THE STARS IN STEREO Vinyl grading - VG Sleeve grading - VG 4 pictures uploaded, sleeve close ups, front and rear, disc - apologies for the tripod reflection - and a view of the label details. Use the 'Mouse Over to Zoom / Click to Enlarge' feature for meticulous scrutiny of the condition of the item. Unusual mix of Easy Listening, real, proper Easy Listening and Much More Enjoyable Lounge / Exotica Easy Listening... Names to savour include Gordon Jenkins, Les Baxter, Les Brown, Frank Sinatra and Stan Kenton...once you have been knocked firmly off your perch by the deservedly and contractually obligatory Frank opener, I'm a Fool to Want You, and, assuming you're a newcomer to the Jenkins oeuvre, your life may never be the same again... ...and it's a good 4 minutes and nigh-on 50 seconds worth of Sinatra / Jenkins genius, for those keen on duration minutiae, and in this case, you want as much as you can possibly get... ...and don't forget the exciting Exotica crash, bang and wallop of Les Baxter's Bangkok Cock Fight, adding extra colour to proceedings! Stereo Released on - Capitol Catalogue number - SW1062 US issue. Produced by - Various Duration - 30 minutes, approx. Matrix numbers - Side One - SW1-1062 D11 Side Two - SW2-1062 D1 Please read the record grading guide below and familiarize yourself with the grades used. Goldmine standards adhered to, plus full description in all aspects. I strive to grade fairly, and have never sold a record without listening to it first. Visual grading is not an option at all. This 56 year old LP I have graded as being in Very Good condition. Both sides play through with no jumping, skipping or any other audio horrors. There are the usual minor hairline surface marks that any LP of this vintage would accumulate over the passage of time, but they are mainly visual and have no real impact on playback. There is a bit of isolated, low-level and generally non-intrusive surface noise, mainly in the quiet passages between tracks, typically common to any used vinyl of this vintage, and which shouldn't spoil your authentic listening experience! A perfectly acceptable vinyl-to-mp3 transfer, with a suitable turntable. Keep it real but in a digital way! The sleeve I have graded being in Very Good condition with light scuffing to the edges, minor bumps to the corners, one small seam split near a corner, and very light 12" ring diameter wear marks front and rear, yellowing etc to the white areas, plus other small signs of storage and age. The label is in good condition, with no major defects, see close-up picture uploaded. Tracklisting - Side One - I'm a Fool To Want You - Frank Sinatra Ring For Porter - Harry James Bangkok Cock Fight - Les Baxter A Cottage For Sale - Nat "King" Cole September Song - Jackie Gleason Side Two - Apple Valley - Les Brown Way Back Home - Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians Time Was - Nelson Riddle Valencia - Gordon Jenkins Lover - Stan Kenton Any questions, email and I'll help if I can. Thanks for looking! :o) Buy-it-Now, $17.99 Postage - USA - Free Shipping...nice! Overseas orders welcome - ask for a price to your exotic destination and I'll let you know how much it'll be. * Records are posted in dedicated record mailing boxes with 2 corrugated cardboard stiffeners. GRADING GUIDE. (Goldmine Standard) * Gradings range between - for example - VG, VG+ and VG++. In some cases, for example again, VG- may be used. MINT (M) Absolutely perfect in every way. Often rumored but rarely seen, and if it is not just out of the pressing plant it is unlikely that, personally, I would ever use this grading. NEAR MINT (NM OR M-) A good description of a NM record is “it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.” In other words, it’s nearly perfect. NM records are shiny, with no visible defects. Writing, stickers or other markings cannot appear on the label, nor can any “spindle marks” from someone trying to blindly put the record on the turntable. Major factory defects will be absent. If played, it will do so with no surface noise. NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind. VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E) A good description of a VG+ record is “except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint.” VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable.VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. VG++ is a step up from VG+ generally. VERY GOOD (VG) Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record. VG records lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible. Minor writing, tape or a sticker can detract from the label. They remain a fine listening experience, just not the same as if it were in better shape.VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won’t be obvious upon looking. A small pen or ink mark, or an original price sticker may be noticeable. GOOD (G), GOOD PLUS (G+) or VERY GOOD MINUS (VG–) Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious surface damage to the label. A Good to VG– cover has ring wear, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing. POOR (P) and FAIR (F) Records that have obvious damage, they are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them.