Deep Purple FIREBALL UK LP 1ST GRAMOPHONE CO NEAR MINT-

	£		48
	$		64

DEEP PURPLE - FIREBALL

IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION

• CATALOGUE:HARVEST SHVL 793
• MATRIX: SHVL793 A-2U / B-3U
• MOTHERS/STAMPERS:1 RD / 1 MA 
• VERY EARLY FIRST PRESS
• PEK ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX SIDE 2

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

ONLY A FIRST PRESS LP HAS THE 'GRAMOPHONE CO' RIM WORDING AS THIS ONE DOES. LATER RELEASES STARTED WITH 'EMI RECORDS'

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, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS AROUND HALF A DOZEN SMALL SPIDER LINES

THE VINYL

ANOTHER WAY TO TELL A FIRST PRESS VINYL OVER A LATER ISSUE (BECAUSE SOME HAVE THE SAME MATRIX NUMBERS) AND APART FROM THE RIM WORDING, THE VINYL IS ALSO MUCH HEAVIER AND LESS FLEXIBLE ON A FIRST PRESS AS THIS ONE IS.

A LOVELY DISC THAT HAS RETAINED IT'S ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND SHEEN. THERE ARE A COUPLE FO SUPERFICIAL HANDLING LINES EVIDENT, AND UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION A FEW MORE ALONG WITH SOME WISPY HAIRLINES

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 ALBUM FROM START TO FINISH. I AM DOING THIS WITH EVERY RECORD THAT I LIST BECAUSE I JUST KNOW THAT POTENTIAL BIDDERS WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE HEAR EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BIDDING ON, AND WHILST THIS TAKES ME FAR LONGER TO COMPLETE. I AM CONVINCED THE EFFORT IS WELL WORTH IT

THE LP PLAYS THROUGH BRILLIANTLY ON BOTH SIDES, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES WHICH DEMONSTRATE JUST HOW FANTASTIC THIS LP SOUNDS. ALL THE LINKING GROOVES AND QUIET PASSAGES ARE THERE.

THE FIRST THING TO NOTE IS THAT THIS ALBUM PLAYS WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION WHATSOEVER. THE SOUND QUALITY OF A FIRST PRESS IS EVEIDENT AS WELL WITH EVERY NOTE BEING HEARD TO PERFECTION. THE STEREO SPLIT AND REPRODUCTION IS JUST SUPERB

THERE IS NO FRYING BACON OR SEVERE BACKGROUND CRACKLES EITHER

WHAT YOU DO GET IS SOME VERY VERY LIGHT VINYL NOISE IN A FEW SPOTS, USUALLY ONLY HEARD IN THE VERY QUIETEST PASSAGES, AND I BELIEVE I COUNTED JUST TWO TINY DUST POPS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PLAY

BUT PLEASE TAKE A  GOOD LISTEN AND BE THE JUDGE OF THIS SUPREME DEEP PURPLE PRESSING

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL NEAR MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IN A CONDITION THAT A COLLECTOR WOULD WANT. ISSUED AS A NON LAMINATED, BUT FULLY TEXTURED SLEEVE WHICH IS BAD ENOUGH IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT IN TOP CONDITOION, BUT THE DESIGNERS MADE THE SLEEVE FROM VERY SOFT CARD, AND THIS HAS HAD DISASTEROUS EFFECTS ON THE GENERAL CONDITION OF MOST COPIES THAT YOU WILL SEE

FROM SEVERE RING WEAR, TO COMPLETE TEARS. VERY BADLY FRAYED OPENING EDGES, AND SEVERE LOSS OF COLOUR. THESE ARE THE MAIN ISSUES THIS SLEEVE FACES.

THIS ONE HOWEVER HAS BEEN KEPT INSIDE A PLASTIC OUTER FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE AND HAS ONLY WORN VERY LIGHTLY

STARTING WITH THE FRONT SURFACE. THE FIRST AND MOST OBVIOUS THING IS THAT THERE IS NO RING WEAR OR AMAZINGLY EVEN RECORD SHAPE.

THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES EITHER, NOR ARE THERE ANY LIGHT CREASES, AND CERTAINLY NO BENDS OR DENTS, AND THERE ARE ONLY 6 SMALL LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINE AND ONE LIGHT LINE ACCROSS THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER.

REGARDING THE COLOURS. THIS TEXTURED SLEEVE HAS RETAINED 95% OF IT'S VERY FRAGILE IMAGE. THE ONLY VERY MILD PATCHES ARE AROUNF THE PERIMETER EDGES, AND THESE ARE NOT VERY HEAVY AT ALL AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE PICTURES

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES WHICH ARE USUALLY WHITE FROM RUBBING ARE 99% BLACK WITH JUST A COUPLE OF WHITE FLECKS AND A REALLY TINY BIT OF RUBBING TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER.

THE SPINE IS ALSO IN AMAZING CONDITION, WITH ALL OF THE TYPEFACE PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. SURPRISINGLY THERE IS JUST A COUPLE OF TINY FINGER TO THUMB SQUASHES, WHERAS MOST ARE VIRTUALLY FLAT, AND TO TOP IT OFF THE COLOURS ARE NEAR PRISTINE WITH JUST A FEW FLECKS OF WHITE SHOWING.

THE REAR SURFACE DOES SHOW A VERY VERY LIGHT OUTLINE OF RECORD SHAPE, AND HAS 4 SMALL LINES NEAR THE SPINE.OTHER THAN THIS THE COLOURS ARE PERFECT

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP WITH JUST TWO SMALL THUMB NAIL NICKS WHERE THE LP WAS REMOVED A COUPLE OF TIMES.THIS SHOWS THAT THIS ALBUM HAS BARELY BEEN NEAR A TURNTABLE

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.IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ON THESE FIRST PRESS RELEASES, THE SLEEVE WAS LIGHTLY TEXTURED INSIDE THE GATEFOLD UNLIKE THE LATER ISSUES SHICH WERE SMOOTH INSIDE. THIS IS EVIDENCE OF A FIRST ISSUE SLEEVE

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 NEAR MINT CONDITION, NO CREASES, AND VERY VERY WHITE

VERY HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE EXCELLENT PLUS

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

GARRY