CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN - SCARCE ORIG UK 68 STEREO.

	£		103
	$		136

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN

Album Title: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Producer: Kit Lambert.

Executive Producer: Pete Townshend.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Prelude–Nightmare; Fanfare–Fire Poem; Fire; Come and Buy; Confusion.

Side 2: I Put a Spell on You; Spontaneous Apple Creation; Rest Cure; Money; Child of My Kingdom.

Label/Format: Track – intense black with original matt and gently textured surfaces (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in fantastic condition: ultra clea, fresh and attractive, any spindle traces are tiny, fainta and very few at all. An amazing copy without doubt, only lightly played.

Cat Number: 613005.

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: 130 grams. A good average weight for this album.

Rarity: Scarce: stereo copies seem more elusive than the mono version and this hardly played copy is a supreme example.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: 613005 A 1 1 5 2 / 613005 B 1 1 3

Musicians: Arthur Brown – vocals; Vincent Crane – keyboards; Sean Nicholas – bass guitar; Drachen Theaker – drums.

Album Information: A progressive-psych classic and featuring one of the UK’s wildest and most eccentric performers, this unique debut features the classic single Fire. For those around at the time, who could forget Brown’s performance on ‘Top of the Pops’ back in those mind-bending days of the late 60s? On came this dervish man coated in face paint and bellowed ‘I AM THE GOD OF HELL FIRE, AND I BRING YOU, FIRE!’ while his famous headpiece blazed away - this guy was always ahead of his time, it must have caused some mild panic in case he burned the studio down. He soon gained a cult following in the UK underground psych scene. This famous debut features Vince Crane, latterly of Atomic Rooster and note the executive producer, a certain Pete Townshend of The Who. This copy on offer is the scarcer stereo version and includes a very clean record and cover. The sleeve being very hard to find even in respectable conditions, always being prone to heavy creasing and laminate problems with blistering and non-adhesion often rife. The silver and black back always wears very badly unless kept very carefully, ring wear often grinds into this one. Well not this beauty, this is truly up there with the very best I have ever seen bar none. The record is very difficult to find that plays well, the intense sound and vocals often the victim of old heavy-tracking and worn stylus from yesteryear, resulting in crackle and distortion. The sound is equally impressive and mostly devoid of the issues this intensely recorded album often suffers. Little to fault bar a few mostly gentle and faint ticks on the first song on side two, only part way and as this is a loud track, which mark them even more. They caused little attention for me, I was more engrossed in the superb sound and content on offer than any minor faint blemishes. Any 44-year-old record and cover that can survive all this time with so little to fault is more than acceptable for me, that is some considerable achievement and I enjoyed this immensely.

Cover Condition and Details: EXCELLENT(++): with due consideration for a Mint(-) grading, this is an exceptional example. A single format with a laminated front that wraps around all the closed edges and on to the back via the spine. One of the true psych classic covers, my photograph not out of focus, it was intentionally made blurred for effect. A notoriously difficult cover to find in anything like attractive condition. It was printed and made in England by Polydor and includes it’s lined inner sleeve that is early date-coded from 1969.

Cover Front & Lamination: The zany colourful artwork is massively attractive and shows little real wear other than a few gentle surface creases, mostly on the spine edge. Most-all lost within the densely coloured graphic. Made with very thin card, this in so many cases is seen with major laminate issues. The biggest culprit, apart from creasing, is usually lifting or areas of non-adhesion (blistering). Like other covers of this era, application within manufacture often meant the laminate was never perfect to the card. This has some fine ‘mottling’ – a term I use for tiny compact air bubbles underneath the laminate – so fine, they hardly even show with normal viewing, but are seen when angled. Not that this effect is unsightly, I think it actually adds character and is a quite common trait of covers, especially ones by Polydor, at this time. Another that immediately that springs to mind that often has it, is the Fairport Convention debut – another cover that badly suffers laminate lifting, and like this one, is seldom seen without any. So the really good news is the lack of lifting or blistering on this lovely front which makes a massive difference to it’s appearance. The laminate retains a super shine, freshness and clarity with no friction marks or dulling at all. The gentle mottle effect may be deemed a blemish by some, but not for me, this is purely natural and within the manufacturing process of laminate application. In terms of laminate issues, this has quite possibly, the least I have seen, certainly for a considerable time. This cover simply defies it’s vast age and looks fantastic.

Cover Back: Totally uncompromising with silver colour ink that is exposed with no protection. Hence most are seen rife with fingermarks and ugly penetrating ring wear. This has very little to fault and looks incredible. Any marks or blemishes to the unforgiving surface are minuscule. Clean, fresh with minimal crease traces. Just a tiny few super-fine hairline types only. Totally devoid of ring wear or even dulling around the shape. I can rarely remember this surface so attractive or unrubbed, I can only tip-my-hat to the previous and one-only owner.

Top Edge: Barely any traces of wear – the back end panel is a fraction proud, but even this has barely any traces of thickening or burrs.

Bottom Edge: Practically the same, and even for such a thin cover, all edges remain largely straight. Due to laminate contraction, this can often pull in the cover causing major bowing (or even more laminate lifting), which is not the case on this one.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mainly sharp with minimal traces of any wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Any thickening or burr traces tiny, few and very faint as viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and again mainly straight with any compression only light. The ends taper in manufacture. All the text is unworn and fully present as seen under solid and uncracked or peeled laminate – please see my spine photograph.

Corners: All very neat indeed with minimal traces of any tip rubbing, a little on the top right, but little else. A small crease on the back left being quite critical. Excellent or better shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A very impressive example of a truly fragile and deceptively difficult sleeve. One I have seen a fair number of times, and most do not even come close to this. Even from day one this was vulnerable, and that is even if it had been manufactured well. It tolerates rough handling and poor storage badly, and only the most lightly handled examples had any chance. This one could prove a significant upgrade, or if anyone just wants a near top example, this is it. It will please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): with little to fault bar a little darkening of the seam adhesive on the side. The Polydor-style polylined inner has avoided creasing and has a clear window seen through two immaculate window circles. All edges unsplit with no repairs. This is date-coded 329 as seen on my close-up.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++) / EXCELLENT: side two marked down for one mark on the first song that emits a few, generally quite light clicks. Noticed more at the very start, quite briefly and then getting lighter and almost fading altogether as the volume increases on the rather loud ‘I Put a Spell on You’. As mentioned above, this is quite a loud and intense track, and any minor sound blemishes are knocked back and quite well masked. But that apart a very impressive visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. Any other marks are mostly fine and very light and surface types with no audio issues. Visually a lovely, vintage 1968 record that should please many collectors, but the one mark means not quite for the perfectionist.

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 Track record plays even above it’s visual grading for most-all – the described above clicks on side two the only noteworthy blemish, again I reterrate these are not too long, fairly gentle and quite well hidden amongst the powerful and loud sound of the song. Overall, only a quite gentle hint to remind of what you are actually listening to – a 44-year-old vinyl record, not a squeaky clean digital format. Quite minor put into context and even taking this into account, nothing spoilt my true joy in listening to this dynamic stereo copy, I feel this version has the edge over the mono mix as psych albums rely on the channel separation for full effect. In terms of the actual sound and it’s clarity, this has no degradating with the audio content remaining very sharp, focused and clear with any other surface sounds being minimal and faint. The ultimate test is Brown’s manic vocals, those shrill shrieks on fire are unstressed, crisp and clear. I am certain never subjected to old mono record players or worn, often misaligned stylus, the sound is just too clean, and it appears played very little. Okay, it has the one light scratch, but this challenging and complex disc has practically survived the 60s and beyond with little more and importantly – it still sounds SUPERB. The mark on a loud track which helps lose any soften any light clicks. I also remind I play all my records on very revealing equipment which reveals any blemishes all too freely. The details embedded in these vintage grooves are testament to this band’s unique sound. No enhancing, remixing is needed - simply put this on to a quality system and you will be astonished at the sounds on this record - Arthur was wild!, This is how a real psych record should be heard. This largely impressive copy merits high recommendation, just the aforementioned light blemish to consider, but how many will better this in real terms will be very few – of that I am certain.

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.

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 ask 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]) = £12 (enhanced 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 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’.