Donovan OPEN ROAD UK LP 1ST PRESS ORANGE DAWN LABEL PLAYS 100% MINT -

	£		22
	$		29

DONOVAN - OPEN ROAD

IN MAGNIFICENT 1-2 PLAY CONDITION

FIRST PRESS  - ORANGE DAWN LABEL

• CATALOGUE:DAWN DNLS 3009
• MATRIX: DNLD 4001 A-1 / B-1 FIRST PRESS VINYL
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS: C 1 / C 1

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ORANGE AND BLACK DAWN LABELS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT. THE BASE ORANGE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE, WHERE THERE ARE NO MORE THAN TWO  REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING EXACTLY HOW MANY PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED. IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PLAYED WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT IT IS 42 YEARS OLD

THE VINYL

A STUNNING  VINYL IN SUPERB CONDITION. IT GLEAMS LIKE NEW AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE ONLY A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

DAWN WAS THE PROGRESSIVE SUBSIDIARY OF PYE RECORDS, AND WAS USED TO PROMOTE ALL OF THOSE WEIRD AND OBSCURE PROGRESSIVE BANDS OF THE VERY EARLY SEVENTIES. DONOVAN ONLY RELEASED 2 ALBUMS ON THIS LABEL IN 1970 AND 1971

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER MEANING THAT THE COUPLE OF PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS.

THE VOCAL CLARITY IS JUST SUPERB. CLEAR AND CRISP, AND PERFORMED THROUGH A SUPERB STEREO REPRODUCTION

THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR WORK IS ALSO REPRODUCED MAGNIFICENTLY.

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLING WHATSOEVER, AND NO LOUD CLICKS EITHER

NO VINYL NOISES AND BARELY A SPLIT SECOND OF STATIC IN A COUPLE OF RANDOM PLACES

A FEW RANDOM AND BARELY AUDIBLE LITTLE DUST POPS HERE AND THERE, BUT THAT IS ALL

I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO GRADE THIS MAGNIFICENT SPECIMIN MINT MINUS!!!! IT REALLY IS THAT GOOD

ANYWAY PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

GENUINE 1ST PRESS GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE UNLAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE

THIS SLEEVE IS MADE OUT VERY HEAVY CARD AND IS RARELY SEEN CREASED AS A RESULT, BUT THE ONE THING THAT USUALLY BLIGHTS THE COVER IS SEVERE COLOUR LOSS, AS THIS SURFACE IS REALLY DELICATE.

HERE THOUGH IS AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT EXAMPLE.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE, THE FIRST AND MOST OBVIOUS THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES AND CREASE LINES. NOR ARE THERE ANY OF THOSE SMALL LINES THAT GATHER NEAR THE SPINE.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY FLAT AND CLEAN. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. BEST OF ALL ALL OF THE DELICATE PASTEL BLUE COLOUR HAS BEEN RETAINED AND THERE IS NO RUBBING AWAY OF THESE PRECIOUS AND DELICATE PASTEL SHADES. THE ONLY PIN PRICK OF WHITE SHOWING THROUGH APPEARS ON THE VERY TIP OF THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE PRISTINE AND UNRUBBED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT LITTLE TIP END BOTTOM RIGHT

THE SPINE ON THIS SLEEVE IS AT BEST USUALLY FOUND WITH SHELF WEAR AND WORN TYPEFACE, BUT HERE IS A MINT UNSQUASHED AND UNWORN EXAMPLE WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. NOT ONE SPECK OF COLOUR MISSING, AND EVEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS ARE PRISTINE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE DISC HAS BEEN REMOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT SURFACE , AGAIN ALL OF THE COLOURS UNRUBBED, AND NO CREASE LINES OF ANY DESCRIPTION, AND ONCE MORE NO LINES NEAR THE SPINE OR ANY OF THE OTHER EDGES EITHER

INCREDIBLY NO RING WEAR, AND NOT EVEN A JOT OF RECORD SHAPE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES.

THE  POLY LINED INNER SLEEVE IS IN MINT UNSPLIT CONDITION, ONE SMALL CREASE LINE ACROSS ONE CORNER, AND THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS BEEN NEATLY WRITTEN IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE MINT MINUS

I SUSPECT THERE CAN BE NO BETTER EXAMPLE OF THIS SLEEVE ANYWHERE

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY