JONI MITCHELL Blue RARE ORIG UK 1971 A1/B1 EX+ PLAYS SUPERBLY with BLUE INNER.

	£		58
	$		77

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

I would like to wish all my customers, regulars and newcomers, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – the theme this year being ‘Rock Classics’ – ENJOY!

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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for 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 if possible. PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT send any item, no matter what its value without a Royal Mail or courier tracking number. ALL my items must be signed and traceable to comply with Ebay delivery rules. Please do NOT ask me to make any exceptions to this rule as no country offers 100% reliable service without it.

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.

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: JONI MITCHELL

Album Title: Blue

Producer(s): Joni Mitchell

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: All I Want; My Old Man; Little Green; Carey; Blue.

Side 2: California; This Flight Tonight; River; A Case of You; The Last Time I Saw Richard.

Label/Format: Reprise – original tan format with no Warner logo, these have matt gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both immaculate, ultra clean, fresh and attractive with barely a spindle trace to be seen. Another from the collection purchased from new by one very careful owner. This looks barely played and offers fantastic clean sound.

Catalogue Number: K 44128 [this was never issued with a RSLP number, this number is a first issue]

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: 129 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Moderate in theory, but one of the most challenging from her early catalogue. Cleanly pressed, and only carefully played copies will ever offer the sound the more discerning collectors crave. The cover is a wear-prone minefield. Deeply coloured, unprotected textured surfaces, this will seldom be found without often considerable rubbing, creasing, and especially ring wear, which this has largely avoided. Last, but no less least, the blue inner sleeve – this so often missing and only came with early copies, these were not lined and made with very thin, fragile paper. So finding one in better condition is always more difficult. With the obvious reference to the album’s title, this is an integral part of the set and must not be dismissed as ‘just an inner sleeve. However, as always, the most important factor is the sound and pressing quality – issued in 1971 when oil was in short supply and vinyl used more sparingly (often mixed or recycled), this classic was often let-down by poor manufacturing. This copy plays beautifully throughout and never take that for granted.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: K-44128-A1 / K-44128-B1

Musicians: Joni Mitchell – appalachian dulcimer, guitar, piano, vocals; Stephen Stills – bass and guitar; James Taylor – guitar; Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar; Russ Kunkel – drums.

Brief Info: Joni’s fourth album which many regard as her finest – a masterpiece issued at a time of torment in her personal life. With two relationships breaking down, this is quite an intense album with powerful lyrics and not quite as commercial as previous ones. Largely acoustic and delicate, this copy does it superb justice with fantastic clean sound, lovely little-worn cover and a neat sleeve. An album that shows up, but so often with tatty, heavily ringworn covers, no inner and the disc trashed with marks and unlistenable sound. This gem bucks the trend in all departments and is one many, if not most fans and collectors will cherish. An undisputed classic of grace and beauty – this is Joni Mitchell – who would expect anything less?

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): even with a little gentle rubbing on the front towards the right, this is still a very impressive example of a massively uncompromising cover. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt surfaces, the outer ones being quite heavily textured. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd, includes the blue inner sleeve.

Cover Front: One of the classic covers of the early 1970s, simple, but superbly effective. This front is impressive and rarely seen as such. The texturing and intense blue colour makes for a massively challenging surface, this has only gentle rubbing mentioned already towards the right. Hardly creased with the deep blue colour mostly intact and strong. The aforementioned rubbing is only to the surface which shows as a more lighter blue. The surface remains fresh, clean and attractive with no sticker issues. Compared to most seen these days, this sets a high standard.

Cover Back: The back is very impressive indeed with the only hint of dulling around the label area which is faint. Any actual rubbing or creasing very light indeed and the lack of ugly penetrating ring wear that erodes the ink to bare card is always a massive plus on this highly prone surface.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside surfaces are smooth, but no less vulnerable to wear, both sides are again very impressive as seen with barely any rubbing at all. Barely creased at all, the surfaces deep blue with any blemishes few, very fine and faint.

Top Edges: Both straight, flat and flush with any surface rubbing confined to the right tip areas.

Bottom Edges: Largely the same again with just a little very patchy rubbing. These storage edges seldom escape with less.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with hardly any thickening. Record enters on the back edge, the front is closed, machine cut and natural with no trimming guaranteed.

Spine and Text: An impressive spine and rarely seen as such. Solid, straight with no compression. Also folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn, also nicely centred as seen. Just a tiny rub-chip near the top corner.

Corners: Light to near moderate tip rubs on some. However avoiding them on this one is so hard. Excellent shape mostly retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this very fragile and ruthlessly uncompromising early 1970’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. Not pristine, but how many realistically ever will be these days?, this still highly attractive and fresh item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: this being quite critical on one of the most fragile inners of the era. An unlined, intense blue thin paper inner. As stated, an integral part of the album due to the colour matching. This only came with early copies and rarely seen anything like intact. The intense blue colour is fresh and unfaded and unusually has avoided creasing and ring wear. One very small edge split has been very neatly repaired by myself and hardly registers. I always do this if deemed necessary to avoid it potentially widening in future – but few will want to store the record inside this fragile inner these days – I always supply a brand new soft-lined inner with all my records along with the original. The only tiny visible blemish is a tiny nick missing to the top opening edge, that apart it remains crisp and neat. I am always glad to find this inner actually inside any copy I actually find for t his album, and seldom do I find them a great deal better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+) / NEAR MINT: side one has a fine scuff on the first song that does nothing, side two has hardly anything to fault, even under light. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite solidly pressed. A copy appearing hardly on all the evidence with any surface minuscule and faint (the fine scuff apart) as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light little even registers. Visually a super record that should please many, if not most collectors.

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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This evergreen classic plays very impressively with little to fault at all. 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. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed – a little contact sound on the run-ins that disappear practically as the music begins, and compared to many, if not most I have heard, this an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*, pops or clicks. A sparse acoustic album, so a clean pressed record becomes even more crucial, and this one delivers with no inherent pressing rasps or distortions and barely any crackle – any traces on the odd joining gap bordering on minuscule. So often not the case, I have heard some virtually unlistenable copies of this album and I will never offer them. This was a pure joy to play-grade, always a little nervous for sure on first listen knowing what even clean copies can sound like, but this beauty failed to disappoint. The music and vocals are simply sensational and what a truly gorgeous piece and album this is. Few available copies will match, let alone outperform this first A1/B1 pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has hardly even been played, that quite typical form its source, and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading what is one of my favourite albums of its type. It will prove very difficult to find better and merits my highest 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. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. 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. 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 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie 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 Nessie 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 17­ 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. 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’.