PINK FLOYD Meddle EARLY UK PRESS 1971 HARVEST EX LP

	£		45
	$		60

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

PLEASE NOTE: Overseas packets that go through the customs system, can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to process and deliver, this IS normal. For Russia, this can take even longer and is out of my control, so please be patient.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: PINK FLOYD

Album Title: Meddle.

Producer(s): Pink Floyd.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: One of These Days; A Pillow of Winds; Fearless; San Tropez; Seamus.

Side 2: Echoes.

Label/Format: Harvest – original format with the ‘The Gramophone Co Ltd’ text.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with normal viewing. That I state because there are around moderate spindle marks, a small few long and some a little thicker than fine. Seen under light, less so with full-on viewing.

Cat Number: SHVL 795.

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: 140 grams. A good weight for this album, way heavier than flimsy later pressings.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity and Pressing Differences: A relatively common record, but let’s be clear about any copy of Meddle. I rank this album as one of the most difficult to find on vinyl that will play really well. I clearly remember my trip to my local record shop in the early 70s, I was still at school, I bought this album and had to take it back to the shop three times in a desperate bid to find a copy that did not crackle - this was a notorious ‘variable’ pressing even from the very early days and still is today. Finding a clean-playing example (from whatever era of pressing) is very difficult. Many collectors and friends tell me same story and it’s often a case of damage limitation. This has long quiet passages including the long fade-in intro to ‘Echoes’ and ‘One of These Days’ and I am convinced few vinyl copies will ever play absolutely ‘silent’. This record gives a very fine account itself and plays mostly quiet with clean with little unwanted. No pressings sounds or irritating loud crackle that ruins those delicate passages. Any surface sound present on this one is minor, infrequent and very light, the odd sporadic click or two or gentle crackle trace is near impossible to avoid for the full duration. Issued right at the time of the oil crisis and shorage of the early 1970s, many records used recycled vinyl and pressing quality invariably suffered. Overall, this is a very nice copy, a few more spindle marks than I normally offer but the playing surfaces are very clean with any surface marks few, ultra fine faint. The earlier copies of this title have ‘The Gramophone Co Ltd’ text in the label rims (soon replaced by EMI). The matrixes on this one a little more unusual too. Side on being A-3 (no ‘U’, bold and large), and side two B-1U. The covers vary also, maybe not a first glance but the texturing is very different on the earlier ones with deeper roughness to the surfaces. Also the inside gatefold spread are textured as well, later issues were smooth inside. This example fully textured and in superb condition, that a huge plus for one that invariably wears badly. For those seeking an early pressing that offers mainly clean sound, with a lovely cover and also a very clean Harvest promotional inner, this is certainly worthy of consideration.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: SHVL 795 A-3 (very large punched) / SHVL 795 B-1U

Stamper Codes: 3 RO / 1 5 GRL

Musicians: David Gilmour – guitar, bass, lead vocals, harmonica; Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals and guitar; Richard Wright – hammond organ, piano, vocals; Nick Mason – drums, percussion, vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Most interested Floyd, Harvest and prog collectors will know all about this classic album already, suffice to say, its a delicately beautiful record in all departments. Very quiet intros to both sides, equally quiet passages in the sublime ‘Echoes’, this record takes no prisoners in hiding blemishes and defects, so a clean pressed album is one to treasure – but they are very hard to find especially the first format examples that have avoided heavy use or played on unworthy equipment. This is a far less commercial pre-’Dark Side of the Moon’ Pink Floyd, the era I personally prefer. A haunting and challenging prog classic that has not dated and still sounds as captivating as it did back in the early 70s. This ‘Gramophone’ rim example plays very well with all the music and vocals focused and sharp. The odd sporadic click and crackle trace here and there as stated above, is near impossible to avoid, especially if playing on very revealing audio equipment. My LP12 that hides nothing, but the detail heard on this heavy-pressed copy was very impressive. So not for the perfectionist – and how many vinyl copies will be? – I always consider this an album of compromise to some degree – and being honest, most Pink Floyd albums are the same in that respect. Most mass-produced and pressing quality is a more than well-known factor. My play-grade was generally a pleasure, yes, the odd few reminders it is a vintage record being played, not a squeaky clean digital format, and I make no excuse for that. The detail from an early example is unbeatable, and when a cleaner than average, unspoilt copy surfaces these days, it’s something to enjoy, they are immensely difficult to find and fewer of this quality are made available now. One of these days a totally perfect copy will come along, but don’t count on it - a full play-grade is mandatory on this album, if not, it will be a total lottery and disappointment is highly likely. Also this copyalso has an impressive cover which is devoid of the usual edge rubbing, spine damage, creasing and ring wear most acquire over the years. This alone could mean a significant upgrade for many.

Original Year of Release: 1971.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated, gatefold format and textured on ALL surfaces. The texturing on this one is much more pronounced and rougher to the finger tip than later ones where the depth of the texturing is shallower and much finer. Also the inside was later made totally smooth. Another very fragile and wear-prone cover and seldom seen devoid of significant wear, particularly the earlier ones. The soft card texturing makes this susceptible to all forms of wear, most seen are badly rubbed and ringworn, often with sticker damages and threadbare edges. It was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and includes the Harvest promotional inner sleeve – again later replaced by plain white EMI ones.

Cover Front: The front is fantastic and little short of as made, a mere hint of a tiny tip semi-crease on the bottom left corner with the odd tip crease or tiny edge chip – all being very critical. The lack of rubbing, ring marks, speckle and creasing makes for excellent viewing. This retains a lovely deep colour and freshness and has barely aged at all – really impressive.

Cover Back: Viewed full-on, the back appears very similar again, with angled viewing a few gentle surface marks are seen near the top, but NO ink is removed and none are penetrating at all – mere friction marks. The lack of ring wear on this back, especially with a thicker than average record inside, is unusual and most welcome. What sets this apart also is the lack of wear to the spine folds which is equally difficult to find. A very fine back and again way better than most seen.

Cover Inner Gatefold: This inside is textured also, more are smooth, the textured middle version is more elusive. This has little to fault at all: the white areas still just that a lovely rich blackness to the artwork which has not set-off. Minor pressure lines near the top from the internal flipback, but how many will ever avoid this as a bare minimum? I feel I am almost nit-picking for the sake of it – this spread is superb.

Top Edges: Both straight and lie dead flat with barely any wear, any traces tiny and faint up to the corner tips that have only fine and light rubbing.

Bottom Edges: Pretty much the same again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front is tucked and folded with a real edge, this is unworn and very clean and neat. The back opening is very sharp with hardly any wear either, clean and crisp, no burring or even thickening, this guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: This early-made cover has a wider spine than later ones and by a fair degree. It remains solid and straight with any compression modest but with fairly gentle tilt to the left. Folded almost square, so the edges meet up closely together and near parallel (allowing for the spine tilt as mentioned already). All text is present with no wear to the characters, never take this for granted on this obviously delicate spine. A massive bonus also, both the spine fold hinges are superb without the usual rubbing, scuffing and damage many as seen with. Soft card means many are rife with white areas and ink erosion which has simply not happened on this exceptional example.

Corners: Small tip rubs to the right corners, very little (for a change) to the spine pair, very fine to excellent shape is retained. Again, soft card will invariably mean many are seen curved and eroded.

Cover Summary: A very attractive cover in terms of lack of wear and freshness, the marks on the back only few and light and barely even register with normal viewing. This early example will take a huge amount of beating and it should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a very impressive Harvest lined promotional inner. These advertised the early (and mostly rare) early Harvest albums and this one has aged little. Very mild traces of adhesive darkening on the seam edges and just a small crease on the top opening. Clean and attractive with all edges unsplit and the lining solidly attached. Finding these vintage Harvest inners better than this is beyond difficult as they also do not age well.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: and very arguably, worthy of a (+). A lovely visual copy that’s very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed, later pressings were usually thin and flimsy, this is thick and robust. Any surface marks are very few, light and faint as seen under bright angled light. A little gentle dulling within the pressing is a very common sight on the earlier copies, but minimal and light in this case. No penetrating scratches and even with a few spindle marks, I think this copy has received only modest plays. No pressing spots or pits – these are also commonly seen too and when present they will invariably sound. So a vintage example that should again 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 prog classic plays up to and most all exceeding it’s very fine visual grading with little to fault. As I always state (and have again already) silence for all is a near impossibility with usually the pressings themself dictating the fact as well as years of playing and often less than perfect care. The format is against it and this was rarely one of the most wonderful of pressings anyway – let’s simply say it was ‘variable’. Over time, I have often found the later pressings to sometimes play better than the early ones, which were possibly more rushed – variable is certainly the word. As mentioned further up, three new copies years ago played with crackle and significant surface noise, I just gave up and put up with it, I was told it was likely all would be the same and it seems many fans of a similar age to myself had the same problem. This copy plays mostly quiet for the most part and those near impossible intros sound nice with little extraneous surface sounds. Any traces are light and few and I really enjoyed listening to it without having to cringe at rasping pressing noises or any distortion. But a small few sporadic ticks were present to remind it is a record being played. It would take a brave individual to say any copy of Meddle on vinyl will play with CD silence for its entirety, it’s a near impossibility unless it had been pressed on Decca or similar high quality vinyl labels – Harvest records were generally good, but never quite that good. This record is so very quiet in so many places, the odd fragment that hits the stylus has nowhere to hide with long passages of quietness or near silence. I am sure most vinyl lovers will understand what I am talking about and trying to explain. What is immensely important, this has strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a very wide dynamic range and very detailed and intense sound and bags of details hidden in these (totally) unworn grooves. Little spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful vintage Floyd classic. I have almost come to expect some gentle minor sound from this title and this offered little more than that – if silence is demanded, well the CD version will give you that of course. But if the original dynamics and flawless production of the original record is to enjoyed, this early vinyl copy is the only way it will still give it to you. So not for the perfectionist, but many fans and collectors will enjoy this and it deserves strong recommendation.

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 Terrarium 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 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 stiffeners 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 8,000+ items sold in over 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 2 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). 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 FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, 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 and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). 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] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 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’.