TRAFFIC Mr Fantasy UK Mono Island Pink Eye EX

	£		52
	$		69

Hi, I am Mike, I have been a music collector for over 30 years now. I always still try to offer 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 interested collector. You may notice I only submit one or two items a day for Ebay; time rarely allows more as I Play-Grade every record I offer (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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. 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. A ten pounds record that plays close to new is as important to the collector as a 250 pound record that plays less well. 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. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. Good luck.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please).

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Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert.

Artist or Band: TRAFFIC

Album Title: Mr Fantasy

Cat Number: ILP 961 Mono.

Label and Condition: Island, Pink Island with eye logo and outline Island. Clean examples that show only quite light spindle traces. A copy played very modestly on this evidence - amazing for a mono copy. These two labels have the track times written, small and neatly on both sides, a flaw yes, but this was a common practice around this time, it does not spoil this special album too much. (Please see label scans for all information needed - the times can be seen clearly and no refund is offered to this, all is stated clearly and visually).

Country of Manufacture: England, UK

Rarity: Very Scarce, getting even quite rare in mono especially in anything like EX or top playing condition..

Genre Type: Prog/Psych

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: ILP 961 A and B2

Brief Artist & Album Info: Traffic’s stunning psych debut without doubt one of the most sort after albums on the classic progressive Island Pink label, this has the circle eye logo too and is a very early mono copy. This is an exceptionally difficult album to find these days, copies do turn up but are invariably trashed or played so much the sound quality is noisy and distorted, usually with horrendous covers too. This is a lovely copy, not perfect, as the cover has a little wear and the labels have small times printed on them - neatly and quite small, but if need a mono copy of this gem that actually plays really well and looks good too, this could be the copy for you. Mr Fantasy was released at the height of flower power and is beautifully produced by Jimmy Miller. Traffic were originally the perfect ‘tangerine candy coloured bicycle’ group. Mason’s hippy ditties blended with Winwood’s more ambitious musical aspirations. Although they were given the same title, the US and UK albums had different track-listings. The US version has the edge because it includes the hit singles ‘Hole in my Shoe’ and ‘Paper Sun’ as well as ‘Smiling Phases’, which was covered by Blood Sweat and Tears. The UK version (this one) has ‘Utterly Simple’ and ‘Hope I Never Find Me There’ in their place. Thank goodness both versions included the magnificent title track with the definitive Winwood guitar solo (or was it Mason?). Of course both versions are essential, the UK album peaked at 8 and the US album surprisingly only made 88. A stunning landmark debut, issued in the greatest year in rock, the summer of love 1967 - this remains one of the greatest from that stunning year. An album always featuring high in any all time greats lists whether compiled by critics or the record buying public and justifiably so. This album is special, very special and finding a mono copy this good is unusual, I hope the winning bidder enjoys it as much as I did. – Mike.

Cover Condition and Details: Excellent, maybe minus if being critical, but this is one very prone to wear because of the very thin, single ply front flap. Its a gatefold format, laminated front and back. the inner g/f has two large flipbacks. Mono is printed on the spine and back and inner, so this is the original cover. I can find no cover printing credit. This is a nice example of this classic sleeve, its near impossible to find this in top condition, they may appear occasionally but for what price? This has some lightish wear, but looks great and will better most around - details below.

Cover Lamination: The laminate on this is nice, very unusually it shows little creasing, certainly no heavy ones, a few hairline types that hardly even show, especially on the front flap this is very rare to find. It retains a fine shine and has no peeling and the only dry areas on near the back spine edge, all too common this, but very inconspicuous and small. Any surface marks are light and there are no deep indentations - this is fine 60s laminate on a fragile cover.

Cover Front: Pretty magnificent really, very rich deep colour under that fine laminate. It has hardly any wear at all and is almost mark free too, its looks stunningly attractive.

Cover Back: Similar to the front with just a faint hint of a dull pressmark from the thick heavy record, again it shows little unless looked for under angled light, even then very light, this is being very critical really - this back looks great too.

Cover Gatefold Inner: This is a centre loading example, this the record entry edge in the middle near the centre hinge, of course making this very prone to wear - it has come through relatively unscathed. Firstly there is a smallish label on the right face bottom middle area, this is a label stuck on by the record shop in the 1960s - Harlequin Record Shops - again a relatively common practice at this time, this may well remove OK, but I leave that up to the winning bidder to decide. Again this is clearly mentioned, it detracts little and can be clearly seen on the picture of the inner gatefold. This is a fine inner again with some pretty amazing band pictures - some quite bizarre. There are one or two lightish marks, and the very bottom ‘hinge’ has tiny wear - minimal really, many examples are badly torn because of the thinness and the action of record removal/insertion. Both flipbacks are strong with no lifting or freying, even any creasing is minimal. Again a very respectable example of this frail inner.

Cover Edges/Corners: Top: Very minor frey hints, very light chips on the thin front flap. Bottom: similar to top, slightly less. Right edge: virtually unworn and very neat indeed, clean and sharp. Spine:This is a very frail part with the pressure from the thin front flap. This one is pretty neat, slightly flattened at a slight angle. It has some mild chipping on the top edge (yes that thin paper again), but remarkably all the spine text is pristine under the strong laminate, this will be a massive bonus to collectors. Corners: All show a little wear, a little more on the bottom left, but nothing at all excessive. All still retain decent shape. Summary: A fine all round example of this scarce original 60’s cover, one that could prove hard to find significantly better. This strong example should please many collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX, taking into account the fact its mono and compared to many around, its one of the very best copies of this one I’ve seen. It is clean and retains a nice shine and of course pressed on very heavy vinyl. It has nothing more than a few light surface marks/hairlines, nothing heavy at all and nothing sounds. This is a fine mono copy that looks and plays well, again it should please many collectors.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Play-grading a mono classic is always a nervous time: well this one does near full justice to this albums’ importance. The sound is rich with great detail and dynamics - mono albums of this type are very special and precious. Just how many of these were written-off from heavy use and abuse way back? (Please read paragraph below to put a fine copy into perspective). This copy has great clear sound with no distortion, pops or ticks. Surface sounds are minimal and any present are very occasional between a few of the linking track grooves - emphasise light/infrequent. The lack of any distortion from a gem like this is a massive bonus, all instruments and vocals are unstressed and clear. The sounds embedded in these vintage grooves are special - the mono mix is stunning and being on the eyeball logo Pink Island label will make this very appealing for collectors. Okay some minor flaws/light wear, but a rare record and it looks good and plays very well indeed.

Mono vs Stereo: Always a matter of opinion. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records.

Track Listing: Heaven is mine; Berkshire poppies; House for everyone; No face, no name and no number; Dear Mr Fantasy; Dealer; Utterly simple; Coloured rain; Hope I never find me there; Giving to you.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Payment Details please read carefully:

UK First Class: = £2.50; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £4.00 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £6.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be given.

I accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders own risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear if any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.