EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND Orig Test Press PURE MINT pre-EMI

	£		82
	$		108

Hi, I am Mike, I have been a music collector for over 30 years now. I always still try to offer 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 interested collector. You may notice I only submit one or two items a day for Ebay; time rarely allows more as I Play-Grade every record I offer (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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. 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. A ten pounds record that plays close to new is as important to the collector as a 250 pound record that plays less well. 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. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Good luck.

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Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert.

Artist or Band: THE EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND

Album Title: The Edgar Broughton Band

Cat Number: SHVL 791 Stereo.

Label and Condition: Harvest classic yellow and green format. Pristine mint pre-EMI examples that show just one tiny faint spindle trace on side two. Zero wear anywhere else including around the centre hole. This original first pressing has a Factory Sample NOT FOR SALE sticker on side two. This astonishing copy was probably the very first off the line and was likely to be a test pressing. A very rare copy of this stunning record and I guarantee you will never find another copy that gets close to it. (Please see label scans for all information needed).

Country of Manufacture: Gt Britain

Rarity: Scarce these days, but pre-EMI test copies in mint condition will be as rare as any album gets.

Genre Type: Progressive/Acid Rock

Original Year of Release: May 1971. This was one of the very last pre-EMI ‘Unboxed’ Harvest albums - later even than Michael Chapman’s Window (Dec 1970) and is very ellusive to find. This album will rarely ever show up (in this condition - never).

Matrix Nos: SHVL 791 A4 and B4. The tiny pressing stampers are 1A / 2GD

Brief Artist & Album Info: This self-titled album for Harvest is the band’s third - their first three indeed were the best they made. A band that always gave an audience at great time at the festivals between 70-73 - they almost became a staple diet at these events. Their Harvest albums were always interestingly packaged and this is no exception, in fact this one is infamous, known to some as the ‘slaughterhouse’ cover, this is pretty high on bad taste. Check out closely, amongst the hanging meat on hooks is a naked man trussed up in the middle, this has to be the most bizarre of the Hipgnosis designed covers. The actual design on the front and back is lovely, its lightly textured in what is made to look like a leather-like finish, this is still very pronounced when viewed closely. Musically more refined than some of their albums, this ranks for me a close second to Sing Brother Sing. This is a stunnning, virtually as new copy and I absolutely guarantee you will never find a copy to better it. The cover is very delicate and prone to wear and rubbing, well to say this looks new should say it all - this has to rank as one of the very best ‘difficult’ items I have ever offered. If you demand your records and covers to be as new, well you are going to adore this one. This just has to be seen to be believed, I hope my pictures do this incredible cover justice, I have never seen this looking quite like this before, and its the original too! – Mike.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint - no messing on this one, its the closest you will ever find for this one, if a better copy anywhere in the world exists I sure would like to see it, its a gatefold format, fine but intricate texturing, Hipgnosis design, printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. A strong contender for the best non-laminated cover I have ever seen.

Cover Lamination: None, which makes this copy even more amazing.

Cover Front and Back: What a stunner, this is pure clean and uncreased. Totally devoid of rubbing or marks and not even the remotest hint of any ringwear from which this cover often suffers badly. The leather-like texturing is beautiful and there is no unwanted indentations or even surface marks. I promise I will never be able to offer this cover (or record) in such amazing condition ever again, I doubt if one would even exist.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Near perfect again, odd faint surface trace if being ultra-critical, but again this is superb.

Top Edge:Virtually perfect.

Bottom Edge: Faintest of faint rub traces, but try finding one even half as good.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and unworn and no feathering - both edges are razor sharp. Record entered on right outside back edge. .

Spine and Text: Perfection - no wear and beautifully shaped. All text is pristine perfect.

Corners: All corners are virtually like new and perfect right angles.

Cover Summary: Too good for words, it has to be seen. This controversial cover will be impossible to match, a connoisseur item - you want near perfect - well its here.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint, a word I rarely use, but I feel this one fully deserves it because this looks like brand new and plays the same. This appears to me unmarked and new looking and it was probably unplayed coming to me. Super clean and shiny, pressed on very solid vinyl and jet black. A copy that laughs at its age - 33 years - more like 33 seconds. Visually a stunning record that should please every collector again.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, undistorted sound, all frequencies are sharp and detailed with the clarify of a new record. No pops or ticks and a fine pre-EMI Harvest pressing. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this one. This copy will prove impossible to beat and this copy will never in the lifetime of the owner need upgrading - truly a sensational copy. The record comes in its original lined Harvest advertising inner. Like the rest of this set its near mint too.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Track Listing: Evening over rooftops; The birth; Piece of my own; a) Poppy; b) Dont even know which day it is; House of turnabout; Madhatter; a) Getting hard; b) What is a woman for?; thinking of you; a) For Dr Spock (part one); b) For Dr Spock (part two).

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: Playing this again on vinyl brings back memories of the concert the band gave in Braintree in my college days of the early 70s - boy I can still hear them now. A fine band, sadly a little underrated on record. Only moderate sales for these making early Harvest copies quite hard to find these days, often found trashed when they do show, this one is sublime and being a Factory Test Pressing this could be unique. This cover is classic bad taste and will be lost on the small CD format but let’s be honest will a modern miniature even come close to this? - this is work of art from the golden era and is irreplaceable. I cannot reitterate enough what a stunning and rare copy this is, any Harvest collector should not even think about letting this one go – Mike.

Payment Details please read carefully:

UK First Class: = £2.50; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £4.00 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £6.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

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 (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be given.

I accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders own risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear 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. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.