FREE, TONS OF SOBS, 1969 UK PINK ISLAND 1st PRESS

	£		287
	$		380

Hello, my name is Nick (aka playgraderecords). I have been an avid record collector for many years, building up an extensive collection of mostly blues/rock, psych, progressive and classic rock albums from the mid sixties to early seventies period. I have decided to sell off a few choice albums in either the Fixed Price or Auction formats. These offerings represent the crème de la crème of my 35 years of record collecting and are of the highest quality. My grading is strict and any significant defects will be mentioned. You can rest assured that a record that I grade as MINT- will be both visually and aurally as fine a copy as you are ever likely to find (hopefully my feedback and 4.94/5.0 "item as described" rating will bear this out). My descriptions are concise and in accordance with the GRADINGS detailed below. I will not bore you with the unnecessary duplication of song lyrics, and self-respect will not allow the use of ridiculous words like "awesome, mega, hyper", etc., or endless exclamation marks. Customer satisfaction is of the highest importance to me. In the unlikely event that you are not entirely happy with an LP for any reason, I will refund you in full upon return without any hassle.

From my own personal collection I am pleased to offer a superb example of the brilliant blues/rock studio album by FREE titled “TONS OF SOBS”, Catalogue Number ILPS-9089. This is an original 1969 UK STEREO 1st PRESSING on the PINK ISLAND RECORD LABEL WITH THE BLACK & ORANGE “CIRCLE” LOGO. The MATT-FINISH GATEFOLD SLEEVE is the 1st ISSUE made by E. J. DAY & CO. LTD. It comes complete with the original plain white inner sleeve. [The Pink Island labels have a rough-textured finish. The matrix numbers are the earliest ILPS+9089+A2 and ILPS+9089+B2].

The sleeve is in EX condition. The front and back covers are unmarked with none of the usual ringwear. There is only one small half-moon type crease on the front cover. There is some storage wear to the top and bottom edges. The spine is square and solid with perfect text and only a little rubbing at the tips. I have taken plenty of photos to enable you to judge the condition for yourself.

The heavyweight 160g record is in EX condition. There are just a couple of light surface marks evident under bright light which have barely any effect on the audio playback. The rough-textured Pink Island labels show only a few short spindle traces near the centres. There is virtually no wear to the spindle hole. I can confirm that the record has only received a modest number of careful plays on top quality hifi. Both sides play excellently throughout with no deterioration in sound quality and minimal unwanted noise. The audio is very powerful and vibrant, with very impressive bass.     

The plain white inner sleeve is in unmarked EX condition.

Overall this is a superb 1st press copy of Free’s highly accomplished debut album which will grace any record collection.

GRADINGS

The records that I offer for sale have been critically play-graded, at loud volume, on a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable fitted with a high end cartridge. My gradings are strict and in accordance with the following descriptions:

·         MINT- Record is superb, almost like new, with just a few sleeve removal type surface marks and no deterioration in sound quality. Sleeve is near perfect in all respects.

·         EX Record is a top quality example with just a few very light surface marks and barely any discernable deterioration in sound quality. Sleeve has slight wear and/or creasing.

·         VG Record has some visual surface marks, but still plays to a high standard without any major deterioration in sound quality – just a few clicks or light surface sound in places. Sleeve has normal wear and tear without any major defects but is still very presentable.

PACKAGING        

LPs are packaged with care and well protected to ensure that they arrive safely in the same condition as they leave me. Records are removed from both inner and outer sleeves in order to prevent seam-splits in transit.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE

LPs posted outside of the UK will only be sent International Signed-For with insurance at the following cost:   

Europe - £12.95

Worldwide - £16.80