THE MOODY BLUES A Question of Balance SUPERB RARER ORIG UK 1970 -1W/-1W EX++ LP.

	£		43
	$		57

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 arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details 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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for 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.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: THE MOODY BLUES

Album Title: A Question of Balance.

Producer: Tony Clarke.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Question; How Is It (we are here); And the Tide Rushes In; Don’t You Feel Small; Tortoise and the Hare.

Side 2: It’s Up to You; Minstrel’s Song; Dawning is the Day; Melancholy Man; The Balance.

Label/Format: Threshold with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both in super condition: ultra clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle marks light and very faint, hardly any at all. This a superb original with lovely sound, cover and insert.

Cat Number: THS 3.

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 typical top-quality Decca-pressed record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate but try to find this record better, it looks and plays like a brand new copy with audiophile quality sound.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: XZAL 10009-P-1W / XZAL 10010-P-1W

Mothers / Stampers: 1 NH / CF GI [some letters unclear and my best interpretation]

Musicians: Justin Hayward: vocals, guitar, mandolin; John Lodge: vocals, bass; Ray Thomas: vocals, flute, tambourine; Graeme Edge: drums, percussion, whispered vocal; Mike Pinder: vocals, mellotron.

Brief Info: A fairly prolific band and this was their sixth album. Another wonderful record, it’s amazing the high standards of their work simply refused to diminish. Another haunting set with beautiful lush melodies and still never afraid to experiment. Blending electric and acoustic pop-psychedelia, some songs with a political edge and now becoming evermore progressive, this is a album no-one could fail to like and this wonderful group went from strength-to-strength. Playing this copy was a sheer delight from start to finish, a perfect pressing and that has practically nothing unwanted. A top quality thick Decca-pressed record that looks fantastic. With a very strong, original format cover and lyric insert too, this is a gem for fans of this absolutely brilliant band.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): and probably worthy of the extra (+) as well. An unlaminated gatefold format, this has the closing shaped flap on the top spine text edge that has a hole, that I presume was designed for hanging this beautiful cover. This format relatively briefly available, the flap and retaining slot feature were later omitted. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse, the more basic ones without the flap were made by Robert Stace. This includes the gatefold graphic lyric insert sheet, also the heavy-duty polylined Decca-style inner sleeve.

Cover Front: A superb looking front with very rich colour, no fading, barely any marks or creasing. Clean and fresh with fantastic artwork with no rubs or sticker marks. On the inside of this open edge, there is the flap that when inserted into the back recess, holds the cover closed. This fragile flap is strong and with hardly any traces of wear, a hint of thickening being critical. It has a manufactured punched small hole, I can only assume this was designed to be hung displayed, but that is purely an opinion, why else would it be there?

Cover Back: The back is very similar again and no ringwear. Any blemishes minuscule, this is highly attractive, and when opened and displayed with the front, this looks gorgeous as seen on my picture.

Cover Inner Gatefold: More fantastic artword and both faces look practically as new bar.

Top Edges: A little gentle central rubbing on the back edge. Both are neat and sit flush.

Bottom Edges: Minimal rub traces only.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has the text on the flap hinge, this is barely worn with all lettering fully intact and clean. The back edge is open for storage of the record (or insert). This is very crisp and sharp with without thickening or burring, also guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

The Spine: Solid, straight with slight compression and tilt, folded squarely and the right edges are parallel and flush. This has no text, that on the opposite edge described above, but the graphic flows around. A little rubbing on the bottom fold, this mainly on one area.

Corners: Small and light tip rubs on the front right pair, little else. Very fine to excellent shape, some even better still.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this superb original ‘flap’ format early 1970’s cover, one that could prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Lyric Insert: PRACTICALLY MINT as made. Ultra clean, fresh and clearly little handled. The single manufactured fold is totally unstressed and solid, all lyrics are included. A very fine, deeply coloured inner with razor sharp edges with a pure white back that has no toning or age spots.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): a Decca-style polylined inner which has only a little corner crinkle and mild seam adhesive darkening that few ever avoid. This has the small size window circle which is crisp and neat, the lining very clear. No edge splits or repairs. British patented with ‘Foreign patents pending’ text, this is date-coded 7-70 (July 1970), that is practically the time of issue.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and even this being somewhat critical. This magnificent Moody’s album looks fantastic, only under bright angled light can any minuscule super-fine surface traces be seen – these ever finer than hairlines. Hardlyp layed, they are hardly get a great deal better. A superb visual copy that is very clean with fine shine and very solidly pressed. Visually a super record that should please most-all 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 snippetts 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 quality record plays up too its 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 equally detailed sound. Barely any surface sounds were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing that was a real pleasure to listen too. Few available copies will match or outperform this gem. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this impressive record. It will prove very difficult to find better and merits 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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.