FAIRPORT CONVENTION LIEGE AND LEAF & RARE PRESS CUTTING & ULTRA RARE PROGRAMME EXCELLENT

Very Early U.K. Pressing 1970

Matrix: Side 1 = ILPS 9115 A – 4U hand etched ‘Porky’ Side 2 = ILPS 9115 B – 4 U hand etched ‘Pecko’

Catalogue number ILPS 9115 Originally released 1969

Overall condition is EXCELLENT

Sleeve EXCELLENT The original E J Day, unlaminated, matt, gatefold sleeve has almost imperceptible wear to some corners and some light ringwear to the back but otherwise is in EXCELLENT condition and there isn’t any writing, taping or stickers. The double spread inside the sleeve shows folklore text & images.

Spine EXCELLENT the spine is firm and totally legible but has some very slight creasing. I will also include the original plastic outer that I bought with it which has successfully kept the dust off for all these years

Record EXCELLENT It’s pressed on heavyweight vinyl The record itself is clean and glossy and the disc retains its deep, black vinyl sheen.

Labels EXCELLENT The classic pink rim palm tree island labels show virtually no perceptible signs of use, have no writing and are clean with absolutely minimal spindle marking. There is a small black mark on the right hand side of the label on side 2. I have not risked trying to remove it but it does not detract from the overall impact – see photo. This release features the record company: "Island Records Ltd." on the right side of the labels. In addition, the labels have a smooth instead of rough finish. The addition of the hand etched ‘Porky’ and ‘Pecko’ in the runout makes this one of the most unique of the earliest pressings.

Audio Quality EXCELLENT It plays really well apart from some minimal vinyl hiss and crackle between tracks and some quieter passages, but they vanish after a few seconds and don’t detract from the overall sound, which is still amazing. although deep cleaning would probably remove them.

But, to quote the Record Collector grading system for the category of EXCELLENT, there is very little lessening in sound quality.”

It lays flat on the turntable and plays well without the needle sticking or jumping. 

(Please remember even new, factory fresh vinyl is likely to have some clicks and pops, but the richness of sound will always be better than digital. OK eventually the robots and aliens will make digital sound as good, but until then, it’s a compromise, you have to choose; deep rich tones and a beautiful sleeve (often with lyrics or other notes) or clinical sterility with nothing to see and a narrow frequency range.)

Since 1970 all my records have been played on a Pioneer PL12D with a Shure N75 ED-T2 cartridge and stylus, tracking at 1.5 grams which I continue to use today – although the stylus has been replaced regularly

Tracklist: A1Come All Ye A2 Reynardine A3 Matty Groves A4 Farewell, Farewell B1 The Deserter B2 Medley (The Lark In The Morning, Rakish Paddy, Foxhunters' Jig, Toss The Feathers) B3 Tam Lin B4 Crazy Man Michael Published By – Warlock Music Ltd.

Vocals – Sandy Denny Guitar – Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol Bass Guitar – Ashley Hutchings Percussion – Dave Mattacks Violin, Viola – Dave Swarbrick Producer – Joe Boyd, Witchseason Productions Ltd. Sleeve [Sleeve concept & design] – Fairport*, Roberta Nicol

PRESS CUTTINGS I’m also including a programme from the Royal Festival Hall on March 24th 1969 titled ‘Folk Meets Pop’ and sponsored by, of all things, by the Liberal Party. Fairports were the headline band supported by Al Stewart, Pat Sky and a very young Mike Oldfield together with his sister Sally. There is also a press cutting from Melody Maker from the a year later which charts Fairport’s history to late 1971. I think these are both exceptionally rare, as I’ve never seen them referred to in books or on the web.

Summary: this ICONIC, masterwork the band's 4th album, went on to define a whole new genre of British Folk-Rock that drew it’s strength from a deep sense of cultural history and brilliant musicianship. All the tracks stand out as remarkable but probably the two best know are ‘Tam Lin’ and ‘Matty Groves’ the former of which still has the power to conjure the listener into a time when it was easy to see malevolent spirits in every dark shadow. It is a lovely piece of genuine memorabilia from a bygone time that changed the world, as well as the way that music is made, and would grace any collection. If you haven’t heard it on vinyl this could be for you. It certainly doesn’t sound 52 years old.

Admittedlyit is not in Mint condition, although the album counts as EXCELLENT but that is why I’m starting at a sensible price so a genuine fan or collector can enjoy them without paying rip off prices.

If you check my feedback you will see many people think my grading is spot on. I’m not a dealer of any sort, but am just downsizing and having to clear things out and trying to survive on a poxy pension. Good luck with your bidding and feel free to ask any question.

A Word About Payment and Postage

Sorry but I accept Paypal only and it will be posted as soon as payment has cleared, which must be paid within 24hours of the end of the auction. This may seem harsh but I’m fed up with time wasters!

I use 12" Vinyl LP Record Cruciform postal mailers and protect them with an additional layer of bubblewrap. In the UK I use Royal Mail Signed For.

Price for postage is for 2nd class and reflects the fact that eBay & PayPal take a combined total fee of 13.4% on shipping charges. If you are outside the UK, I will use Ebay’s Global Shipping Program and you are therefore accepting their shipping terms and charges over which I have no control.

Record Collector grading system used

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, discolouration, 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.

As well as the above grades, Near Mint is often used as well; this is really for a record that appears new but is known to have been played because the label has light spindle marks or because it has come from a previous owner and is assumed to have been played by them. For records which appear to fall between the accepted grades, + and - are also often added to the grading.