THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH The Going’s Easy SCARCE UK HARVEST LP.

	£		51
	$		68

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this 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. 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: GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

Album Title: The Going’s Easy.

Producer(s): Jonathan Peel.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Borderline; Magic Woman Touch; Story Times and Nursery Rhymes.

Side 2: The Leader; Love Magnet; Tell The Story.

Label/Format: Harvest – original with no EMI logo and ‘Gramophone Co Ltd’ rim text.

Label Conditions: Slightly dulled but generally clean with mainly light, scattered spindle marks that only really show under angled light.

Cat Number: SHVL 783.

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: 142 grams. A very good solid weight for any record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: like many of the early Harvest bands, not a major seller, also seldom seen with a decent cover.

Original Year of Release: November 1970. This being a very late pre-EMI Harvest album.

Matrix Nos: SHVL 783 A-1G / SHVL 783 B-1G

Stamper Codes: 1 A / 1 M

Musicians: Mike Deacon - organ, piano, vocals; Dick Hanson - trumpet, flugel horn, percussion; Colin Horton-Jennings - lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, bongos; Tex Philpotts - saxophones; Ron Prudence - congas, drums; Garth Watt-Roy - vocals, guitars; Norman Watt-Roy - vocals, bass guitar; Ian Aitchison - saxophones, percussion.

Brief Artist & Album Info: This vintage John Peel produced album, their second, is another lesser-known gem on this most famous progressive label. Out of the two albums, I feel this is the harder of the pair to find and even more so with a decent cover as it is so prone to all forms of wear. The Greatest Show on Earth had their own distinctive sound, a large eight-piece band that utilised the use of brass into their progressive sound, a sound that works supremely well and is never too dominate or overpowering. This record has surface marks but largely superficial, but a few clicks and a little crackle in places, so not perfect. I have always found this hard to get and it is the first example I have had for several years and had to go back to my 2006 archives to find the last one.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt surfaces. The outer is finely textured, the inside smooth, the card is thin and soft, clearly very fragile. Made in England by the E. J. Day Group and includes the Harvest promotional inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Rarely seen without significant wear of all types. This front has little at all with just a little rubbing on the edges and corner tips. A gentle trace also near the top against an internal flipback, but look hard. Overall, clean, fresh and attractive with deep colour and barely any speckle to the texturing. The lack of creasing, sticker damage and ring marks also significant bonuses, this front will always prove hard to find much better.

Cover Back: Again a little light rubbing near the edges and tips. The odd very faint trace of rim rubbing but possibly the lightest you will see on this unforgiving back. The spine sold on both sides has hardly any rubbing at all, that again highly unusual.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Barely anything to really fault, this looks very impressive.

Top Edges: Some patchy rubbing on the front, lesser on the back. A small neat split on the back right I neatly repaired to stop it widening.

Bottom Edges: Light to moderate patchy rubbing. These soft card covers seldom escape this on the traditional storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear, surprisingly minimal traces of any thickening or burring even viewed end-on. Record enters on the back edge, both are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight, uncompressed and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely and parallel. A smallish surface scuff near the edge of the bottom and rubs to the ends. However, most all of the folds retain full ink coverage and ALL the text is fully present and unworn – that a huge plus on such a cover – this seen in my close-up picture.

Corners: All four show moderate rubbing with generally fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: Given all the facts, this is a very fine example of this scarce Hipgnosis designed Harvest cover. Some edge wear and odd minor blemish, but it will take a really exceptional one to better it significantly. Not for the perfectionist, but this should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: the Harvest lined promotional inner is fully intact and clean. No edge splits or repairs with just a crease on the bottom edge. As per most, a little darkening of the seam adhesive, but far less than the majority.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: VERY GOOD: this has a few more visible surface marks, and a few are long. Also under light, more finer ones are seen too. A respectable example, but definitely not for the visual purist. The surfaces retain a fine shine and the record very solidly pressed. I have no qualms in offering a record of a little lower grading than I normally do because it generally does play very well and it is also quite rare.

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 quite elusive Harvest original mainly plays above it’s visual grading with very fine sound. Strong, distortion-free audio, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and detailed sound. Full on production with impressive presentation of the high octane music, I really enjoyed this, my first listen since 2006. Most of the music is quite loud. Any surface sound was mainly light – some noted on ‘Love Magnet’ and the odd quiet passage. A few sporadic clicks, but most heard were only fairly light and brief, it could be likely few early copies will play much better in real terms. Yes there are marks, but the most are superficial. As I have often stated: if a record does not please me for sound, I will not offer it – and this I still found enjoyable, but NOT perfect – so be aware. Little really spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this copy, this too being played on very sensitive equipment, but it will NOT be for everyone, especially the more discerning or sensitive listener. With a very decent cover and fine to very fine sound, this could still take a fair degree of beating and can still be warmly recommended – but do NOT expect the greatest looking record on earth or entirely silent sound.

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’.

a li