CREAM Wheels of Fire SCARCE Early UK STEREO Double Set

	£		38
	$		50

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £11.75. Rest of World £15.75. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment – returns within 14 days only. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: CREAM

Album Title: Wheels of Fire.

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 – early examples with the large catalogue numbers and No set number. Intense red, matt with a smoother finish.

Label Conditions: All four labels are clean and fresh with any handling marks to their revealing surfaces small, few and very faint. Spindle marks are incredibly light indeed and very few indeed, seldom seen an early stereo copy with so few spindle marks.

Cat Number: 583031/2.

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 these Records: 126 / 130 grams. Around average, maybe a little below for 1960s Polydor.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: A difficult album to find so lightly played. Also the cover is one of the most difficult ever made. Early issues had a ‘foil’ type finish on the outside faces. These are beyond difficult to find without significant wear and so few will even exist these days without ringwear, dulling, flaking and damage. This has very little and remains highly attractive and way above average.

Original Year of Release: 1968.

Matrix/Stampers Nos: 583031 A // 2 420 1 1 5 & 583031 B // 1 420 1 1 2 & 583032 A // 1 420 1 1 1 & 583032 B // 1 420 1 3

Brief Artist & Album Info: 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 covers and missing totally the spectacularly colourful inner graphic. This is Cream at their amazing best: the studio album is highly versatile, featuring some of their finest ever songs. 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 scarce early stereo copy has two very clean records, modestly played and offering lovely dynamic sound. Little unwanted – just a light brief trace of crackle at the very end of ‘Pressed Rat’ and a mere hint for a few second thereafter – but that’s it, all else plays superbly. The live album offers little short of immaculate sound for all. The incredibly fragile cover, one of the most unforgiving ever issued, is in impressive condition with some of the least wear I have seen for some time. So for those wanting this complete double-album version in stereo, a great opportunity.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: VERY High++ (off the scale): 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: NEAR 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: Put in context, this really is undergraded, so few are seen this attractive. Stunning and very complex artwork, all very psychedelic and rarely seen in the tin-foil style with practically all the graphic intact with barely any trace of flaking to the surface. The only trace on this front is a very small peel to the bottom right corner tip. This is still fresh looking with a very respectable sheen with any rubbing light and in terms of this, modest indeed. Any friction rubs are very light and faint indeed and any penetration into the foil itself form the record rim only gentle as only really seen near the top edge with a hint at the bottom. Any creasing very slight indeed and hardly even showing. This is a very solid and attractive front, especially so given all the facts.

Cover Back: The back is equally impressive and pretty much the same again minus the small tip flake. Arguably even better, the lack of deep penetrating ringwear is always a bonus, but is cannot be avoided totally and here is light again.

The Centrefold: Beautiful colourful artwork and in very attractive condition with little to fault. You do not get this gorgeous graphic on the single versions.

Top Edges: Against all odds, the foil surface is nigh-on fully present and solidly intact with no flaking or scuffs. This up to the very corner tips that have small rubs.

Bottom Edges: A small few light chips and practically all the delicate surface intact and strong – this I have rarely seen before. The front panel end has thickened from weight on these storage edges.

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

Spine and Text: At the risk of repeating myself, few will avoid total peeling of the foil surface and often appear totally threadbare and tatty with only rubbed card seen. This is in very fine condition again: still solid and neat, that mega-thin foil coating will rarely stay adhered to the card unless more carefully stored. Apart from the very ends, this is nigh-on fully intact with just a fine central crease simply due to opening the cover. A major factor why so many are seen with no text or surface left. The fine natural crease is seen across ‘WHEELS OF FIRE’, but the rest of the text has avoided it. So, all is easily readable and the band name and catalogue number characters are near perfect. This will not be seen often and makes a very fine cover into more an exceptional one.

Corners: Modestly light corner rubbing on all bar the bottom right front which is a little more like moderate. A little shedding of the foil surface here is close on impossible to avoid totally. Fine to very fine shape is largely retained with a little mild creasing and very low-level erosion of the bottom tips (again being critical).

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, but still an overall very attractive original example. With most of any real wear on the corners tips and the main four faces looking really nice (with an unsually strong spine too), this should still please many collectors, but not the perfectionists of course who will have to wait for the near impossible at potentially vast cost. This will not be that easy to find better, look at the pictures – taken without flash as this reflects badly on these surfaces – there is NO camera trickery or enhancements, so look and decide.

The Inner Sleeves: Two Polydor lined inners are included, they were not inside this album when I got it, the owner preferred to put his records inside new inners. These are a very close image pair and would be similar to the originals. Both are in close to excellent condition with crisp window circles, intact linings and edges with no repairs. Quite clean and aged little with barely any creasing.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual pair that are very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. Both records appear little played with any surface marks few, light and faint – there are no penetrating scratches. Early examples seldom escape this clean and under-played – but good news for the modern collector of course. These 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 very little to fault. The only blemishes noticed very briefly – this on ultra sensitive equipment – was a little light crackle near the end of ‘Press Rat’ and a mere trace thereafter for a tiny few seconds. 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 other surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted. The live album plays to near perfection with awesome sound. No damaging arm drops or jolts have ruined this copy, the minor sound noted within the pressing. Sound remains fully focused and sharp, the beauty and sonic delivery from the vinyl always has the edge and the odd minor blemish is always worth the price. Few copies will outperform these early solid pressings significantly I feel sure. Little of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful double set. It will prove challenging to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. Not quite for the perfectionist, but many, if not most will enjoy this.

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-of-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 very first issue myself. This double set is a fine all-rounder and with a highly respectable cover, inners, and only lightly played records, 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 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 as 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]) = £11.75 (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 [£46 maximum]) = £15.75 Add £3 per extra LP. (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’.