KING CRIMSON In The Court… 2 Plays, ONE LADY OWNER

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £11.75. Rest of World £15.75. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment – returns within 14 days only. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: KING CRIMSON

Album Title: In the Court of the Crimson King

Producer(s): King Crimson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: 21st Century Schizoid Man; I Talk to the Wind; Epitaph.

Side 2: Moonchild; In the Court of the Crimson King.

Cat Number: ILPS 9111

Label Format: Island – pink rim format with smooth finish.

Label Conditions & Info: Both look fantastic: ultra clean, fresh and retaining that rich, very deep colour that makes this one of the most attractive of labels. This indeed is somewhat unusual inasmuch, the one and only lady owner bought this and soon discovered progressive rock was not for her. She said ‘played once’ and not even sure if she got all the way through side two. Now I know few people who actually state they do not like this album, but hey, not everyone is the same and the fact this copy is hardly run-in in vinyl terms, means any future owner is getting almost almost ‘new’ copy. Both labels are very 'pretty' and hugely attractive, the the pink rim label is one of my personal favourites. The cover is very impressive also and as most will know, it’s equally prone to all forms of wear. Okay, not a first issue, but over time I have found the pink rims were more reliable for better, cleaner sound. The initial runs were not well pressed, that is well-known and so many were played to destruction on old, heavy-tracking, often mono record players. With such complex and intense sound and so many passages of extreme volume and then near silence – these were often written-off very quickly. Personally, I would be more than happy with a still early pink rim pressing and this one offers very clean sound with little unwanted. A massive ask on one of rock’s most challenging and greatest-ever recordings. Never dismiss a copy like this, the sound totally blew me away with no pressing faults or issues other than the usual one off sporadic pop or tick or gentle crackle trace here or there. ‘Moonchild’ is so quiet and delicate with minimal instrumentation, will any standard copy ever play it totally devoid of the odd reminder of what you are listening too – an over 40-year-old record? This survives almost as made and will potentially give pleasure indefinitely to any buyer who looks after it with the due care it merits.

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: 132 grams. A very good weight for this pressing.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Original Year of Release: 1969 on the pink i label. This a copy from 1971 or thereabouts.

Matrix Nos: ILPS 9111 A-4U / ILPS 9111 B-4U

Mothers / Stampers: 1 GT / 1 MA

Musicians: Robert Fripp – guitar; Ian McDonald – reeds, woodwinds, vibes, keyboards, mellotron and vocals; Greg Lake – bass and lead vocals; Michael Giles – drums and percussion. Words written by Pete Sinfield.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Subtitled: ‘Observation by King Crimson’, this was arguably the birth of ‘real’ British progressive rock and rarely, if ever, was this pioneering album ever matched or bettered. Issued back in 1969, this actually charted at 5 in the UK and it’s rarity on the pink label is so often overblown. The same cannot be said of it’s musical brilliance, nothing had been heard quite like this before. Even the cover design and artwork was quite radical and visually stunning, it can hardly go unnoticed can it? It was designed and created by Barry Godber, and long overdue I know, I checked out this artist via Wikipedia. A somewhat sad story, it was his only record cover and the man died at the tender age of just 24 from a heart attack. His legacy to the world of rock is one of the most famous and visually stunning covers of all-time. It just makes you what other amazing creations he could have produced?

The excellence of the music lay within the band personnel with highly skilled and talented musicians as seen above. Comprising of just five songs, this groundbreaking, and at times ear shattering, rock masterpiece - an album that more than justifies this word - still sounds fresh and is still eagerly searched for as ever. As far as vinyl goes this has to be one of the hardest albums to ever find that plays well throughout, for me, far more significant than ‘rarity’. A record I have had several times on different label variations and most all had varying degrees of surface sound and sometimes even minor pressing flaws – these are far from unusual, especially on the pink pressings that are a minefield. This early-cut pink rim copy plays through in it’s entirety without any tracking problems or hidden pressing noises of distortions. A roller-coaster ride of extremes, the manically powerful and electrifying opener ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’ – arguably the greatest progressive track ever written – is as loud and thrilling as rock ever gets, and then to the other end of the extreme comes the lengthy ‘Moonchild’ that occupies a large proportion of side two. This is a fragile and delicate track that plays very quietly to almost near silence in places with very sparse instrumentation. All very challenging for any vinyl recording with nowhere to hide even minor blemishes. Delicate acoustics and percussion interplay with gentle clarity and fine stereo imagery, but so testing for pressing and groove-wear quality. Finding an example that plays the loud passages distortion-free and ‘Moonchild’ anything like quiet and noise-free is always a challenge bearing in mind what early copies of this album were likely to have been played on. This copy plays the fragile ‘Moonchild’ beautifully with little unwanted, any crackle traces are very light and modest. The odd mild sporadic tick or crackle trace at the very least has to be expected but here minimal. A very clean record, it retains lovely shine and the lustre of a little handled copy – why? – well as stated above, the one-and-only lady owner from new, did NOT like this record. Played just once prior to my play-grade, and she was sure side two was not even completed. An early 70s copy barely used, whatever the pressing, that IS unusual.

Even the manic nirvana of ‘Schizoid Man’, which can often sound muddled on less than worthy systems, can be enjoyed with all the instruments sounding individual, not just blended together. The keyboards can be heard separately from the rasping saxes, even on the wild climax, the clarity and detail remain in focus. Greg Lake’s vocals, usually so clear and precise and one of the best of his type ever, are now treated and distorted on ‘Schizoid’, it makes the neck hair stand on end – ‘Cat’s foot, iron claw, neuro surgeons scream for more, at paranoia’s poison door, 21st-Century Schizoid Man!’ – crazed lyrics sung in a totally bizarre voice, this is prog at its blistering best. Sound quality of the highest order and it’s not unique to just this track, all songs are clear and well-balanced with high definition and clarity. That stunning drum crash after the quiet flute passage on the title song (often where the pressing fault lies) is massively solid with terrific slam and when the Mellotron’s kick in soon after it gives the rare tingle factor that only the great recordings ever can. I cannot guarantee CD silence on ‘Moonchild’ – and never will, if that is demanded, best stick to the digital format (but lose out on one of the truly great vinyl recordings ever made). The number of copies that will play this near impossible track to near silence will be few. I have heard many copies of this record via full pink and pink rim, even the late Polydor pressings that simply are unlistenable, virtually all have often considerable surface noise with loud clicks or pops, and often accompanied by distortion and pressing rasps that make me cringe - many simply sound awful and I will never offer such rubbish. Often repressings hold an advantage, as they more often avoid the heavy-tracking equipment of yesteryear and some early Island pressings are known to disappoint. This hardly played pink rim copy is totally devoid of distortion and that is hugely important too, Mellotrons and electric saxes and winds do not tolerate over-playing or abuse gladly and all play sharp and focused on this splendid example. As a massive , the cover is in very impressive condition too – look at the pictures, they do not lie – a beautifully cover-protected example that has probably not seen light-of-day for decades. Just a small dink-crease on the bottom front right corner tip, that apart, not a great deal else to fault and little marrs the beauty of the glorious piece of prog artwork. This sets a high standard and could represent the ultimate value-for-money copy in all departments.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: a grading that simply does not do this splendid example justice. An unlaminated gatefold format with intense, rich and vibrant colour to the matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England and uncredited, this early repress includes the white inner sleeve, slightly later ones then came with a blue inner. First printed covers had the E. J. Day imprint, this was later changed to Robor. Inbetween ones, as per this, saw the imprint credit removed altogether.

Cover – Front & Back: One of the most famous covers in rock music and this does it very high justice with any wear to the front and back being small and very minor. The main blemish as mentioned above is a moderate, but small dink on the bottom right corner tip. Retaining superb rich, almost pastel-like colour and freshness with minimal traces of grubbiness and any rubbing so light it barely even registers. There is barely any other creases to be seen and as per several from this collection, the lady owner put a numbered small sticker on the front. Again, this dried and fell off leaving the faintest of faint residue traces near the top right corner (but look extremely hard to see it). No ink removal or surface disturbance at all, an ultra faint ‘dull’ and this being critical. With close examination under angled light, some light press marks can be seen on the front, but are nigh-on invisible with normal viewing. I for one do not want to scrutinise covers point-blank looking for ever light mark or blemish. If a cover looks superb with simple normal viewing at arms length, that is good enough for me. But my excellent takes into account of any marks or blemishes I see. This is a striking and clean example, not quite for the highly discerning, but with most seen grubby, rubbed and ringworn, this is a different league altogether.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Stunning artwork again, any relatively minor surface marks appear as a trait of manufacture. One small corner tip crease and a few very tiny edge chips, but little spoils this amazing inside cover again.

Top Edges: Both dead straight and virtually unworn.

Bottom Edges: One or two very fine, light and small surface rubs only, again both straight. Very compressive up to the very ends on these traditional storage edges that so often fare so badly.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front edge is folded and tucked for maximum neatness, this is practically as made and even the corner dink does not register viewed end-on. The back opening is very clean, mostly sharp with little wear. A few small burrs but barely any thickening to this working edge..

Spine and Text: Absolutely superb with no friction wear whatsoever. Unlike so many, this has NOT faded, this had been stored within a case rather than rack - that may indeed explain the one corner dink which often happened with these things. But the spine has survived almost like new. Solid, dead straight with no compression worthy of mention and folded near square so the edges meet up quite closely together but not quite parallel. The artwork and text has avoided rubbing and even the very ends of the corners are neat and sharp with ALL text pristine perfect, sharp and clear.

Corners: The spine pair are practically as fine and crisp as when made – this very unusual. The top right pair are also very fine with any tip rubbing tiny. A moderate tip crease is seen on the bottom right and only a small and lighter one on the back. Even those two retain decent and quite sharp definition. The others are excellent to near mint for pointed crisp shape, but the dink on the lower right may be issue for the very discerning collector.

Cover Summary: A highly attractive example of prog’s most famous cover, with many seen tired, grubby, creased and rubbed and often rife with ringwear, this is one on the other end of the cover spectrum. A real looker and seldom seen with such little overall wear, Especially so to the vulnerable areas such as the back, edges, spine, (most) corners and entrance – it’s these aspects that mean the difference between average to exceptional. So not perfect but to simply hold and admire without going to extremes.. It should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: the early pink rims included a plain white unlined inner as here, a few months later, the blue inner was introduced. This has a little corner creasing and minor discolouration with the odd tiny tone spot. No splits to the edges with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): and tempted to put my highest Mint(-) grading on this hugely impressive record. Any surface traces are tiny, very few and faint as seen with close scrutiny under bright angled light. A beautiful clean visual record with lovely shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. A record with intricate patterns that indicate to ‘groove readers’, complex sound and varied volume – yes, this is a typical King Crimson record in every respect. As stated above, played twice and barely run-in in vinyl terms. This copy should please most-all 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: The sound on this early-press pink rim is very impressive. My head was constantly turning towards the speakers as details came out that are simply not present on the most CD versions. Subtle acoustic guitars over the Mellotrons on the title song, delicate pianos on ‘Epitaph’ and what sounds like harpsichord pieces too. The power on ‘Schizoid Man’ is breathtaking with the saxes really rasping in anger and the simple things like the percussion on ‘Moonchild’ simply rings ‘n’ tings with super clarity. The Mellotron whooshes and the cymbals zing with astonishing resolution. The delicate flute passage on the the title track is beautifully quiet, and quite honestly this copy will match most around and better the vast majority. This is a vintage hi-fi masterclass with faultless production and at last a worthy pressing to present it almost majestically. I say ‘near’, I feel no standard copy will ever play without the odd light tick and crackle trace, especially on ‘Moonchild’. This is the definitive vinyl sound and if you have not heard this album via the original format you simply have not heard it for real. This super record plays mostly for all up to it’s high visual grading and even beyond. Powerful, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear and that’s not putting too finer a point on it - the type of sounds on this album often break up with unwanted echo type distortion. I have outlined pretty much what to expect here on ‘Moonchild’ already – silence is a near impossible ask, but this has little unwanted. Any surface sound is gentle and infrequent, easily tolerable for this sensitive listener, this too being played on ultra sensitive equipment. This example is still over 40 years old don’t forget - I think pure silence is unrealistic for this most difficult record - I am very fussy and nothing spoilt my enjoyment of this very clean example. The benefits of the vinyl mix and blistering sound quality far outweigh any tiny extraneous sounds of which there are few. When virtually no sound is present on the record, the stylus has only to hit the tiniest piece of debris or fragment to induce an audible sound, on ‘Moonchild’ there is simply nowhere to hide. Thus my usual professional clean will always benefit, as it will on all records I offer. This copy will prove immensely difficult to find significantly better for audio playback and will match or better most of the first pinks, of that I am certain. My LP12 bought an even higher dimension to this groundbreaking release with impressive detail and sonic delivery. I refuse to knock CDs, there is a time and place for both formats and when they are played on a top quality player and through dedicated digital equipment, they also offer impressive sound. But they do lack that ultimate dynamic range and fine details only the vinyl record can offer, again when played with a quality turntable, arm and cartridge. The vinyl record for this powerful, groundbreaking work will never be beaten by the digital format and this copy is hugely worthy.

End Piece: I cannot emphasise enough the beauty of this album and also the fragile nature of it’s contents and cover. These grooves are as clean and wear-free as the get – any copy played so little will be rare. This was bought and almost immediately dismissed, the owner simply did not like it and it has not seen light-of-day again for decades. It tracks easily and perfectly and sounds amazing - even after all these years. I feel totally confident this copy will give any other a strong run for its money. With UK Pink copies variable to say the least and played on heaven knows what, this very pretty pink label copy simply offers great value for money and that cover is simply gorgeous, if not perfect – your choice.

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 8,000+ items sold in over 10 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 as 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] = £4.25

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]) = £11.75 (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 [£46 maximum]) = £15.75 Add £3 per extra LP. (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’.