PINK FLOYD Saucerful of Secrets RARE 1-Box 1970 Stereo.

	£		31
	$		41

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Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

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 – first format 1970 repressing with the single box EMI logo at the 6 o’clock position. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with light, mostly fine and faint spindle marks and only light handling traces on the matt revealing surfaces.

Cat 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: 137 grams. a very good average or above weight for this era.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity and Overview: The first issues in both mono and stereo are equally rare and rarely, if ever found in near perfect playing conditions. The early Floyd albums were rarely purchased by hi-fi connoisseurs, the majority probaby by curious students and younger, trendy listeners, most all were played into submission on vintage record players that usually tracked at massive weights. Few ever bothered to change badly worn or chipped inferior sapphire stylus, and most will know (now) only one play damaged the delicate groove walls making the sound poor. Many examples are not only covered in heavy scratches and grimy fingermarks, often with inground grit and dust. Groovewear is the invisible damage inflicted on records, more so from the mono era. The more the record was played with damaged pickups, the worse the sound and many even clean copies are rendered unlistenable when played on more revealing modern equipment. Even with a non-damanged stylus, the tracking weights were so heavy, it was not too long before sound degrading set-in with high frequency clipping, crackle and vast amounts of unwanted surface noise. Rarely do the major classics get seen or offered with modest evidence of playing and still being able to play with generally clean sound – even the most clinical and revealing high-end front-ends. This album, probably above all others within the Pink Floyd catalogue, seems the most intolerant and I rarely ever heard a first issue play ‘perfectly’. The long title song in particular nearly always has crackle and even mild distortion, I actually wondered if it was on the mastertape as it seems near impossible to find without out. With all that in mind, I have no hesitation in offering this still very early 1970 first repressing in stereo. This has clearly avoided such abuse and has been played very little. It offers superb sound with merely a trace of any surface sound briefly on the aforementioned title track. A fantastic experience with clear detail and focused sound that few 68 copies will still be able to offer. For those who do not wish spend a king’s ransom on a near mint original and simply want a Columbia pressing in very fine condition that plays generally, beautifully, this is not to be dismissed lightly. Still a rare record initself and not available too long before being repressed again on Harvest as the double ‘Nice Pair’ set with the debut album. In actual fact, I see far more (albeit worn out) originals than this first second pressing and the books values are again horrible out-of-touch with it rarity, especially in this type of condition.

Original Year of Release: 1968. This repressing was made in 1970

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

Stamper Codes: 1 L / 1 GM [still the first mothers and early stampers]

Principal Musicians: 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’. 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’ remains a somewhat uncommercial album and was still a little too weird 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 (Gilmore) – this is just the same format as the 68 issus, probably using the same cover to use up stock. Two brilliant songs really stand out: the hauntingly eerie and beautiful ‘Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun’ and the manic title song that displays the brilliance of the early Pink Floyd sound. Both can be seen and heard to stunning effect on the ‘Live at Pompeii’ DVD that is highly recommended. These early Floyd albums are incredibly special and owning them on Columbia vinyl are priceless – just holding them give pleasure. Of course, an original will always give that extra ‘wow-factor’, there is no disputing that, but if the vinyl experience is priority over great rarity and expense, this will fit the bill just right. This is a very fine example with a fantastic cover and very clean record. Overall sound is also very clean with only mild traces of any surface sound apparent in a very brief part of the title song – few will ever play this demanding track perfectly – go on, try your own copy and see. Realistically you have to judge a record like this for all the reasons outlined above in my ‘Rarity’ paragraph. It will take a hugely impressive, barely played example to better this one significantly I feel sure and most, more average collectors and fans are sure to enjoy this.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a single format with front laminate that wraps around the edges on to three large rear external flipbacks. The back is matt finished and smooth. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse and including the ‘Patents pending’ text. Without having a 68 issue here to compare it to, I can see no differences and the fact the Patents pending text is still included, I would assume this is exactly the same and the company using existing covers even on the repressed album.

Lamination & Front: Very impressive indeed with a lovely shine, freshness and clarity with barely any dulling or friction rubs. A light rim impression and very faint price sticker outline can be seen under angled light. The sticker outline ultra faint and this has caused NO pulling to the laminate’s surface or adhesion. The really good news in that respect is the laminate is fully adhered with no lifting or blistering at all. With any of the very few creases being light to very light indeed and few marks, this superb Hipgnosis designed front will prove hard to find much better. Even the right edge where the laminate ends short of full width shows barely any traces of wear with no grubbiness or chipping worthy of note. In fact, this could prove a substantial upgrade for many collectors.

Cover Back: The more wear-prone back for obvious reasons has little to fault and complements the exceptional front perfectly. The matt surface has minimal traces of any handling with just one very faint minor edge surface crease. With the lack or rubbing and especially ringwear being equally good news. Flipbacks are always prone to damage, but none hear at all, all three remain solidly adhered with barely any traces of burring to their ends. Each has a couple of surface fine creases to the still shiny laminate. A very dark and revealing back that will also prove very difficult to find better. Although this was not a first issue, it is still a very old one, now over 41-years-old.

Top Edge: Unworn and although thin, still very straight.

Bottom Edge: As above, very impressive indeed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering, guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this vulnerable edge.

Spine and Text: Again in super condition: solid, straight with any compression very light and mild. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate. This has not peeled and still retains a fine shine and rich clarity and even remains smooth to the fingertip with no scuffs or abrasions.

Corners: Small tip rubs only with very fine to excellent shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very impressive all-round example of this very elusive ‘first generation’ stereo cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please most-all collectors.

The Inner: NEAR EXCELLENT: this came in the plain white unlined inner. Very mildly aged with light discoluration and a little mild crinkle and record impression. All pretty much normal factors of inner sleeve ageing that few will ever avoid. Barely any real creasing and all edge unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy only lightly played on all the evidence with a couple or three surface marks that do show but have NO sound, any other surface marks ultra fine, faint few. Merely surface blemishes or fine hairlines of no audio consequence whatsoever, this has NO penetrating scratches – how many originals can ever say that? Visually a super record that should please most collectors again, vintage Floyd albums of this type and era are seldom found much better.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This lovely, and never forget, still very early pressed record, plays up to, and practically all above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. 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, but a brief gentle trace was noted about a third of the way through the title track, but in terms of this one, it’s pretty minimal, very breif and faint. This too being played on a highly revealing system listed further down. No pops or noteworthy clicks were heard and this is an exceptional clean pressing overall that I feel certain (stated via experience) will blow away most originals that are so equipment intolerant. Few copies will outperform this early stereo pressing 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 mostly carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, if indeed anything really, spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

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. 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 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: Please as 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.

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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.