LP TRAFFIC Mr. Fantasy 1st UK Mono PINK EYE Psych EX+
  A$   91
  $   58

 


A$ 91 Sold For
Jul 10, 2011 Sold Date
Jun 30, 2011 Start Date
A$   50 Start price
9   Number Of Bids
  Australia Country Of Seller
eBay Auctioned at
 
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Description

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This record has been cleaned and played through completely both sides on a Thorens Turntable as well as visually inspected under a bright halogen desk lamp to provide an accurate grading.
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12” Album
TRAFFIC

Mr. Fantasy

1967 1st UK mono issue
PINK ‘eye’ label # ILP-961

CONDITION ( see 5 photos above ...)

VINYL : lovely thick piece / a few light surface marks only / retains all of its original sheen / only lightly played / a brilliant crisp and clean sound with no skips and only the one or two light pops only … though I had to pay close attention to pick up on these / rated EX+ easily and is certain to please.

GATE-FOLD SLEEVE : terrific / this is a uni-pack laminated gate-fold sleeve with access to the vinyl from the centre and not the outer edge / previous owners name on inside sleeve at centre left / no writing or splits and the flat-edged spine is intact / a crease mark on left-hand side of thin front gatefold cover as well as a couple of very light crease marks seen on the back at lower left however not visible on the inside and are relatively minor to be honest / a little and not unexpected edge-wear though again it doesn’t detract from the overall presentation a great deal / original UK paper sleeve with attached inner plastic / certainly much better than one could hope to find on a good day for this rarity.

DESCRIPTION

Here’s a great find for any serious prog-psych collector in the shape of this excellent original 1967 original 1st UK ‘mono’ issue of Traffic’s debut album ‘Mr. Fantasy’.

Best described as a brew of psychadelic rock, folk, proto-prog rock and semi-jazzy elements built around excellent musicianship featuring flute, sax, sitar, mellotron, harpsichord and organ as well as the regular rock instrumentation of bass, drums, guitar and piano ….. a mixed bag for sure however it sits so well with the strong song structures and perfectly suited vocals.

Critics rave as this piece being beautiful and brilliant psych/pop rock …exquisitely genuine and a winner all the way through. "Heaven Is In Your Mind" (a jazzy selection and formidable opening cut), "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (an esoteric rocker), "Utterly Simple" has a strong Indian influence containing a philosophical fix via the hidden phone message...one of Dave Mason's best compositions … and then there’s the organ-drenched "Coloured Rain".

Trendy hippy-pop, this album shows that Traffic were capable of thoughtful, inventive and nothing short of fantastic arty, psychedelic rock.

MORE NOTES

Rehearsed and written at a cottage in the Berkshire countryside, Traffic's debut was former child prodigy Steve Winwood's first foray into headier territory after a stint playing R&B-fueled rock & roll with the Spencer Davis Group. Rounded out by drummer Jim Capaldi and multi-instrumentalists Chris Wood and Dave Mason, “Mr. Fantasy” included experimentation with vaudeville-inspired numbers ("Berkshire Poppies"), flamenco-flavoured fantasy ("Dealer"), and sitar-drenched meditations ("Utterly Simple"). Winwood's inspired organ playing and soulful singing emerge on cuts like "Coloured Rain." In keeping with the band's unorthodox approach to composition and arrangement, "Giving To You" offers a funky groove sandwiched between tidbits of an overheard conversation about the relative merits of jazz.

The first thing that strikes you about Traffic’s Mr. Fantasy is the album cover. A red-hued photograph of the band avoiding a hard day’s graft in the rustic Berkshire cottage where the album came to fruition, whilst watching a peculiar harlequin/marionette figure sat before the fireplace. Presumably the Mr. Fantasy of the title.
Produced by Rolling Stones regular, Jimmy Miller, Mr. Fantasy kicks off in fine style with the dramatic ‘Heaven is in Your Mind’ and then slips effortlessly into the knockabout music hall sing-along of ‘Berkshire Poppies’, featuring the Small Faces on backing vocal and general horsing about duties. Elsewhere, the aching loss of ‘No Face, No Name, No Number’, the titular phased and fuzzed-up freakout ‘Dear Mr. Fantasy’ and the sinister ‘Dealer’, all score top marks.

All in all a solid blast of psychedelic rock, injected with a sense of a fun that was notably absent from later, more serious Traffic recordings.

TRACKS

A1. Heaven Is in Your Mind~ 4:19
A2. Berkshire Poppies~2:58
A3. House for Everyone~2:04
A4. No Face, No Name, and No Number~3:34
A5. Dear Mr. Fantasy~5:35
B1. Dealer~3:12
B2. Utterly Simple~3:19
B3. Coloured Rain~2:41
B4. Hope I Never Find Me There~2:09
B5. Giving to You~4:17

A NOTE ON PACKING & POSTAGE
* Australia Post does not provide a Tracking No. system as some other countries have in place and therefore any item sent unregistered (within Australia) or uninsured (outside Australia) cannot be traced.
* All care is taken in packing your item safely & professionally however I cannot accept responsibility for any item delayed, lost or damaged in the post.

SHIPPING COSTS
* Registered Post (for within Australia) / Insured Post (for Overseas mail) is optional however recommended.

* Packaging and postage within AUSTRALIA for this item is :
Regular - AUD$7.50 ( as a rule of thumb 3x LP’s is $13.00 )
Registered - AUD$10.50

* Air-Mail outside of Australia for this item is :
AUD$18.00 to USA / Canada
AUD$22.00 to UK / Europe/ Sth America
AUD$16.00 to JAPAN / Asia / New Zealand.

PAYMENT
* AUSTRALIA
Bank Deposit / Direct Transfer (preferred option) or Paypal

* OVERSEAS
Paypal

Auction winners are free to use E-Bay check-out and pay immediately. Otherwise please allow 24 hours from the time auction closes for me to e-mail confirmation advice and payment information.

P.S.
* All vinyl listed on auction has been cleaned, played and visually inspected so that you may bid with confidence. Albums are sent with the record outside of the cover and placed in an outer plastic sleeve (to prevent ring-wear during transit) before safely packed with strong cardboard.
* Multiple items won will be combined to save on postage
* Every care is taken to pack items securely for safe and speedy arrival.

* ENQUIRIES ARE WELCOME AT ANYTIME HOWEVER PLEASE ALLOW 24 HOURS FOR A RESPONSE.




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