COB MOYSHE McSTIFF & THE TARTAN LANCERS 1972 UK 1st Press LP POLYDOR 2383 161

	£		560
	$		742

COB - Moyshe McStiff and the Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart

Incredibly rare and highly sought after excellent condition 1972 UK 1st press 12" LP folk/prog gem on the UK Polydor label, STEREO, 2383 161

Matrix Numbers : Side 1  2383161 A//2  1 1  1  (machine stamped)

                              Side 2  2383161 B//1  1 1  2  (machine stamped) 

Both sides of the perfectly flat vinyl gleam with the original jet black lacquered sheen remaining beautifully intact and remain in excellent condition (EX). On each side there are just a few wispy hairlines and very faint paper scuffs - all strictly surface only, non-feelable and only really identifiable with close scrutiny under a bright light. Hard to believe that this 50 year old record remains in such impressive condition - clearly it has been very sparingly played and well looked after.

The condition of each label is near mint (NM). To be precise, the side 1 label is pristine with no marks whatsoever and the side 2 label is similarly perfect except for x2 small and extremely faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole (you will need to look very closely to identify them).

The notoriously fragile and non-laminated outer gatefold sleeve is a solid very good plus (VG+). What an iconic and beautiful outer gatefold sleeve this is! Beautifully intact colours and art work still with vibrancy, clarity and great definition. This sleeve is notorious for it's fragility, however, and so it should be no surprise that there is some occasional but mostly mild scuffing on each of the edges, including the top and bottom of the spine where the scuffing is a little more obvious, and the middle of the spine where the scuffing is a little more pronounced and has partially obscured some of the spine text (see photos). There is also mild rubbing on each corner and on the reverse side some very mild age discolouration towards the bottom edge. The inside of the gatefold is near perfect, with no discernible blemishes at all - even the fragile spine is fully intact, as are the beautifully laid out lyrics and psychedelic art work. So not perfect, and not quite excellent, but still highly presentable and fully functional and still a treasure to behold!

The stereo audio quality is a solid excellent plus (EX+). No background crackle or other interference. No skips, repeats, pops, clicks, or jumps. Just perfect, with great tone and clarity throughout even at higher volume and frequency. What a great listen this album is, more folky than any other genre with some outstanding tracks. Trying to get hold of one of these first pressings in condition as impressive as this is almost impossible now.

The track listing is :

Side 1:

1. SHEBA'S RETURN - LION OF JUDAH

2. LET IT BE YOU

3. SOLOMON'S SONG

4. ELEVEN WILLOW

5. I TOLD HER

Side 2 :

1. OH BRIGHT EYED ONE

2. CHAIN OF LOVE

3. PRETTY KERRY

4. MARTHA & MARY

5. HEART DANCER

Comes complete with excellent condition original "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" poly-lined inner sleeve with correct "British Patent" and "MADE IN ENGLAND" texts, and correctly dated. There are no splits or tears, just a little mild creasing towards the corners and a little age discolouration next to the edges, and of course remains fully functional. 

A truly excellent condition copy of this exceedingly rare and highly sought after UK 1st press folk gem, with the gleaming, little played vinyl and outstanding audio quality being real highlights. A record fit to grace any vinyl collection, that's for sure.

Note that I always insert the vinyl(s) into a new plain white poly-lined inner sleeve in order to protect the original during postage, and separate this from the sleeve itself  to prevent seam splits. I use thick cardboard stiffeners and take great care in my packaging to ensure as far as possible that these precious records reach their destination in exactly the same condition as when they leave me.

POSTAGE COSTS :  

For the UK £7 using Royal Mail 1st class special delivery; 

for continental Europe £14 using Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for, 

and for the rest of the world £21 using Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for. 

I do provide posting and packaging discounts for multiple purchases. I make no profit from postage.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other listings for more 60's and 70's classic vinyl.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting UK vinyl for over 50 years from a variety of sources : my own collection, friends and family, car boot and garage sales, door-to-door leaflets, and even through placing an advert in my wife's costume hire shop window! My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no questions asked" refund policy. If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. There is NO RESERVE on this item. Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint  The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent  The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good  The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good  The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

Fair  The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor  The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing

Bad  The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.