CREAM Disraeli Gears RARE 1st Press UK 67 STEREO LP

	£		53
	$		70

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: CREAM

Album Title: Disraeli Gears

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Strange Brew; Sunshine of Your Love; World of Pain; Dance the Night Away; Blue Condition.

Side 2: Tales of Brave Ulysses; SWLABR [She Was Like a Bearded Rainbow]; We’re Going Wrong; Outside Woman Blues; Take it Easy; Mother’s Lament.

Label/Format: Reaction – the earliest deep mauve and silver format with the double ring inner ridges.

Label Conditions: A very attractive looking pair: both very clean, fresh and with only a tiny few ultra fine and light spindle marks. Both retain very deep rich colour and the silver ‘chip’ on side one’s left edge is NOT a chip at all, this is how it was made, a small silver ink splash or a tiny printing or plate error. Evidence including the lovely clean playing surfaces indicates this rare first issue has been played very little.

Cat Number: 594003.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 161 grams. Way above average even by first press standards. Second issues that only came within only a few months after this were considerably thinner and lighter, even as much as 40 grams on occasions. This is one of the heaviest Disraeli Gears I have ever held.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Rare: as a first stereo pressing. I consider this the rarest Cream album of all in fact. Far fewer of these would have been pressed in stereo and initial copies were much thicker and heavier. They came briefly with a double laminated cover, soon replaced by thinner repressings and only the front laminated. Although a good seller, most were in mono. Stereo originals in very fine condition also are much at a premium.

Original Year of Release: 1967.

Matrix Nos: 594003 A 1 1 1 (or possibly 2) / 594003 B 1 1 1.

Musicians: Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals; Jack Bruce - bass guitar, harmonica, vocals; Ginger Baker - drums, vocal.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: More wear-prone on the back due to the lack of protection.

Cover Grade and Format: MINT(-): and only a small press mark on the back that hardly even shows with normal viewing stops consideration for a full Mint grading. A single format that is FULLY laminated. Printed and made by Ernest J. Day with the ‘Patent Pending’ text, which is not easily seen but present on the back near the bottom right corner.

Lamination – Front & Back: Supreme artwork and one of the landmark covers of it’s era. So famous and desirable, only strong, little worn examples will do for discerning collectors, few will be seen much better than this. The laminate retains a lush and rich shine, freshness and clarity so the intensity of the cover’s artwork is seen to absolute maximum advantage and shows barely any hint of dulling – the odd trace on the rim near the top being critical under light that few, if any will avoid totally. This was made with very thin card, clearly laminate issues can and often do occur, but this has little. Another crucial positive is the total lack of lifting or blistering, yes every single part is fully adhered. The lack of creasing is unusual but most welcome, there is just one small half moon each side, again only seen under light, few will even get close to having few than that. One small press mark on the back is almost totally lost amongst the complex artwork and I only just spotted it when scrutinising for such blemishes under bright angled light. I have seen few with such little evidence of rim impression, and remember, this is a 160 gram record inside here – quite how it has avoided, I am not sure. A classic cover that should please most collectors and so bright, you almost need to wear shades.

Top & Bottom Edges: Practically as made, fully laminated and smooth with no scuffs, very straight too.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly very sharp with barely any wear, any thickening or burr traces almost minuscule, this is guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: The inclusion of laminate protection on this very thin spine is great news as most uncovered ones invariably lose their text. This is solid and quite straight with little wear at all, possibly a little compressed. ALL the text is fully present and unworn but centred a little low.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and very minor and all retain superb shape and look little short of as made. No dinks and barely even a tip crease to be seen, this again makes such a difference.

Cover Summary: A very impressive looking and attractive example of this beautiful and first-made cover, one that will prove immensely difficult to find much better with the double-sided laminate. There is no disputing the age or vintage of this cover as even only slightly later ones were only front laminated. This beauty should please most collectors and certainly worth a second look – one to hold, enjoy and treasure.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a plain white polylined inner. A little aged with some mainly light darkening, mostly near the edges as usual, and one very small edge repair to a movement split. A supremely neat window and clear, intact lining and hardly any creasing. This guaranteed the original that came with the record and is UK patented with ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and looks hardly even played. Any surface marks are very few and light as seen critically under bright angled light. One fine manufacture ‘cutting’ mark has NO sound at all – a natural blemish and look hard to even see it. A super visual copy that I am certain had only been played very modestly indeed. Very clean and heavily pressed with a lovely shine and even lustre – a rare thing on a popular record this great age. One that so often gets heavily played, and why not?, it’s a classic, so a refreshing change to find one so attractive. Visually this should please many, if not most collectors.

Record Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This psych classic plays up to it’s impressive visual grading and much beyond. Mono or stereo best? - always one for debate. I could not be asked to choose for this album - both are truly essential, the mono mix has a very different sound which is solid and punchy. The stereo images better and many prefer the psych albums in the two channel mode, it has incredible detail, power and dynamics: listen to the real slam on ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’ at the start of side two. Bruce’s bass really pounds out of the speakers as does Baker’s drums. I noted no pops or significant clicks and the sound is loudly recorded. Just a trace of light surface sound was heard in places, but this being quite critical and playing on an ultra sensitive front end. Few records made in 1967 will ever be CD quiet – we live in a digital age where zero sound is the norm. But I find a gentle polite reminder of what you actually listening too almost part of the vintage vinyl experience, and little spoilt my pleasure hearing a true original cut of this classic album. Disraeli Gears is sublime blues-rock with a real psych edge. A copy I enjoyed immensely but possibly not quite for the audiophile listener who plays at high volume on massive systems or those who want total perfection. But when played at sensible levels on a more mid-level system, this will offer great sound and enjoyment. A copy that has survived relatively unscathed and many collectors will enjoy it. For those who demand a genuine first issue, this is a very strong overall copy and with that attractive cover too, this deserves strong recommendation.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.