DEEP PURPLE - THE BOOK OF TALIESYN (original UK Harvest label)

$

78

Deep Purple

The Book of Taliesyn

VG++/VG++

UK 1969 (original US 1968)

Harvest Records - SHVL 751

This band was the inspiration of Chris Curtis, who was the drummer and lead singer of The Searchers based in Liverpool, England. He had a dream of forming a band called Roundabout, surrounding himself with a group of known players that would come and go with Chris remaining as the permanent drummer and singer. He presented the idea to record producers Ron Hire, Tony Edwards and John Coletta who decided to form HEC Enterprizes in London. The idea was formidable but seemed to be a fantasy until Jon Lord (keyboards) came aboard and found Ritchie Blackmore (guitars), Edwards and Coletta realized things were very possible. But Chris suddenly became very erratic and disinterested with his project and started using LSD, so he was told to leave. They molded a band around Ritchie and Jon with Rod Evans (lead vocals), Nick Simper (bass) and Ian Paice (drums).

As Roundabout, they were inspired by Vanilla Fudge and wanted to be clones of that fabulous band as they practiced at Deeves Hall in Hertfordshire for two months to write music. A short tour of Denmark and Sweden transpired honing their skills together. Blackmore suggested the new band name as Deep Purple, his grandmother’s favorite song, written by Peter DeRose that she heard on the radio airwaves. The name stuck and they went to Pye Studios in London to record their first album, Shades of Deep Purple. The album didn’t do very well in the UK but the single “Hush”, written by Joe South climbed the charts peaking in the top ten in five countries. The album, distributed in the USA by Tetragrammaton Records sold well in the states rising to #26 on the Billboard charts.

Back at Pye Studios, their second album, The Book of Taliesyn, was quickly recorded and they were off supporting Cream for their Goodbye tour in the USA. The band was progressive sounding with Vanilla Fudge cover tunes and Jon Lord incorporating his classical training and progressive moves on the originals in performance. The second album wasn’t released in the UK until a year later.

A third self-titled album was recorded but Led Zeppelin and The Jimi Hendrix Experience were both changing rock music to heavy rock with long guitar solo movements. The Tetragrammaton label was in dire straits financially and couldn’t promote anything in the USA, eventually going under. Deep Purple felt the effects and sales dwindled. Ritchie, Jon and Ian decided that Rod and Pete weren’t working out and they were fired. Ian Gillan came in with (lead vocals) and Nick Simper was replaced with Roger Glover on (bass).

Their fourth album, In Rock, was recorded at IBC Studios. The sound was much heavier with Ritchie Blackmore showing his real talent on (guitar). The album not only charted in the UK but peaked at #4 and made the top ten all over Europe. Warner Brothers Records bought out the former label in America and brought Deep Purple aboard but treated them initially like a new unknown band. Eventually the album sold half a million copies once word got out.

A non-album single “Black Night” peaked in the top five charts in most countries around the world prompting the UK press to tag “Purple Mania” amongst the fans. The next two albums Fireball and Machine Head topped the UK charts and they toured all over the world performing at large venues and stadiums as the headliner. But the tours were taking their toll. The band was having some dissention, but all agreed to fulfill the scheduled dates. Ultimately, it was the Live in Japan album that became Deep Purples oxymoron. With the single “Smoke on the Water” topping the worldwide charts, every aspiring guitar player learned the guitar riff from the song when starting their foray into rock music. On the other side, Ian Gillan and Rodger Glover stepped off the ride after recording one more album, Who Do We Think We Are.

Glenn Hughes, from the band Trapeze, joined on (bass) and auditions for a singer resulted in David Coverdale as (lead vocalist). The album Burn and Stormbringer was recorded and they were back on tour, this time with jets and limousines carting them all over the world. But Ritchie felt that he was taking a backseat to the music he envisioned with Glenn throwing funk into their sound and David wanting more control. So, he left the band to form Rainbow to moderate success.

Ritchie Blackmore was replaced by Tommy Bolin on (guitar). One album was recorded and they toured but the shows were ambiguous with Tommy having his moods and drugs problems. They lasted a year before breaking up. Tommy Bolin died a few months later. David Coverdale, Jon Lord and Ian Paice formed Whitesnake. Ritchie Blackmore and Roger Glover were with Rainbow. Ian Gillan had his own band. But nine years later all those bands were in hiatus and the classic members reformed in 1984 with Ritchie (guitars), Jon (keyboards), Ian Gillian (vocals), Roger (bass) and Ian Paice (drums). They lasted ten years releasing four new albums with Ritchie leaving again. Ultimately, it was Steve Morse (guitar), Ian Gillan (vocals), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums). Jon Lord bowed out but agreed to share keyboard duties with Don Airey (keyboards) who was with Rainbow. Steve Morse, who was formerly with The Dixie Dregs, lasted longer than anyone (28 years) but gave up his seat in the band to Simon McBride (guitar) who now plays the tours. Yes, they are still active after all these years.

Musically hard rock, loud vocals, heavy guitar, inventive keyboards, booming bass and pounding drums. Like many hard rock bands. Uriah Heep, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, UFO all come to mind.

This was their second LP. An original UK Harvest label issue. Released in the UK (1969) a year after it was on the market in the USA (1968).

Gatefold cover is laminated and clean with some slight shelve wear. Record has light sleeve and age marks with light hairlines. Record plays with maybe a light tick or two while spinning. Really nice copy. Generic inner sleeve.

Long time buyer from E-bay and other record websites since the 90's.

Please bear with me. I'm selling off my entire record collection (about 40,000 LPs) listing them one at a time.

A long and arduous task. Lots of gems and rare stuff.

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GRADING DETAILS - SHIPPING DETAILS - RETURNS - FEEDBACK - ETC.

Auctions are listed for 7 days.  

ITEMS PULLED FROM THE AUCTION LIST - Keep in mind that if I continue to relist auction items that have been sitting for weeks with NO ACTION and several watchers with NO BIDS, I may pull the record and sell it to my local buyer. This can occur before the auction ends. LPs will typically be discounted before this happens. So, please bid if you are at all interested. Bids can always be retracted for no reason.

All records are Graded to the best of my ability and are rated VINYL FIRST / THEN COVER. For Double LPs Vinyl / Vinyl / Cover. 

GRADING DETAILS – Everything I list will be at least VG+ or better, both visually and audibly, unless I state otherwise. 95% of what is offered and up for bid is very clean with maybe 1 or 2 minor flaws. If it’s very rare, it may be offered with obvious visual marks, scratches, warps and might make some low-level noise. But this would be a rare instance. I’ll describe any flaws as best I can. I ASK THAT YOU READ THE FULL DETAILS AS DESCRIBED BY ME ABOUT THE LOOKS AND SOUND OF THE RECORD. Don’t base everything on a simple grading rate M, EX, VG++, etc. I’m not that good at it.

AUDIBLE GRADING – All vinyl records are played before they are listed. Some records look bad and play good. Others look perfect but play badly. Any visual flaws that I see will be described and I will let you know if they make an audible noise. 95% of the records up for bid are very clean sounding. You may hear a minor tick or click as its spinning but typically light hairline scratches and sleeve marks Do Not Affect Play (DNAP) and should not detract from your overall listening pleasure.

VISUAL GRADING - PLEASE READ THIS!!!

COVERS - I'm a 73-year-old guy with Strabismus (an eye disorder). I try to visually describe every flaw that I can see, but sometimes I miss a small tear or a tiny seam split.

SHELF WEAR generally means that the cellophane was removed when the LP was new and it sat on a shelf or in a box without a plastic sleeve, before they were available, for several years, so there can be some rub blemishes, sticker residue if it was purchased used, tiny tears, slight seam splits and other defects.

EDGE WEAR usually means the picture wrap around the edge has been worn, sometimes into the cardboard itself. This usually happens on the top or bottom edge.

SPLITS are usually caused by heavy edge wear when the picture wrap is worn through severely and the seams split.

CORNER WEAR is the same as edge wear but sometimes there will be a dent or ding at the corner. All 4 sides are suspect for this occurrence.

RING WEAR occurs when a record was not stored in a protective sleeve for a very long time. Back in the day, plastic sleeves were not easily available. Most of us as teenagers, ripped off the cellophane and didn’t consider how the record cover was being stored. Most of the record covers laid on the floor or were stored in the closet or on a shelf for easy access. If they sat for a long time, earth movement, that nobody feels, caused vibration and the record sleeves would rub together and wear on the cover picture or illustration causing the ring wear and other flaws. How bad the sleeve wear became was determined on darkness of the cover illustration and quality of the cover picture. The big record companies usually had a very durable illustration that could take a lot of rubbing without too much damage. But the small record labels usually tried to save on costs with cheap packaging and ink and were more susceptible to ring wear and cover damage due to rubbing if the record was not stored properly in the plastic cover sleeve.

THE VINYL RECORD ITSELF - I will try to visually grade both sides of the vinyl record. There might be some sleeve rubs or marks on some of these. All of my records were played more than once, unless they are sealed. If I mention ticks and or clicks in the description, that means that you can visually see and sometimes hear the imperfection. Most of these Do Not Affect the Play (DNAP). I try my best to see any flaws but understand I don’t Inspect these LPs with a High Lumens Tactical Light and a Magnifying Glass. If the visual flaws are obvious or severe, I try and describe these as best as I can. If there are a lot of visual scratches, it won’t be listed. The exception is if the LP is very rare. I will list a rare record that looks bad but plays pretty good without skips.

SPINDLE MARKS can be obvious if a record was popular and played a lot. The record label material and finish will determine if marks are visible. Most of the big labels don't have this problem because the finish is unusually pretty solid and durable. It's the small and private labels or a matted finish where most spindle marks will be noticed. I don't mention these for any of my listings but if that is a concern to you, ask me before you make a bid.

INNER SLEEVES - Most of the inner sleeves are simple paper sleeves and have slight splits, bends and tears on older LPs. If they’re really bad or split in half, I replace them with a newer paper or plastic sleeve. Sometimes I'll tape a small tear. GENERIC means a blank paper sleeve.

WARPED RECORDS normally occur when they are stored near high heat. I will never send a warped record unless it is very slight and doesn't affect play. If you live somewhere in the world that has high temperatures that could affect package delivery. Insurance is a must to guarantee no loss on the item you bought. You are responsible for this request and there is an additional charge for insurance. Let me know. There is NO REFUND for a record that was sent not warped when packed but was delivered as warped and unplayable. I cannot put records on ice for delivery to high heat areas of the world. Buy package insurance so there won't be any $$$$$ loss in case this happens.

HIGH END RECORDS - There will be a few more pictures for any records that are high end items. I will give a more critical inspection and description of both cover and vinyl. Ask for more pictures if you need them and I can send them to you.

PACKAGING - LPs will be packaged in the proper corrugated cardboard box, we all know about, with extra cardboard pads. Each LP will have a clear plastic sleeve. The record itself will be removed and shipped within the inner sleeve, outside the cover or inside the fold of a gatefold cover all within a plastic outer sleeve to prevent any seam splits. All of the boxes I package records in are new and there are typically no problems. I can also ship in a Whiplash Box which protects the edges and corners. But I will only do this if you request it. 

SEALED RECORDS - The vinyl record will NOT be removed from a sealed LP purchase for shipping. I would advise you to add additional insurance for all sealed LPs that are being shipped to high heat areas due to possible heat warping. No obligation, but it safeguards against some potential problems.

PAYMENT - Payment is good only through E-Bay options, either PayPal or Credit Card, and is due within 7 days unless you let me know. I will send you at least three invoices with reminders to pay during the 7-day period. If payment has NOT been received within that 7-day payment period and you have NOT contacted me, the order will be canceled and the record will be offered to the second place bidder or will be relisted. 

I WILL SHIP WORLDWIDE, BUT INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IS DETERMINED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE PACKAGE. DO NOT MAKE A PAYMENT UNTIL I SEND YOU AN INVOICE.

INVOICES - E-Bay will always send you an invoice for each item ordered. If you ordered one item, there is no problem. Go ahead and make the payment. But, they DO NOT combine the shipping cost for multiple purchase orders. So, when they invoice you, the minimum shipping cost will multiply times that of however many items you won. Example: 5 items won will appear as 5 times the minimum postage rate. DO NOT PAY the separate E-Bay invoices you receive for multiple orders. Only I can discount the postage rate for two or more items ordered. So, wait for me to invoice you if you've won two or more items. I package them all together and send you an invoice with discounted postage costs.

PAYMENT EXTENTION - If you have won an auction and see another item that ends beyond the 7-day maximum payment period, let me know and I will hold your item until that bid period ends. This would be a special circumstance that would not typically extend beyond 10 days. I will invoice you for the full amount and expect payment at that point.

POSTAGE COST - Typically, the minimum cost for USPS Media mail in the USA would be 1-2 LPs $5.50 USD. Canada 1-2 LPs around $24.00 USD. Europe, Japan and other countries around the world, $33.00 USD for 1-2 LPs. Denmark postage cost is about $41 USD for 1-2 LPs. Additional LPs as per total weight. I will send an invoice with the total postage cost. Everything is shipped via USPS. I don't use the E-Bay International shipping unless you request that service. 

TRACKING - Each package will be assigned a USPS tracking number. Tracking for International shipping only covers destinations within the USA and only gives Dates of Arrival for all countries outside of the USA. Customs delays can and do occur. Your package may have arrived in your country and/or city, but it is probably sitting at your customs depot. (Sometimes for weeks) It would be up to you to call them and provide the tracking number for details about your package.

POSTAGE DISCOUNT - I combine the shipping for multiple record purchases but will only send a maximum of 10-12 records per package. Additional postage will be determined by the total weight of the package. An invoice will be sent to you by me.

ADDITIONAL COSTS - Priority Mail, Insurance, etc. is available at additional costs. Let me know and I will send an invoice.

REFUNDS - I will Refund for any item purchased and received that was not fully as described. Grading is difficult and is the usual cause of concern. We're talking used and 30-60 years old. THERE ARE NO PERFECT RECORDS. Even sealed records can have visual and audible flaws, ticks, clicks, skips and heat warps. IF YOU OPEN A SEALED RECORD AND IT IS WARPED SO BADLY THAT IT DOESN'T PLAY, that usually means it was stored near or shipped in high heat. I have no way of knowing. All sealed records should be insured, just in case that happens. But with regard to a warped record that was sealed and is unplayable, contact me anyway, I will make it right. Any other flaws found on a sealed record that was opened by you, deems the LP non-refundable. If there is a concern, please contact me. We can always work things out.

DAMAGES DURING DELIVERY CAUSED BY THE POSTAL SERVICE - Any damages that are caused due to unfortunate circumstances during the delivery process, broken records, scrapes, heavy package dents caused by something heavy set on the box, warpage caused by excessive heat during delivery, etc. should be handled through E-Bay. They guarantee that packages arrive in the condition as described when sent. If there are obvious damages to the package and the record is unplayable, email me with pictures of the record and the package as delivered and let me know. I mark all packages with "Fragile. Do Not Bend" notices marked in RED, so they should be careful. But $&#t happens. I will not be responsible for damages that were not incurred by me. But E-Bay can and does refund the transaction with proof. Pictures speak a thousand words.

Please message me through E-Bay to discuss any problems or concerns. ANY OBVIOUS MISTAKES I MADE IN THE DESCRIPTION OF AN ITEM PURCHASED WILL BE HONORED AND PARTIALLY OR FULLY REFUNDED. But email me through E-Bay to discuss the situation first. I'm always happy to work things out. Every customer is cherished.

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