HATFIELD AND THE NORTH (1st album) SCARCE UK 1973 VIRGIN EX+ LP. HARDLY PLAYED.

	£		47
	$		62

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

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 – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

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. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full 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. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

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: HATFIELD AND THE NORTH

Album Title: Hatfield and the North

Producer(s): Hatfield and the North and Tom Newman

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Stubbs Effect; Big Jobs (Poo Poo Extract); Going Up To People and Tinkling; Calyx; Son of ‘There’s No Place Like Homerton’; Aigrette; Rifferama.

Side 2: Fol de Rol; Shaving is Boring; Licks for the Ladies; Bossa Nochance; Big Jobs No. 2 (By Poo and the Wee Wees); Lobster in Cleavage Probe; Gigantic Land Crabs in Earth Takeover Bid; The Other Stubbs Effect.

Label/Format: Virgin – original coloured twin virgins format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Very clean, fresh and highly attractive with only one or two ultra light and faint spindle traces, this record appears hardly played.

Cat Number: V 2008

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: 110 grams. Quite light, but not untypical for the era.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce: not a major seller. In the early fledgling Virgin years, this label was taking on less commercial bands and artists and many are now scarce and collectable.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: V 2008 A-2U / V 2008 B-2U

Mothers / Stampers: 1 G [error correctd from ‘A’] / 1 R

Musicians: Phil Miller – guitar , acoustic guitars; Dave Stewart – Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond Organ, Hohner Pianet, Piano, Tone Generator, Minimoog; Richard Sinclair – Bass Guitar, vocals; Pip Pyle – Drums, percussion, sound effects. Guest artists: Robert Wyatt – vocals, Barbara Gaskin - vocals, Geoff Leigh – Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Didier Malherbe – Tenor Saxophone, Jeremy Baines – Pixiephone, Flute, Cyrille Ayers – vocals, Sam Ellidge – voice.

Brief Info: A short-lived experimental prog-rock band that included band members from Caravan, Egg, Matching Mole and Gong – with a little bit of Henry Cow as well. So it is not hard to imagine their only two albums sound like a blend of them all. This was their self-titled debut and a superb album it is too. Very much in the Canterbury Rock mould, this is progressive rock for the connoisseur. Complex music and time structures and beautifully produced, a challenging album in very fine condition.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: a gatefold format with laminate inside and out. Printed and made in England, uncredited, includes the plain white inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front, Back and Inside: This cover actually looks considerably better than my arguably cautious grading. The laminate retains excellent shine, freshness and clarity with no lifting, minimal creasing (a tiny few on the edges) any dulling, even under light, is very light and gentle on the back. Both bottom edges are not laminate covered, the lines a few millimeters short and the line clearly seen. So the vulnerable exposed strips have a little light rubbing, and the actual folds with patchy rubbing seen end-on. The owner put his name and a date on the back (top left corner) which has now gone, easily removed from the laminate, but the impression is seen viewed up close, but this in context is a pretty minor blemish with overall low visibility. Both side are still impressive and attractive. The inside of the gatefold is also laminated, this superb with little to fault, even on the fold hinge, fully intact and unpeeled. Again the bottom has the laminate ends, so a trace of sticking to the exposed surface is near impossible to avoid, here only little and light.

Top Edges: Both laminated, smooth and unworn. These are flush and largely straight.

Bottom Edges: This pair were never laminated as mentioned above. Being storage edges and exposed, they are more prone to rubbing which they have. Light to moderate and patchy.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a tucked and folded laminated edge that is unworn, the panel end next to it has a couple of tiny burrs being very critical. The back entrance edges are clean and sharp with minimal thickening as seen viewed end-on, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: The spine has shed its laminate, but the surface has barely any hint of wear as seen. Solid, straight with no compression. Folded squarely, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. The white text is present, but the top is not easily seen on a fairly pale area of cover artwork.

Corners: Moderate corner end rubbing on the bottom right, but this mostly to the actual edge and showing little viewed from the front and back. Very little wear at all to the others, the top corners in particular are superb and excellent or better shape is retained with no bashes or dinks.

Cover Summary: A few relatively light issues, but this cover is still very attractive with the main areas all impressive and shiny. This scarce item should please many collectors, but not the absolute purists.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a plain white solid unlined inner that has aged very little. The merest hint of edge darkening with barely any creasing and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): this record appears very little played and is very clean with equally fine shine and fairly solidly pressed. Even under bright angled light, minimal traces of any surface marks or blemishes. A difficult complex album to 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This intricate and challenging prog album plays mostly up to it’s high visual grading or above. 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 and no tracking issues*. This has some very quiet passages, so a little contact sound is so hard to avoid totally, this has a gentle traces here-and-there. Some grooves incredibly fine and compact, so a few gentle ticks are also seldom avoided, again a few noted, but I reiterate, gentle, light and few. No hard crunching clicks from scratches or anything even like it. Be clear: this record offers great sound with blemishes gentle and very infrequent. Overall a fine pressing, but not absolutely pristine which is hardly uncommon at this ‘difficult’ time for vinyl – worthy of high recommendation. One to please many fans and collectors as long as absolute perfection is not expected – and good luck with that on what is always a challenging album.

* 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.

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 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. 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 - 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 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 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black 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, 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 14 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 – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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’.