DEEP PURPLE Fireball 1971 UK HARVEST 1st PRESS w/INSERT GLOSSY VINYL EX+ AUDIO

	£		50
	$		66

DEEP PURPLE - FIREBALL

A very nice condition copy, with gleaming vinyl and wonderful stereo audio reproduction, of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1971 1st press rock gem, with earliest A1/B1 vinyl matrix numbers on the UK Harvest record label, SLP-420

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1    SHVL 793  A - 2U with stampers "2" and "RP" at 2.30 o'clock and 8.30 o'clock respectively and "PE K" etched

Side 2    SHVL 793  B - 3U with stampers "1" and "MP" at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock respectively 

The vinyl is in excellent (EX) condition - nice and thick, heavy and completely flat, and a real gleamer in fact with each side displaying a beautiful jet black sheen and in normal daylight coming across as in near perfect condition, and it is only with close scrutiny under a bright light that it is possible to detect just a few extremely wispy hairlines and small very light paper scuff marks on each side. Clearly this record has been sparingly played (the excellent sound quality supports this view) and it is hard to believe that this vinyl is now 49 years old!

The condition of each label is near mint (NM). Gorgeous condition labels : earliest 1st press smooth labels with the black text upon the yellow coloured background, and iconic yellow & green Harvest logo, all in pristine condition. Note the 1st press "THE GRAMOPHONE CO..." circular text on the periphery of each label. If you look closely under a bright light you may just be able to detect a couple of very faint, small spindle trails on each; otherwise...perfect!

The condition of the Garrod & Lofthouse non-laminated and textured gate fold sleeve is very good plus (VG+). This sleeve is notorious for it's fragility and is very prone to shelf wear and damage, making it rare to come across an original outer in even excellent condition let alone mint. Note the characteristics of a 1st pressing :  a darker textured gatefold sleeve (depicting five black and white live photos inside) - the texturing is deep and defined, the spine is thicker, and the cover is thick. The opening edges had one 'flat sealed' at the factory, and the other open. The cover is also of '1 piece' manufacture - folding over at the bottom and glued internally at the top. Any cover that is thinner, has small texturing or less defined texturing, is paler, is smooth, is a '2 piece' cover (glued internally at the top and bottom), or has 1 edge 'folded over' and factory sealed is a LATER COVER and is not original. Date code 7109 (September 1971) and printer’s credit on inner gatefold. “Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.” This gatefold sleeve completely fulfills the requirements of a true UK 1st pressing, though it is not in perfect condition...

...the edges do remain firm and the corners remain nicely defined right angles, but there is some moderate intermittent scuffing on the bottom edge which becomes more pronounced towards the bottom right corners, some mild rubbing on the corners, some "nicks" and intermittent light scuffing on the top front edge, a couple of tiny and light "nicks" on the spine (which is in otherwise excellent condition with all spine text completely intact) and some mild ring wear on the reverse side - the photos show each of these relatively minor blemishes in detail. The opening sides remain firm with no fraying and the inside of the gatefold is truly excellent. The colours, text, and black & white photos remain beautifully intact. So, not quite excellent but certainly a solid very good and definitely remaining highly presentable.

Comes with original lyrics insert printed in purple on both sides - this was discontinued in 1973 - which is in overall excellent condition : no tears, creases, or fraying, just some intermittent and very mild age discolouration/browning towards the edges (this is very mild, so very mild in fact that it is difficult to capture on a photograph!).

The quality of the audio is wonderful- certainly excellent plus (EX+). Great tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. There are no skips, jumps, repeats, sticks, clicks, or interference and background crackle is at an absolute minimum - just the hint of some extremely mild and very background crackle at the very beginning and very end of side 2 and during part of the quieter interlude of "Fools"...insignificant. Simply great stereo audio sound with every track making for a great listen. A true rock classic! 

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. FIREBALL

2. NO NO NO

3. DEMON'S EYE

4. ANYONE'S DAUGHTER

Side 2 :

1. THE MULE

2. FOOLS

3. NO ONE CAME

Comes with original 'polylined' EMI/Harvest inner sleeve depicting other artists' current releases on the Harvest label (this has become a collectable in it's own right!). This inner was discontinued in 1974. This original inner remains in excellent condition with no tears, rips, seam splits, obvious creasing, or edge fraying and of course is still 100% functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly impressive condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1971 UK 1st press rock classic - the whole LP remains a great listen (far better sound quality than any digitised CD medium), is a "must" for any serious rock vinyl collection and will only continue to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 65 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard mailer, along with extra protective flange edges, with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class, signed for; 

Continental Europe £13, and Rest of the World £17 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler