FREE At Last Orig UK 72 1st Press Island Pink Rim EX++

	£		26
	$		34

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down with Picture & All Shipping Rates.

Artist or Band: FREE

Album Title: Free at Last.

Producer(s): Free.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Catch a Train; Soldier Boy; Magic Ship; Sail On; Travellin’ Man.

Side 2: Little Bit of Love; Guardian of the Universe; Child; Goodbye.

Label/Format: Island – Original pink rim format.

Label Conditions: Two beautiful clean examples that again almost remind of new. Just light and very light spindle marks that are fine and faint and hardly even show. Island labels dont get much better than this. (Please see label scan).

Cat Number: ILPS 9192.

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: 150 grams. My heaviest pressing yet for this title and bucking the trend for a 1972 album when oil was short and vinyl made thinner.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate in theory, but any very early pressed copy with anything like a decent cover is not easily found. With both record and cover in age-defying conditions, this is one of the very best examples I have ever seen. Even the Island blue inner is beautifully preserved. Far, far scarcer in this super all-round condition.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9192 A-1U / ILPS 9192 B-1U (deeply pronounced and large roman type, not scripted or italicised).

Stamper Codes: 1 AM / 1 RM

Musicians: Paul Rodgers - lead vocals, piano; Paul Kossoff - guitar; Andy Fraser - bass, piano; Simon Kirke - drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Sixth and penultimate album for this great British blues-rock band. Still a slightly underrated title in their great catalogue but their trademark quality rarely lets up. It includes another top 20 single in ‘Little Bit of Love’, the other songs are slightly less well known maybe to lesser Free fans. It peaked at number 9 in the UK album charts but only a lowly 69 in the US. This heavy-pressed early copy is a beauty, the record has clearly been little played and includes its original Island blue inner. Substantially heavier made than many, Island not cutting back here even with the impending oil crisis looming where thinner pressed records were more the norm. The cover, a typical unlaminated Island format, being predominately white on the front, is seldom seen anything like clean. This one has been incredibly well preserved and kept within a protective sleeve so any real discolouration is faint and minor. This one also has the most pronounced manufacture’s nipped spine ends, again a trait of an early example (Please see my spine end close-up, note how well the shape has survived, almost like new, on both incidentally). This wonderful copy will please even discerning Free collectors. The record plays beautifully and will never be easy to find better. Not their greatest ever album, but it’s still of such a high standard, most bands would have been proud to have made it.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++ and arguably even undergraded at that, this does not do this beauty the justice it deserves. A single unlaminated format, matt finished with the early charactistic deeply pinched spine ends. Printed and made by Tinsley Robor Group Ltd in England. LP includes the blue lined Island inner.

Cover Front: Still a fine shade of real white and showing minimal discolour and any grubbiness is very light and faint. The word ‘grubbiness’ itself is way over-harsh, I associate that word more with dirty hand marks or just plain ‘dirty’ but this is nothing remotely like that – it’s little short of immaculate. This has not yellowed or toned. A totally unforgiving and critical sleeve, the lack of laminate protection gives it little hope being unblemished all these years. Most are found very grubby and age toned or nicotine stained. This is one of the very best I have seen for some considerable time and arguably, best-ever. The deeply pinched spine ends can be observed via front and end viewing, they are very pronounced and sharp and retain immaculate shape and definition - exactly as made. A tiny few faint creases are just evident, mostly hairlines on the spine, but look hard. Given just how difficult this cover is, I consider this an exceptional example and most Free and Island collectors will treasure it.

Cover Back: Simply superb with any fine surface marks almost minuscule. One tiny dot mark near the left edge being the only real visual blemish, will any have less? No creasing and the lack of ringwear is a massive bonus, I have rarely seen this still delicate back better.

Top Edge: Almost as made, clean and straight.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, ultra sharp with no wear or feathering and guaranteed untrimmed – simply superb. When viewed from the back, the back panel is a little short of the front in manufacture, but this in no way detracts from the beauty of this cover, it’s exactly as made. Record entered on this right edge.

Spine and Text: An near immaculate spine, I really like these deeply pinched types, so many lose their definition, but these ends are exactly as manufactured and few these days ever will be. Solid, straight with minimal compression. This is quite wide and boxy and has just a couple of ultra mild surface creases, the only tiny blemishes on what is near perfection. All text is perfect and unworn and has remained undarkened at all on the lovely pure white surface. Try finding this much better.

Corners: All corners are also immaculate, yes even the fine tipped spine ends have no creasing or damage. Fantastic shape is retained by all, the difference between mediocre and outstanding are these fine details and this is certainly more the latter.

Cover Summary: A wonderful all round example of this highly wear prone early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find significantly better. This highly attractive item should please most-all collectors and back into the protective cover, the least this is handled the better.

The Inner: Apart from lightish gum darkening on the seams, which is very difficult to avoid, simply an ageing thing, I would be happy to grade this superb inner as EX++. This is totally unfaded with the lovely light blue colour fully retained. Still fully lined with no edge splits or tears, bottom corners are vented in manufacture. There is a long fine crease on the back, clearly inflicted in manufacture has it appears impossible to have happened any other way. Mild record rim impression is of course to be expected but ringwear has not occurred, and yes it most often does with records of this weight inside. This has the pink i logo and the text on both sides is ‘island records ltd basing street london w11’. Like the famous Spiral inners, these blue Island inners are fast becoming difficult to find in top conditions and (the fine crease apart) is a beauty.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ and little short of Mint(-) with two immaculately clean playing surfaces that have barely any noteworthy marks or blemishes. A couple of ultra faint surface trace hairlines are seen with scrutiny under light only. Super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed on thick vinyl. Clearly very lightly played reitterated by very clean sound. Visually a super record that should please 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 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 super record plays with very fine sound with practically nothing 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. Cleanly pressed with clean fully focused sound, I enjoyed hearing this again on the vinyl format immensely. Clearly well stored and caringly looked after, its unusual to find Free albums this lightly played. Avoiding a smoking environment being essential for clean covers, so avoiding the resulting nicotine residues on this uncompromising critical sleeve. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this Free gem. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and is strongly recommended.

End Piece: A very fine collection of songs, maybe a little subdued if being critical, possibly not helped by Kossoff’s slow drive to self-destruction. Free made some of the finest blues-based rock of this period but sales were not really as high as maybe they should have been. Sure their albums show up, but most are later pressings, the really early pressings are far more elusive and often in tatty conditions when they do make an appearance. This early Island record is a superb looker with sound to match. The cover is exceptional given the facts, its attractiveness will be immediately apparent and the spine is gorgeous. Free your mind, and give this lovely album another listen soon.

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 2M moving magnet 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 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. 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners 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 FOUR 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: 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 & 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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: 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. 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 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’.