Deep Purple FIREBALL UK 1ST GRAMOPHONE CO PLAYS NEAR MINT MINUS

	£		105
	$		139

DEEP PURPLE - FIREBALL

PLAYS TO A  NEAR MINT MINUS!!!!! CONDITION

 NEAR MINT MINUS SLEEVE

COMPLETE WITH INSERT

SUPERB COLLECTIBLE SET!!!

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

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 HIDEOUS WHITE CIRCLES

THE SECOND ISSUE WITH MOST FIREBALL SLEEVES IS SEVERE CREASING, PARTICULARLY ON AND NEAR TO THE SPINE , BECAUSE OF THE SOFT CARD ANY BEND WOULD INSTANTLY TURN INTO AN UNSIGHTLY CREASE AND USUALLY THE COLOUR WOULD GO AS WELL MAKING A WHITE LINE 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 NEAR MINT MINUS EXAMPLE 

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.

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, THERE ARE JUST 5-6 TINY LITTLE LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS SUPERB VOLUME HAS BEEN PLAYED

THE VINYL

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

THE VINYL LOOK ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS IN DAYLIGHT AND ONLY WHEN PLACED UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION, ARE THERE SOME SWIRLY WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

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, SOMETHING 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

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, APART FROM DURING THE FIRST MINUTE OR SO OF TRACK 2 SIDE 2 WHERE THERE IS SOME LIGHT BACKGROUND 

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR 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 SUPERB 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 APART FROM A SLIVER OF A SHADOW ALONG THE TOP AND RIGHT HAND EDGE JUST NEAR THE TOP RIGHT CORNER.

THE VERY TIP OF THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER HAS A MICROSCOPIC LITTLE DING

THE USUAL LINES NEAR THE SPINE ARE JUST NOT THERE, APART FROM TWO MINUSCULE AND BARELY VISIBLE ONES NEAR THE TOP 

LIKE I HAVE SAID ABOVE THIS IS JUST UNHEARD OF. THIS REALLY IS A GREAT COPY

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES ARE BOTH NEAR PRISTINE. THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS JUST THE BAREST SLIVER OF RUBBING TO A SMALL AREA AND THE TOP EDGE IS UNRUBBED

THE SPINE IS THE ONLY AREA WITH A TINY BIT OF WEAR AND THIS IS A TINY PATCH OF WHITE SHOWING UNDERNEATH THE TITLE AND BAND NAME. OTHER THAN THIS THE SPINE IS VIRTUALLY FLAT WITH ALL OF THE COLOUR INTACT AND JUST A COUPLE OF TINY DIMPLES TO THE SURFACE

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 FROM THE GLOBE TO THE SPINE (THIS IS A LIGHT HANDLING LINE NOT A CREASE)

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 POSSIBLY 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

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

GARRY