STEPHEN STILLS 2 RARE Orig UK 71 Atlantic Plum Nr EX LP

	£		58
	$		77

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

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: STEPHEN STILLS

Album Title: Stephen Stills 2.

Producer(s): Stephen Stills & Bill Halverson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Change Partners; Nothin’ to Do But Today; Fishes and Scorpions; Sugar Babe; Know You Got to Run; Open Secret.

Side 2: Relaxing Town; Singin’ Call; Ecology Song; Word Game; Marianne; Bluebird Revisited.

Label/Format: Atlantic – original red and maroon (“Plum’) format. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both almost as new, very clean, fresh and highly attractive with hardly a spindle mark to be seen. This another classic from the superb collection of very lightly played records, purchased from new by the one-and-only owner who played them very sparingly on a high quality system.

Cat Number: 2401013.

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: 132 grams. A very good, above average weight for this one.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Quite rare as a first pressing, a late release from 1971, the year of the transition to the Kinney format and change to the orange and green labels. Not only that, this album was packaged in one of the most delicate gatefold sleeves ever. Very soft, textured card that rubs, fades, creases and ringwears badly. Often seen with wooly edges that have scuffed, thinned and even split. Finding a super excellent cover for this is a massively difficult task. Well this one goes still higher and even includes the original lyric insert sheet. This is a beautiful package when seen looking anything like when new – few will have intact spines that include the text. With a first issue Plum record inside that offers fantastic audio quality, well this is beyond hard. A complex recording with some brass instrumentation, this plays beautifully with all the sharpness, focus and clarity of a new record. The difference when so little played and then only on a quality stereo system. It does have a few surface marks this time, but they are purely superficial and non-sounding. This is a classic ‘Plum’ most fans will treasure.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: ST-A 112221 D [2401013 AB1] / ST-A 112222 D [2401013 A/1 B] (the bracketed matrixes are error corrected and faint). The initials ‘PR’ are seen on both sides.

Musicians: A host of star and top quality musicians feature on this album including: ‘The Memphis Horns’, Eric Clapton, Nils Lofgren; Billy Preston, Dallas Taylor and David Crosby.

Brief Info: The second Steve Stills album and for me practically as good as the classic debut which was never going to be an easy act to follow. Brilliant and powerful songs with marvellous backing, no-one could have been disappointed with this album. I have rarely seen one in such lovely condition as a UK first issue. The cover is exceptional and the record sounds fantastic. This includes the original inner sleeve and a lyric insert sheet. So why does a gatefold cover that printed all the lyrics inside need a separate sheet? Well apparently, the printed cover lyrics have so many errors, it was decided the sheet was necessary. The unusual matrixes are also a big of a mess with errors, so it appears they added a completely new set alongside. A real joy to see and hear this lesser-lauded second album in such super condition, to preserve this impossibly wear-prone cover this well takes care and dedication – a trait clearly the one-and-only original owner had.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): and I never, ever thought I could offer this ultra delicate, wear- and damage-prone cover in this stupendious condition. This is an unlaminated gatefold format with lovely textured surfaces. Made with soft card that rubs and feathers almost by looking at it. Most are severly rubbed, ringworn, tatty and woolly. This is firm and unsoftened and really looks lovely. It was printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group and has (or course) the original 2401013 catalogue number. Includes the lyric insert sheet and custom card inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Beautiful, but oh-so delicate – this looks fantastic with barely any traces of wear at all. The card still solid and unsoftened by handling or usage. The graphic is almost as made with no fading, scuffing, grubbiness or marks. The lack of creasing or sticker issues a real bonus, try finding this front a great deal better. Even the edges, including the spine hinge fold is unrubbed.

Cover Back: Exceptional in ever way – very pale and seldom seen devoid of grubbiness and penetrating ringwear, this has none. Again, the spine fold edge is practically unworn and what makes both sides of this cover exceptional is the lack of any significant corner rubbing. Simply inserting this inside a protective cover could (and often did) rub these soft and unforgiving areas.

Cover Inner Gatefold: STUNNING, little short of perfection and simply the most stunning artwork – you almost feel you are there with the man. These surfaces are also textured and the lack of speckle to all four of the main faces outside and in, is beyond incredible. One of lesser spoken-of beautiful covers of this era of quality.

Top Edges: Any traces of rubbing on these pale coloured edges is very light and faint. Any woolliness is equally faint and unusually, both are straight and very neat.

Bottom Edges: Light rubbing only, being the traditional storage edges, few, if any will not have any. Most would be more than happy to have so little.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp (a term worthy of more with edges this soft) with very little wear and no feathering. Still very neat and the lack of chipping or rubbing to the design is hugely commendable. Any thickening is very modest and only viewed end-on gives any indication of such. Record entered on the back edge, the front is closed. Both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: Here must lie the ultimate test of this cover, and glad to say, it shows only modest traces of any wear. Still quite solid, straight with any compression slight, there is a mild tilt to right. This is still clean with any rubbing very light and modest. Practically all text had survived and most is present with just a few characters showing tiny clipping. All still very readable. When most are seen threadbare and the surface and text completely eroded, it simply puts this particular spine into true context.

Corners: Any tip rubbing or wear is very light and modest. No dinking, fraying of softening to any degree. Near excellent shape is retained or better.

Cover Summary: One to be admired and enjoyed, they rarely get seen quite like this. Bordering on connoisseur standard, this fragile but beautiful cover should please most collectors.

The Illustrated Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: or very close to. An unlined thick paper inner that was not lined. It has external flipback construction and still looks attractive. One very small central edge split and a little mild crinkle, but no real creasing. There is a light stain trace on the silouette side that shows little. The dark surfaces are highly prone to fingermarks but little evidence of any here and the lack of ringwear is equally good news. The owner put all his records in lined replacements, so this has faired well over the years.

The Lyric Insert: EXCELLENT(++): possibly unique to an album with the lyrics printed on the cover. As stated further up, apparently the number of errors on the cover deemed this sheet necessary. Printed both sides and with the original 2401 013 number, this is guaranteed original. It has the odd tiny mark and a very small and faint corner crease, but little else with sharp edges. Printed on pale buff thick paper with a matt finish.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: this one does have some light surface marks, mild surface scuffs. But purely superificial and non-sounding. A fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. In fact this record offers superb audio quality and the mild surface marks are totally ignored – there are no penetrating scratches on this record at all. A copy little played on all the evidence. Visually still a super record that should please many collectors but not quite for the visual perfectionist.

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 scarce Plum original plays beautifully with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound (important with the reeds etc), all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is fantastic with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds hardly even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly critical album. The minor surface blemishes have no audio consequence at all. The complexities of the backing is pin sharp and focused with no clipping or stressing to the delicate high frequencies. Few copies will match or outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored within a smoke-free environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy could prove very difficult to match or find significantly better and is highly 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’.