Sold Date: March 15, 2021
Start Date: March 8, 2021
Final Price: £20.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 16
Seller Feedback: 3760
Buyer Feedback: 0

You are bidding on the following:

Artist: Steve Craddock (Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller, The Specials) first band ‘The Boys’

Release: three track single. None of these tracks have ever been re-released or featured on OCS band compilations, and remain only to be accessed via YouTube or vinyl media. The three tracks are A-side ‘Happy Days’, and on the B-side ‘Standard Avenue’ & ‘Learn How to Dance’.

Format: 7” black vinyl with plain die-cut paper sleeve

Label: private pressing ‘Cleversound Ltd’

Rarity: super rare 7” vinyl release produced as a private pressing in 1988, when Steve Craddock was only nineteen years of age, and around two years before the formation of OCS in 1990. This hardly ever comes up for sale, and was produced in miniscule quantities. This copy sat in the record library of local Birmingham radio station ‘BRMB’ (now known as ‘Free Radio Birmingham’, as the station to promote ‘the Boys’ as a local band. Some were released in a glossy picture sleeve, and also in a plain die-cut sleeve. This copy is supplied within a die-cut sleeve.

Condition: die-cut sleeve is a fragile paper sleeve and graded as good condition, with moderate creasing and age yellowing. The vinyl disk is not perfect and whilst having a moderate shine had got numerous hairlines, a couple of light marks and signs of handling and moderate plays. Visual grading of vinyl and labels is very good condition in line with ‘Record Collector’ grading system. Disk has a minor warp that does not affect play.

Sonic condition: I was apprehensive to play this copy on my unforgiving Rega 6 deck, but I have to say that it played really well. I counted 3-4 minor pops on the A-side, and some static and crackle in the run ins and outros of the three tracks. Overall a really good and excellent listen,  and it’s clear there is no needle damage and whilst a basic recording, with clear and punchy if a touch trebly through the stereo channels. (I will not comment on the songs, and just state that to me no wonder that all three tracks unavailable, and never revisited in OCS times, and it’s clear that Steve was very much a nineteen-year-old ‘mod’ with a real fascination to 1977/78 ‘The Jam’ and all things Weller!).

I have been selling on eBay for over fifteen years and sell CD, vinyl and box sets all around the world to 100% positive feedback.

UK seller in stock for immediate despatch.

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