THE BATTERED ORNAMENTS Mantle-Piece VERY RARE ORIG 1969 UK 1G/1G HARVEST LP.

	£		265
	$		351

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 arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing 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 ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to 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.

Artist or Band: THE BATTERED ORNAMENTS

Album Title: Mantle-piece.

Producer(s): Andrew King.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Sunshades; Late Into the Night; Then I Must Go; The Crosswords and the Safety Pins.

Side 2: Staggered; Twisted Track; Smoke Rings; Take Me Now; My Love’s Gone Far Away.

Label/Format: Harvest – original pre-EMI format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with less than moderate spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. These are quite fine and faint, mostly as seen with angled viewing. This record plays beautifully throughout with barely issues worthy of mention.

Cat Number: SHVL 758.

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: 138 grams. A very solid weight and typical for Harvest at this time.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare – this has always been one of the most elusive Harvest albums and truly getting harder and harder to find in any condition. It was a poor seller and largely went unnoticed. This one a prized 1G/1G ultimate first pressing and in lovely all-round condition. The only issue, one cover edge had clear tape applied, this now gone, the only evidence of any real note being a darkened line on the inside left edge as clearly seen on my picture. The record itself is very clean and plays superbly well. Only my second copy ever, my last one way back in 2003.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: SHVL 758 A-2 / SHVL 758 B-2

Mothers / Stampers: 1 G / 1 G (these the ultimate first mothers and stamper codes), hugely prized and sort-after by serious discerning collectors.

Musicians: Nisar Ahmad Khan - Gibson maestro, reeds, flute, vocals; Chris Spedding - guitars, steel guitar, Portuguese chittara, piano, organ, vocals; Roger Potter - bass guitar, vocals; Pete Bailey - conga drums, African percussion, vocals; Rob Tait - drums, guira, tambourine, vocals.

Brief Info: Originally put together by Pete Brown prior to his departure due to musical differences. The remaining band issued Mantle-piece with new vocals added. A very strong album retaining much of the Brown sound but of course lacking his distinctive vocal presence. Brown is credited for many of the actual songs though but no longer appears. With the original Harvest Pete Brown titles selling poorly, this one faired even less well and was almost universally ignored. Thus 1969 issues are immensely hard to find, especially in really fine conditions. Personally, I regard it as one of the most elusive Harvest albums ever made – possibly second only to Tea and Symphony’s ‘Jo Sago’ – and not a great deal in it either, I think this one is still vastly underpriced in guides. As stated, this has little to fault and plays with superb sound. A cult underground album with some great prog-rock material – side two especially is fantastic. A little ‘out-there’ and far from mainstream. Also a 1G/1G ultimate first pressing, so a very rare opportunity for collectors, these are seldom seen or offered.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: (but with a tape line inside on the left edge). Any degrading of this is purely subjective, so make up your own mind. My grading is purely based on real wear. A gatefold format with the outside laminated protected. The inside is matt and smooth. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day and Co Ltd. Includes the Harvest promotional inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: The laminate retains a superb shine, freshness and clarity with no lifting and minimal traces of dulling, even on the ultra revealing black front. A few mainly light edge creases on the front that show little, the back has a couple on the spine edge that are only small, but do show a little more Mild rim impression also on the back that few can ever avoid and both sides show very few surface marks or blemishes. Each side has the non-protected laminate end line near the opening edge, both are in superb condition. The black front one possibly just giving a tiny clue to the previous tape adhesion – now gone – with a faint trace of sheen from the backing. This being ultra critical almost for the sake of it. The only real evidence any tape was here is on the inside. Although I have seen very few of these over the years, it is the very best one so far. Most seem to suffer severe dulling, lifting and creasing. Being as rare as it is, this will please many collectors, even with the blemish inside.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The obvious issue is a darkened line, around a third of an inch wide, on the left edge where clear tape was applied and now dried and removed. The opposite side has a faint trace of ‘set-off’ from this, but that really is minimal indeed. This apart, it has little else to really fault. Minimal grubbiness and only a hint of natural set-off where black ink rests upon white when closed that is near impossible to avoid. The four main faces – the one obvious relatively minor issue aside – will prove very difficult to find much better.

Top Edges: Both very straight and lay flat and flush. Any hint of rubbing minimal and faint.

Bottom Edges: Very similar again, the odd slight friction rub trace on the white back.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and mostly very sharp with barely any wear. Any thickening or burring minuscule. Record enters on the back edge, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with a little compression nearer the top. Folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and near parallel allowing for the lightish spine compression. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and mainly intact laminate.

Corners: Any tip rubbing very small and light, all retain very fine, and some evern better shape.

Cover Summary: The one obvious blemish apart, a very strong all-round example of this very rare late 1960s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better – indeed finding this at all these days will prove hard enough at all. This still very attractive example should please many collectors – and on the evidence I have seen over time, it could even prove a significant upgrade for some.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): with any ageing minimal, just a trace of darkening of the seam adhesive that few, if any will ever totally avoid. Clean, still fresh, barely creased with no edge splits. It even retains the lining which is intact. The lack of edge splits always a bonus and this has NO repairs. These early Harvest inners promote similar, and in most cases, rare albums from the fledgling catalogue.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with very fine shine and very solidly pressed. Any surface marks mostly fine and light as seen under bright angled light, no penetrating scratches and sound quality impressively clean. 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 major Harvest and prog-rock rarity plays even above it’s high visual grading with barely anything 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 barely registered and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Spindle evidence may suggest a few plays, but I suggest carefully and this evdience is – to say the least – always sketchy anyway. Few copies will outperform this ultimate 1G/1G pressing significantly I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – my first since 2003. It could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. These seldom surface and made available for sale, so a chance not to be missed.

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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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’.