FAMILY Entertainment RARE ORIG UK 1969 EX++ LP, COVER, SOUND + HUGE N/M POSTER.

	£		135
	$		179

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

I would like to wish all my customers, regulars and newcomers, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – the theme this year being ‘Rock Classics’ – ENJOY!

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be signed and traceable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers 100% reliable service without it.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: FAMILY

Album Title: Family Entertainment

Producer(s): John Gilbert and Glyn Johns

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Weaver’s Answer; Observations From a Hill; Hung Up Down; Summer 67; How-Hi-The-Li.

Side 2: Second Generation Woman; From Past Archives; Dim; Processions; Face in the Cloud; Emotions.

Label/Format: Reprise – original tri-coloured format with matt, quite smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both clean and still fresh, spindle marks are around moderate on side two, with very few at all on one. Importantly the surfaces of both sides are superb and the record plays impressively clean as well, it was another pleasure to play-grade.

Catalogue Number: RSLP 6340

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 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: 153 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce as a first issue, rarer still including a very impressive cover and a supreme unmounted poster that quite honestly looks almost new. This large insert is now becoming rare and seldom seen this fresh and clean, so many copies that surface indeed do not even include it.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6340 A-2 * T / RSLP 6340 B-2 * T

Mother/Stamper Codes: E 1 / G 1

Musicians: Roger Chapman – vocals, percussion; John Whitney – guitar, piano, organ; Jim King – Tenor, soprano saxes, harmonica, piano; Rob Townsend – drums, percussion; Ric Grech – bass, violin, vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Although Family never received huge commercial success, their standing as a premier late 1960s and 1970s progressive rock band is still considerable. Their blistering live shows revolved around the powerful voice of Roger Chapman, who in addition to pelting the audience with tambourines, had the most incredible vibrato and vocal range. This album, their second, following the classic ‘Music in a Doll’s House’ is equally as good. Their first two albums are immense and later albums never really came close to matching them as the line-ups changed as did the music style. Beautifully constructed songs that include the classic single ‘The Weaver’s Answer’. Featuring a bizarre cover, in a similar mould to The Doors’ ‘Strange Days’ – a strange mix of individuals that look like circus performers, that would not be out of place in a David Lynch movie. This a very fine, heavyweight first issue that plays impressively. The very wear-prone cover is also lovely, and still includes the large stereo information sticker. The poster is magnificent, probably the cleanest, freshest and most attractive one I have ever seen. A copy to please many, if not most collectors.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): arguably better, a couple of half moons on the front laminate stops a near mint grading which is probably really deserves. A single format with front laminate, this covers all the folds and ends on three rear external flipbacks. The main back panel is matt and smooth, it includes the large stereo information sticker, this album was not issued in mono. Printed and made in England, includes the white polylined inner sleeve. Also the giant poster – lyrics one side, graphics on the other as seen. The poster only came with early copies, later ones replaced it with a far smaller lyric sheet.

Cover Lamination/Front: The laminate retains fine shine and clarity, with any dulling seen under light light. A revealing very dark surface and with a typical thick, heavy Pye-pressed record inside since 1970, a little dulling and odd small crease or two is the very least to be expected. The lack of lifting is a major plus with no press marks or faults. This famous front cover will prove hard to find better.

Cover Back: The back almost defies belief – its little short of sensational – this on a black matt surface which is close to pristine. No rubbing, ring wear or even rim impression, any creasing minuscule and ultra faint. That large stereo sticker is fantastic as well. It may have darkened naturally with age, but is flawless apart and never picked at or removed. All three flipbacks are close to perfect as well with no faults worthy of real mention. A tiny laminate chip maybe, but try finding these and the entire back better than this.

Top & Bottom Edges: Generally straight, smooth and laminate protected with no wear up to the right corner tip that has a tiny rub on the top. Again, rarely seen better than these.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, still quite sharp with any thickening light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: A superb, almost perfect spine, solid and again quite straight with minimal compression and all text is pristine perfect and unworn under the clear and solid laminate. This also superbly centred for good measure. The ends are very gently tapered in manufacture.

Corners: Any tip rubs or creasing tiny and light, excellent to near mint shape retained with no knocks and barely any trace of dinking.

Cover Summary: An hugely impressive all-round example of this challenging dark cover. Both sides will prove very difficult to find better, and the back possibly will not be. One to please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): even this white inner is very impressive. A plain white polylined inner, with any paper darkening minimal, it gives scant clues of its age. Two crisp undamaged window circles, the polylining still fresh and very clear. Hardly any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs. This UK patented, with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

The Poster: MINT: to grade this less would be doing this stunning large poster full justice, it appears hardly even handled and remains unmounted or aged. What immediately sets it apart, is its folding which is precision perfect, and so few are. As-seen in my pictures with the poster folded from both sides, the edges are incredibly straight and nigh-on parallel. It’s the small things that makes the difference between average and exceptional – and this poster is truly exceptional in all aspects. It has the song lyrics one side, and graphic on the other. Superbly fresh with crisp paper and all folds strong with barely even a trace of being unfolded. Unmounted means no pin-holes or tape marks, it has no creasing worthy of mention, all edges sharp without tears. Quite possibly the very of these I have ever seen, this giant poster is getting rare and seldom seen of this truly outstanding quality. This for me is an integral part of the album, but only came with first issues and few survive even a fraction as nice as this.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): again, arguably better. A superb visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and heavily pressed. A copy with a few more spindle marks on one side than most from its source, but I am still very sure it has received minimal plays with any surface traces few, ultra light, wispy and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, barely anything even registers. On occasion, a record’s hole being located to the spindle could prove frustrating, and a few marks does not mean multiple plays. Knowing the source of this record along with a number of others, I know this has been carefully played and sparingly, it’s a great visual example that should please many, if not most collectors again.

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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This fantastic album plays up to and most even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering 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 and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. A complex recording that still gives a worthy system a good work out – it was somewhat intolerant of heavy usage or heavy tracking mono record players. Heard clean on a carefully looked after copy is still a thing of beauty, and as it was not issued in mono, many copies were written off all too quickly. Few available copies will outperform this very early original significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am still certain this record has been played modestly lightly and has been superbly 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. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie 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 Nessie 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £4.75

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

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.