SMALL FACES Tin Soldier/I Feel Much Better 45 1st UK PRESS '67 MONO 1 PLAY MINT

	£		50
	$		66

LOT 11 
SMALL FACES:   "Tin Soldier"/"I Feel Much Better" 45 IN MONO, FIRST UK PRESSING, 9th DECEMBER 1967. 

LILAC/GREY COLOUR IMMEDIATE LABEL: IM O62 
THE LABELS HAVE THE "Sold In UK" ON THE PUSH-OUT CENTRE 
  THE UK TAX CODE EMBOSSED ON THE CENTRE OF SIDE 2 IS 'K T' . 
MAITRIX: IM O64 - 1F / IM O64 - 2F  (The Immediate format for a very first pressing.) 
FOR FIRST PRESSINGS ONLY, THE RUN-OUT GROOVES ALSO CONTAIN CROSSED OUT MISTAKES WITH THE  CORRECT MAITRIX RE-STAMPED ON BOTH SIDES ABOVE THESE ERRORS; 
SIDE 1: IMO 64  F - A - 1  SIDE 2: IMO6 4   F -  B - 1 
MISTAKE 1:  THE PLACEMENT OF THE ZERO OF THE CATALOGUE NUMBER AS THE LETTER 'O'  MISTAKE 2:  IMMEDIATE DID NOT USE 'A ' or 'B' TO INDEX THE SIDES, ONLY '1F' &  '2F'  The test pressing would have been the first place the mistake was seen and corrected but the stamping discs were not altered  for the first pressings  and carry the initial mistakes. Both Side's maitrix stamping's are above in individual close up pictures. 
"Tin Soldier" WAS ISSUED WITH AN EXTREMELY RARE PICTURE SLEEVE,MADE IN STRICTLY LIMITED NUMBERS,     THIS RECORD DID NOT HAVE ONE AND WAS ISSUED IN A 1967 BLACK & WHITE IMMEDIATE SLEEVE.  TYPICAL OF THE 1960's & EARLY 70's, RECORD SHOP STOCK NUMBERS WERE HANDWRITTEN ON THE BACK,  TOP CORNERS; 
LEFT: 23    RIGHT: 825 
Neither is the catalogue number and they had to be the record shop stock numbers, in the non computer and non bar code  era.  This is the original late 1967 Immediate sleeve, the top opening has wavy shaped edges, being white they wore poorly, this is  unsplit, untorn and it was only used once, so just some record impression related light creases and relatively moderate ageing.    There are some creasing/ruffles around the die-cut centres but for an Immediate sleeve this is way, way above average condition.  A really strong sleeve and most importantly, authentic to 1967 and not one of those appalling fake/counterfeit's found on ebay.     THE ORIGINAL 1967 SLEEVE IS IN EXCELLENT++ CONDITION. 

THE RECORD WAS ONLY PLAYED ONCE, THE LABELS AND VINYL ARE IN FANTASTIC CONDITION, ONCE AGAIN  I MUST MENTION HANDLING!  THERE ARE NO SCRATCHES OR SCUFFS ON EITHER SIDE AND ANY HANDLING TRACES    ARE NEAR INVISIBLE TO INVISIBLE, IN MINT CONDITION. 

The Small Faces experienced a restrictive lack of artistic freedom, with the pressures on to meet Decca's schedules, producing  Top Ten singles was Decca's priority.   Their immense talent was rapidly expanding, so were their minds with psychedelic drugs of  the era, they were being starved of studio time & experimentation involved making another album after their 1966 Decca debut.    Their ability to write and produce some of the greatest singles of all time had never diminished, given artistic freedom they would  create such stunning psychedelic singles, they became so definitive in 1967 -1969, you have to name all they recorded once signed    to Immediate, as masterpieces beyond compare.  I am writing as a very proud fan right from their debut in 1965 and as great as all  the Decca Mod period singles unquestionably are, they were progressing so quickly, in 1967 only the Beatles were ahead of them.  Their ability was always as an ultra tight r&B band right from 1965 and in the middle of all the psychedelic Immediate recordings,    they wrote, performed & recorded the most stunning, hard rocking r&b single in the whole of the late 60's decade..."Tin Soldier."     The Small Faces were singing about acid experiences on their 1966 debut album, the amazing "E To D" is still underrated, then in    1967 they fully embraced  psychedelia when they left Decca, right from the moment they walked through the door into Immediate.    Andrew Oldham threw off the shackles Decca placed on them, offering unlimited studio time, and did they take it!  The first/debut    Immediate single, "Here Comes The Nice" was a celebration of psychedelic music but with such unveiled drugs references, it was  a miracle the record escaped being banned from radio and TV, "The Nice" was a drugs dealer!  Marriott / Lane record productions  was a long proven success at Decca, now they really found their creative juices and set about making some of the very greatest  records of all time.  The Steve Marriott / Ronnie Lane songwriting partnership was given a new lease of life,  Steve and Ronnie    were now able to extend their record production like never before.  Decca out-takes released on "From The Beginning" hinted at  a new direction, but they were starved of time and encouragement, in Andrew Oldham they had plenty of that!  In the heart of the  psychedelic era the timing could not have worked out any better.  Their inspirational music flourished and they produced no less    than three astounding Immediate singles in 1967 alone.  Including all the B-sides, the six tracks recorded are beyond comparison,  the first "Here Comes The Nice," was paired with "Talk To You", followed by the glorious "Itchycoo Park"and "I'm Only Dreaming."  Both A-sides represented two of the greatest psychedelic songs and productions ever committed to the 45 mono format, it really was    "All too beautiful," but the r&b side of their music was never far away, next came this staggering purely r&b "Tin Soldier," most  certainly Steve Marriott's greatest ever song and vocal performance.  When you stop to think the extraordinary level of composing  and record production, including songs and productions for other artists like Chris Farlowe, Billy Nicholls and & P.P. Arnold, the  1967 "The Small Faces" first Immediate album, they were one of the most creative bands outside of the Beatles during that 'year  of years.'  Not forgetting their creative juices never dried up on Immediate,"Lazy Sunday" became the fourth in a row of stunning  45's, issued in April, 1968, before the ground breaking "Ogdens Nut Gone Flake" album, still unsurpassed today. If I sound rather  proud of the Small Faces, I have every reason to be, it was a glorious journey to follow, record by record, right from their debut 45  "Whatcha Gonna Do 'Bout It " in 1965. Not just the incredible Immediate singles that followed, "Itchycoo Park" and "Tin Soldier"  were also a foretaste of their next two albums.  That sublime and highly revered 1967 first LP on Immediate, "The Small Faces,"  included one of the greatest psychedelic tracks ever recorded,"Green Circles".  An astonishing innovative use of phasing effects,  that track in particular had promised even greater things to come. The late 1960's decade was an extraordinary time for exciting  music, multi-coloured psychedelic sounds were not confined to a record's grooves. "Sgt. Pepper" blazed a trail for possibilities  of an album's cover artwork, all that was now needed was a vivid imagination and an obliging record company to pay the costs.  The Small Faces had developed a serious rift with their management, particularly Don Arden, and left the  confines Decca imposed,    drawn to Oldham's Immediate label to drop back from the endless touring and spend time creating records reflecting fascinations  with psychedelic sounds.  Since 1966 they had been very heavily influenced by the acid freely circulating and found a sympathetic  like minded attitude from Oldham, even so, the incredible "Ogdens Nut Gone Flake" exceeded anyone's expectations.  The music was  seeped in superb psychedelic sounds/studio effects, music hit the very greatest peaks of inspiration in this era, the Small Faces  also generated fun and the sheer joy of laughing at not just the world, but themselves.  You cannot listen to their magnificent  records without finding yourself happy and smiling!  Often left on the records were the band giggling and messing around in the    middle of creating complex arrangements, there had been nothing like them, previously or ever since.  Like so many they were the  originator's as Mods and then as a psychedelic force, given half a chance and they could rock as hard as anyone and for a taut and  dramatic performance, "Tin Soldier"  stands apart from anything recorded even in the 60's. 
   The labels are so immaculate clean, I struggled to find any spindle alignment traces, a once, possibly twice played record, the  light colour of the Immediate labels were very easily stained or marked, both are in truly outstanding unblemished condition.    record has barely been played, spindle traces normally leave dark grey streaks but there are none.  The labels have the 1967  "Sold In UK " text, with the UK tax code"K T" embossed on the push-out centre, the record has the glossy sheen of mint vinyl,  without marks, ebay gets you spinning round in circles trying not to  mis-describe a record, but this is becoming plain crazy!  Now allow me to do this properly, this is the most stunning condition first pressing of the great "Tin Soldier" I ever seen since  finding my own replacement copy at least 28 years ago now! 
The run-in grooves are exceptional, near silent and unique to a UK first pressing, quite amazingly you can actually hear the very  faint Steve Marriott count-in,"1, 2, 3, 4."  Due to most originals being scratched to the core now, I doubt if many even know the  mono 45 mix had that count-in left on the beginning of the track.  Of course this is still a record and I insist on saying any faint  natural static belongs there!  Mac's fairly quiet keyboards intro is so clean and clear, Ronnie's bass and Kenney's drums have  the mono mix's phasing much strongly than the stereo version and Steve's lead guitar has a real edge to it, this is precisely how    "Tin Soldier" sounds in all it's original 1967 glory.  A very first pressed record with the sound of just pressed Mint vinyl, now  a forcefully imploring "Come on!" from Steve Marriott sparks the band into full action. He sings the first verse with restrain in    his voice, this is stunning, crystal clear sound quality.  The song just simmers away, always sitting on the brink of an imminent  release of the dramatic tension, just building & building. The sheer clarity here is a joy to hear, the great P.P. Arnold sings a  stunning soulful backing to Steve's incredible lead vocal, at the risk of showing my age, songs and performances as special as  this never happen any more.  Steve Marriott offered "Tin Soldier" to Pat Arnold, who would not allow him to give away such a  fantastic song to her, so instead he wrote "If You Think You're Groovy" for her.  Such talent was taken for granted in the late  1960's, writing a song  specifically for a single was an art form, Steve Marriott would never better "Tin Soldier," but then who    possibly could?  The r&b side of the Small Faces takes full hold now as Steve sings his heart out,  releasing the tension by the  sheer strength and power of the music they produced.  Pat's equally towering vocals were essential to this overall performance  and the recording itself, a sensational record in awesome sound quality!    
Turn it over and you find another colossal performance, "I Feel Much Better" was also a non-LP track, only available in mono in  the UK as a B-side to"Tin Soldier."  The run-in grooves are smooth running, nearly silent, before and when Ronnie's bass only  intro errupts with unbelievable power, my walls are literally reverberating with the 'slap' style he hits the notes with. This was  always the most basic and fundamental part of rock music since Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock", but as a lone sound, devastating to hear!  No distortion and the clarity of an EMI first pressing combine with mint grooves to give a fantastic start.  Mac's organ picks up    the riff on his Hammond as Kenney's drums power through, the lead vocal has Steve singing in that time honoured psychedelic,  slowed down, dreamy style.  In contrast the backing vocals were speeded up!  So a Micky Mouse effect that only the Small Faces  would have thought of doing to the fantastic voice of P.P Arnold!   The song starts in an even tempo, then about two minutes from  the end Marriott's guitar locks in with Ronnie's bass and they all rock like crazy with a killer of a blues/rock riff.   The song fades  out, a typical Marriott/Lane production includes a surprise reprise, the track fades back to find they were all still rocking in  the silent section, you rejoin the amazing improvised ending for another taster of the band on fire!  Running for four minutes,  a really astounding side, when I use the term 'masterpiece' for a single, it has to be as phenomenal as this is on both sides!  Surely one of the most stunning singles ever released and the sound quality is absolute perfection, without any surface or needle  irritations.  WILL ONLY SEND UK RECORDED DELIVERY THIS IS FOR BOTH BUYER AND SELLER PROTECTION OVERSEAS BIDDERS PLEASE CONTACT ME FIRST BEFORE BIDDING THIS IS FOR POSTAGE COSTS etc
I WILL PACK SAFELY AND SECURELY NO QUIBBLE REFUND IF NOT AS HAPPY 2 WHOLE WEEKS TO DECIDE I WILL START THE BIDDING LOWISH PLEASE ASK ANY QUESTIONS HAPPY BIDDING