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 – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details 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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full 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. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

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: CURVED AIR

Album Title: Air Conditioning

Producer(s): Mark Edwards

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: It Happened Today; Stretch; Screw; Blind Man; Vivaldi.

Side 2: Hide and Seek; Propositions; Rob One; Situations; Vivaldi (With Cannons).

Label/Format: Warner Bros, this original with the very deep green colour, and matt smooth surfaces. Note the correct first issue WSX 3012 catalogue number.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with any spindle traces light, fine and faint and no wear around the hole area. This record appears hardly played.

Catalogue Number: WSX 3012

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: 145 grams. Warner records were usually heavily pressed until the Kinney changeover in 1971, this no exception.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarcer as a first black vinyl issue.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: WS 3012 - A1 / WS 3012 - B1 [these scripted]

Mothers / Stampers: O 2 / N 2

Musicians: Sonja Kristina – lead vocals; Darryl Way – violin, backing vocals; Francis Monkman – guitars, keyboards, effects and synthesisers; Rob Martin – bass guitar; Florian Pilkington-Miksa – drums.

Brief Info: This is Curved Air’s debut album, this is an original first issue pressed on black vinyl. That hardly sounds surprising, but this album was also issued as a gimmick picture disc making it one of the earliest albums made as such. Unfortunately the sound of the picture disc was never as spectacular as its impressive looks, making the black version the preference for those who want better sound. Most fans and collectors want both versions of course. Being honest, I have often found this version problematical as well, sometimes with inherent pressing sounds and crackle, but this one plays with little unwanted, the odd sporadic tick here-and-there apart. But to state this plays multitudes better than the picture disc would no understatement. From the outset this progressive rock band wanted to show-off the considerable skills of the electric violinist Darryl Way, the use of which was more unusually used as the lead instrument. Famously fronted by iconic female vocalist Sonja Kristina, Curved Air soon found a strong cult audience, they even had a hit single with ‘Back Street Luv’ and had fairly steady album sales. A band that did not really need the gimmickry of a picture disc debut album, in fact it possibly put some off, they were clearly a talented act with a very original classical influenced sound. First issues are not so easily found, especially in this superb, hardly played condition. Certainly one of the best-pressed examples I have had to date as well, not pristine, but it will take a lot of beating. A band that could do little wrong for me, I own all their albums myself up to ‘Airbourne’, this easily matches my own copy and should please many fans and collectors alike.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single fully laminated format. Printed and made in England by West Brothers, includes the Polylined white inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: This is an immediately strikingly fresh cover that looks superb. The laminate retains fantastic deep shine and clarity with only a little fine lifting on the spine. This registers little against the white backdrop. There is minimal creasing – a half moon type on the back which shows little with full-on viewing, and even less on the front with a gentle hint of a thumb-type semi-crease only. The lack of dulling, even around the thick record’s shape, almost makes this exceptional. The white areas of the graphics are still exactly that, a pure snowy white, not toned or yellowed. Any marks of blemishes are minimal and faint as seen with scrutiny under light. A classic, very early prog-rock cover that truly comes pretty close to reminding of new.

Top Edge: Very straight, smooth and unworn.

Bottom Edge: Same again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with barely any wear. Practically devoid of thickening or burring, even as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced – the laminate end line clearly seen on both sides.

Spine and Text: Again impressive – solid, straight with minimal compression. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate, a tiny red mark near the bottom is almost certainly an ink smudge in manufacture as its beneath the laminate.

Corners: Any tip rubs barely even register, better than excellent shape retained with no bashes or dinks. They hardly get better.

Cover Summary: A superb all-round example of this gorgeous artwork early 1970’s cover, one that will prove immensely difficult to find better. This beautiful item should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: in terms of lack of wear, but two corners have folds, this often deliberate by owners, or even retailers to stop the record sliding out. There is a little minor crinkle as well. The white paper has hardly aged and still white, both window circles are crisp and neat with no damage, the polylining very clear and fresh. Warner Bros dropped these inner sleeves in 1971 when Kinney took over, replaced by plain white unlined ones. This has no edge splits or repairs. It is UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a superb visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and quite heavily pressed, subsequent pressings became much lighter. A copy appearing hardly even played with any surface traces very few, equally light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light, hardly anything really. 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, somewhat groundbreaking prog-rock album plays mostly up to it’s high visual grading with little to fault. An album over time I have found difficult to find without pressing issues, sometimes with inherent noises and crackle. This one of the best I have had in ages. It offers strong, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Given the complexity of the music, and especially the high-pitched sound of the Way’s electric violin, that is a major plus. Sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound, an intense and full-on album at times, this will test any vinyl record. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed, the odd sporadic tick here-and-there, almost certainly the odd stubborn speck in the fine and intricate grooves. A brief few very gentle ones heard on ‘Rob One’, these almost as light as they get. To say this black copy will outperform any picture disc is a massive understatement, most of those offer heavily crackle and degrade still further every time they are played. A known factor of early picture discs, few discerning music fans would want to ever listen to them, but are nice to look at of course, and this one collectable when found. Compared to some I have heard, I consider this one a near exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues* or inherent pressing rasps or noises. Few copies will outperform it significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly, if indeed hardly at all on all evidence, and has been very well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended unless total silence is mandatory, and good luck finding one that will ever offer that.

* 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.

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 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 programs. 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 - 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 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 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, 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 14­ 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 – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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’.