Description AFFINITY - S/T (featuring Linda Hoyle)An extremely rare and highly sought after copy of this 1970 UK 1st press prog rock classic, in beautiful condition, on the coveted large VERTIGO SWIRL label, 6360 004 Matrix Numbers :Side 1 636 0004 1Y//2 11 2 (the "2" is hard to read, so is best estimate!)Side 2 636 0004 B 1 11 2 (the "2" is hard to read, so is best estimate!)The appearance of the vinyl is truly excellent+. And that's being conservative...I daresay some sellers would grade as "near mint". Even when tilted at the right angle under a bright light I am unable to detect even the usual few paper scuffs and wispy hairlines. Completely flat and with a beautiful jet black lacquered sheen with perfectly defined grooves and a gorgeous gleam which would grace any serious vinyl collection. This record has been lovingly cared for and I really do have difficulty in finding any faults at all. Superb.The labels are again excellent+. The only blemishes are just a couple of very light, faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each side and you will need to look hard to identify them!The matt finished, iconic gatefold sleeve is again excellent+. All edges remain rigid and perfectly defined with just some very light, occasional scuffing on the bottom back edge. The spine also remains firm with just one small, 1cm light scuff mark about a quarter of the way up. each corner also remains a nicely defined right angle with very minor, minimal rubbing. All of the cardboard remains solid with no ring wear and the only other blemish I can detect (I'm struggling here) is the occasional black dot or very small, light black smudge work - you can just make out a vertical black mark on the front cover parallel and adjacent to the top 10 cm of the opening edge itself (see photo - you will need to look hard). The inside of the gatefold is equally gorgeous, again with just a little, very light black smudging towards the top edges and with a small black mark adjacent to the centre of each bottom edge. All of these blemishes are extremely minor and none are intrusive or particularly obvious. All colouring remains vivid, deep and rich, there is no fraying whatsoever on the opening edge, and the whole gatefold is simply a delight to hold and could form the centrepiece of any serious vinyl collection. Finally, the quality of the audio is EXCELLENT+. Superb in fact. No pops, skips or distortion at either higher volume or higher frequencies, and wonderful tone and clarity throughout. There is just the merest hint of a little background static ("crackle" is far too strong a word) at the beginning of each side and during a couple of the quieter moments but really this is nothing and is no doubt caused by a little dust in the grooves through decades of storage. It's negligible. I did notice two light background clicks about half way through the track "Cocoanut Grove" but on close inspection, and under a bright light, could find no cause of this...again, I'm assuming a speck of dust is the culprit which I'm sure a professional clean would cure. A wonderful listen throughout.The tracks are :Side 1 :1. I AM AND SO ARE YOU2. NIGHT FLIGHT3. I WONDER IF I CARE AS MUCH4. MR. JOYSide 2 :1. THREE SISTERS2. COCOANUT GROVE3. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWERComes with original poly-lined Vertigo swirl inner sleeve with no splits or tears and is in excellent+ condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner in order to protect the original.In summary a superb copy (there can't be many better) of this extremely rare, and highly sought after 1970 UK prog rock 1st pressing gem. This would surely grace any vinyl collection. If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but over the years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boots, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I never intended selling any of my records but now I am retired and a combination of space requirements (caused partly by duplication) and a need to help fund my retirement has prompted me to "rationalise" my record collection and sell many of my much loved gems. My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl cardboard mailer along with at least two cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. For this item postage & packaging will be Royal Mail 1st class, tracked and signed for : UK £6.00, continental Europe £10, and Rest of the World £14. I do discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.Good luck with your bidding! Richard Descriptions of any records I sell comply with the Rare Record Price Guide grading guidelines :MintDescription: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.ExcellentDescription: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packag­ing might have slight wear and/or creasing. Very GoodDescription: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable sur­face marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable. GoodDescription: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc. Fair Description: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for prop­erly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.Poor Description: The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents will be badly damaged or partly missing. BadDescription: The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler.