PINK FLOYD A Saucerful of Secrets RARER UK 1969 ONE-BOX EX+ LP, PLAYS SUPERBLY.

	£		77
	$		102

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (except U.S.A.) £16.50. With apology, the United States is now £20 (£3 per extra record). Postage to U.S.A. has increased since August, I was told by the Post Office due to policy their, so sorry, that is out of my control. 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 trackable 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 longer 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.

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ANY ITEM or ITEMS TO BE PAID WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF 6 DAYS or they will be cancelled – NO EXCEPTIONS.

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Artist or Band: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: A Saucerful of Secrets

Producer(s): Norman Smith

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Let There Be More Light; Remember a Day; Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun; Corporal Clegg.

­ Side 2: A Saucerful of Secrets; See-Saw; Jugband Blues.

Label/Format: Columbia – second (and arguably the rarest) one EMI box label format with matt surfaces with light texturing.

Label Conditions: Very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, fine and faint spindle marks. This beautifully pressed copy appears little played and plays impressively. On this highly challenging recording, this is best news possible.

Catalogue Number: SCX 6258

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: 141 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity and Overview: Firstly, this copy replaced the 1968 first label format and was only available for the briefest time in 1969 before the two box version replaced it. This is a scarce record, and arguably harder to find than the 1968 copies. This ‘second’ issue format still includes the laminated and flipbacked cover and is in impressive all-round condition. A very difficult and challenging album for vinyl, some very quiet passages and complex sound, this so often wrecked by heavy or careless usage, often on the most basic equipment that tracked at massive weights, destroying the once lovely clear sound and details. This gem plays beautifully with hardly anything unwanted, both playing surfaces are impressively clean and fresh with minimal visual blemishes. A record now half a century old, this has defied the odds and survived in superb condition, I doubt if its seen light-of-day for decades. One of the early and very best early Pink Floyd spacy classics – for me, the golden era. A pleasure to hold, view and play, such copies from this era are rare in this condition.

Original Year of Release: 1968 [this copy pressed in 1969]

Matrix Nos: YAX 3633-1 / YAX 3634-1 [these exactly the same as the first pressing]

Stamper Codes: 1 L / 1 GM

Pink Floyd: Roger Waters – bass guitar, lead vocals; David Gilmour – lead guitar, lead vocals, kazoo; Richard Wright – piano, organ, mellotron, vibraphone, lead vocals; Nick Mason – drums, percussion; Syd Barrett – rhythm guitar, vocals.

Brief Info: Pink Floyd’s second classic album that followed the groundbreaking debut ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ (a copy also on offer). It was the last to feature founding member Syd Barrett as his mental state was now in sad decline. This album has a more ‘progressive’ sound and continues the space-rock and psychedelic themes with more lengthy tracks. There is just one Barrett song, the final track ‘Jugband Blues’. ‘Saucerful of Secrets’ is a somewhat uncommercial album, still too ‘out-there’ for many at the time, but is now regarded almost the equal of the legendary debut. It of course introduced Dave Gilmour, who is misspelt on the album cover (as Gilmore). Two brilliant songs really stand out: the hauntingly eerie and magnificent ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ and the pulsatingly powerful title song, that displays the brilliance of the early Pink Floyd sound. These early Floyd albums are incredibly special, but very difficult to find in clean conditions – cover and record. Although a 1969 repressing, it is a still a very early one and in the condition fans desire, I still consider the one-box copies rarer than the originals as they were available for only such a short time and changed again within a few months. If sound and condition is more important than a first label, this will please most collectors, it proved a genuine thrill to play-grade.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a single format with front laminate, this covers all the folds and ends on three rear flipbacks. The main back panel is matt and smooth. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and including the ‘Patents pending’ text. The EMI sepia promotional inner sleeve is also included.

Lamination & Front: An attractive front with the laminate retaining excellent shine, freshness and clarity with minimal dulling and only a very small lift on the bottom left corner tip. Some fine and light edge hairline creases that few 50-year-old covers can hope to avoid totally, and nothing away from the sides at all – so no half moons whatsoever. The fantastic graphic retains deep colour depth and really looks gorgeous on a front with so little wear or ageing.

Cover Back: The main back panel is also highly impressive with little to fault – light gentle burr traces on the left edge only. The lack of rubbing, creasing and especially ugly ring wear are massive pluses on a back this dark. All three flipbacks are solid and very neat indeed with crisp ends and only a small few gentle fine creasing here-and-there on the laminate and a small lift on the bottom right end. The top flipback laminate end likely enhanced to improve a small central pull that often occurred when stored in a protective sleeve, it has minimal modest visility.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both superb, very straight with super-smooth unchipped laminate.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Some fairly patchy mild thickening largely as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and still straight with any compression light, the ends are gently nipped in manufacture. The ‘Pinkfloyd’ text is unworn and quite well-centred under the clear intact laminate.

Corners: Any tip rubs tiny/small and light, excellent shape retained with no knocks.

Cover Summary: A quality all-round example of this early 1960’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): an unlined sepia EMI promotional inner that has aged little with hardly any creasing at all with all edges naturally intact.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Any surface marks/hairlines very few, equally light and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, hardly anything even registers apart. Visually a beautiful 50-year-old record that should please many, if not most fans and 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 brilliant early Pink Floyd classic plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly 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. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is a very clean pressing with no tracking issues* or inherent pressing noises. Never, ever take that for granted on what is arguably the most challenging album in the Pink Floyd catalogue. I have heard several terrible sounding originals with inherent noise, pressing issues and horrendous distortion, especially on the complex title track and the kazoo on ‘Corporal Clegg’. This has avoided such issues and was a genuine thrill to play-grade. Few available copies will match or outperform this very early 1969 ‘second’ pressing I feel sure. I use the term ‘second pressing’ lightly, it’s almost certainly the same record but with a newer label attached as the first mother codes and early stampers reitterate (seen further up the listing). Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and certainly carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this lovely record – something I can rarely state on this most challenging title. It will prove very difficult to find significantly 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 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

I am one of the most established sellers on Ebay, trading since 2001 and offering the finest 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 all elements of the items I offer for sale. You may notice I only submit records quite 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 story. I will try to 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 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. I hope the item below is to your liking – any questions can be emailed and I will do my 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, major 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 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 D7500 DSLR 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.

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 bid retractions. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal from­ winning bidders. I only 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 2 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive – if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund if the item is returned in the same condition is was sent e.g. as per the listing pictures.

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, 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.