COUNTRY JOE & THE FISH I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin-to-Die UK

	£		20
	$		27

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH

Album Title: I-Feel-Like-I’m Fixin’-to-Die.

Producer(s): Samuel Charters.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Fish Cheer & I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin;-to-Die Rag; Who Am I; Pat’s Song; Rock Coast Blues; Magoo.

Side 2: Janis; Thought Dream; Thursday; Eastern Jam; Colors for Susan.

Label/Format: Vanguard (pressed by Pye). Please see my label scan.

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with only a couple of light spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. The gold colour of the labels vary a little.

Cat Number: VSD 79266.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 145 grams. Actually heavier than the 60s Fontana pressings. This is no inferior repress. A top quality Pye pressing. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce: UK original copies of this album would have only sold in small numbers. This 1974 Pye pressing is no less easy to find.

Original Year of Release: 1967. This first Pye-Vanguard repressing was issued around 1974.

Matrix Nos: VSD 79266 A-1 X / VSD 79266 B-1 X

Musicians: Bruce Barthol – bass, harmonica; Barry Melton – vocals, guitar; Joe McDonald – vocals, guitar, bells, tambourine; Chicken Hirsch – drums, bells; David Cohen – guitar, 12-string guitar, organ.

Brief Info: Gimme an F, Gimme an I, Gimme an S, Gimme an H – What’s that spell? – the classic opening lines of this uncompromising but beautiful album. The famous ‘Fish Chant’ which was later infamously changed for the then more radical ‘F’ word later at the festivals. For me, an even better follow-up to the superb debut album Electric Music…, and more electric psychedelic music with very stark and dark messages within it’s songs – these two genuine classics defined the genre ‘acid-rock’. An album of haunting and captivating melodies with some sharp and satirical lyrics. None more so than the title track, that since issue, rarely sounded more relevant than it does today. Deepest black-humour with its catchy rag-time riff, a dark and bleak protest song against the Vietnam war that still holds strong and its message is there for all to hear some forty+ years on. The gun-fire and explosions at the song’s end have excellent punch with uncanny realism that really chills. There is more brilliant guitar-work from Melton and haunting organ sounds with superb vocals by McDonald himself, still one of the most underrated singers of this heady era. ‘Who Am I’ still sends a shiver down my spine, surely one of the finest vocal moments from this classic set – this album has it all. The delicate ‘Magoo’ with its ‘Stay as you are’ chorus with its thunderous bangs blended with fragile psych guitar sounds, a really beautiful song again with sinister dark overtones. The main theme (as the cover suggests) is war: and the stark message hits home in a bizarre gospal chant where our man pleads ‘Pleases don’t drop that H-bomb on me’. It also includes McDonald’s poignant tribute to ‘Janis’ (Joplin), another classic track with beautifully shimmering harmonica, just another within the 10 on this amazing album. Yet another pioneering work and highly important issue within this monumental year in popular music but… it failed to sell at all well in the UK and did not even chart hence its rarity. Few bothered, and most 60s copies are seen are in terrible conditions, victims of the Dansette era of blunt needles and massive tracking weights. For those who did dip into their pockets for this one, well they were the lucky ones, this is a spellbinding experience and still sounds fantastic today. Like several US bands in the UK at this time, the packaging was not always the best but this cover was much better than the first album with its laminated front and this 1974 copyrighted version still has it. I still feel this wonderful band, especially the early two or three albums, are still under-appreciated outside the US which is a shame. For those still not familiar with McDonald’s early works with The Fish, this is a truly essential album and is one of the genuine classics from the greatest year in music. An album that dared to speak out against that disastrous and terrible conflict back in the mid-60s and fears of wider escalation and H-bombs – McDonald may have instilled a tongue-in-check humour within his songs, but the messages were more than clear and still have a chilling edge. This is a quality repress with a similar or even heavier weight to the vinyl than the Fontana pressings. This was far from usual at this time when vinyl was generally cut back within the oil shortage era. The record has the look and feel of a 60s pressing and looks hardly even played. The cover’s nice too with only the odd minor blemish or two. So a very fine copy for collectors to enjoy.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderately high.

Cover Grade and Format: EX+ (at least), a single formation with front laminate that wraps around the spine on to the back. Copyrighted 1974 and with Pye credits. Printed and made in England by West Brothers.

Cover Front: One of the greatest covers of this period, five guys totally whacked out and looking just plain weird – The Fish way of putting up two fingers to war. This UK laminated front looks fantastic and grades more Mint(-). This has little real wear at all and does this landmark artwork full justice. The laminate is rock solid with no peeling, dry area blistering, cracking or mottling and remains crystal clear too with a lovely fresh shine with barely any dulling or friction rubs. No creasing worthy of note and the laminate has hardly any surface marks or indentations. This famous artwork will seldom be found better.

Cover Back: Obviously more vulnerable than the protected front but this has more than stood the test of time. The only blemish of real note is a sticker residue mark near the top right corner area, this has not pulled or tore the surface at all. Clean with just the odd minor trace of set-off or handling trace. Creasing has been avoided as has ringwear, always great to say that on covers with thick records inside for 35 years or so. Both sides are exceptional and I feel undergraded at EX+.

Top Edge: Practically wear-free.

Bottom Edge: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and quite sharp with little wear, no feathering. Record entered on this right edge.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine overall. Barely any wear with only very mild compression. All text is pristine under the solid laminate.

Corners: All look very neat indeed with any tip rubs tiny.

Cover Summary: Great example and nice to say even in the mid-70s Pye-Vanguard still laminated the front as per the first-mades. This still has the look and feel of a 1960s-made cover and will please most collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++/EX+ with just a fine surface mark on the final song that has no sound, little else of note and this is a very clean record that has clearly hardly been played. The playing surfaces are shiny and clean and retain an intense black finish. A very fine visual copy that is heavily pressed too, so unusual for this period. The advantage of later pressings is they had a far better chance of avoiding needle abuse from vintage record players and this clearly has. Visually, a record that should please most collectors.

Album 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 snippetts 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 record plays up to and most all above its lovely visual grading. Musically, strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and detailed sound – this is a better recording than the debut album and sounds perfect for its time. I noted no significant pops or clicks and music throughout if focused and precise. Both channels are clean and sharp, and I feel certain this has been played very little. This does have some quiet passages and songs and pressing quality will be tested but most all plays beautifully. A little minor surface sound was noted on the first track but my LP12/Naim combination takes no prisoners and will reveal even the faintest blemishes but very here and nothing spoilt my listening pleasure. The quality of music takes command and any tiny blemishes washed over. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and I truly found this a thrilling experience to listen too. I have loved this album since the early 70s and continue to do so today, I can strongly recommend this copy.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

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 unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. 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 – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

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

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. 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 (£39).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 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. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.