CREAM DISRAELI GEARS 1967 UK MONO A1/B1 2nd Press REACTION 593 003, super audio

	£		29
	$		38

CREAM - DISRAELI GEARS

A truly impressive and sought after copy of this increasingly rare 1967 original UK pressing prog/psych rock classic, on the Reaction label, MONO 693 003

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  593003 A 1  with stampers "1 2 9" at 5.30 o'clock 

Side 2  593003 B 1  with stampers "13" and "1 1" at 4.30 o'clock and 5.30 o'clock respectively

This is a very early 2nd pressing : the lack of reverse side lamination on the outer sleeve and the "Immediate Music" and Copyright Control" label credits are indicators of a 2nd UK pressing but the A1/B1 earliest dead wax matrices and the "MONO 693 003" text being located at the top left side of the reverse side of the outer sleeve rather than on the right side as for later 2nd pressings, point to this being one of the earliest 2nd pressings - almost a hybrid between a 1st and 2nd pressing in fact.

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent (at least). Both sides of the vinyl (nicely solid and completely flat, by the way) have retained their original beautiful, jet black lacquered sheen and impressive luster - gorgeous! Under a bright light and with close scrutiny, a number of light wispy hairlines and very light paper scuffs come into view but these are superficial (there is nothing here that is "feelable"), there is nothing below the surface and nothing to impinge upon the wonderful audio quality. I have no hesitation in grading the overall condition of this vinyl as a solid excellent.

The labels are excellent minus (EX-). Really nice labels with all silver text intact and clearly legible on solid blue matt background. The only blemishes are a few very fine spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label and just the hint of some very minor staining (you have to hold the label in the right light and at the right angle to see it) towards the right side of the side 1 label - his could even be a manufacturing fault.

The Ernest J Day front-laminated only outer sleeve is excellent minus (EX-).  Such an iconic sleeve, and this one still looks so good with all of the artwork, photography and colouring remaining perfectly intact and appearing as rich and vibrant as ever. The edges remain firm with barely any scuffing - just a little located at the bottom right corner, the corners remain nicely defined right angles with minimal rubbing, and the opening edges remain firm with no fraying. If you look very, very closely it is just possible to make out a small mark at the top right corner of the front side and the top left corner of the reverse side where, for some reason, it seems a piece of sellotape was once stuck and folded over; and the writing on the spine is largely illegible, not due to scuffing but because the spine itself has been folded in underneath the front side - a definite manufacturing fault! Other than these minor blemishes, excellent.

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent (EX). Wonderful tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies, which along with it's generally excellent appearance and condition suggests that this record has been underplayed. You may notice the occasional nano second of static and just some very mild background crackle (really only detectable during the interludes on side 2) but this is very minor and does not detract from the overall truly excellent audio quality with every track making for a great listen.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. Strange Brew

2. Sunshine of Your Love

3. World of Pain

3. Dance The Night Away

4. Blue Condition

Side 2 :

1. Tales of Brave Ulysses

2. Swlabr

3. We're Going Wrong

4. Outside Woman Blues

5. Take It Back

6. Mother's Lament

Comes with original poly-lined plain white inner sleeve with "MADE IN ENGLAND" text and date stamped "5-68", with no splits or tears but there is a name crossed out on the reverse side (4cm horizontal cross out) and overall remaining in excellent condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly excellent copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1967 UK very early 2nd pressing prog/psychedelic rock classic - a worthy addition to any serious vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value. 

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 48 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 63 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £3.00, Royal Mail 1st class; continental Europe £7 and Rest of the World £10, Royal Mail 1st class/Airmail. 

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

Excellent

The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and /or creasing.

Very Good

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

Good

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler