Deep Purple FIREBALL UK 1ST GRAMOPHONE CO 100% MINT-

	£		236
	$		313

DEEP PURPLE - FIREBALL

IN MAGNIFICENT MINT MINUS CONDITION

ASTONISHING MINT MINUS SLEEVE

COMPLETE WITH INSERT

A TRULY VAULT / MUSEUM CONDITION SET

THE BEST YOU WILL FIND ANYWHERE!!!!

• CATALOGUE:HARVEST SHVL 793
• MATRIX: SHVL793 A-2U / B-3U
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:3 MM / 2 GT 
• PEK ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX SIDE 1
• A GENUINE FIRST PRESS WITH THE ' GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING

THIS COPY OF FIREBALL IS THE BEST COPY I HAVE EVER OFFERED ON EBAY

IT IS WORTH SPENDING A FEW LINES DETAIL JUST HOW RARE IT IS TO FIND THIS SLEEVE IN THIS SORT OF CONDITION

IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT EBAY AUCTIONS OF THIS ALBUM YOU WILL FIND THAT 99% OF ALL FIREBALL SLEEVES ARE IN POOR CONDITION

THE REASONS FOR THIS IS VERY SIMPLE. IT WAS MADE OF A VERY SOFT CARD, THEN COVERED IN A DELICATE DARK (DEEP PURPLE) COLOURED FINISH, THEN TEXTURED!! AND FINALLY LEFT UNLAMINATED. LOOKED ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC WHEN BRAND NEW, BUT SOON BECAME TATTY WHEN FILED WITH OTHER ALBUMS

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 VULNERABLE 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

WHAT THIS SLEEVE IS HOWEVER IS A STAGGERING MINT MINUS EXAMPLE AND IN MY OPINION IS PROBABLY THE BEST COPY OUT THERE.

IT HAS BEEN PROTECTED FROM DAY ONE INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER SLEEVE, THE RECORD WAS REMOVED FROM THE COVER AND HOUSED BEHIND THE SLEEVE, THUS NO RINGWEAR.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY SQUARE WITH THE STRAIGHTEST SPINE I HAVE EVER SEEN ON THIS SLEEVE

THE VINYL IS ADDITION IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. A CRYSTAL CLEAR MINT REPRODUCTION THAT WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

GENUINE 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 AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I CANNOT EVEN SEE ANY SPIDER LINES AROUND THE SPINDLE HOLE. TRYING TO PLACE THE DISC ONTO MY TURNTABLE NEEDED SOME FORCE AS THE SPINDLE HOLE IS EXTREEMLY TIGHT. IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THIS LP HAS UNTIL TODAY REMAINED UNPLAYED

THE VINYL

FIRST PRESS FIREBALL VINYL IS FAR HEAVIER THAN THE LATER ISSUES, AND THIS ONE IS REALLY SOLID. THE VINY GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR AND HAS LOST NONE OF IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE

THE VINYL LOOK ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS IN DAYLIGHT AND EVEN WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION, THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE, JUST A FEW WISPY HAIRLINES ON SIDE 2

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED THE ENTIRE ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH, SOMEHTING I AM NOW DOING WITH ALL MY LISTINGS. I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

FROM THE SECOND THE STYLUS ITS THE VINYL. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING EXTRA SPECIAL

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.

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS JUST MAGNIFICENT, TRUE FIRST PRESS AUDIO QUALITY AND IS TOTALLY UNBLEMISHED

THERE IS NO BACKGROUND CRACKLES, NO CLICKS, NO POPS, AND NO VINYL NOISE (TWO TINY POPS IN THE FINAL 30 SECONDS OF SIDE 2)

PERHAPS A SECOND OR TWO OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC JUST ONCE OR TWICE, BUT THIS IS REALLY BEING PICKY

THE RUN IN, RUN OUT AND LINKING GROOVES ARE ALL SILENT, ANDTHE VINYL PERFORMAS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL MINT MINUS

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

THE SLEEVE

SO HAVING THIS KEPT INSIDE PLASTIC FROM NEW HAS RESULTED IN A TRULY MINT EXAMPLE OF THIS SLEEVE

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE. AS SOON AS YOU HANDLE IT YOU KNOW YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL. 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, AND A VERY VERY FAINT LIGHT RIPPLE ACROSS THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER

THE USUAL LINES NEAR THE SPINE ARE JUST NOT THERE. LIKE I HAVE SAID ABOVE THIS IS JUST UNHEARD OF. THIS REALLY IS AN IMMACULATE SLEEVE IN EVERY WAY

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE BOTH NEAR PRISTINE. THE TOP EDGE HAS JUST THE BAREST SLIVER OF RUBBING TO A SMALL AREA AND IN ACTUAL FACT HAS NOT RUBBED THROUGH TO THE WHITE, JUST NIPPED THE EDGE OF THE DEEP COLOUR. THIS I CAN ASURE YOU IS BEING ULTRA PICKY, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE  HAS JUST THE LIGHTEST COLOUR LOSS ON THE TWO RIGHT CORNER TIPS ONLY

THE SPINE IS ALSO IN MINT CONDITION, TOTALLY FLAT AND CLEAN AND THERE IS NO FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHING WHICH IS VERY RARE. EVERY LETTER OF THE RED TYPEFACE IS PERFECT AND LEGIBLE.THERE IS NO COLOUR LOSS HERE AT ALL. TOTALLY IMMACULATE!!!!!

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 ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. ONE VERY VERY LIGHT LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER.

A TRULY IMMACULATE SURFACE

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST TWO SMALL THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE LP WAS REMOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PERFECTLY CLEAN AND UNRUBBED INNER SURFACE. NO LOSS OF COLOUR AT ALL. THIS IS REALLY BECAUSE THE SLEEVE WAS PROTECTED FROM NEW, AND POSSBLY NOT OPENED SINCE IT WAS PLACED INSIDE

THE ADVERTISING INNER SLEEVE IS STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. NO SPLITS TO ANY OF THE SURFACES, AND NO SERIOUS CREASES. A VERY CLEAN EXAMPLE.

FINALLY THE SLEEVE IS COMPLETED WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE ORIGINAL INSERT SHEET. THIS IS IN MINT CONDITION, NO CREASES

THIS REMARKABLE SLEEVE IS IN MY OPINION AS CLOSE TO MINT!!! AS YOU COULD POSSIBLY GET

THIS IS A VAULT CONDITION HIGH GRADE COLLECTIBLE THAT IN MY OPINION COULD NEVER BE BETTERED

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY