KEVIN AYERS Joy of a Toy - SCARCE UK EMI Harvest EX+ LP

	£		58
	$		77

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: KEVIN AYERS

Album Title: Joy of a Toy.

Producer(s): Kevin Ayers & Pete Jenner.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Joy of a Toy Continued; Town Feeling; The Clarietta Rag; Girl on a Swing; Song for Insane Times.

Side 2: Stop This Train (Again Doing It); Eleanor’s Cake (Which Ate Her); The Lady Rachel; Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong; All This Crazy Gift of Time.

Label/Format: Harvest – second issue with EMI credits (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with only very light and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: SHVL 763.

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: 118 grams. A typical weight for this pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: not as rare as a first pre-EMI issue, but becoming an elusive album on any format.

Original Year of Release: 1969. This one pressed into the early part of the 1970s.

Matrix Nos: SHVL 763 A-1 / SHVL 763 B-1

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 T / 1 GG

Musicians: Kevin Ayers – Guitars, Bass and Vocals; Robert Wyatt – Drums; David Bedford – Piano; Mike Ratledge – Organ; Hugh Hopper – Bass; Paul Buckmaster – Cello; Rob Tait – Drums; Paul Minns – Oboe.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Kevin Ayers left the Soft Machine for a solo career when his basic pop learnings appeared at odds with the intense jazz-rock of his former colleagues. This album was a cult favourite at the end of the 60s for no reason other than that Ayers was well liked because he was ever so slightly mad. Take a look and listen at the content of this album: ‘Song For Insane Times’, ‘Eleanor’s Cake (Which Ate Her)’ and ‘Stop This Train (Again Doing It)’. Through the haze of quirkiness there is a strong light melodic feel to much of the music, and Ayers did possess a heartbreaker voice that prompted one woman to state, ‘he is the sexiest man in the world’. This scarce album, which boasts that unmissable cover, and that famous inner gatefold picture of the ‘Girl on a Swing’, did not chart in the UK or US - an astonishing fact. Featuring Robert Wyatt, and The Soft Machine on some songs, the instruments used on this album, as listed on the back cover with no specific details were: electric bass, Italian guitar, string bass, electric guitar, cello, electronics, piano, trombone, celeste, flute, drums, piccolo, tambourine, recorder, organ, oboe, alto melodica, mouth organ, Spanish guitar, kazoo and Hawaiian guitar - this should tell you it’s a complex record, and is. Although this copy is not a first pressing, it is still early and plays really well with practically nothing unwanted. The cover however does have a manufacture flaw. As can be seen on my picture, the back cover for the final inch or so of the right and including the spine, has NO ink. This can only be one or two things: either the print press ran out of yellow ink or there was a major flaw on the printing plate. I have never seen one quite like this before and is something of rarity initself. In stamp collecting, such flaws that make the open market are worth vast sums of money due to extreme rarity. How it works with record covers, I have no idea. Some collectors will like for simply being unusual, some possible less so, because it is not correct. Anyway, the picture shows it for what it is, and without doubt it’s incredibly unusual – you decide.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): this NOT taking into account of the printing flaw on the back where the yellow ends around an inch short on the right side plus the spine. My grading is based on wear and condition compared to when it was first purchased. A gatefold format with laminate on front and back. Printed and made in England.

Lamination: Front & Back: One of the classic covers in the Harvest catalogue and here looking lovely. The back has the strange, almost bizarre line near the spine edge where the yellow appears to have run out or conceivably a serious error on the printing plate. This line is totally devoid of colour and is NOT a result of fading. Even in a case of severe fading, there would be some colour left, but here, none and without any doubt a manufacture issue. Let me concentrate on what is there anyway. The graphics, of which ALL are complete are in superb condition and can be enjoyed through clear, shiny and fresh laminate. This has few marks and any of the tiny few creases ultra fine and faint. The only area of non-adhesion is on the back spine where the yellow has not printed – hence it hardly even shows – every cloud etc etc. Barely any traces of friction rubs or dulling and even under light any surface blemishes are ultra fine and faint. In real terms, this looks almost the same as when purchased, if the yellow colour line missing on the back and spine is an issue, do not bid. But I feel an interesting variant for the specialist collector.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Practically as made and looking fantastic with the famous ‘Girl on a Swing’ artwork.

Top Edges: Both as made with full laminate retained.

Bottom Edges: As above except the front edge has a surface scuff near the centre for around an inch.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear and guranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and quite thick, straight with any compression very light. Folded square the right edges meet up fairly close and almost parallel. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate that remains very smooth to the fingertip. A natural centre recess by opening will be found on most all.

Corners: All corners are crisp and sharp with excellent or even better shape retained.

Cover Summary: A beautifully designed cover, that’s all surfaces, the front remains one of the most iconic within the Harvest catalogue. The yellow ‘error’ on the back is strange and very unusual for sure, one for the specialist collector maybe? If it is deemed unsuitable, do not bid – simple. This beautiful, and in this case, somewhat unusual example should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: MINT(-): the unlined, plain white, open circled inner is in superb condition and little short of as made. Any discolouration or ageing minuscule with no creasing and two perfect circle windows. All edges unsplit with no repairs and they seldom will be seen better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and quite solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks or blemishes few and very fine and light. Visually a super record that should please 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 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 Harvest classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, (this never to be taken for granted), 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 and no significant pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing overall. So often, this album has crackle and even mild distortions, a highly intolerant record that does not enjoy heavy tracking and over-playing on less than worthy equipment. This one without doubt has avoided such issues and offers lovely clean, fully focused sound. Few copies will outperform this still quite early pressing 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. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended – for the last time – if the missing yellow ink strip on the back cover is an issue – do not bid.

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 - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, 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 its 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. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. 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 Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver 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.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

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 and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners and bubble wrap 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 less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 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. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.