IMPORTANT NEWS!

Gripsweat is shutting down. Starting on February 1st, 2025 the site will no longer be doing daily updates, adding any new items, or accepting new memberships. The site will continue to run in this "historical" mode until January 1st, 2026, when the site will go offline. More information is available here.

TUDOR LODGE / NIRVANA / CLEAR BLUE SKY – UK 1971 VERTIGO SPIRAL – HEADS TOGETHER

Sold Date: March 9, 2014
Start Date: February 27, 2014
Final Price: £104.69 (GBP)
Bid Count: 9
Seller Feedback: 6499
Buyer Feedback: 47

This item is not for sale. Gripsweat is an archive of past sales and auctions, none of the items are available for purchase.


ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Album Title: HEADS TOGETHER / FIRST ROUND.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: JADE WARRIOR - Telephone Girl; SUNBIRD - Brother Bird; JIMMY CAMPBELL - Lonely Norman; MAGNA CARTA - Good Morning Son; MARTIN CARTHY - Cold, Haily Windy Night; NIRVANA - Home; JOHN DRUMMER - Nine By Nine.

Side 2: ASSAGAI - Cocoa; DADDY LONGLEGS - Gambling Man; CLEAR BLUE SKY - Bird Catcher; TUDOR LODGE - Willow Tree; PETE ATKIN - Beware of the Beautiful Stranger; LEGEND - Foxfield Junction; LASSOO - Brothers.

Label/Format: Vertigo – original full spiral format with small swirl logo on side two (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, quite fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Hardly any on side one and those on two only really visible under angled light.

Cat Number: 6360045.

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: 116 grams. A more typical weight for a later spiral title.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Quite rare: like most Spiral albums, this sold modestly and is never easy to find.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 6360045 A 1 1 1 2 / 6360045 B 1 1 1 2

Brief Info: An elusive Vertigo sampler that focuses on the more gentle folk-type acts that recorded on this label during it’s relatively brief time on the Spiral format. Not really progressive as such, but the label certainly was, it gave many lesser-known and even obscure artists and bands the chance to get their music heard – but many were still overlooked at the time. Some songs are unique to this record, as are some of the acts that failed to issue a full-length album on this most collectable label. Amongst some real quality included are the likes of Jade Warrior, Nirvana, Clear Blue Sky and for me, the most notable, the very rare Tudor Lodge. This sampler’s cover may appear quite standard, but like most on this label at this time, it offers more gimmickery. It is not constructed from standard card: the outer surfaces feel more like a thin plastic ‘veneer’ that has a most intricate patterned texturing. This is no ordinary sampler, it is superbly packaged and with some unique content included, this is another vital piece within the Vertigo Swirl catalogue and is no less collectable than any other album to include those famous Spiral labels. Also, this is a very impressive original that appears and sounds little played.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: arguably a little better still. An unlaminated gatefold format with vinyl type surfaces with a complex fine texturing. Printed and made in England by Howard’s Printers and includes the Spiral inner sleeve.

Cover Front: The front has little to fault with any traces of grubbiness or marks minimal. This has a matt finish with a very delicate sheen when viewed under direct light, it is notorious for becoming aged and dirty, but this has largely escaped. No creasing and this front remains very attractive, not seen too many of these over the years, but it has to be best I have seen yet.

Cover Back: The back is largely the same, but has a small mark on the bottom edge directly below the dog and follow down. Possibly an adhesive smear in manufacture, that only a guess, it is only minor anyway. And to reitterate how find this cover is, this small blemish is pretty much the most significant thing of note. The lack of record impression and ring wear always great news on paler covers, also, like the front, this has no creasing.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Again, this has the same vinyl textured surfaces as the outside, also in the same impressive condition with any grubbiness bordering on minuscule.

Top Edges: Both immaculate and very straight as well.

Bottom Edges: A smallish few friction rub marks to the pale storage edges that few will avoid totally, again, both straight, this cover lies very flat when closed.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front has a real tucked and folded edge that has minimal marks or wear. The back entrance is clean, the inside very sharp with barely any wear. The outside right edge has a little thickening but hardly any burring as seen viewed end-on. Both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way.

Spine and Text: The spine is in superb condition: very solid, straight with no compression and folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. This did not include text, the graphic simply flows around and is perfect and unworn without any grubbiness or wear worthy of mention.

Corners: All retain very fine to excellent shape with any tip rubbing light, being on very pale areas means minimal visual impact at all.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of another unique Spiral cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This beautiful item should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): just light darkening of the seam adhesive and a gentle trace of crinkle here-and-there. Two crisp undamaged window circles and clear lining. No hard creases and all edges unsplit with no repairs. It is date-coded 0371 (March 1971), this inner sleeve looks very impressive.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface trace marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light, finding one of these better could prove very difficult indeed. Visually a super record that should please most collectors.

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 rare Vertigo original plays up to and most even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed with just the odd polite reminder it is a near 43-year-old record being played. Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. Nice to here these more gentle, folk-type artists and bands together on this inspired sampler. I state again, this has some unique tracks and bands included, some never to be on Vertigo again. This copy could prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

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.

Equipment Used for Play-Grading: I now play-grade ALL the records I offer (unless clearly stated to the contrary) on the following equipment:

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 Terrarium Black 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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 2 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). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask 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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced 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’.