HMS DONOVAN UK ORANGE DAWN 1ST W/POSTER NMINT -

	£		228
	$		301

DONOVAN - HMS DONOVAN

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION

FIRST PRESS  - ORANGE DAWN LABEL

WITH THE ULTRA RARE TRI-FOLD POSTER

• CATALOGUE:DAWN DNL D4001
• MATRIX: DNLD 4001 A-1 *T / B-1 *T /  C-1 *T / D-1*T
• FIRST PRESS VINYL

I WANTED TO CLEAR UP WHAT CONSITUTES A FIRST PRESS OF THIS RARE ALBUM. THERE HAVE BEEN TO MY KNOWLEDGE 3 ISSUES OF THIS DOUBLE ALBUM AND I HAVE SEEN EACH ONE DESCRIBED AS 'FIRST PRESS' I BELIEVE THIS IS MAINLY BECAUSE THE MATRIX NUMBERS ON ALL 3 COPIES HAVE THE SAME -1 ENDINGS

HAVING BEEN A KEEN MUNGO JERRY COLLECTOR IN THE LATE 60'S AND EARLY 70'S I CAN ABSOLUTELY CONFIRM THAT THE ORANGE DAWN LABEL IS THE EARLIEST VERSION OF THE HMS DONOVAN ALBUM SET. DAWN CHANGED THEIR LABELS TO THE LILAC AND BLACK STYLE, BEFORE FINALLY CHANGING AGAIN TO THE WHITE LABEL WITH THE PINK AND BLUE SUNRISE.

THIS THEREFORE IS 100% GENUINE FIRST PRESSING OF THIS VERY HARD TO COME BY LP SET, AND IT HAS AN ABSOLUTELY MINT!!!! POSTER INCLUDED

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ORANGE AND BLACK DAWN LABELS IN PRISTINE CONDITION. NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. THE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT. THE BASE ORANGE COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE, WHERE THERE ARE NO MORE THAN 3-4  REALLY SMALL SPIDER LINES VERY CLOSE TO THE HOLE SHOWING EXACTLY HOW MANY PLAYS THIS ALBUM HAS RECEIVED. IT JUST HASN'T BEEN PLAYED WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT IT IS 40 YEARS OLD

THE VINYL

A STUNNING PAIR OF HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IN SUPERB CONDITION. THEY BOTH GLEAM LIKE NEW AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY AS NEW, WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY HANDLING LINES TO BE SEEN, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE ONLY A FEW MORE WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE DOUBLE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, AS I NOW DO WITH ALL MY LISTINGS, AS I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

DAWN WAS THE PROGRESSIVE SUBSIDIARY OF PYE RECORDS, AND WAS USED TO PROMOTE ALL OF THOSE WEITD AND OBSCURE PROGRESSIVE BANDS OF THE VERY EARLY SEVENTIES. DONOVAN ONLY RELEASED 2 ALBUMS ON THIS LABEL IN 1970 AND 1971

THE FIRST THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE VINYL PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER ON EITHER DISC.

THE VOCAL CLARITY IS JUST SUPERB. CLEAR AND CRISP, AND PERFORMED THROUGH A SUPERB STEREO REPRODUCTION

THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR WORK IS ALSO REPRODUCED MAGNIFICENTLY.

SIDE ONE HAS SOME LIGHT INHERRANT VINYL NOISE WHICH CAN BE HEARD RIGHT AT THE START OF THE RUN IN, AND TWOWARD THE END OF THE FIRST TRACK. THERE IS ALSO A LITTLE MORE LATER ON THE FIRST HALF OF SIDE ONE

SIDE TWO IS NEAR PRISTINE. CERATINLY NONE OF THE VINYL NOISE THAT SIDE ONE HAS, JUST A HALF DOZEN TINY LITTLE POPS IN THE SECOND TRACK. LISTEN TO TRACK THREE WHICH IS JUST DONOVAN SINGING ACAPELLA, IT IS SUPERB.THERE ARE A COUPLE MORE RANDOM LITTLE POPS HERE AND THERE BUT AT NO POINT ON ANY SIDE IS THERE ANY BACKGROUND CRACKLING (FRYING BACON)

SIDES 3 AND 4 ALSO PERFORM SUPERBLY, AGAIN WITH SOME RANDOM TICS AND POPS HERE AND THERE. I MUST STRESS THAT THESE LITTLE IRRITATIONS ARE NOT MAN MADE, THEY APPEAR TO BE INSIDE THE VINYL

ANYWAY PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

GENUINE 1ST PRESS HOWARDS OF SLOUGH UNLAMINATED GATEFOLD SLEEVE

 VERY HARD SLEEVE TO GET IN A HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THIS IS NOT ONLY IS THE SLEEVE UNLAMINATED, BUT THERE ARE MANY COLURS ON THIS DULL SURFACE THAT WEAR VERY EASILY AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT RING WEAR IS MOST PREVELENT ON THE MAJORITY OF COPIES.

HERE THEN IS A NEAR PERFECT GATEFOLD.

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE, THE FIRST AND MOST OBVIOUS THING TO POINT OUT IS THAT THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES AND CREASE LINES. NOR ARE THERE ANY OF THOSE SMALL LINES THAT GATHER NEAR THE SPINE. THIS I BELIEVE IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR THIS TYPE OF SLEEVE, BUT HERE IT'S JUST PERFECT.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY FLAT AND CLEAN. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE. BEST OF ALL ALL OF THE COLOURS HAVE BEEN RETAINED AND THERE IS NO RUBBING AWAY OF THESE PRECIOUS AND DELICATE PASTEL SHADES. THE ONLY PIN PRICK OF WHITE SHOWING THROUGH APPEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK OF THE WALRUS, AND ANOTHER ON THE ELBOW OF THE MAN LEANING ON THE WALRUS

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE MINIMAL SHELF RUBBING WITH MOST OF THE COLOURS INTACT JUST A FEW LITTLE PATCHES OF WEAR, MAINLY THE BOTTOM RIGHT AND LEFT  CORNERS

THE SPINE ON THIS SLEEVE IS AT BEST USUALLY FOUND WITH SHELF WEAR AND WORN TYPEFACE, BUT HERE IS A MINT UNSQUASHED AND UNWORN EXAMPLE WITH EVERY LETTER OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE

THE OPENING EDGES ARE STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST A COUPLE OF TINY THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE DISCS HAVE BEEN REMOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE REAR SURFACE IS AS BRILLIANT AS THE FRONT SURFACE , AGAIN ALL OF THE COLOURS UNRUBBED, AND NO CREASE LINES OF ANY DESCRIPTION

INCREDIBLY NO RING WEAR, AND ONLY IF THE SLEEVE IS ANGLED INTO A STRONG LIGHT CAN YOU SPOT A VERY LIGHT SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES.

THE VERY TRI FOLD INNER POSTER IS IN WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE 'AS NEW' CONDITION. IT IS SO THIN AND DELICATE THAT MOST ARE SPLIT ALONG ALL THE SEAMS BUT WITH THIS HAS REMAINED IN FLAT, PRISTINE, AND UNSPLIT CONDITION. ALSO NE CREASES OR CREASE LINES

THE TWO POLY LINED INNER SLEEVES ARE IN MINT UNSPLIT CONDITION

I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY