship is stunning. I also heard some piano in there also! I imagine that's Patrick Campbell-Lyons, of Nirvana fame, he produced the album. The remainder of this instrumental plays with impeccable precision and sonically it is so impressive, none of the original 'sound' is lost. I will grade it as Near Mint+ but it is so close to Mint in all honesty. Not bad for nearly 10 minutes!
The intro on the second part 'The Rocket Ride' is loud and strong with no interference and the opening vocal section is perfect. Simms voice certainly sounds young but it's not out of place and from then on you cannot fault the audio quality. Again no 'muddiness' to the sound and no distortion either. Every note is so clean and precise and there is literally nothing getting in the way. The more I listen to it the more I am blown away by the sheer quality of the audio! It has to be played loud, it sounds fantastic! This is Mint all the way including the acoustic end section.
'I'm Comin' Home' ends the side with sublime quality once more. The brief intro and opening vocal section have no intrusion and this high end standard is kept up as it progresses. A powerful number as you would expect and yet there is NO inner groove distortion, sonically this is out of this world!! The fast paced section towards the end is a prime example of that - wow! The final vocal is flawless and the closing 'instrumental' has no background either. Another Mint track and the entire side is just incredible!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The intro on 'You Mystify' is more or less perfect with only one barely audible static and the opening vocal section is exactly the same. The first chorus is superb and it drives with great power and definition. There is one minor static in the following quiet section and then the next section is STUNNING! Tremendous power and depth again. This instrumental section continues to play with exceptional clarity and the next vocal section has no interference either. From then on it plays with imperious quality - the audio is so clean and clinical and there are no ticks, clicks, pops or static. There are some quieter sections here but you cannot fault the clarity and it is clear this vinyl has hardly been played... if further proof was needed! The closing instrumental / vocal is 'as new' and overall Mint- is well deserved.
'Tool Of My Trade' has only a couple of very quiet background statics on the intro and Simms opening vocal section is faultless. It continues to play with a sonic quality that is second to none and the only intrusion, if you can call it that, is one light static tick during the mid instrumental and two more that are even quieter just before the final vocal / instrumental which plays to perfection. Not quite Mint- but I don't think Near Mint does it justice so I will say Near Mint+ again.
'My Heaven' is outstanding! Not devoid of any power but this is the quietest track on the album and yet the clarity of sound is stunning! It's a 55 year old vinyl for goodness sake!! The mid acoustic passage a classic example of said clarity - no background and the percussive element is superb also. Not to labour a point but the audio separation is so impressive here i.e. each note is so clean and succinct and it sounds like it has never been on a turntable before. A powerful, dynamic ending but no interference aside from one static tick on the fade out so I will say Mint-
'Birdcatcher' ends this classic album with genuine quality. From start to finish it plays with great power and depth and again there is nothing to detract from the audio. There is no inner groove distortion and I cannot praise it highly enough. Driving prog rock with some flute thrown in! The marching section plays with incredible clarity - this is a 'sparse' section and yet there is no background and the closing heavy section could not play any better. A superb Mint version I am confident in saying.
The Gatefold & Vertigo Inner Sleeve
The cover is in excellent condition with only minimal wear. The edges are clean with very little rubbing and the wide spine is fully legible with no real wear - a thin crease line running down the centre as is common caused by the gatefold being opened and just a tiny touch of wear on the bottom corner. The other corner are in great shape and the opening edge is close to perfect with hardly any handling wear. The front cover is in excellent order and the only obvious wear is one small sticker removal mark near the top right corner. Some minor specks top left also. The back cover is so clean with only minor ringwear near the top and bottom edge. The inside of the gatefold is in lovely condition with only a little fading / spotting by the top edge of the left panel. A fine example overall.
The original poly-lined Vertigo inner has no side splits or tears and barely any marking. It has a little creasing but this is mainly restricted to the bottom two corners.
6360013 A//1 1 1 4 --- 6360013 2Y//2 1 1 1
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM-95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on my Pro-Ject VC-S machine
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
Recent Feedback
THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the topsGREAT AS DESCRIBED BEST SELLR OF ALL THE UK PEOPLE AND I HAVE BOUGHT FROM ALL OF THEM
Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.
Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++
Another stunning LP from this very reliable and helpful seller.
Very quick delivery. Album exactly as described. Excellent packaging. Once again all perfect. Thanks!!!
Great item and seller (no.1), many thanks from ITALY !!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic! Record as Described! Excellent Packaging and Fast Overseas Shipping!
One of the best on Ebay!
Another amazing record from this exceptional seller. Absolutely delighted!
Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!
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 : £6.50 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
EUROPE (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £13.95 then £2.00 per extra
USA (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £22.95 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!!
price rating
