PETER HAMMILL FOOLS MATE 1971 UK 1st press LP CAS1037 superb vinyl + audio, EX+

	£		73
	$		97

PETER HAMMILL - FOOL'S MATE

A sparingly played and truly wonderful condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1971 very 1st UK press Peter Hammill prog rock classic, with earliest A-3, B-6 vinyl matrix numbers on the coveted "pink label" UK Charisma record label, CAS 1037

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1    CAS 1037 A - 2 U with stampers "1" and "1.1" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

Side 2    CAS 1037 B - 1 U with stampers "1" and "A" at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock respectively

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is excellent plus (EX+). This copy is a "gleamer", with a beautiful jet black sheen and in normal daylight appearing as in new and completely unmarked condition. it is only with very close scrutiny under a bright light that it is just possible to detect a couple of the wispiest of wispy hairlines on each side, along with a small cluster of some tiny "dulled" areas (could be manufacturing) - these are extremely trivial blemishes, non-feelable, and do not impact upon the superlative sound quality at all. In fact, if it were not for the small dull areas (so light that I can't even get them to show in a photo!) I would have no hesitation in grading the condition of the vinyl as near mint...clearly this record has been played only a few times. Remarkable condition for this prog gem which is now almost a 50 year old antiquity!

The labels are similarly near mint (NM). Gorgeous condition labels with all black writing upon the smooth pink background, and the iconic Charisma logo, all in pristine condition. I cannot even detect any of the usual faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole. Perfect!

The condition of the non-laminated, textured outer sleeve is excellent (EX). The cardboard remains fully intact with no creasing or horizontal abrasions. All edges, including the spine, remain firm - there is some mild (but noticeable) scuffing on the bottom edges along with some further light rubbing on each of the corners. The top left corner does have some minor compression but all four corners do still remain as nicely defined right angles. The opening edges are similarly rigid with no fraying or feathering, there is no cardboard creasing, and no unwanted writing or doodles. All colours, text, and gorgeous art work, on each of the front and reverse side, remain in beautiful condition - rich, vibrant and with great clarity and definition. And the inside of the gatefold remains in beautiful and hard-to-fault condition. 

The quality of the audio is excellent plus (EX+).  Fantastic tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No skips, jumps, repeats, sticks, clicks  or background crackle/interference. Wonderful audio reproduction with the whole album making for a great listen, even after all these years - timeless! Vintage 1970's prog rock from this Van der Graaf Generator founder member.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1.  IMPERIAL ZEPPELIN

2. CANDLE

3. HAPPY

4. SOLITUDE

5. VISION

6. RE-AWAKENING

Side 2 :

1. SUNSHINE

2. CHILD

3. SUMMER SONG (IN THE AUTUMN)

4. VIKING

5. THE BIRDS

6. I ONCE WROTE SOME POEMS

Comes with original, near perfect condition, plain white inner sleeve with "PATENT NO...." & "MADE IN ENGLAND" horizontal text  with no rips, tears, seam splits, or obvious creasing - remarkable and, of course, remaining fully functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.

In summary a truly excellent plus (EX+) condition and eminently presentable copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1971 UK very 1st press Peter Hammill prog rock gem. A "must" for any serious prog rock vinyl collection and will only continue 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 50 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 65 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 signed for; 

Continental Europe £10, and Rest of the World £14 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 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