FREE Tons of Sobs RARE Textured Pink Island UK 69 EX LP

	£		63
	$		83

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality the Rock Classics to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: FREE

Album Title: Tons of Sobs.

Producer(s): Guy Evans.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Over the Green Hills Pt I; Worry; Walk in My Shadow; Wild Indian Woman; Goin’ Down Slow.

Side 2: I’m a Mover; The Hunter; Moonshine; Sweet Tooth; Over the Green Hills Pt II.

Label, Format & Conditions: Island – Pink i format with textured rough surfaces that give a superb rustic look and feel. This is technically a fourth issue format, the earlier issue formats not being available very long and all available within the same year of issue (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and hugely attractive. Stunning pastel pink colour that retains all it’s natural beauty and colour intensity. Barely any traces of handling with any spindle traces tiny, few and faint. Two gorgeous examples of this sellers favourite label.

Cat Number: ILPS 9089.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 148 grams. A very good solid heavyweight pressing more typical on these textured pressings.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The first issue was on the pink textured labels with the orange eyeball logo. There are two distinct variations on this label regarding the position of the ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’ text. The first being printed in small type under the catalogue number and the second printed on the label rim at the 6 o’clock position. Then it was repressed again on the pink ‘black block’ format which me, if the rarest of the lot. This one on offer being, strictly speaking, a fourth pressing but most will recognise it as being the true third as the format is totally different with the famous pink i format with heavily textured surfaces. Again, as was the policy of Island records at this time, this format did not last long either and the pink rim format was only just around the corner. Initial ones on that brand new label were also heavily textured and then made smooth. So a record that was pressed on just about every format known from 1969 onwards, but all the pink label variants are rare as is the first textured issue on the pink rim. Always hard to find with a decent cover too, prone to all forms of wear and not least due to the record’s thickness and weight that put considerable stress on the dark surfaces. Many rife with heavy and penetrating ringwear and rubbing, few escape it. For those who bought the early runs of this evergreen classic, most played it heavily, hence finding lightly played copies is always difficult. This copy on offer is real nice, modestly played and offering mostly superb sound and with a highly respectable cover too.

Original Year of Release: 1969. This being a late 69 or early 70 pressing.

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9089 + A2 / ILPS + 9089 + B2 [these are deep punched Roman style]

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

Brief Info: The debut album from one of the UK’s most respected and cherished rock bands. This is probably the only album in their catalogue that can truly be classed as real ‘blues-rock’, with quite a few of the songs being slow tempo and fairly dark – even sombre. All four members were under 20 when this classic set was recorded and the maturity of the songs and musicianship was more than impressive. Although highly-rated this failed to chart in the UK and only just scraping into the top 200 in the US. With such few sales, all the pink Island pressings are elusive, even rare and few survive in decent playing conditions with even fewer with respectable covers that are highly prone to all forms of wear. This one is on the last Island design but has the rarer textured surfaces and includes the deeply punched matrixes. Although it has a fairly raw, not particularly polished production, it still has immense power and detail and this copy sounds fantastic and plays with little unwanted. A little very mild and gentle surface sound is present on the very quiet and short opening track, but has few other blemishes thereafter. The very challenging cover which was never laminated in the UK, has some rubbing near the top and bottom edges as per usual, but any traces of ringwear are very light indeed. This one being the Ernest J. Day printing, later changed to Robor and with the wider spine and pale blue text colour. This is a very fine all-round example and those labels are exceptional and sound little short either.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High+, nigh-on impossible to find in anything like ‘perfect’ condition.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): a very dark unlaminated gatefold format with matt finish, highly vulnerable to friction rubs, storage damage and most of all, ringwear. This has the original Ernest J. Day UK credits as per the first issued.

Cover Front: Overall, this still looks very attractive but does have the almost mandatory rubbing near the top and bottom edges. In this case, more at the bottom being around moderate, less near the top. Some edge fold rubbing shows too but mainly fine, quite light and patchy. A few light surface marks more seen under light but retaining rich, dark colour and barely any creasing. A difficult front and an original Ernest J. Day one will prove much harder to find even with this modest amount of wear.

Cover Back: Given all the facts, I consider this intolerant back exceptional, rarely have I seen one with such little overall wear or looking a great deal better on the first ‘Day’ printing. This side showing even less wear than the front with any traces of rim rubbing minimal and faint. A few small pressmarks are seen under light but the lack or creasing and rubbing on this fragile back is great news and this one sets a high standard. A little corner wear on the bottom pair is seen but less on the actual edge folds.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Truly exceptional and looking fantastic with barely anything of any real note to fault.

Top Edges: Light to moderate rubbing.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any wear and with no trimming. Record entered on the back edge, the front edge being totally sealed.

Spine and Text: I consider this ultra wear-prone spine exceptional. A very solid, straight, uncompressed spine, folded squarely so all edges meet up very squarely and flush. A few small patchy rubs will prove near unavoidable and few will show less. All the text is fully present and unworn, that can never be taken for granted for sure.

Corners: All corners have moderate rubbing in context to their respective edge.

Cover Summary: Most serious collectors will know this cover well enough to know just how intolerant to wear and abuse it is. Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw this at a record fair or even in anyone’s collection that has no wear? – all the early examples rub badly and is one of the most intolerant Island covers ever issued. Given the facts, this has relatively modest rubbing and this being one of the first printed. One many collectors will enjoy, but not for the highly discerning I guess, but the so-called ‘perfect’ one will prove hugely difficult to find and sometimes compromises have to be made.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: simply marked down a little for a surface pull on the back top right corner. This apart, a super inner and very heavily constructed. A plain white, polylined inner with two pristine circle windows and ultra clean, fresh lining. All edges unsplit and aged little. The right corners have ‘soft’ creases which detract little. This is UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close to. This is a very fine visual copy that is very clean with fine shine, intense black and heavily pressed as these early punched matrix copies were. There are fine and light surface marks seen under light but these are ignored and sound quality is high with little unwanted. Visually a lovely old record that should please many 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 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 wonderful record plays for most of it’s entirely above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Powerful, sound, with punchy dynamics, this record generally gives a superb account itself and was a real pleasure to listen to. Any surface sounds or crackle is light and gentle and most of any heard being on the very quiet and short first song ‘Over the Green Hills Pt. 1’, this being a somewhat difficult opening to this mainly loud and forward album. No pops or clicks were noted and tracking was easy and effortless. A top quality Island pressing, and that could not always be taken for granted, this offers focused and precise sound. Pressing quality on Island can and does vary, but this one I found impressive and clearly this has not been abused or overplayed. With so many of the pink label copies played to destruction, this one has many more plays left in the tank and will offer quality sound for many years to come if treated with the respect it deserves. Nothing of any real note spoiled my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, the music does the business and the early qualities of this legendary band still shine through. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better as a full pink or even early pink rim pressing, and a reminder I play-grade on an LP12, still one of the world’s most revealing turnables that many consider to be the best ever made.

End Piece: Be under no illusion about the rarity of this early pink textured label copy, all the non-charting Island pinks are scarce this one is fast becoming one of THE most challenging to find – the out-of-touch Price Guides still undervalue such titles. With a very respectable cover and record that plays very well, this still very early copy is worthy of strong consideration and it merits high recommendation. Not for the absolute perfectionist, but one that would be would probably go off-the-scale for price. This is a very solid, attractive and fine sounding excellent example that should do very nicely for most.

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/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.

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.

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 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 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: 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); 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 [£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 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’.