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I have for sale a true collectors piece, an original 1st UK pressing of one of the all time classic rock albums, namely the 12" vinyl LP of Deep Purple - Fireball, fully complete with original EMI dust sleeve along with the fully laminated (rough textured) outer gatefold sleeve (an indication that this is the VERY first pressing) and including the separate removable lyrics sheet printed in purple on both sides, a rarity in itself, in pristine condition!

Before going into further details; a little background. This LP forms part of a personal family collection that is being gradually sold off. This record has not passed through the hands of multiple collectors but has remained safely stored and completely untouched in a corner of my parents attic for 45 years. For the purpose of this auction I have inspected it closely, evaluated its condition to the best of my ability, and I present it to you now with the most accurate and honest description possible. While I confess that neither my camera, nor my photography skills are particularly great, I hope that at least some of the photos, taken in as much natural light as possible, will do the item justice. Anyway, onto the all-important details.

Release details: 
First edition has a darker textured gatefold sleeve depicting five b&w live photos inside while later editions are paler and smooth;
The Gramophone Co. Ltd. appears at the beginning of the circular text on both labels which appear rough, not smooth.
Initial quantities came with a lyrics insert printed in purple on both sides and in a generic polylined EMI inner sleeve depicting other artists' current releases.
Date code 7109 (September 1971) and printer’s credit on inner gatefold.
“Printed and made by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.”

Album Devised And Produced By Deep Purple For Edwards/Coletta Productions.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): SHVL.793A
• Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): SHVL.793B
• Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A Stamped ): SHVL 793A-2U
• Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A Etched): PE K
• Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B Stamped ): SHVL 793B-3U
• Rights Society: MCPS. Britico. NCB
• Other (Printing Date (Cover)): 7109
• 
  

ALL THE ABOVE INDICATIONS OF A FIRST PRESSING HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND VERIFIED PERSONALLY.

LABEL Original yellow/green 'Harvest' label, featuring 'The Gramaphone Company Limited' around the perimeter. No fading, rubbing or smudging of the lettering at all, perfectly clear and well defined printing. Some light spider lines around spindle hole (which itself has NO trace of any wear whatsoever). Were it not for the light spider lines, I'd describe the label as easily near mint.
VINYL I have studied this record on both sides under a bright light, and can see minimal, if ANY evidence of needle wear, hairline marks or human handling. I have tried to find a visible mark or a light scratch, and while I don't confess to be an expert in such matters, I am a stickler for detail and this is one of the most pristine vintage records I have evaluated. It looks practically brand new, what more can I say? :)

OUTER SLEEVE

It frustrates me to say that sadly, the sleeve does not quite live up to the pristine condition of the vinyl within. I try to be as honest as possible in my evaluations, therefore I'm obliged to say that the front cover (which was produced during its first pressing with a very grainy, coarse texture) has suffered some rubbing and other examples of general wear. Slightly scuffed corners are present, however it has a fully intact spine with legible text, as shown in the photos. The back cover has one or two scratches, and again a bit of rubbing. The inner gatefold I'm happy to say is in excellent order with only minor signs of wear and none of the 'rubbing' problems that affect the outer covers. I would advise you to inspect the photos and see for yourself, I may be being overly harsh with my evaluation here, but I've done my best to be as honest and objective as possible.
INNER DUST COVER The inner dust cover is the original EMI Records cover that came with the LP. It has a little yellowing around the perimeter, but no tears or fading of the printed images, featuring other EMI artists of the era.
REMOVABLE LYRICS SHEET A square, bonus lyric sheet printed in purple ink on thin card. I can honestly say that this item is in the same condition as when it left the shop; absolutely spotless. No visible creases, no marks, stains, loss of colour etc. I'm scared to handle it as I don't want to accidentally crease it! Rest assured it is in the same condition as the vinyl itself; superb.

OVERALL SUMMARY What you are bidding for here, is an exceptionally rare, massively collectible record with a vinyl disc that is in exceptional condition, barely a sign of wear to be found. The inner lyrics sheet is in equally pristine condition, and while the cover sleeve features a certain degree of wear, I would urge you to judge this for yourself, via the photos provided. Considering the superb condition of the actual record (obviously the most important aspect of the listing), I think it very unlikely that you will be disappointed with the overall package.
Good luck, and happy bidding! :)

PLEASE NOTE: Payment required via Paypal within 24hrs of auction-end please. International shipping is available via the Ebay global shipping program. UK shipping will be via RM signed for, next day delivery. My records are shipped in quality cardboard mailers with 2 x stiffeners, and I remove the record from the sleeve to reduce the likelihood of damage in transit. I try to be as accurate as I can, but unless otherwise stated I have not listened to the LP the whole way through and like all used records there is always a chance there may be minor sound defects. Please accept this risk before bidding. Returns are only accepted in the unlikely event that the description was drastically incorrect. Any other questions please enquire.

Deep Purple ?– Fireball

Label: Harvest ?– SHVL 793, Harvest ?– IE 064 o 92726 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Textured Gatefold 
Country: UK Released: Sep 1971 Genre: Rock Style: Hard Rock

Tracklist

A1 Fireball A2 No No No A3 Demon's Eye A4 Anyone's Daughter B1 The Mule B2 Fools B3 No One Came

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – De Lane Lea Studios
• Recorded At – Olympic Studios
• Recorded At – The Hermitage
• Produced For – Edwards Coletta Productions
• Record Company – EMI Records
• Manufactured By – The Gramophone Co. Ltd.
• Printed By – Garrod & Lofthouse
• Published By – HEC Music Ltd.

Credits

• Bass Guitar – Roger Glover
• Crew [Equipment] – Ian Hansford, Rob Cooksey, Ron Quinton
• Design – Castle, Chappell & Partners Limited
• Drums – Ian Paice
• Electric Guitar, Lead Guitar – Ritchie Blackmore
• Engineer – Alan O'Duffy, Lou Austin, Martin Birch
• Keyboards – Jon Lord
• Lead Vocals – Ian Gillan
• Mastered By – Pek*
• Photography By [Chagford Studios] – Tony Burrett
• Producer – Deep Purple
• Written-By – Gillan*, Paice*, Lord*, Blackmore*, Glover*

Please take a look at my other auctions for more rare and classic vinyl!!!