MusicStack has partnered with a vinyl to CD conversion service who will convert the LP to recordable CD for you. It will sound great with no annoying clicks, pops or background noise. All recordable CDs come in a standard jewel case with artwork printed on glossy paper.
How does this service work?
The seller will ship the LP to the digital conversion center in Arizona, USA where it will be format shifted onto a recordable CD directly from the LP only for your ears. The LP and the recordable CD will then be mailed to you. The digital conversion center will not retain any copies of the item.
What does it cost?
Price of the LP + $35 USD for the conversion to recordable CD + cost of shipping of the LP to Arizona + cost of shipping of the LP from Arizona to your location paid in advance.
grading comments; minor wear and creasing on think South African cover; LP plays with no skips and issues I've had a longstanding interest in '60s and '70 South African bands, but the genre's hard to locate in the States and expensive when you can find it. So with that backdrop, I have to admit I don't know a great deal about The Bats. Drummer Eddie Eckstein and multi-instrumentalist Barry Jaman seemingly met in the late-'50s when they were playing at a resort outside of Johannesburg. Discovering a mutual interest in popular music they set about forming a band. By 1964 they'd recruited ex-The Vikings keyboardist Paul Ditchfield and were performing as The Bats. They quickly added English singer/guitarist Jimmy Dunning to the lineup and began rehearsing, scoring a demo with CBS which promptly signed them to a contract. Following a brief and unsuccessful attempt to make it on the British music scene (they even had a 45 release in the US), The Bats returned to South Africa in 1969. Having lost Dunning (he decided to return to the UK), the band recruited former 004's singer/guitarist Pete Clifford, releasing 1969's Johnny Boshoff produced "The Bats Turn You On". Offering up a mixture of band-penned originals and American and English cover tunes, I've got to tell you everything about this album looked and sounded amazingly dated. The band's clothing and demeanor, large segments of the music - it all sounded way more 1967 than 1969 and would have been equally dated back in 1969. I'm not a political science major and my knowledge of apartheid-era South Africa is pretty limited, but my guess is that much of that cultural and musical "lag" was a result of the cultural, economic, and political embargo slapped on South Africa. Kind of hard to be cutting edge when you don't have a clue what's going on in the rest of the world. That's not to imply these guys weren't talented (after all they were known as the South African Beatles ... I'm not making that up). Assuming they played their own instruments (and I have no reason to doubt it), they were easily as good as most of their British and American contemporaries. I'd also underscore the fact the four band originals were all top-notch; way better than most of the lame cover tunes. Shame they weren't given the chance to showcase more original material. - 'Melody Fayre' was a decent slice of toytown-styled pop-psych. Very tuneful with, acid-tinged lyrics, tons of harmony vocals, and a super commercial melody, it may have been released in 1969, but had a very 1967 feel to it. As mentioned above, guess apartheid slowed everything down in South Africa including musical tastes. rating: **** stars - Musically their cover of 'Build Me Up Buttercup' didn't differ all that much from The Foundations hit version, but unlike the original, their performance had all the excitement of an empty beer bottle. Hard to believe they managed to take a great pop song and make it boring. rating: ** stars - Wonder how The Fab Four felt about a South African band covering one of their tunes; not that they could do much about it ... 'Ob La Di - Ob La Da' was another cover that didn't stray too far from the original, but once again, the performance was flat and lifeless so the end couldn't come soon enough. rating: ** stars - 'Rickshaw Riding' was truly bizarre and kind of cool because it was so strange ... structurally it sounded like they'd simply appropriated a kiddy nursery rhyme, setting it to music; added strumming guitars and assorted sound effects (weirdly tuned banjo, handclaps and police whistle). rating: **** stars - I don't know if had something to do with having to sing in English rather than Afrikaans, but their cover of Jimmy Webb's 'Wichita Lineman' was another strange offering. The Glen Campbell version was pretty mellow, but their xylophone propelled cover was positively sleep inducing. rating: ** stars - I still have no idea what '
Payment Accepted: PayPal, Cash (USD - at your risk), Personal Check (USD made out to Scott Blackerby), Certified Check (USD made out to Scott Blackerby), Postal (USD made out to Scott Blackerby), PayPal (make payment to )
I've used the Goldmine Grading Guide in grading the collection. Most of the catalog is graded VG or slightly higher. To me that reflects an LP that's been played, but with care and attention. Neither the cover nor the vinyl are pristine, but the cover will be intact without substantial flaw and the vinyl will play without substantial hiss and without skips. Exceptions are noted for each offering. Since I buy music 'cause it's stuff I want to hear, virtually everything I sell is play graded - in other words, I've actually listened to the item. Finally, albums are graded cover first, vinyl second, i.e. VG/NM means a very good cover and near mint vinyl.
Goldmine Grading Standard:
Mint [M]: Absolutely perfect in every way - certainly never played, possibly even still sealed. (More on still sealed below). Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.
------------------------------------------------------------ Near Mint [NM or M-]: A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record shows no obvious sign of wear. A 45 rpm sleeve has no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP jacket has no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same is true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves, and the like. Basically, Near Mint looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
------------------------------------------------------------ Very Good Plus [VG+]: Shows some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK.
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but is should be barely noticeable. The center hole is not misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turn-up corners, or a slight seam-split. An LP jacket my have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.
------------------------------------------------------------ Very Good [VG]: Many of the defects found in a VG+ record are more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise is evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during the song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.
------------------------------------------------------------ Good [G], Good Plus [G+]: Good does not mean bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear.
A jacket or sleeve has seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object. If it's a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it.
------------------------------------------------------------- Poor [P], Fair [F]: The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and/or writing. The LP jacket barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, and written upon.
Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.
Payment Methods Accepted
PayPal, Cash (US Dollars - at your risk), Personal Check (US Dollars made out to Scott Blackerby), Certified Check (US Dollars made out to Scott Blackerby), Postal (US Dollars made out to Scott Blackerby), PayPal (make payment to )
Shipping Costs
I ship domestic orders via USPS media mail. Typical delivery is in 3 - 5 days.
I can usually pack 2 - 3 LPs into a mailer
Rates may change as USPS seems to modify their rate structure on a regular basis.
Currently I am limiting sales to the US.U
I ship via USPS media mail which has proven dependable and the most economical delivery for buyers
I can normally pack 1 to 3 LPs in an LP mailer $6.00. $1.00 for each additional LP.
Return Policy
Obviously, grading is subjective and there are bound to be cases where someone disagrees with the way we've graded an album. In cases where you feel I'm way off the mark, let me know and I'll work to reach a mutually agreeable solution. I've sold several hundred albums over the last couple of years, including many on eBay. During that timeframe I've run into two disagreements. I sold a Tommy Boyce solo album which noted the cover had a tiny tear where someone had taken a price sticker off. The buyer was upset since she had known Boyce and wanted to frame the LP for display purposes. Even though the description clearly noted the tiny tear (and it was visible in the picture we posted), I offered her a refund, or a price adjustment to what she thought was fair. I never got a response. I sold a Richard Wright LP. The buyer told me it was a misprint sporting the same track listing on both sides. I provided a full refund and let the buyer keep the LP (he was in South America and it wasn't worth the hassle to get the LP back). Curiously, as a Pink Floyd fan I'd listened to the LP a couple of times and had no recollection of the mispressing. Oh well ...
Seller Information
Reserving items: If you contact me in advance, I'll reserve items for up to 3 weeks. If I reserve something, make sure you honor your commitment to purchase the item, otherwise I'm unlikely to continue doing business with you. Packaging information: I pack items in new record mailers with filler pads for additional protection. So far I haven't had any problems ... Unless you're buying some exceedingly expensive items, or your order totals more than $100.00 I'd suggest not bothering with insurance. If you want insurance, let me know ...
Shipping to United States
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No Insurance, No Tracking, No Signature, - days Estimated Delivery
