ECLECTION Very Rare ORIG UK 68 Elektra MONO Super EX LP

	£		41
	$		54

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: ECLECTION

Album Title: Eclection.

Producer: Ossie Byrne.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: In Her Mind; Nevertheless; Violet Dew; Will Tomorrow Be the Same; Still I Can See; In the Early Days.

Side 2: Another Time Another Place; Morning of Yesterday; Betty Brown; St Georg & and Dragon (Up the Night); Confusion.

Label/Format: Elektra – Rarer 1968 pressing on the orange and black Elektra format. One side is smooth, one side textured. (Please see my label scans).

Label Condition: Both very attractive and clean with only light spindle marks and one small light scuff on side two on the rim area. Clearly little played reitterated by virtually perfect sound repro.

Cat Number: EKL 4023.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 130 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Quite rare - a genuine ‘lost classic’ that did not sell in any great numbers. This is a fabulous mono original example, easily the best I have ever seen or heard. Both record and cover are in superb and very clean conditions and it will definitely prove difficult to ever find much better. The modest few who bought this album would have played it significantly on old mono record players with resulting sound degrading - this has avoided such abuse and sounds magnificent.

Original Year of Release: 1968.

Matrix Nos: EKL 4023 A1 / EKL 4023 B1

Musicians: Kerrilee Male - vocals; Michael Rosen - vocals, 6-string electric and acoustic guitars, trumpet; Georg Hultgreen - vocals, 12-string electric and acoustic guitars; Trevor Lucas - bass, vocals; Gerry Conway - drums, backin vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: This rare, one-off, and self-titled album by Eclection was one of the finest overlooked folk-rock recordings of the 1960s, and perhaps the best relatively unknown British folk-rock LP of all time. The band had more than a great deal going for them: four strong singers, rich multi-part harmonies, very strong original material by two composers, deftly textured mixes of electric and acoustic guitars, and tasteful orchestration that gracefully enhanced the soaring bittersweet melodies and male/female vocals. They were also one of the few British acts signed to Elektra Records - another exception was the Incredible String Band of course - this label was probably the greatest American independent label of the era. The fact this gem failed to sell or the band become widely known was a real shame, so full of promise on this 1968 album, they had split up by the end of 1969 never issuing another full-length record. Female lead singer, Kerrilee Male, an Australian, possessed the most wonderful vocal and that alone makes this album extra special. With a voice at times reminding me of Annie Haslam of Renaissance and even Judith Durham with a little piece of Sandy Denny too - but very much her own style that is Kerrilee Male, if you have never heard this lady sing be prepared to be thrilled. When the group disbanded, two other members, Trevor Lucas and Gerry Conway helped form the legendary Fotheringay with Sandy Denny - another short-lived band also releasing only one finished album (until very recently when the second finally saw release). Thus far, this is only the second copy of this album I have ever managed to acquire to offer this being the earliest, in mono and the very best too. I put this to CD for my own personal use as the CD version I have is way, way inferior in sound quality terms - and that’s no understatement as the tapes used have sound stretch with a lightweight thin sound with distortion very audible. The record has none of that and sounds wonderful with that distinctive sixties mono Elektra feel. This record plays with immaculate sound and will delight the audiophile collector. Fantastic rich and detailed sound that truly thrills and sounding magnificent. I have barely stopped playing my copy since this arrived to me and I can honestly state to my ears anyway, it’s one of the greatest 60s albums I have ever heard from this genre. Every song hits the mark and any fan of the first Fairport Convention album (and others) or Fotheringay will adore this too. Lovely folk-rock with more than a hint of pop-psych, this has it all. Beautifully packaged with a superb production and material this goes beyond essential and no serious collection should ever be without it. File it under ‘Sublime’.

Cover Grade and Format: An absolutely beautiful EX++ with few blemishes. A gatefuld format and laminated front and back and with the original mono Cat. No. of EKL 4023. Printed and made by Ernest J. Day & Co Ltd, London. this still has the original Patent Pending text.

Lamination – Front & Back: Ultra clean and fresh with a superb shine still very much apparent. Very clear with no friction rubs, dulling and as a huge bonus, NO significant areas of non-adhesion or blistering. The somewhat strange manikin artwork looks vibrant and retains its rich colour. A crease on the top right corner tip area on both sides and a faint pressmark from the original price sticker - when angled viewed 39/8 can just be seen - a shade under £2 in old pre-decimal money. There is a manufacture line on both sides that runs dead parallel on each side, a gripper mark from the printing press that’s hardly uncommon. A few light edge creases, mainly hairline types that have little visual impact, nothing large or remotely heavy and both sides of this cover look absolutely superb and by some margin, the best I have ever seen no a mono original. I hope my pictures do this cover justice.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Practically zero wear and even avoiding any significant ‘set-off’ where dark ink rests agains white, or grubbiness, pretty much unavoidable of course but this one has done its very best to do so – all lyrics included inside and a fantastic picture of this little seen band. The original owner put his name inside just to the left of the fold-hinge at the top and dated it October 1968 making it one of the earliest-made copies ever issued. This is neat and I consider it important as part of this set’s history. I only object to writing is it’s ugly and intrusive, this is nothing like that and it dates this vintage of this copy perfectly.

Top Edges: Both unworn and ultra straight until the very end of the right corner that has a tiny bend.

Bottom Edges: Virtually unworn and very straight again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering. The odd tiny burr trace when viewed end-on but this is being somewhat and overly critical. Record enters on either edge as both are open with no glue marks or residues on either.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine also: Solid, straight with mimimal compression and folded square with both right edges meeting up close together and parallel. The text is perfect and unworn but has sunk a little into the spine-fold crease-line, which unless you can find an unopened cover (likely eh?) is unavoidable – this seems to be a trait of this spine and every example of this cover I have seen has been the same, in this case it’s relatively light and modest. Unusually, this spine has retained all its laminate, most seen to chip off which is high indication this one has been opened and closed little.

Corners: Crease top right and reciprocated on the back, that apart little to fault. All show little wear with minimal tip rubs or other creasing. All retain very neat shape and definition.

Cover Summary: A beautiful all round example of this rare late 60’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find significantly better. This wonderful item should please most, if not all collectors and I doubt if I will ever find a better mono example. However, if the name and date inside are an issue, please do not bid.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I feel this is undergraded at EX, it has a few light surface marks but ALL are totally ignored and this plays with practically perfect sound from start to finish. We all know what many mono record look like these days - badly scratched, dulled with a swathe of heavy spindle marks and usually unlistenable - this is on the other side of the spectrum and looks and plays magnificently. A super visual copy, that is ultra clean with lovely shine, solidly pressed and intense black. A beautiful 60s pressed example of this scarce folk-rock gem and in mono, just imagine what this could have been potentially subject too. This has all the hallmarks of a little played copy and few mono examples will ever get close to this for sound. It will again please most collectors for looks and probably all collectors for sound.

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 snippetts 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This wonderful mono example plays even beyond its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, clean, distortion-free sound, never take this for granted on any 60s albums, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very crisp, focused sound that has fine detail. Even a solo trumpet, which is Love Forever Changes like in its beauty, plays totally focused with no break-up or echo distortions. Barely any unwanted sounds at all and this on a fairly delicate album with moments of quietness, it’s likely few copies will play much better than this. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played only lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this lost psych-folk-rock gem. This title will prove very difficult just to find let alone in much better visual and playing conditions. One of the great survivors of the later mono period.

End Piece: ‘Eclection’ is simply another masterwork that was fated not to sell, like other classics from bands like The Velvet Underground, Kaleidoscope (UK) - even The Doors initially, and this title is highly regarded by fans of the genre, sort-after and collectable. If premier-league female vocals are your thing, they don’t come much better than Kerrilee Male - and folk-rock with a psych edge does not get offered much better. ‘Eclection’ is an indispensable album and after hearing it you will yearn for more, but sadly like label-mates Clear Light, this was their only album which is nothing short of tragic. Wrap this now in cottonwool and enjoy it forever, I can hardly recommend this stunning and elusive album highly enough, high recommendation to all music lovers and mono connoisseurs.

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 - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, 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 its 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. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. 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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£39).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.