WISHBONE ASH Pilgrimage RARER Orig UK 71 1st Press EX++

	£		37
	$		49

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: WISHBONE ASH

Album Title: Pilgrimage.

Producer(s): Derek Lawrence.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Vas Dis; The Pilgrim; Jail Bait; Alone.

Side 2: Lullaby; Valediction; Where Were You Tomorrow.

Label/Format: MCA – original brown and orange ‘dogbone’ format and pressed by Decca.

Label Conditions: Very clean, fresh and highly attractive labels with any faint spindle marks few, fine and faint, any other marks are equally few and light. Another sublime record from the recently purchased collection, owned by one careful person from new and played with utmost care on quality equipment. This stunning original offers pristine sound.

Cat Number: MDKS 8004.

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: 135 grams. Around average.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Much rarer on the first issue labels. A top quality Decca-pressed record with superb sound, even the ultra critical ‘The Pilgrim’ plays beautifully and I have heard so many of these with that delicate introduction with clicks that ruin it. Copies in this hardly played condition with a barely worn cover are so much harder to find.

Original Year of Release: 1971.

Matrix Nos: 7-LNMG-244-2L / 7-LNMG-245-1L

Stamper Codes: 1 C1 / 1 B1 [both the C & B are very unclear and are best guesses]

Brief Artist & Album Info: Second album from this legendary guitar-based rock band, most famed for their third classic release Argus, (also on offer). That is taking nothing away from this title, an excellent record in it’s own right and the title song is one of the very best songs they ever made. Never a stunning band vocally but, if guitar-driven rock was your thing, early Wishbone Ash rarely failed to deliver and this title has some stunning guitar interplay that truly thrills. With a superb, little worn and quite magnificent looking cover and a much more elusive first issue, MCA ‘dogbone’ format label record, pressed up to the highest standard by Decca hardly played, this example delivers in every respect.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. Printed in England by Robert Stace.

Cover Front: Magnificent and highly attractive with very fresh rich, even vivid colour and hardly any real wear at all. As close to rub and wear-free as they will ever get and any creasing minuscule. Rarely does this front show up like this with a first issue record inside.

Cover Back: Clearly, this side will be more prone to wear as the record rests against the back card. Hence a fine trace of rim rub near the bottom edge is almost the least that could be expected. With just a tiny rub near the bottom left corner, there is little else to fault on this quite magnificent back. Again, barely any creases to be seen and the lack of rubbing and penetrating ringwear is a massive bonus for the more serious collector.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Virtually Mint perfect.

Top Edges: Barely any traces of rubbing at all, any present is tiny and faint. Both dead straight too.

Bottom Edges: Any rub traces barely even register up the final half inch near the right corners, that have rubbed. Again, both are very straight indeed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear and no feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Very slight burr traces viewed end-on. Record enters on either edge as both are naturally open, no glue marks inside the front.

Spine and Text: A splendid spine that retains full rich colour, I have seen this on several occasions where it has faded with a total change of colour. Solid and quite thick, very straight with hardly any compression and little tilt. Folded square, both right edges meeting up very closely together and parallel. All text is present and totally unworn, finding the spine like this very unusual. Clearly this one is prone to light fading and few seem to avoid it.

Corners: Any tip rubs are mainly small and light, the most on the bottom right pair. Very fine to excellent shape is retained.

Cover Summary: One to hold and treasure, almost as clean and fresh as when made and rarely are they seen so devoid of wear. I feel sure this will delight most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): the Decca-style polylined inner as aged little and does come close to reminding of new. Even avoiding seam adhesive darkening. The window circles are very crisp with a solid ultra clear lining. All edges secure with no repairs, the only issue are a few mostly mild creases. This is date-coded 9-71 which is ultimate proof (if any were even needed) this is a very early issue.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a very fine visual copy and without doubt, hardly even played. Clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed, both playing surfaces show few marks at all, any traces are ultra fine, few and faint and the sound quality is fantastic. Visually a quality record that should please most-all collectors again.

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 quality Decca-pressed MCA record plays even above it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, clear and focused sound and all the quality you would expect from a Decca-pressed record, for me the premier league of record manufacturers. The lack of surface noise, pops and clicks is always the best news and even the delicate intro to ‘The Pilgrim’ plays beautifully. So often these ultra fine grooves on this passage attract scratches, hence often ruined by tedious clicks, but not this one. Great guitarwork as you would expect from this band at their best. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this great rock album. This copy will prove very difficult to find better and merits my highest 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 - 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 QED Silver 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as 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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.