THE MOODY BLUES In Search of the Lost Chord RARER ORIG UK 1968 MONO EX LP - NICE

	£		32
	$		42

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.

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: In Search of the Lost Chord.

Producer(s): Tony Clarke.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Departure; Ride My See-Saw; Dr Livingstone, I Presume; House of Four Doors; Legend of a Mind; House of Four Doors (Part 2).

Side 2: Voices in the Sky; The Best Way to Travel; Visions of Paradise; The Actor; The Word; Om.

Label/Format: Deram – Original large format DSS format in brown meaning this is a mono copy. These have matt, smooth surfaces with the deep ring ridge towards the rim.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with a little less than moderate spindle marks that are very fine and light, only really seen under angled light. This very early copy plays with clean impressive sound and has not been ruined by heavy-tracking or any worn mono stylus.

Cat Number: DML 711.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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: 145 grams. A typical very solid pressing on this quality label. Deram records were pressed by Decca and subsidiary of the same company.

Rarity: Scarce in mono: those that show invariably have been heavily played and often with major sound deterioration and scratches. This is certainly NOT the case with this copy, this offers clean and impressive sound throughout.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Country of Manufacture: England.

Matrix Nos: ARL-8270-1W / ARL-8271-1W

Stamper Codes: 2B C / 2B C

Musicians: Justin Hayward – 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, tablas, piano, mellotron, bass guitar, harpsichord, percussion, vocals; Mike Pinder – Mellotrons, piano, harpsichord, cello, acoustic guitar, bass and auto-harp; John Lodge – bass, cello, tambourine, snare drum, acoustic guitar, vocals; Ray Thomas – C flute; alto flute, soprano saxophone, vocals; Graeme Edge – Drums, timpani, tambourine, tablas, piano.

Brief Artist & Album Info: The ‘Magnificent’ Moodies third album and follow-up to the wonderful Days of Future Passed, it features their most famous line-up as seen above. A wide and varied array of instrumentation that blends beautifully to create some of the most inspired and brilliant songs of the latter part of the 1960s. For many years, they have been one of my personal favourite bands with all their albums up to, and including ‘Seventh Sojourn’ essential. Sublime melodies that use that most wonderful of instruments, the Mellotron with that lovely atmospheric ‘whooshing’ sound that gave their music a uniquely haunting edge. Along with Hayward’s perfect vocals which include poetic readings, this was innovative pop-psychedelia that evolved into early progressive music. A conceptual piece with the theme of discovery, easy on the ear with infectious songs that remain in the subconscious for hours after playing. I remember from my schooldays hearing the wonderful single ‘Nights in White Satin’, reissued from the previous album, it left a lasting impression – I even had this song played at my wedding in 1984. They set standards of excellence few ever could match and were justifiably popular. Thus one good reason finding mono originals in clean visual and playing conditions is so difficult – people who bought them tended to play them a lot. Although this one has some spindle usage evidence, this offers very impressive and clean mono sound quality. The mix and delivery of the music quite different to the stereo with punchy and warmer sound. Not only has this record withstood the test-of-time and usage, the cover is equally impressive. Another classic that blends early psychedelia with elements of progressive-rock, this is album and copy are strongly recommended.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): this being quite critical as well. A gatefold format, laminated with Clarifoil front and back. The inside is matt and smooth, the original owner put the date-of-purchase on the inside top right corner – 28/8/68 – that tells it’s own story, one of the earliest made. Printed and made in England by Robert Stace. The back has the ‘also available in stereo’ text and the correct mono prefix number. NO mono/stereo peep-hole, these came in 1969. One other piece of detail on the first covers, the front graphic bleeds off into the spine near the top and bottom – this seen in close-up.

Cover Cosmetic Improvements: None Apparent.

Lamination – Front & Back: A gorgeous looking cover with terrific artwork as most of their early albums had. This now 46-years-old, and very little here to remind of the fact. The back has darkened a little with traces of thickening to the bottom storage edge. Both sides retain excellent shine, freshness and clarity with any barely any dulling at all. One tiny lift on the front top left corner and a couple of sliver traces on the back on the spine edge – with normal viewing, this hardly shows. Clarifoil has a habit of tightening over time, and such covers are more often seen this large blisters or badly bowed. So any minor issues like this are minimal. The front is single thickness card, so these will rarely lie dead flat these days, this one is not far off. A major plus is the lack of creasing, also any rim impression minimal. Also no press marks or scuffs. The front graphic is magnificent and for me, one of the classic 1960s covers. Both sides will not prove easy to find better as an original as I hope my pictures show.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The only issue for the more discerning is the date written near the top right corner as mentioned above. Personally, I think that actually adds to the history, putting an exact date of purchase to this copy. Both faces are worn or aged, even the fragile centre fold hinge, being the single thickness spine, has barely worn or weakened at all. Just a tiny crinkle-rub near the very end of the bottom. Like the outside faces, this inside will also prove hard to find better and has avoided the usual discolouration and grubbiness many get over time.

Top Edges: Practically no wear or thickening at all, any burring to the thin front is minuscule.

Bottom Edges: Being the usual storage edges, these have thickened as seen more viewed end-on. However, there is no chipping to the main front, back and inner artwork which makes a big difference.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Very clean quite sharp (the front very sharp) with very little wear. No feathering and any thickening or burring light, all are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced at all. Record enteres on the back edge. Quite unusually too, the single thickness front lies quite flat, any bowing gentle and light – this can vary on humidity and temperature conditions. The front a little to the left of the back due to very slight tilt of the spine edge opposite.

Spine and Text: A superb spine: solid, straight with no compression as such, but a very gentle tilt to left, this being critical. So at stated already, the right front edge is not quite flush to the back, that hardly unusual. Folded very square with the edges meeting up very closely together and parallel – this makes a for a very neat and attractive finish to the cover. All text is perfect and unworn under the very solid and uncracked laminate that remains very smooth to the fingertip, totally uncracked or scuffed. A detail also on these early covers – also mentioned above – the front artwork graphic bleeds off into the top and bottom of the spine – later covers omit this detail. This seen in close-up.

Corners: A little rubbing, light tip creasing on the lower tips, very little on top ones. Clearly a cover that will be difficult to avoid minor issues of this type. Fine to very fine shape (some even better) is retained.

Cover Summary: One of the classic 1960s covers and it will seldom be found much better with the original DSS logo and ‘mono’ on it. A genuine 1968 example that gives few clues to the fact in terms of wear. If the written date inside is not an issue, it should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: the vintage polylined Decca-style inner is included in only relatively lightly aged condition. In terms of real wear, hardly any, but it has the usual seam edge, adhesive darkening which is rarely avoided to some degree on covers this impressive age. A little gentle, natural crinkle but no hard creasing with a neat clear lining and no damage to the window circles that are razor sharp. All edges unsplit with no repairs. This is British patented and has the ‘Foreign Patents ending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: and this is a splendid mono original with little more than very fine and faint surface marks seen with more scrutiny under bright angled light. Just viewing records in natural daylight is not sufficient to see these ultra fine whispy blemishes, so as usual, I inspect all my records under a very bright desk lamp that hides nothing. A very clean record with fine shine and solidly pressed by Decca, one of the toughest and best record manufacturers ever. There are no penetrating scratches at all, hence this record plays almost devoid of clicks that ruin so many old mono copies. Remember, just one arm drop or jolt will potentially mean another classic written-off or ruined – this has NOT happened on this one. A lovely record, especially so given the age and mode, so many are seen literally trashed. This will prove easy to find much better and will again 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quite elusive original mono record plays up too and most all exceeds its high visual grading with very little to fault at all. Strong, distortion-free mono sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. All Moody Blues albums are vintage hi-fi favourites, the recording quality and pressings are second to none. The production and audio quality was ahead of it’s time and even today, some 46 years after issue, still pleases. Very few traces of surface sound and very little unwanted, and this is a record with some very quiet and gentle passages as per most Moody Blues albums. The odd sporadic tick and crackle trace is nigh-on impossible to avoid totally, especially when played on a clinically revealing Linn LP12 stereo turntable, for this record was not really designed. Few mono records this great age will play ‘silent’ in their entirety and the odd tiny blemish is considered by most as normal. Both channels are clean, sharp and focused, certainly played a few times, but not excessively so, and I suggest, with due care. Often the flute and Mellotron on vintage Moodies albums can distort with an echo type reverb caused by groove wear – a mild distortion that ruins the beautiful sound. I did not detect any on my system and little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this classic album. It will prove difficult to find significantly better with the DSS mono labels and -1W matrixes and this can be highly recommended.

End Piece: One of the lesser-lauded pioneering classics of the 1960s by one of the greatest ever bands from any era. A copy worthy of this title, timeless, classic ‘progressive’ popular music. It’s amazing to think that the next two albums were arguably even better, it just proves what a fantastic band The Moody Blues truly were. Cleaner sounding mono originals do not come along too often – and I am not saying this is absolutely perfect – but even on an uncompromising LP12 and revealing moving coil cartridge, this gave an impressive account of itself and I enjoyed it a lot.

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’.