THE WOODEN O - A HANDEFUL OF PLEASANT DELITES rare 1969 UK Middle Earth 301, EX+

	£		34
	$		45

THE WOODEN O - A HANDEFUL OF PLEASANT DELITES

A rare very first UK vinyl LP pressing of this 1969 folk gem on the coveted UK MIDDLE EARTH label, STEREO MDLS 301

 Matrix Numbers :

  Side 1 MDLS 301A1 - H with stampers "A" and "2A" at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock respectively

   Side 2 MDLS 301B1 - H with stampers "A" and "1A" at 11 o'clock and 5 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is truly excellent+. Each side of the vinyl has retained an impressive and still beautifully lacquered sheen and it's only under a bright light that a few very, very light wispy hairlines can be detected, and even then these are minimal - nothing really. It seems that this record has not been played many times at all.

Each label is excellent+. All writing remains perfectly defined, as does the smooth surface and colouring. Just a couple of very faint spindle traces adjacent to the centre hole.

The iconic Garrod & Lofthouse laminated outer sleeve is excellent. The top and bottom edges remain well defined with no scuffing at all. There is some very minor scuffing on the spine where all the writing remains legible, and three out of the four corners have a little scuffing and/or rubbing. There is some sporadic laminate creasing, taking the form of 1-2cm surface creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine and bottom side, though none of these impinge upon the spine itself. There is a more noticeable 11cm surface laminate crease in the top left quadrant parallel to the spine, which I have tried to show in my photos. The only other blemish of note is a light "rippling" effect on the opening front side from the top to about half way down. The front-side colouring is great, retaining it's original vibrancy. The reverse side is excellent - no faults at all apart from just the hint of a little age discolouration towards the edges.

Finally, the quality of the audio is an overall excellent (at least). Beautiful tone and clarity throughout, even on the higher frequencies and at high volume with no distortion. There is just a little background static ("crackle" would be too strong a word) at the beginning of each side. Middle Earth vinyl is renowned for it's poor reproduction - this is not the case here at all..in fact I can't imagine that the sound quality was noticeably better on the day this record was purchased. Brilliant!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

THE LESSON

1. Toye Tune

2. Pipe Tune

3. Sad

4. Dance Tune

5. Sick Tune

6. Walking Tune

7. Concerto

Side 2 :

LOVER'S PROGRESS

1. Maypole

2. Overture

3. Sweet Bedded

4. Arise

5. Fayne Would

6. It Was

7. Away

Comes in the original poly-line Middle Earth inner sleeve with no tears or splits, just some creasing towards the bottom left corner and a little degeneration on the top edge - still fully functional.

In summary, a truly excellent and wholly impressive rare UK first pressing of this long lost folk gem on the coveted Middle Earth label.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other listings for more 50's, 60's and 70's classic vinyl.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. 

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in removing the record from the outer sleeve in order to prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class and signed for  : UK £4.00, continental Europe £8, and Rest of the World £12. 

 I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding! Richard

Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :

Mint

Description: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

Description: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packag­ing might have slight wear and/or creasing.

Very Good

Description: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable sur­face marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

Description: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

Fair 

Description: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for prop­erly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.

Poor

Description: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

Description: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.