MARY HOPKIN Post Card SCARCE ORIG UK 1969 EX++ APPLE LP, PAUL McCARTNEY PRODUCED

	£		16
	$		21

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: MARY HOPKIN

Album Title: Post Card

Producer(s): Paul McCartney

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Lord of the Reedy River; Happiness Runs; Love is the Sweetest Thing; Y Blodyn Gwyn; The Honeymoon Song; The Puppy Song; Inchworm.

Side 2: Voyage of the Moon; Lullaby of the Leaves; Young Love; Someone to Watch Over Me; Prince en Avignon; The Game; Show Business.

Label & Format: Apple – Original very dark examples with ‘Sold in UK’ text, matt surfaces with a very gentle hint of texturing.

Labels and Conditions: Two beautiful examples of this very famous and collectable Beatles label. Just a small few light spindle marks on side one, only one on side two.

Catalogue Number: SAPCOR 5

Country of Manufacture: England

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: 133 grams. A very good solid weight.

Rarity: Moderate: the hardest thing I have found is to find a copy that plays well. A very delicate album and not always the very best pressing on this famous label. This one appears very little played and offers mostly lovely clean sound. I will never say ‘perfect’ for this fragile album – the odd gentle sporadic tick or crackle trace is nigh-on impossible to avoid totally – but very few on this little used and cleaner pressed copy.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: SAPCOR 5 A-1 / SAPCOR 5 B-1

Stamper Codes: 1 GD / 2 GH

Brief Artist & Album Info: Mary’s beautiful debut album, produced by Beatle Paul McCartney, it proved successful and peaked at Number 3 in the UK charts – the only album she made that entered. Bought to the public’s attention via the TV talent show, Opportunity Knocks and then recommended to McCartney by Twiggy in the late 1960s, she was quickly signed to the newly formed Apple label and made three albums. This attractive blonde Welsh lady has a really lovely voice, not twee, but ‘pretty’, full of expression and quality. Still remembered best for her successful 1970 Eurovision Song Contest entry ‘Knock, Knock Who’s There’ (yes I remember being allowed to stay up and watch it), which finished second to Ireland who won with seventeen-year-old Dana singing ‘All Kinds of Everything’. A few more hits followed, but after she married Tony Visconti in 1971, she largely withdrew from the pop-music scene to have a family, so her time as a commercial artist was all too brief. An album with some magical moments and Mary’s warm vocal that does fine justice to all the material here. Her rendition of Donovan’s ‘Voyage of the Moon’ is truly beautiful and worthy any price alone, she also covers his haunting ‘Lord of the Reedy River’ which is also sung to perfection with a very moody version – a quiet and challenging opening for any record. It can be argued, one or two songs are maybe not suited to Mary’s style, but even these grow on you and I have come to fast appreciate this album more and more over time and now really love it. What is often overlooked too is the album’s backing, in small type near the imprint on the back cover is ‘The Mike Cotton Band’, a highly collectable jazz artist in his own right with his early 1960s albums commanding big prices. Paul McCartney did a sensational job in producing this album. I have always found this album difficult to find that will play clean, this being one of the best copies I have heard, but with very quiet passages it will rarely play ‘silent’. A very clean and lightly played copy lacking groove wear and distortion with the vocals all sharp and precise. So maybe just short for the audiophile listeners who only want perfection at any cost, but this I feel sure will please many. Her follow up album was even better, and even to this day, I find it shame she did not have more success that she so richly deserved.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a fully laminated single format. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd, includes the plain white inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: This retains a fine shine, freshness and clarity with gentle dulling seen under light. A cover that rarely escapes lifting, this only really has it on the back on the spine edge, but in terms of this, not too wide and it has not cracked, so remaining solid. A few gentle marks, again less seen with normal viewing, any creasing little and light, this has fared very well in that respect and amongst the least seen to date on this quite challenging and very black cover. So overall, remaining attractive and it will not prove too easy to find better.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both unworn and very straight.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly impressively sharp with any thickening little and light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: An impressive spine: solid, straight with any compression reasonably light, the ends are pinched in manufacture. All text is pristine perfect under the very solid and uncracked laminate that remains very smooth and unscuffed to the fingertip.

Corners: Small tip rubs only with mostly excellent shape retained with no bashes or noteworthy dinks.

Cover Summary: Always an attractive cover if found with fewer laminate problems. Laminate tightening and subsequent lifting is not wear as such, and this cover is notorious for it. In terms of some I have seen, this has less than average. Still a nice looking late 1960s cover that should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a plain white unlined inner with ‘PATENTS APPLIED FOR’ text. Hardly worn or aged at all, the paper still clean and fresh, barely creased and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a very few light surface blemishes or fine hairlines, none of which cause any major problems to the sound. A heavy, thick Apple pressing and what a delight to see a mono example this clean, they really are at a premium with many written-off totally with thick, worn, heavy-tracking mono stylus from the era. A really intense black finish with a fine shine and very clean, just compare to many records like this. Under bright angled light, a little gentle inpurity is seen within the pressing, this far from unusual on this album and the reason why so many have varying degree of surface sound, this purely within manufacture of course. As far as this goes, this only very light and amongst the least I have seen. This is a complex and delicate record, easily damaged as mentioned already, a lightly played copy in fine conditions are the only ones acceptable.

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.]

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a very impressive visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed. A copy appearing hardly played on all the evidence with any surface trace marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. Even hairlines have been largely avoided and there are no penetrating stylus scratches. Visually a super record that should please many 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 quality album plays mostly to it’s visual grading with little to fault. Beautifully produced by Paul McCartney, and 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 sporadic, light and few, but as stated, this is always a very challenging album. Right from the opening song, a very quiet and gentle version of Donovan’s ‘Lord of the Reedy River – later covered by Kate Bush – the die is cast. Generally this is a clean pressing with no tracking issues, but the odd click or crackle trace here-and-there seems near impossible to avoid totally. Certainly one of the best ones I have heard to some time, even my own copy is not pristine. Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, but not for audiophiles who only want ‘perfect’ or ‘silent’ at any cost – and good luck finding one of those. This could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be recommended to many who accept a 47-year-old record will have the odd occasional blemish or polite reminder to what is being listened to. Listen to this one again and certainly the follow-up and brings those memories flooding back – ah yes, those were the days my friend… .

* 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 programs. 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’.