FAIRPORT CONVENTION What We Did… RARE UK 1st Press

	£		107
	$		142

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4. Europe £10. Rest of World £14. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Album Title: What We Did On Our Holidays

Producer: Joe Boyd

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Fotheringay; Mr Lacey; Book Song; The Lord is in This Place…How Dreadful is This Place; No Man’s Land; I’ll Keep it With Mine.

Side 2: Eastern Rain; Nottamun Town; Tale in Hard Time; She Moves Through the Fair; Meet on the Ledge; End of a Holiday.

Label & Format: Island – original pink format with the orange ‘eyeball’ logo, deep and wide inner ring ridge and rough textured surfaces. This is a first pressed example. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both look fantastic: ultra clean, fresh with only a few light spindle marks on side two – struggling to find any at all on one. These have the most incredibly attractive real pink colour and retain the freshness of new. Two first issue, classic Island labels that are simply a delight just to look at, these will prove near impossible to find better.

Cat Number: ILPS 9092.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm (this record was not issued in mono in the UK).

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: 158 grams. A typically vast weight for an original pink Island record.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce: and in this type of very lightly played condition, quite rare. Stunning labels and very shiny clean playing surfaces and a cover with far less than many found, this classic album will not prove easy to find much better.

Original Year of Release: January 1969.

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9092 + A / ILPS + 9092 + B (these are deep punched and pronounced).

Brief Artist & Album Info: This remarkable band’s second album and first on Island and within any genre of music, one of the greatest albums ever. It was Sandy Denny’s debut album with the band as well. An album that boasts an embarrassment of influences and riches, binding together to make their own. This was their ‘beatnik’ phase, treading the psychedelic underground and featuring some stunning gems including Sandy’s beautiful ‘Fotheringay’. Examples of electric traditional songs too in the equally brilliant ‘Nottamun Town’ and ‘She moves Through the Fair’ - neither song, as a by-the-way, was British. Dylan’s masterpiece ‘I’ll Keep it with Mine’ is covered too with a delightful version. Significantly, Richard Thompson’s development as a unique sounding guitarist and songwriter began to bloom. This evergreen classic album failed to sell well, and failed to even break into the charts. Thus genuine first issues are hard to find and most that do surface are invariably well played and worn. Also, the first issue covers were a little more unusual than most inasmuch, only the front was laminated. Only slightly later ones were laminated both sides somewhat bucking the trend in this respect. So first made covers are even more prone to wear. Early Fairports are simply wonderful, they played a more progressive folk-rock with psych overtones and it’s a true privilege to be able to offer any 43-year-old album still in very fine condition, let alone one of the greatest records ever made.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): this first made cover is correctly a single format with laminate only on the front. This covers all the folds and ends narrowly on the back via the spine. It was printed and made in England and is also correctly uncredited.

Cover Front & Lamination: Never an easy cover to find, it rarely ages well but this front is very nice indeed. It retains very dark colour as seen through still quite fresh, clear and shiny laminate that is all fully adhered. More under light, some mild and light dulling is seen – I can hardly remember seeing one without some, especially as the deep backdrop is so revealing. With normal viewing, barely anything shows. Mild rim impression is also near impossible to avoid with the thick heavy original records inside. Barely any creasing and the lack of blistering or lifting is a huge bonus. Not the neatest of construction being a little critical – the right edge is not trimmed flush in manufacture, but that is not untypical and simply as it was made. A very impressive front overall and it sets the bar very high.

Cover Back: Massively prone to all forms of wear, this, overall has little. The lack of rubbing will be immediately apparent and so few ever avoid it. I remind again, first issue covers had no laminate on the back. Any marks or blemishes other than a couple of creases towards the left are very light, few and faint. One of the fine creases is small and can be seen near the top left corner, the other shows even less and is directly below just above side one song titles. Minimal rim impression and the lack of ringwear is almost remarkable, as stated already, any rubbing is very faint and small indeed. With such thin card used on these covers, they are flimsy and delicate and few will show a great deal less wear than this.

Top Edge: A couple of tiny chips that hardly even show, little else.

Bottom Edge: Minimal traces of any wear, being so thin, these edges are quite exceptional.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear, any burring or thickening very light and little. As stated above, the manufacture’s trim on this is not flush and it may even appear unsquare. Not the case however, I put this on a lined grid to check and it is dead square as it should be. Uneven ends are hardly unusual on some covers and this is guaranteed untrimmed. The record is stored on this vulnerable edge which I consider considerably neat being so vulnerable.

Spine and Text: A superb, if quite thin spine, clearly delicate. The text only states ‘FAIRPORT CONVENTION’ and the ILPS 9092 catalogue number and all text is pristine perfect and unusually well centred (please see my close-up picture). Solid, straight with any compression neatly mild.

Corners: Any tip rubbing is very mild and gentle and all retain very fine or better shape. With the unevenness or the right pair, perfection was never achieved from day one.

Cover Summary: A difficult cover in very fine condition. More wear prone than the slightly later fully laminated version and very hard to find really attractive. This should please many, and being realistic, most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a plain white solid inner that was not lined. Neat corner creasing but little aged with all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): this being somewhat critical, this is an exceptional first pressing. Very clean, with a lovely shine, intense black and very heavily pressed on very thick vinyl – both labels look stunning. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks very few, light and faint as seen under angled light. No damaging heavy-tracking vintage stylus have been let near this one, of that I am certain. This came from a top quality collection and it has been well looked after and lightly used. So seldom do really clean examples of this record show up, and few will better for looks significantly I feel sure. A genuine first issue that should please most collectors.

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 snippets 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 groundbreaking classic plays mostly above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, very infrequent and gentle – just the odd trace here and there to remind you of what you are actually listening to – a 44-year-old vinyl record – and few will play a great deal better. No pops or significant clicks were noted – a tiny few faint ticks, but how many of these will ever play dead silent, let’s be honest. I remind to, I play all my records on one of the world’s most revealing turntable, the LP12 Sondek, it takes no prisoners. Overall this thick heavy record offers supreme detail and focus with few blemishes. Few copies will outperform this first issue significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – the odd light blemish is nigh-on unavoidable unless a genuine unplayed example shows up. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

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 programs. 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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. 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. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

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

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

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 necessarily 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’.