EARTH AND FIRE - Debut 1st Press GIMMIX EX vinyl NEPENTHA Polydor Vertigo swirl

	£		119
	$		157

EARTH AND FIRE

 Debut album with Match box sleeve 1st Dutch Press -

  1st NL PRESS  

    POLYDOR - 2441 011

1970

Machined Matrices: 1Y  1  2Y  1

Bands have to start somewhere, and Earth & Fire started off as a Dutch beat group with psychedelic overtones. In fact they were more of a single-oriented act who quickly discovered they can also do the album market, as albums like Song of the Marching Children and Atlantis can attest to. This 1970 debut was first released on Polydor/Medium with the matchbook cover that folds open like a matchbook. On the cover you see the bands members in a meadow, with Jerney Kaagman adopting a frizzed hairstyle (that she got rid of by 1971). In 1971 the album was released in the UK on the Nepentha label with the Roger Dean cover, and many people ended up more familiar with this cover when it was reissued on CD, as the original Nepentha LP is even rarer than the Dutch Polydor version.

This shows a more rough and unpolished Earth & Fire, with several songs released as singles, some of them released prior to the album's release. "Seasons", in fact, was their very first single that was released at the end of 1969. "Ruby is the One" was their second single and also included here. "Wild and Exciting" and "Ruby is the One" shows a more harder-edge element of the band you often don't expect, check out those guitar riffs on "Ruby is the One". "Twilight Dreamer" and "You Know the Way" are typical Earth & Fire pieces that I find rather enjoyable. "Vivid Shady Land" has a more psychedelic bent. "21st Century Show" is another psychedelic piece that also has a nice jazzy passage with flute solo. "Love Quiver" is more in Jefferson Airplane territory, but they really get heavy when they jam. "What's Your Name" is the only cut here where Jerney Kaagman does not sing (I believe it's Koerts brothers, Chris and Gerard). This one is much calmer, acoustic, with flute. While Song of the Marching Children and Atlantis shows them more musically accomplished, this is a nice album to own to hear the origins of this great Dutch from The Hague, band.

VERY RARE ORIGINAL LP, with a FANTASTIC FOLDOUT GIMMIX Picture Sleeve with stunning sleeve art and colours.  This album folds out like a packet of matches and is fully intact structurally.

THE VINYL PLAYS SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH ON BOTH SIDES with a deep glossy vinyl appearance, a very well kept example of this very rare first LP. 

THE STEREO REPRODUCTION IS SUPERB AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD CLEARLY AND CRISPLY.  NEEDLESS TO SAY, NO STICKS OR JUMPS!

     The absolute rarity of this album is not to be underestimated. It hardly ever surfaces nowadays. Only very few were ever pressed up as in this first issue. This is an absolutely gorgeous super heavy slab of early quality vinyl which is in great  condition with only a few very wispy hairlines!! This has a lovely deep glossy sheen!! Hauntingly beautiful songcraft!!! Immense quality innovative psych/prog album that ticks all the right boxes and incredibly hard to find. 

Please, also have a look at my other albums on sale this week among which you will find Fairfield Parlour and Floyd's second on the Blue/Black label.

****ELUSIVE   PSYCH/PROG MONSTER!!!****PERPLEXING SONGCRAFT!!!***AN INSPIRATION TO MANY SUBSEQUENT TOPACTS!!!***

!!!!A VERY HARD FIND!!! Most have been bought up by collectors!! This is hardly offered these days. This is an album that is on many prog collectors wish lists and it is only the second time I have ever come across it as a first press. Scarce??? I surely think so!!!

 Sensational sound quality, I have played this through in its entirety and it was a great joy!!! NO skips or jumps. Only light static at times, this is really a stunning heavy glossy jet black vinyl .The audio is fantastic. Inspected under an intense light source and angled.

Vinyl:  EX.   I have played this in FULL twice over> fantastic audio, a joy to listen to!! The LP has a beautiful deep glossy sheen.This is the true official 1st stereo press. I first played for a general listen and a second time for a more detailed observation. A very enjoyable album indeed taking me back to a different era. I am very glad to be able to report that this is a fine slab of vinyl without any problems at all and as such worthy of inclusion of any great prog collection. Probably the best copy of this vinyl you could ever find. Of course NO jumps/skips etc.

Gatefold Gimmix Sleeve:  EX.  A lovely gatefold sleeve. The vinyl is inserted from the centre of the gatefold, quite unusual. A couple of minute under laminate creases near the spine. The colours are still as first published with a full lustre and depth. The inner gatefold is beautiful and untouched. The spine is 100% but there is some of the laminate peeling. The reverse is plain white and has some age related yellowing. NO writing. It will be nearly impossible to improve on this. The rarity of this album makes it perfect for investment as a very early Dutch prog gem.

Labels: EX. Light spindle traces only.

***This is a unique prime investment opportunity!!! Finding this album in any condition at all is nearly impossible!!! This is  a great and seriously collectable super album!!  You will buy into a piece of  psych/prog history.*** 

             This is a unique investment opportunity!!! The next psych album to go completely through the roof. Finding this album in any condition at all is nearly impossible so late in the day. Get this while you still can. This value of the album is only going to go one way ... up and up ... until it will be totally unavailable at all for a reasonable price.

Important : International postage will be registered and insured if over GBP 45.00.  Please wait for my invoice before paying. Postage will be according to Royal Mail rates. Postage is NOT a money spinning exercise for me.

Though there are rarely ever any problems with my items, I always try my very best to describe everything exactly!  PLEASE REMEMBER to contact me FIRST,  if you have any problems at all, before you leave feedback and star ratings, so I get a chance to turn any negative experience into a positive one!  I can always happily sort anything out for you, if you let me know you have a problem!  This way no one has to leave Negative/Neutral feedback - and we both walk away happy! Similarly with the amount of stars, anything less than a full 5 * rating is effectively detrimental to a seller's rating as lower ratings will incur higher Final Value Fees  and lower priority in the bidlists eventually making it unattractive to list items on Ebay at all. I know of at least one major previous Ebay seller who has decided not to list via Ebay again. Please do NOT bid if you cannot give me at least 1 chance to sort everything out to your FULL satisfaction in the unlikely event of a problem.  Thanks again!!

This an excellent investment opportunity!!! Any questions please ask me and I will try to answer soon.