Deep Purple FIREBALL 1971 UK LP 1st Press Gramophone Co MINT MINUS AUDIO HEAR

	£		141
	$		187

CUSTOMER UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022
For the past 2 years GG_Supersounds has been listing records that in the main are in Mint or very close to it condition. We continue to track down and list the very best records that we are able to for our ever growing customer base For those that have been with us over that period of time will know that there are two business partners listing on the site. One from Horsham and the other from Bognor Regis From time to time this has been confusing for our customers as there often 2 invoices to pay where purchases are made from different locations by one customer To rectify this we have decided that the Horsham location will continue to list on GG_Supersounds, whilst the Bognor Regis location will now list on GG-Superstuff.
IT WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE TO BUY FROM BOTH LOCATIONS AND HAVE COMBINED SHIPPING, BUT THIS WILL BE RELIANT OF THE TWO OF US MEETING UP, AND WILL THEREFORE USUALLY TAKE MORE TIME, BUT IT IS DO-ABLE
Nothing Else Changes - Still the same superb selection of the best records will be available

FULLY TEST PLAYED AND RECORDED PRIOR TO LISTING SO YOU CAN HEAR IT BEFORE BIDDING

DEEP PURPLE - FIREBALL

IN MAGNIFICENT BARELY PLAYED CONDITION

MINT MINUS AUDIO

EX+ TEXTURED 1ST ISSUE SLEEVE

COMPLETE WITH PURPLE TEXT INSERT

• CATALOGUE:HARVEST SHVL 793
• MATRIX: SHVL793 A-2U / B-3U
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:3 AO / 2 MD
• PEK ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX SIDE 1

THE VINYL

FIRST PRESS FIREBALL VINYL IS FAR HEAVIER THAN THE LATER ISSUES, AND THIS ONE IS REALLY SOLID.

THE ORIGINAL SHEEN HAS BEEN RETAINED AND LOOKS FLAWLESS IN DAYLIGHT

AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER SPOTLIGHTS, THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAN A COUPLE OF WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEE

A STUNNING LOOKING RECORD

THE LABELS

CORRECT 'GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING

DEEP RICH INKS THAT FULL STRETCH INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE

A CLOSE EXAMINATION REVEALS JUST TWO SPIDER LINES BY THE SPINDLE HOLEGENUINE FIRST PRESS LABELS WITH 'THE GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING. LATER PRESSES HAD EMI RECORDING AT THIS POINT.

BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE GREEN HARVEST BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED 

THE TEST PLAY

THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND WHATSOEVER, AND EVERY NOTE IS LOUD, CLEAN AND CRISP, JUST HOW IT WAS INTENDED TO BE HEARD.

THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, NOR ARE THERE ANY LOUD CLICKS

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS PURE FIRST PRESS

NO MORE THAN THE ODD SEMI SECOND OF BARELY AUDIOBLE STATIC IN A LINKING GROVE OR TWO

I DIDN'T HEAR ANY DUST POPS AT ALL DURING THE PLAY

NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE EITHER

WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS AUDIO MINT MINUS

DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

THE FIRST THING THAT USUALLY GOES IS THE TEXTURED SURFACE WHICH RUBS AND LEAVES WHITE SHOWING THROUGH THE COLOUR, AND BECAUSE THE BASE COLOUR IS VERY DARK, ANY WHITE SHOWING STANDS OUT LIKE NOTHING ELSE. 

THE VULNARABLE AREAS ARE THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, THE SPINE, THE PERIMETER EDGES OF THE FRONT AND BACK SURFACE, AND IN PARTICULAR RINGWEAR CAUSED BY THE PRESSURE OF THE RECORD AGAINST THE SOFT CARD LEAVING HIDDEOUS WHITE CIRCLES

THE SECOND ISSUE WITH MOST FIREBALL SLEEVE IS SEVERE CREASING, PARTICULARLY ON THE SPINE , BECAUSE OF THE SOFT CARD AND BEND WOULD INSTANTLY TURN INTO AN UNSIGHTLY CREASE AND USUALLY THE COLOUR WOULD GO AS WELL MAKING IT AN UNSIGHTLY WHITE CREASE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF SLEEVES WITH WHITE LINES PROTRUDING FROM THE SPINE OUT INTO THE FRONT SURFACE.

AGAIN THE SOFTNESS OF THE CARD ALSO ALLOWED AND SLIGHT BEND TO TURN INTO A DEEP CREASE WITH EASE.

THE FINAL PROBLEM IS THE SPINE WHERE 99% OF ALL COPIES ARE FLATTENED, WHICH CAUSES ONE OF THE FAR EDGES TO OVERLAP THE OTHER AND CAUSE MORE WEAR TO THE EXPOSED EDGE

THIS SLEEVE HOWEVER IS IN WAY ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITION

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE. AS SOON AS YOU HANDLE IT YOU KNOW IT HASN'T BEEN ABUSED. 

THE TEXTURED SURFACE IS JUST PRISTINE. NO MARKS, NO SIGNS OF ANY BENDS OR CREASES OR CREASE LINES. 

NO WHITE AREAS, NO RUBBING WHATSOEVER. EVERY TINY BIT OF THE COLOUR IS 100% RETAINED AND LOOKING PRISTINE. NO FADING AT ALL

THE VERY TIP OF THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER HAS A PIN PRICK OF RUBBING

THERE ARE TWO TINY PRESSURE LINES AGAINST THE SPINE AT ALL. NONE ON THE TOP EDGE, NONE ON THE BOTTOM EDGE AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE BOTH NEAR PRISTINE. 

THE TOP EDGE HAS JUST A PIN PRICK OF WHITE SHOWING ON THE RIGHT CORNER TIPS,AND A TINY SLIVER ON THE FRONT LEFT CORNER,  WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE  HAS SOME COLOUR LOSS TO THE RIGHT CORNER AREA

THE SPINE IS ALSO IN NICE CONDITION, 

TOTALLY FLAT AND CLEAN AND THERE IS NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING WHICH IS VERY RARE. THE TYPEFACE COLOUR HAS FADED AND THERE IS A DOT OF RUB ONEACH TIP END

THE REAR SURFACE LIKE THE FRONT HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE RICH DARK COLOUR. IT IS HERE USUALLY WHERE THE SLEEVE SUFFERS MOST FROM RING WEAR, BUT ON THIS SLEEVE THERE IS JUST THE BAREST SHADOW OF RECORD SHAPE 

THREE TINY PRESSURE LINES BY THE SPINE AND A SMALL CREASE LINE OVER THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER

THE OPENING EDGE HAS SOME LIGHT BURRING ON THE FRONT SURFACE. THE REAR IS VERY SHARP

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PERFECTLY CLEAN AND UNRUBBED TEXTURED INNER SURFACE. 

THE ADVERTISING INNER SLEEVE IS STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE SURFACES, AND NO SERIOUS CREASES. SOME EDGE GLUE AGEING

FINALLY THE SLEEVE IS COMPLETED WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE ORIGINAL INSERT SHEET. THIS IS IN NEAR MINT CONDITION, NO CREASES. A SLIVER OF AGEING TI ONE SIDE EDGE

THIS SLEEVE IS IN EX+ CONDITION