IMPORTANT: FREE P&P TO UK ADDRESSES (AS REGISTERED WITH PAYPAL) WILL INCLUDE 2ND CLASS RECORDED DELIVERY. THE OFFER RELATES ONLY TO AUCTION ITEMS ENDING AT A VALUE BELOW £51 AND, ABOVE THAT VALUE, THE BUYER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENSE OF SPECIAL DELIVERY P&P.

  isnw_ecp

snw_ecpWhat's on offer?: Almost without the need for introduction, here we have a SIMPLY LEGENDARY NUGGET from the BRITISH BLUES scene - particularly as this copy is an ORIGINAL UK SAMPLE PRESSING in INCREDIBLE condition!!!

 

A SIMPLY ESSENTIAL DISC FOR TRUE BRITISH BLUES FANS and 60s COLLECTORS IN GENERAL!

 

Artist: JOHN MAYALL and THE BLUESBREAKERS

(Eric Clapton, The Cream, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones)

Title: "A Hard Road"

Label: Decca LK 4853 (UK Original SAMPLE)

 

Matrices: ARL-7652-2A/ARL-7653-2A

Stampers: '1' at 9 o'clock, 'C' at 3 o'clock (both sides)

 

A SIMPLY AWESOME EXAMPLE - EVERY COLLECTOR'S DREAM!!

 

John Mayall: vocals, organ, piano, harmonica, 5 and 9-string guitars

Peter Green: vocals, lead guitar

John McVie: bass guitar

John Almond, Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh: saxes

Aynsley Dunbar: drums

 

Recorded in October and November 1966 at Decca's studios in West Hampstead - this was the follow-up to JOHN MAYALL and THE BLUESBREAKERS' legendary Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton LP.  Of course, with Eric having left Mayall to form THE CREAM, it was hardly a step down in class to have PETER GREEN assume the lead guitar responsibilities!!!  A Hard Road is a truly fantastic set of performances, with covers of material by ELMORE JAMES and FREDDY KING heavily supplemented by brilliant originals from Mayall and Green!!! 

This incredible PRE-RELEASE SAMPLE came from the collection of the late CHARLES FOX; a Jazz critic who for many years lodged at the house of the legendary ALEXIS KORNER. So, whilst there is no way of knowing for sure, it is perfectly plausible (highly likely, in fact) that this disc was once owned by Alexis and then subsequently found its way into one of Charles' boxes by mistake??? Who knows......

So, bid now to win this gem or, after the auction has ended, you can sit back in your chair and wonder how you managed to let this MONSTER BRITISH BLUES rarity pass you by!!!!

  Use the Auctionplayer to sample for yourself just how fantastic this LP truly is!!!!!

 

As you'll see from the photo, this is unconditionally guaranteed to be the ORIGINAL 1967 UK pressing made with 'unboxed' Decca logo and machine-stamped matrices, so you can forget about having to settle for one of those dodgy so-called "limited re-pressings" (many of which are actually bootlegs) that are flooding the market.

 

A TRULY fantastic and legendary LP, any fan of John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, the British Blues scene or 60s music in general will simply have to have this item in their collection!!!!

Grade (labels): The classic red labels with 'unboxed' D E C C A logo and silver print are in AWESOME condition; there is NO wear and just two very feint spindle trails!!!  The item was sourced from the collection of the late-CHARLES FOX (a long-time friend of ALEXIS KORNER and a lodger at Alexis' house in London!!!) The gem bears a SAMPLE label, supporting the notion that this gem one one of the first copies to have emerged from the pressing plant and intended for promotional use!!!

Grade (vinyl): Housed within its original Decca polylined red-edged MONO inner bag, this heavy hunk of magnificent vinyl is absolutely stunning and strictly graded at MINT!!!!  Sitting perfectly flat on the turntable, the deep-grooved platter has a glorious sheen and plays wonderfully loud and clear throughout.  Of course, with the hyper-sensitivity of modern styli and amplifiers, any lucky winning bidder would need to accept the likelihood of a 47 year-old hunk of used vinyl producing a touch of general noise and static here and there.  Good luck in finding another one of these nuggets......... they just do NOT turn up very often in this shape!!!!

 

Grade (sleeve): Printed in England by Robert Stace, the sleeve is in over all awesome MINT minus shape; the front is stunningly shiny, the spine is crisp and clear with no signs of wear and the matt white back is about as good as you could hope to find some 47 years after manufacture!!

 

Why buy?: This is an absolute MONSTER of a BRITISH BLUES gem and always so incredibly sought-after!! Truly a RARE LP and SO TOUGH TO FIND in TOP condition, don't miss this incredible example as it might be your only chance to buy an ORIGINAL 1967 UK LP SAMPLE pressing of "A Hard Road" by John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers in incredible condition!!!

 

Don't forget: Look to see if I have other rare items on auction at the present time. 

 

Check out my feedback and be sure of a great product and service.  Happy bidding!!!

 

BEFORE you bid, please read the following Payment and Shipping terms very carefully and, quite simply, don't make a bid if you're not happy with them:

 

Payment: UK cheques or UK direct bank transfers greatly preferred.  Of course, PayPal is accepted but bidders must accept the associated, non-negotiable shipping terms as stated below in "Shipping".

 

Shipping: Kindly note that the STAMP cost that appears on the label outside of a package absolutely does NOT represent the actual cost of shipping an item!!! For example, each item I sell is carefully packaged inside a PVC sleeve, with factory-cut cardboard stiffeners either side and (to ensure the item arrives in the condition it leaves) shipped individually in a brand new record mailer; unlike some other sellers I do NOT use poor packaging with scrap cardboard - or worse still NO cardboard - inside!

 

I cannot accept any responsibility for payments/items lost or damaged and not covered by adequate insurance. If you do insist on using PayPal through the eBay checkout, the consequence of PayPal's rigid conditions is that all items must be sent by an adequately insured shipping method with proof of delivery; no exceptions. IMPORTANT: FREE P&P TO UK ADDRESSES (AS REGISTERED WITH PAYPAL) WILL INCLUDE 2ND CLASS RECORDED DELIVERY. THE OFFER RELATES ONLY TO AUCTION ITEMS ENDING AT A VALUE BELOW £51 AND, ABOVE THAT VALUE, THE BUYER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXPENSE OF SPECIAL DELIVERY P&P (cost £10.95).  For overseas buyers it will mean International Signed-For Airmail for any value. Shipping cost to European Union countries will be £16.95 and all other countries £19.95.

 

 

I do NOT allow personal collection.

 

Note: I'm just a private individual selling off his private record collection gathered over 30+ years.  I am NOT a business!!!  I unreservedly retain the right to cancel bids from known defaulters or timewasters.  The items I offer for auction are rare and of the highest quality, so please bid with respect!!