Uriah Heep MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY UK LP -1u 1ST PRESS MINT

	£		79
	$		105

URIAH HEEP - THE MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY

IN MAGNIFICENT MINT!!!  CONDITION

• CATALOGUE:BRONZE ILPS 91233
• MATRIX: ILPS 9123 A-1U / B-1U (INVERTED 'U'S)
• FIRST UK PRESSING MATRIX NUMBER
• G.KONG ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX ON BOTH SIDES

THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS OF MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY. THE PRESSING CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. FIRSTLY THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST END IN -1U AND THE LETTER U IS INVERTED 90 DEGREES WITH THE OPEN END OF THE LETTER FACING THE 1 DIGIT

SECONDLY THE PRESSING MUST HAVE THE ISLAND CATALOGUE NUMBER. DESPITE THE RECORDING BEING ON THE BRONZE LABEL, THE EARLIEST ISSUES WERE GIVEN THE  ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBERS. LATER ISSUES WOULD HAVE HAD THE  'BRON' NUMBERS.

THE LABELS ALSO HAVE ' MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY i ISLAND RECORDS LIMITED ' IN BLUE TYPEFACE AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE RIM

THE SLEEVE MUST HAVE THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBER IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE REAR SURFACE, AND BE PRINTED BY ROBOR (INSIDE THE GATEFOLD, BOTTOM LEFT CORNER)

ALSO FIRST ISSUES CAME WITH A LYRIC INNER SLEEVE WHICH ALSO MUST HAVE THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBER ON IT BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE B SIDE LYRICS.

THIS PARTICULAR COPY IS TRULY INCREDIBLE. IT IS PRESSED ON THE HEAVIEST SLAB OF VINYL I HAVE SEEN FOR A LONG TIME, AND PLAYS ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY. THIS IS ONE NOT TO BE MISSED!!!

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE LIGHT CREAM BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE, . THE BROWN TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS JUST A COUPLE OF MINISCULE SPIDER LINES, THE ALBUM CLEARLY HAS NOT BEEN PLAYED MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES

THE VINYL

THIS HEAVYWEIGHT (AND I DO MEAN HEAVYWEIGHT) DISC HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. THERE IS NOT A MARK ON IT ANYWHERE, AND EVEN UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE. EVEN THE WISPY LINES ARE VIRTUALLY NON EXISTANT, SUPERB DISC

PLAYING THE RECORD

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 AS I AM DOING WITH ALL OF THE RECORDS THAT I LIST. I AM CONVINCED THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD THEY ARE THINKING OF LAYING A BID ON. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS.

THIS DISC PLAYS ABSOLUTELY SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES. I HAVE NEVER HEARD A BETTER COPY. THE FINAL TRACK ON SIDE ONE IS A GENTLE TRACK CALLED RAIN, AND I HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES I THOUGHT I HAD A GREAT COPY TO LIST ONLY FOR THIS TRACK TO LET THE DISC DOWN. IT HAS ON MOST COPIES AN INHERRANT LIGHT BACKGROUND ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT, SPOILING THE MUSIC. ON THIS COPY IT PLAYS PERFECTLY SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO TAKE A LISTEN TO THIS TRACK AS IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A TESTAMENT TO THE SUPERB CONDITION THAT THIS VINYL IS IN.

THE VINYL HAS AN INCREDIBLE STEREO REPRODUCTION. YOU ONLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE OPENING FEW BARS, FOLLOWED BY THE AMAZINGLY CLEAR VOCALS TO BE CONVINCED.

NO DISTORTION AT ANY POINT AND NO FRYING BACON. THE TINEST BIT OF VINYL NOISE WHEN THE STYLUS WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO THE VINYL, AND THATS ALL

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL PLAYTHOUGH AS MINT!!!

THE SLEEVE

NON LAMINATED ROGER DEAN GATEFOLD SLEEVE FROM ROBOR. ONLY THE FIRST PRESS SLEEVES WERE FROM ROBOR, AND THEY HAVE THE ISLAND MATRIX NUMBERS ON THE SPINE AND TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE REAR SURFACE. LATER ISSUES WERE GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE WITH THE BRONZE CATALOGUE AND MATRIX NUMBERS ON THEM IN THE SAME PLACES.

THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY CLEAN AND HAS RETAINED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE ORIGINAL COLOUR. THE COLOURS ARE VERY DEEP IN COLOUR AND OFTEN HAVE FADED DUE TO BEING LEFT IN SUNLIGHT. HERE THEOUGH THEY ARE RICH AND VIBRANT. THERE IS A SLIVER OR TWO OF VERY LIGHT RUBBING. A TOUCH ON THE OPENING EDGE IN THE RED AREA, AND ONE NEAR INVISIBLE LINE IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ANWHERE, JUST ONE SLIGHT THUMB PRESSURE MARK TO THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. INCREDIBLY NO SMALL LINES NEAR THE SPINE

THE TOP EDGE IS FREE FROM ANY SHEFL WEAR, WHILST THE BOTTOM EDGE HAS THE SLIGHTEST TRACE OF RUBBING

THE CORNER TIPS ALSO HAVE RUBBING TO THEM 

THE SPINE IS THE ONE AREA WHERE THE COLOUR HAS FADED AND IT HAS A COUPLE OF FINGER NAIL CHIPS NEAR THE TOP AND THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS HAVE RUBBED LIGHTLY

THE REAR SURFACE HAS NO COLOUR LOSS. IT IS HERE NORMALLY THAT YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE EVIDENCE OF RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE. ON THIS SLEEVE THERE IS NONE WHATSOEVER

THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND APTLY SHOWS JUST HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE EVEN THE BLACK BORDER HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED

THE ORIGINAL LYRIC INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED AND IS INCREDIBLY UNSPLIT. USUALLY THIS HAS MULTIPLE SEAM SPLITS, BUT NOT THIS ONE. THERE ARE A FEW LIGHT WRINKLES AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE

I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE EXCELLENT PLUS

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

GARRY