JACK BRUCE Songs for a Tailor RARER ORIG UK 1969 EX LP, FIRST LAMINATED COVER.

Sold Date: June 17, 2018
Start Date: June 10, 2018
Final Price: £17.00 (GBP)
Bid Count: 3
Seller Feedback: 8372
Buyer Feedback: 253


ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £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, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received if possible.

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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: JACK BRUCE

Album Title: Songs For a Tailor

Producer(s): Felix Pappalardi

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Never Tell Your Mother She’s Out of Tune; Theme For an Imaginary Western; Tickets to Water Falls; Weird of Hermiston; Rope Ladder to the Moon.

Side 2: The Ministry of Bag; He the Richmond; Boston Ball Game, 1967; To Isengard; The Clearout.

Label/Format: Polydor, matt finish with a very gentle hint of texturing.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only a few light and fine spindle marks. A lovely copy that plays superbly.

Catalogue Number: 583058

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: 130grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: First and very early issues included a laminated cover, these are less common than subsequent ones that were matt.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 583058 A//2 1 1 1 4 & 583058 B//2 1 3 5

Musicians Include: Jack Bruce – bass guitar, vocals, piano, organ, cellos, guitar; Dick Heckstall-Smith – saxophones; Chris Spedding – guitar, John Hiseman – drums; Felix Pappalardi – guitar, vocals; Harry Becket and Henry Lowther – trumpets.

Brief Artist & Album Info: After the split of Cream, the legendary bass-player and now multi-instrumentalist, issued this mini-classic. Short quirky songs with brilliantly bizarre and surreal lyrics by Pete Brown, a combination that was heard to great effect in Cream’s classic records. Still sounding as fresh and vibrant as when issued back in 1969, this famous album still impresses. It includes the brilliant ‘Theme For an Imaginary Western’ and this a lovely clean original with superb sound.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a gatefold format, the front and back laminated, the inside is matt and smooth. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd, this includes the ‘Manufactured by Polydor Records Ltd London’ text which again reiterates a first printing. Includes the original January 1970 date-coded inner sleeve.

Laminate Front & Back: Less seen with the front and back laminate, and this is a gorgeous example time and the one owner from new has largely overlooked. As superb as this cover looks with laminate, it can often suffer issues such as substantial lifting and cracking. Well this one has hardly any with only a gentle trace on the spine edges, this possibly the least I have seen in ages (if ever). So general adhesion is impressive with only the usually tiny speckling that is barely ever avoided as the barest minimum. Both front and back surfaces retain fantastic shine and freshness with no dulling, the lack of creasing will rarely be found on this cover, the only tiny trace on the spine top tip which is pretty minimal. Bare in mind, the front is only single thickness card and delicate, this has survived in immaculate condition. Bruce’s portrait looks simply stunning. This has been cover-protected from new and the difference that makes is here for all to see, this in near ultimate upgrade condition and rarely seen as such.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Immaculate as seen, the surfaces still very white and hardly any traces of set-off or ageing.

Top Edges: Both straight, flat and parallel with barely even a hint of wear. Even the single thickness front has avoided thickening worthy of mention.

Bottom Edges: Mostly as above with a light trace of thickening to the end panel of the back purely for being the storage edge, few will ever show less.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Put simply, all three edges are immaculate. Very sharp with no feathering or thickening at all, a remarkable set of edges. Record enters on the back edge, all are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: This is very special and one that hits the eye immaculately because of the intense blackness of the text on a pure white surface under pristine shiny laminate. My pictures could never do this full justice. Solid, straight with no compression, any tilt negligible. Also folded square, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel. This is absolutely exceptional with no scuffs or cracking and will prove near impossible to find better, attractive or more fresh.

Corners: The top corner has a gentle dink and light crease, and possibly a hint on the bottom, but the right ones are all pristine. Given the fragile disposition of this cover, even these are impressive with no real wear in terms or rubbing.

Cover Summary: A very strong and highly attractive all-round example of this highly unforgiving first-print cover, one that will prove very difficult to find better. This superb item should please most collectors and has considerable upgrade potential. When the laminate is seen this fresh, shiny and without the usual issues, it is a thing of genuine beauty.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a Polydor polylined inner that has aged little with any paper darkening mainly light near the edge adhesive areas, mostly near the top. Two pristine window circles and the lining clear and very fresh. All edges unsplit with no repair and only one small tip crease. This one clearly manufactured in January 1970 as confirmed by the /0170 date-code. Clearly made a few months after release, but used with a very first printed cover

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed. A copy appearing only lightly played, and with due care on all the evidence with any surface marks or blemishes mostly light and faint, most wispy traces as seen under bright light, no penetrating stylus scratches and it plays superbly. Visually a super record that should please many, if not 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 quality album plays even above it’s high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering 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, barely anything heard, and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Few copies will outperform this very early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled within a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.