JEFFERSON AIRPLANE After Bathing at Baxters VERY RARE UK 68 EX 1st PRESS STEREO.

	£		49
	$		64

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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: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE

Album Title: After Bathing at Baxters

Producer(s): Al Schmitt

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: STREETMASS: The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil; A Small Package of Value Will Come to You, Shortly; Young Girl Sunday Blues. THE WAR IS OVER: Martha; Wild Tyme (H). HYMN TO AN OLDER GENERATION: The Last Wall of the Castle; Rejoyce.

Side 2: HOW SUITE IT IS: Watch Her Ride; Spare Chaynge. SHIZOFOREST LOVE SUITE: Two Heads; Won’t You Try; Saturday Afternoon.

Label/Format: RCA Victor – rare original black format, pressed by Decca, these have smooth matt surfaces.

Label Conditions: Gently aged with some dulling possibly from the polylined inner sleeve. Tiny marks, minute blistering traces on side one near the 9/10 o’clock position near the time. All minor blemishes, both appear to show very few spindle marks and this copy plays very well.

Cat Number: SF 7926

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 155 grams. A heavyweight pressing quite typical for Decca.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Rare: and arguably the rarest UK pressed Jefferson Airplane album. This band were not major sellers in the UK.

Original Year of Release: November 1967 in the United States, possibly slightly later in the UK.

Matrix Nos: UPRS-5524-1K / UPRS-5525-1K

Mothers / Stampers: 1 U / 1 U [one of the earliest made, ‘U’ stampers only second to ‘B’]

Brief Artist & Album Info: Jefferson Airplane were generally more appreciated in their native US than the UK which is a real shame because they made some of the most brilliant music in the mid- to late-1960s. They remain one of my favourite American bands ever and this is one of their very best albums. A classic and challenging record as they left behind the psych folkiness of Surrealistic Pillow on their way to surreal acid-rock, this is mind-bending experience full of wonderful stoned music with sublime vocals from Grace Slick, still for me anyway, rock’s premier league female vocalist. Her voice has such power and authority, few come close to matching her. Not a dull second to be had, even the longer instrumental jam ‘Spare Chaynge’ which sounds fantastic when played at volume through a large system. Amongst the excellence on offer, three standout songs are Kantner’s brilliant ‘Martha’ and Slick’s bizarre ‘Two Heads’ and ‘Rejoyce’. Even the record company did not treat this band well in the UK, the covers, although laminated, were inferior to the US versions with no inserts, inners or gatefold format. This UK sleeve gives little information away at all and cries out for the insert, but it failed to appear here. This is my first available copy of this as a true original in stereo for a long time, indeed it took me ages to find a copy for my own collection. By the time I had discovered this band in my mid-teens, the black label copies were long gone and history. So my copies purchased back then were all on the standard and more familiar orange labels. Jefferson Airplane were not big sellers in the UK and all three of their black label albums are hard to find in decent condition. This was the second following ‘Surrealistic Pillow’ (albeit in a totally different form to the American (and correct) version) – ‘Crown of Creation’ followed and was the last on Decca-pressed black label. Visually, this is not perfect, but the record plays really well, Decca pressings are superior in all departments – durability, cleaner pressed with ultimate detail – they seldom show up these days. The original ‘SF stereo’ cover is very fine with a lovely laminated front, the back however does have sticker tear near the top right as can be seen on my picture. Such is the rarity of this stereo original I have no hesitation in offering it, and you cannot play a cover, only by the fact I own one of these already makes it available. Brilliant band, brilliant album, this is a really fine example.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: or thereabouts. A single format, laminated with Clarifoil on the front. This wraps around the spine on to the back for around quarter of an inch on the spine. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace, later covers which vary quite considerably were uncredited. This includes it original Decca-style polylined inner which is date-coded 2-68, clearly this is a very early pressing as confirmed by the matrix and stamper codes seen further up.

Lamination & Front: Superb artwork is seen to near maximum advantage through ultra clear, fresh and shiny laminate that has no lifting and barely any hint of dulling – only a gentle trace of rim impression that is nigh-on impossible to avoid. A few very fine and faint edge creases only and barely anything on the main graphic areas. The front on this original is very similar to the reprint, the only differences is the large boxed RCA VICTOR and logo on the top right, also the small outline ‘stereo’ and the SF 7926 on the opposite left, the reprint has ‘RCA’. As I have a copy of both here, I can easily compare. The bizarre tri-plane artwork also has a darker hue and looks fantastic as seen in close-up. A lovely example that will prove hard to find better.

Cover Back: This is a back that rarely escapes ageing and issues – and yes, this has a moderate sticker tear near the top right with some of the ‘STEREO’ text pulled as seen. However, apart from some gentle grubbiness, this back has little else to fault. The laminate end on both back and front is clean and neat and this back has hardly any creasing either. The main difference on this original back is the inclusion of the Robert Stace imprint and extra text detail which I have photographed alongside the reprinted version to compare.

Top Edge: Straight, but thin, smooth with no wear or scuffing.

Bottom Edge: Largely as above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and mostly sharp with very little wear, any thickening little and light as seen viewed end-on. Doing so also reitterates how thin this early cover card is as well. Record entered on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. The front laminate exposed end strip still wide and present – also clean with barely any darkening to the white surface.

Spine and Text: A superb spine: solid, straight and with any compression tiny and light. The ends are quite deeply pinched in manufacture, the remakes were square. All text is perfect and unworn under the very solid and uncracked laminate, the entire surface remains very smooth to the finger tip.

Corners: Hardly any tip wear or rubbing, the odd tiny browing trace so hard to avoid of course. Excellent shape retained with no knocks or dinks.

Cover Summary: One flaw on the back being the sticker tear, so not for purists or the highly discerning. But such is the rarity of this original UK stereo cover, it will never prove easy to find much better. A strong all-round example, the front being a fantastic piece of psychedelic art, it will still please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: being a Decca-pressed record, it includes a Decca-style polylined inner sleeve, this being date-coded 2-68 (February 1968), so this a very early example. A little aged little with the usual moderate browning of the seam adhesive and with a corner crease and some crinkle, all edges unsplit with no repairs. Corner creases sometimes deliberate to stop the record sliding out. Two immaculate window circles and the lining very clear and fresh.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close to. A very fine record that is very clean with excellent shine and quite heavily pressed as you would expect from Decca. A couple of light, non-penetrating marks on side two have no sound, any other visual blemishes are fine and faint as seen with more scrutiny under bright angled light. Visually this will please many collectors, and compared to most Jefferson Airplane albums I have seen as originals, this is way above average.

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 rare record plays even above its very fine visual grading with very little to fault. Strong sound, but not produced at great volume – so it needs to be turned up, it has no groove wear distortion or pressing noises and plays with effortless tracking*. Pressing standards by Decca were second-to-none setting these black label originals apart for durability and detail. However, Jefferson Airplane albums were not really audiophile productions, as those familiar will know. But the music is simply brilliant and who cares?, they are what they are and I would not want them any other way. Of course, the stereo mix presents the music very differently to the mono version, and I prefer these more psychedelic albums in stereo as they rely more on the two-channels for effect. This copy packs as much detail as possible and really gives a very fine account of itself. This plays for the most part, quietly with little unwanted, but the odd sporadic click or crackle trace is near impossible to avoid totally on what is at times a challenging album. The quiet build-up on ‘Spare Chaynge’ is never easy, but even this is fine. This is one of finest I have heard to date and few later ones will match it. A rarer original that should please many collectors and merits strong recommendation.

* 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’.