CREAM Wheels of Fire - SCARCE EARLY UK STEREO DOUBLE-SET with SUPERB SOUND LPs.

	£		40
	$		52

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

Artist or Band: CREAM

Album Title: Wheels of Fire.

Producer(s): Felix Pappalardi.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: IN THE STUDIO: White Room; Sitting on Top of the World; Passing Time; As You Said.

Side 2: Pressed Rat and Warthog; Politician; Those Were the Days; Born Under a Bad Sign; Deserted Cities of the Heart.

Side 3: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE: Crossroads; Spoonful.

Side 4: Traintime; Toad.

Label/Format: Polydor – with matt surfaces that have a very subtle and gentle texturing, this can be seen under light and felt with a sensitive fingertip.

Label Conditions: All four are in beautiful clean and fresh conditions. Any spindle traces tiny and faint and this double set appears hardly even played. This reitterated by four sides of immaculate, little short of pristine sound.

Cat Number: 583031/2.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of these Records: 142 / 145 grams. Very good solid weights.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Harder to find with the first shiny ‘foil’ surface cover in very fine condition. Also with two hardly played records that offer stunning sound, even harder. This classic double album is a beauty and such copies are at a real premium.

Original Year of Release: 1968. This copy from 1970 as proven by the two matching inner sleeve date-codes.

Matrix/Stampers Nos: 583031 A//2 420 1 1 2 3 & 583031 B//1 420 1 6 2 & 583032 A//1 420 1 ? 1 & 583032 B//2 420 1 1 0 1 1 4

Brief Artist & Album Info: A brilliant third album by the greatest UK power trio. Following the classic debut and ‘Disraeli Gears’ was never going to be easy, but ‘Wheels of Fire’ more than pulls it off and is possibly the perfect Cream album demonstrating beautifully balanced songs. An album issued as a double set with one side recorded in the studio and one side recorded live at The Fillmore in America. This was also issued as two single albums with similar, but different artwork on the covers and missing totally the spectacularly colourful inner graphic. This is Cream at their amazing best: the studio album is highly versatile, featuring some of their finest ever songs. Jack Bruce not only featuring on bass, but proving what a highly skilled cellist he is also, he even plays recorder on ‘Pressed Rat’. More surreal lyrics from Pete Brown, the combination worked perfectly again. The live album is pure power-house Cream playing heavy and loud with incredible virtuosity with blistering solos. This top quality stereo copy has two ultra clean, hardly played records, they offer absolute top sound quality. The incredibly fragile cover, one of the most unforgiving ever issued, is also in very fine condition. This one the foil type that is rarely seen even decent, this one of the best I have seen for quite some time and even retains all it’s ultra delicate spine text (as seen in close up). Both date-coded 1970 inners are also included. Most collectors will treasure this wonderful set and for those who want audio quality of the highest standard, this one is unmissable.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: VERY High++ (off the scale): one of the most unforgiving and delicate covers ever issued with the ultra thin foil coating often peeled off in large areas or dulled, tarnished or very badly ringworn. This foil coating on the card is ultra thin, microns thick only, it simply flakes and falls off almost by looking at it. Few will ever avoid substantial wear these days.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: or very close to. This not mean grading for such an uncomproming sleeve, do not underestimate how difficult this to find in this still very attractive condition. This is the original shiny format with a silver foil type finish, the inside is standard matt. A gatefold format that was printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day. This format was later changed to a standard matt type version which for the double set, is much easier to find.

Cover Front: Stunning and very complex artwork, all very psychedelic and rarely seen in the foil finish with all the graphic intact with no flaking of the surface. A little dulling from the rim seen under angled light is near impossible to avoid, but this has only gently aged in real terms. A couple of small bottom corner tip creases and hardly any others. This highly unforgiving front will prove difficult to find much better.

Cover Back: Quite similar in most respects with just a little more rubbing to the top from the rim, but less dulling overall. A small sticker mark near the top left corner being the most significant blemish on the entire cover. Given all the facts, both front and back are strong and still attractive with all artwork intact.

The Centrefold: Beautiful colourful artwork and in very attractive condition with little to fault. Far more durable than the outside faces of course, any blemishes inside here are tiny, few and faint, just a little tip creasing to the bottom left.

Top Edges: Both straight and very unusually retaining practically all the foil coating up the very back right corner tip that has a tiny rub.

Bottom Edges: These even harder to find with the foil still attached, and these have with no flaking or abrasions. Just tip rubs to the right, so hard to find like this.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both clean and sharp with barely any thickening or burring, even viewed end-on. The records enter on these fragile edges, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced, the trim in manufacuture a mere fraction off-flush.

Spine and Text: Under the circumstances, this impossible spine can be considered almost exceptional. At the risk of repeating myself, few will avoid total peeling of the foil surface and often appear totally threadbare and tatty with only rubbed card seen. This is very solid and thick, the ultra thin foil coating still fully attached with no flaking or exposed spots. All text perfect and uneroded or worn. I have rarely, if ever seen this area better and this is the difference between average and exceptional.

Corners: Light tip rubs and a little tip creasing on the bottom ones. But more than respectable with finen to very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: Truly one of the most difficult and vulnerable covers ever made. The sheer complexity of the psych artwork and how daring to produce it on such fragile surfaces. As stated this E. J. Day version is impossibly difficult and rarely is it seen with such little wear. With most of any significant wear on the corner tips and the main areas, including the spine looking really impressive, this should still please many collectors. This will not be that easy to find better, look at the pictures – taken without flash as this reflects badly on these surfaces – there is NO camera trickery or enhancements, so look and decide.

The Inner Sleeves: Both around EXCELLENT: a near matching pair with one having dark blue ink, the other a more ultramarine colour. The text details are identical and both date-coded 0670 (June 1970). All four window circles are immaculate and the linings clear, no edge splits or repairs. A little creasing and some natural crinkle, both records were quite tight inside and I strongly suggest neither had been removed for decades. Any ageing gentle with discolouration only mild.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++) to MINT(–): a superb visual pair of records now 44-years-old, very clean with excellent shine and very solidly pressed. Any surface blemishes bordering on minuscule and with superb sound throughout to match, this age-defying pair should please most-all collectors.

Records 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 snippets 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Both records play above their high visual grading with barely anything to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely even registered, this too being played on very sensitive equipment as listed further down. All sound remains fully focused and sharp and devoid of any pressing issues. Few copies will match, let alone outperform these early solid pressings I feel sure. I am certain both have hardly been played – even though they were solidly inside the inners for many years, all four surfaces are devoid of inner bag dulling which is so common on Polydor (and others) stored inside polylined inners. Nothing whatsoever spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful double set. This set (including the cover) will prove challenging to find better and can be strongly recommended.

Final Summary: Without doubt one of my favourite ‘popular’ 1960s bands and have been since I was at school. A young art teacher introduced me to their music when I was a very young teenager and I was immediately hooked. Clapton, Bruce and Baker together made the most fantastic sound live and their more subtle studio tracks were simply magical. A blend of surreal rock-blues with distinctive psychedelic overtones – few did it better than Cream. A shame they did not make more albums but what they produced have stood the test-of-time supremely well and simply refuse to age. Most consider Disraeli Gears to be their classic album, maybe so, but Wheels of Fire is only a fraction behind and I actually think some songs are superior. This album (not this copy hasten to add), was one of the first I ever purchased as a teenager from a record shop in Colchester, this way back in the early part of the 1970s, so I missed the very first made. These early foil cover copies are quite special, unfortunately so few are seen in worthy conditions, well I think this is more than just worthy – this is a terrific copy and the sound immaculate.

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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. 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. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 10,000+ items sold in over 12 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

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

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

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 necessarily 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’.