KEEF HARTLEY BAND Battle of North West Six - SCARCE ORIG UK 1969 DERAM EX+ LP.

	£		59
	$		78

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: KEEF HARTLEY BAND

Album Title: The Battle of North West Six

Producer(s): Neil Slaven

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Dansette Kid; Hartley Jam For Bread; Don’t Give Up; Me and My Woman; Hickory; Don’t Be Afraid.

Side 2: Not Foolish, Not Wise; Waiting Around; Tadpole; Poor Mabel (You’re Just Like Me); Believe in You.

Label/Format: Deram – smaller circle size format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only a small few fine, light and faint spindle marks.

Cat Number: SML 1054

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: 123 grams. A solid average weight for this era.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Moderately scarce: this copy has the laminated cover, later ones omitted it, these are fairly rare. This copy also in superb condition.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: ZAL-9179.P-1W / ZAL-9180.P-1W

Pressing Codes: 1 BC / 1 BU

Musicians: Keef Hartley - Drums, Percussion; Miller Anderson - Vocals, Guitars; Henry Lowther - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Violin, Brass arrangements; Jim Jewell - Tenor Saxophone; Gary Thain - Bass Guitar; Spit James - Guitar; Mick Weaver - Organ, Piano, Percussion; Mike Davis - Trumpet; Harry Beckett - Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Lynn Dobson - Tenor Saxophone, Flute; Chris Mercer - Tenor Saxophone; Barbara Thompson - Baritone Saxophone, Flute; Ray Warleigh - Flute; Mick Taylor - Guitar.

Brief Info: After spells with The Artwoods and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, this talented drummer decided to pursue a solo career and this was his second album for Deram. He appeared at the famous Woodstock Festival in 1969 and this album skillfully blends blues, rock and jazzy elements and is regarded as one of his finest recordings. This a superb original, easily identified with 1W matrixes and the cover having the mono/stereo peephole on the back, also the laminated cover which are quite rare. The cover is gorgeous, with ultra shiny laminate, but, the owner put his name and a date inside. Sorry cannot do anything about that, but this superb example has far more positives than this (arguably) minor blemish. With a record that appears very little used and offering fantastic clean sound, this is a copy most fans and collectors will cherish.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): grading less would not be doing this beautiful fresh looking cover full justice. This does NOT take into account of the inside writing – any opinion on this is purely subjective and meaningless – you the collector must decide if this is acceptable or not. A gatefold format with Clarifoil laminate front and back. The ends on the top edges inside and covers all folds. The inside is matt and smooth. Printed and made in England by Moore and Matthes. This has the mono/stereo peep-hole on the back, the blue inner on this copy confirms a stereo copy.

Laminate – Front & Back: A very striking example, simply as it comes pretty close to reminding of new. Both sides are incredibly shiny, clear and fresh with barely any even a trace of dulling or friction rubs even when viewed under light. It takes you back to the time it first left the shop and shows what these covers once looked like when first purchased. The only gentle clue is mild darkening of the right exposed strips were the laminate ends that is so hard to avoid as the Clarifoil contract over time. No lifting, barely any creasing – a tiny few super-fine edge types – no press marks, scuffs or indentation. The bottom right leading edge corners have thickened a little, in manufacture these are not trimmed quite flush, so only single thickness making them way more vulnerable. But this is almost nit-picking on two sensational looking surfaces that will prove beyond difficult to ever find like this again.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Yes the owner wrote his name and a date relevant to him on the top right – so this could be an issue for the purists – but this apart, it hardly has anything else to fault. Even the laminate ends on the top edges are clean and have not stuck together or pulled. There is a gentle secondary crease to the centre hinge fold, that is almost normal for covers with thicker spines, a natural occurrence that has nothing to do with any wear or mistreatment, being honest, this cover appears hardly even handled.

Top Edges: Unworn, straight and unscuffed with the laminate super-smooth to the touch.

Bottom Edges: The actual folds as above. The back card end panel has thickened a little, that purely from storage weight over time, pretty minor but I will mention what I see.

Right Edge(s), and Type: These edges are mostly sharp and crisp, just near the bottom corners is a little thickening as mentioned already. Little else, even viewed end-on, all are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced, this being reiterated by distinct laminate ends and the card not being flush in manufacture – all totally natural.

Spine and Text: The spine surface is in superb condition: solid, straight and wide, uncrushed or compressed. Folded square so all edges meet up very close together and parallel. All text is pristine mint under the solid, smooth and clear, unpeeled laminate.. A slight and fine rub on the back fold right near the bottom – again being somewhat critical.

Corners: A little thickening/burring to the bottom leading tips as mentioned. The others are all neat and crisp with minimal hint of wear, excellent or better shape retained with no knocks or dinks.

Cover Summary: If the writing inside is not an issue – and I know it can be for the purists – this a hugely impressive all-round example of this attractive late 1960’s cover, one that for sheer good looks and freshness, will prove immensely difficult to find better. The laminated version far rarer and visually more dynamic and ‘pretty’. This beautiful item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: the heavy-duty, polylined blue inner, denoting stereo in the cover’s peep-hole, is in very fine condition. Two immaculate windows with an ultra clear fresh, secure lining and most of any creasing on one corner, often done deliberately to stop the record sliding out, often by the retailers themself. No edge splits or repairs with minimal hint of discolouration.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): this hardly doing this vintage record full justice. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with excellent shine and solidly pressed. A copy appearing very little used with any surface trace marks very light, fine and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus marks and this sounds as impressive as it looks. Visually a super 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality Deram record plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything to fault. 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 with no tracking issues*. Barely any surface sound, and this is a typically clean Deram/Decca pressing. Few copies will match, let alone outperform this quality first issue significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find better and can be strongly recommended.

* 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’.