THE WHITE NOISE An Electric Storm VERY RARE Pink Island

	£		77
	$		102

Hi, I am Mike, now 48 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 34 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and elusive items now. 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, 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 (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. The only thing I cannot guarantee one hundred percent is exact colour matching - this depends on the lighting at the time and that is out of my control, but I feel sure most items will be very close to the actual real item. Variation can sometimes occur too in colour of the label scans and labels taken next to the sleeve with a digital camera, the scanned full label pictures should be the most accurate. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Album Title: An Electric Storm.

Production Co-ordinator: David Vorhaus.

Track Listing: Side 1: PHASE-IN: Love Without Sound; My Game of Loving; Here Come the Fleas; Firebird; Your Hidden Dreams. Side 2: PHASE-OUT: The Visitation BLACK MASS: An Electric Storm in Hell.

Label/Format: Island – Full deep pink format with i logo. A beautiful pair with a deeply textured finish. These have a very deep inner ring ridge for around an inch around the hole and moderately deep rim bevel ridge.

Label Conditions: Both look lovely with the very rich pink colour and a ‘rustic’ type appearance. Both very clean and attractive with only light+ and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area.

Cat Number: ILPS 9099.

Mode: Stereo.

Weight of this Record: 151 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare, make no mistake, a full pink copy of this amazing record is very hard to find indeed. Bought by a very few brave listeners, few would have forked out for a highly experimental album like this back in 69. I consider this to be one of the hardest Pink Island albums to find especially with the record in strong condition. This has not the greatest cover I have ever seen but few will have, the record more than compensates and is a mind-blowing experience in every way.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: ILPS + 9099 + A / ILPS + 9099 + B

Musicians: Delia Derbyshire & Brian Hodgson – Electronic Sound Realisation; Paul Lytton - Percussion; John Whiteman, Annie Bird, Val Shaw – Vocals; David Vorhaus – Special Stereo Effects.

Brief Info: Without doubt one of the most advanced, daring and totally unique albums ever made. So far ahead in terms of technology and content, this very rare Island still sounds advanced even today – some 37 years after issue. This is not a typical Island record, a label well known for progressive music but this album went far beyond ‘progressive’. For the curious who bought this one around issue time, well they must have wondered what they had let themselves in for. Music at this time consisted of pop and blues-based rock, the beginning of the guitar-keyboard progressive era. The White Noise were a little different to say the least: experimental electronic mayhem, full-throttle stereo pyrotechnics with use of sounds, as the cover states: that have never been heard before by humans. This record blends singers, instrumentalists and complex electronic sound into a collage of entertainment. Some gentle moments too but some truly mind-warping mayhem that leave the senses reeling. At times tripping into the avant garde arena, not dissimilar to later pioneering electronic exponents Throbbing Gristle. Side one includes very convincing frenzied orgasmic sounds juxaposing between speakers, very ahead of its time – this must have caused many a raised eyebrow for the unsuspecting listener way back. The title song lives up to its title with manic electronic screamed vocals that will make the hair on the neck stand up – truly scary stuff, this is not a record for the faint hearted or regular pop music fan. This is real groundbreaking experimentalism, more the type of music heard on small independent labels not a major like Island. So who were the White Noise? Well put simply, they featured members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the people brought very much to the attention of Britain in the mid-60s and beyond with the theme music for ‘Dr Who’ – quite possibly the most famous and best TV theme ever – a classic piece that still sounds as brilliant now as it did then, albeit slightly modernised now. This a massively difficult record just to find on the Pink label and even more difficult to find in a playable condition. This vintage record is a roller-coaster ride of quite passages and extreme sound. If this was played on less than fine equipment or treated with due respect – and many would have been – this complex record would have been written-off very quickly. Even today’s modern equipment get a full workout from this record and to enjoy this one to maximum effect, play as loudly as possible or on a pair of quality speakers or headphones. Few copies will stand the test with heavy crackle and distortion being rife on so many. Even pink rim reissues suffer just as badly and the cover is a nightmare too. This copy has a very fine record that still sounds superb, not perfect, but the best I have ever heard by some great distance. The cover is too is way above the average found the main blemish being the original owner put cellotape on the bottom edge to minimise risk of knifing by the very heavy record – it has a very sharp rim. For those, the vast majority I would think, who did not experience The White Noise back in the late 60s, this is a fine change to own a strong original copy of the record. It should please most collectors but for those who demand perfection this is not quite that but in all reality, it may be the best Pink copy you will hear for some time.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high indeed, quite possibly the most difficult Island cover of all. For me this falls below the usual very high E. J. Day standard being quite thin and flimsy, it even has an almost ‘budget’ look and feel to it. Possibly made on a budget as this had no commercial potential at all. A black and white cover with a smooth finish, a thick heavy record inside, this has little hope of even surviving in a low EX condition with a VG one being a ‘nice one’. This again, is the best I have ever seen, slightly faded maybe but displaying none of the usual horrendous ringwear and rubbing normally associated with these type and this one in particular.

Cover Grade and Format: (EX-) with a cellotape residue mark on the bottom edge area front and back. A single format with no laminate protection. This was printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day & Co Ltd. Minus the tape residue line, this cover would be light years ahead of most found. Even with it, it is still very attractive, the lack of general wear makes this quite exceptional in real terms.

Cover Front: I state again, this has a cellotape residue mark along the bottom edge area, it can be seen on my pictures. That apart an exceptional cover for this major Island rarity. This includes the original early Island ‘eyeball’ logo on the top right corner, the guides do not state if this appeared with this label logo, but is possibly did – I have never seen it myself. An uncompromising cover in all departments, ruthlessly revealing of ringwear and rubbing, this has little or either and few marks either. A slight white rub can be seen on the left central edge area but few others. Slightly less than intense black, this may have indeed faded a little over the course of its long life. Hardly any creases and only a relative few light surface marks. Minus the tape mark, this is very strong indeed..

Cover Back: The back is even better, the tape mark is not so evident and overall this is a deeper black than the front. Again few marks and no ringwear or creasing – almost exceptional for the most demanding of covers.

Top Edge: Light neat rubbing (no cellotape was applied here).

Bottom Edge: Virtually rub-free, one advantage of the tape protection I guess.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear or feathering. Record entered on this right outside edge.

Spine and Text: Solid but thin, reasonably straight with some compression in places. Against all odds most text is unworn and largely all still present with little wear.

Corners: All corners have light to moderate rubbing with fairly decent shape retained.

Cover Summary: Everything about this cover has to be taken into perspective. Even at my somewhat conservative grading of EX(-), this is an exceptional example. When most are found falling apart and with ugly deep ringwear and rubbing, tatty no text spines, price sticker tears and edge splits, this is nearly as good as they ever get. The tape is a blemish for sure but better that than tattiness. This basic, but still attractive item should please many collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX(-) also but like the cover, close EX. Still an exceptional visual copy for a record that is as difficult as the cover. Very clean, with fine shine, deep black and very heavily pressed. This is a real heavyweight record pressed on thick, deep grooved vinyl. Complex groove patterns indicate real hi-fi sounds embedded in these. A real minefield for any stylus to tackle, no wonder so many original copies are in shocking conditions. This copy looks only lightly played, confirmed by still superb overall sound. It does have some light surface marks, hairlines and faint surface scuffs but most all are superficial and non-sounding. Visually a super record that should please many collectors again.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This astonishing record plays up to its visual grading and mostly way above with little to really fault. Strong, distortion-free sound – a very important factor on this one – all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound, sounds like no other record I have ever heard before, a totally unique album. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, some mild gentle crackle on some of the quiet passages but little bothered me in the slightest. No significant pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a very difficult album. I can never imagine any copy of this playing silent but this record gives a great account of itself with little offending my ears. The music may frighten some I hasten to add quickly, this is certainly way out stuff and ‘Mojo’ magazine again included this title in its poll of ‘Most Out There’ albums of all time last year. I would say this was ‘extreme’ but its certainly ‘challenging’. Few copies will outperform this original Pink pressing significantly I feel sure – most will fall below, I have heard a few that I would never even think about offering, this easily passes and unless near silence is demanded, this should please many. Both channels are clean and sharp, I feel very sure this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and quite carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Obviously the owner reinforced this cover with the best of intentions, clear tape shows little when first applied, but ages over time, dries and then peels off leaving a mark. Anyway, practically nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. I state again, this does have some light and very gentle surface sound in a few places but light enought for me to ignore as the astounding sounds took over. This rare copy could prove very difficult to find significantly better in real terms and I know for certain, it will take a very special copy to better it significantly.

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 neccessarily 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’.

My Terms For Bidding

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions for payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I buy quality single items and collections also (I am regularly told I offer the best prices – please Email me if you have items for sale).

Payment Details please read carefully - I know its boring but essential:

UK First Class: = £3 or Special Delivery (Next day, fully insured), the best service available = £7.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured & Signed For: £8.00.

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured & Signed For (where available) = £11.00. Doubles add extra £1. Reductions for multiple items for all.

Any item that sells for over £75 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £100 get the same service Overseas. This gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£30).

Mailing Details: Please note I do NOT profit on postage, in fact I lose money on most packets (my packing standards are very high and the package weighs a little more - I simply refuse to compromise with poor packing. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken OUT of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR proper stiffners for extra protection (if space allows). More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new inner, but will include the original inner if available.

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal or IMO’s from overseas bidders.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer.