CREAM Wheels of Fire RARE Orig UK 1968 MONO EX/EX++ LPs

	£		126
	$		167

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Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options.

Artist or Band: CREAM

Album Title: Wheels of Fire (original and rare MONO double set).

Producer(s): Felix Pappalardi.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: IN THE STUDIO: White Room; Sitting on Top of the World; Passing Time; As You Said.

Side 2: Pressed Rat and Warthog; Politician; Those Were the Days; Born Under a Bad Sign; Deserted Cities of the Heart.

Side 3: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE: Crossroads; Spoonful.

Side 4: Traintime; Toad.

Label/Format: Polydor – two different formats for each record. The studio album has the very rare original fully textured, rough finish labels with the deep inner ring ridge. The live album has the smooth surfaces with the same deep ridge but the inner area from ridge to hole rim are still textured. These are guaranteed a matching ‘pair’ as purchased. The textured labels are rare and the very first ever made and only a small few were initially made. Both labels have the M33 mono logo.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and highly attractive. The studio album has light to light+ spindle marks that only fine and seen under light. The live album has only very light spindle marks and side four barely any at all. Finding these vintage mono labels much cleaner or lesser used will prove very difficult and so few of the textured originals will show up better.

Cat Number: 582031/2.

Mode / Speed: Mono / 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 these Records: 163 & 167 grams. Massive pressings for these incredibly early mono original records. Even slightly later made ones became significantly thinner and lighter.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The early mono double set is rare with the textured label format, and especially so with a more than highly respectable tin-foil style cover. With both records only lightly or very lightly played and offering superb clean, distortion-free mono sound and a still attractive original style cover, this is a rare album. Most that surface are less than pretty and are played to near destruction. There lies the difference.

Original Year of Release: 1968.

Matrix/Stampers Nos: 582031 A 1 420 1 / 582031 B 1 420 1 1 / 582032 A 1 420 1 / 582032 B 1 420 1 1

Brief Artist & Album Info: As soon as you pick up this complete double set, it will be immediately apparent to anyone, this feels a little ‘different’. The sheer weight of this package is exceptional making even slightly later pressed copies feel lightweight in comparison. A brilliant third album by the greatest UK power trio. Following the classic debut and ‘Disraeli Gears’ was never going to be easy, but ‘Wheels of Fire’ more than pulls it off and is possibly the perfect Cream album demonstrating beautifully balanced songs. An album issued as a double set with one side recorded in the studio and one side recorded live at The Fillmore in America. This was also issued as two single albums with similar, but different artwork on the cover and I am also currently offering these separate albums also. This is Cream at their amazing best: the studio album is highly versatile, featuring some of their finest songs ever. Jack Bruce not only featuring on bass, but proving what a highly skilled cellist he is also, he even plays recorder on ‘Pressed Rat’. More surreal lyrics from Pete Brown, the combination worked perfectly again. The live album is pure power-house Cream playing heavy and loud with incredible virtuosity with blistering solos. This rare early pressed mono copy has two very clean records, modestly played and offering lovely dynamic mono sound. The incredibly fragile cover, one of the most unforgiving ever issued, is in very nice condition with some wear but far less than most I have seen. So for those wanting this complete double-album version in mono, a great opportunity.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: VERY High++ (off the scale): this is one that can be enjoyed, most are best hidden away. It is one of the most unforgiving and delicate covers ever issued with the ultra thin foil coating often peeled off in large areas or dulled, tarnished or very badly ringworn. This foil coating on the card is ultra thin, microns thick only, it simply flakes and falls off almost by looking at it. Few will ever avoid substantial wear these days.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(-): and do not underestimate how difficult this to find in this still very attractive condition. This is the original shiny format with a silver foil type finish, the inside is standard matt. A gatefold format that was printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day. This format was later changed to a standard matt type version which for the double set, is much easier to find.

Cover Front: Stunning and very complex artwork, all very psychedelic and rarely seen in the tin-foil style with practically all the graphic intact with minimal flaking of the surface. This has front has barely any peeling at all with just a trace near the bottom right corner. This is still quite fresh looking with a very respectable sheen with any rubbing very light and modest indeed. Very slight rim rubbing, or faint ringwear that’s seen more with angled viewing, but with two very heavy records inside for over 40+ years, can this be any real surprise? Few will show less and that’s a stone-cold fact. Few marks and hardly any creasing at all and this wonderful piece of art history will prove hard to find much better.

Cover Back: Very similar in all respects but just slightly more rim rubbing near the top. Any chipping or surface peeling is very light and confined to the very edge or corner areas.

The Centrefold: Beautiful colourful artwork and in superb condition with practically nothing to fault.

Top Edges: Mainly small and light patchy chipping with minimal visual impact.

Bottom Edges: Slightly less than moderate patchy rubbing/chipping. These resting edges have little chance of avoid wear and so many, if not most are threadbare. These retain a highish percentage of the ultra fragile foil surface.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and sharp with barely any thickening or burring. Incredibly, the edges have avoided any chipping of any real note and both are guaranteed untrimmed. The records enter on these fragile edges.

Spine and Text: Under the circumstances, this impossible spine has fared well. At the risk of repeating myself, few will avoid total peeling of the foil surface and often appear totally threadbare and tatty. Still solid and mainly neat, that mega-thin foil coating will rarely stay adhered to the card unless incredibly carefully stored and untouched all the time, and so few were. Most here is present and the only chipping to the text has been caused by unavoidable fine centre-line creasing due to opening the cover. This will crack and crease from day one simply by viewing the centre. Some text has gone but around 60 to 70 per cent remains, the catalogue number is pretty much fully present and half the rest.

Corners: All have rubbing ranging from reasonably light to moderate, that said, they still remain neat and any wear put into context is modest on arguably the world’s most intolerant and fragile cover. Fine shape is retained.

Cover Summary: Truly one of the most difficult and vulnerable covers ever made. The sheer complexity of the psych artwork and how daring to produce on such fragile surfaces. As stated this EJD version is impossibly difficult, so I have no qualms in offering a very respectable and still attractive original example. With most of any wear on the edges and the main four faces looking really nice (with an unsually decent spine too), this should still please many, if not most collectors. This cover has very slim chances of ever being found better with two massively pressed mono records inside. Their weight and thickness means even more stress on a cover that has almost zero tolerance. Look at the pictures and decide, not for the highly discerning but most realistic collectors should enjoy this one.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT and EXCELLENT(++): a very fine visual pair that are very clean, shiny, intense black and very heavily pressed with incredible weight and thickness. In the Studio appears to be have been played more with a few light and fine surface marks that have no sound. Live at the Fillmore has barely any marks at all and looks hardly played at all. Without doubt, this has been far less used than the average copy of this evergreen classic set that always proved popular. This should please many, if not most collectors.

Records 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: Both records play above their high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Sound remains fully focused and sharp and devoid of those one-sided mono noises that many offer when played on higher-end stereo equipment. Few copies will outperform these early heavyweight pressings significantly I feel sure. I am certain these records have been played lightly and very lightly and fine this pair with clean and more enjoyable sound will prove very difficult indeed. Nothing at all spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful double set version. The mono sound of the era gives a different feel to the music and of course, many connoisseur collectors prefer this – I have little preference on this one either way, I like both. This set will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

Final Summary: Without doubt one of my favourite ‘popular’ 60s bands and have been since I was at school. A young art teacher introduced me to their music when I was a very young teenager and I was immediately hooked. Clapton, Bruce and Baker together made the most fantastic sound live and their more subtle studio tracks were simply magical. A blend of surreal rock-blues with distinctive psychedelic overtones – few did it better than Cream. A shame they did not make more albums but what they produced have stood the test time supremely well and simply refuse to age. Most consider Disraeli Gears to be their classic album, maybe so, but Wheels of Fire is only a fraction behind and I actually think some songs are superior. This album (not this copy hasten to add), was one of the first I ever purchased as a teenager from a record shop in Colchester, this way back in the early part of the 70s, so I missed the mono cut. This double set is a fine all-rounder and with the textured label, remains the rarest UK Cream album made – with a highly respectable cover, most wear on the edges – and records that play superbly, a scarce opportunity.

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 QED Silver 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.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

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 stiffners 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 3 or 4 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). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, 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’.