THE FUGS First VERY RARE Orig UK 1969 N/M LP & Cover

	£		26
	$		34

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Album Title: The Fugs……First Album.

Production Supervisor: Harry Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Slum Goddess; Ah! Sunflower Weary of Time; Supergirl; Swineburne Stomp; I Couldn’t Get High

Side 2: How Sweet I Roamed From Field to Field; Sieze the Day; My Baby Done Left Me; Boobs a Lot; Nothing.

Label/Format: Fontana – silver and matt black finish with one inner ring ridge (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in supreme condition, I can seen no spindle marks at all, possibly unplayed and from the wonderful collection recently acquired. Clean and attractive, clearly little handled or likely played, reitterated by reference quality sound.

Cat Number: STL 5513.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 135 grams. [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: Rare, are the guide prices being deliberately misleading? Can anyone honestly imagine this selling more than a handful of copies? This album was initially issued in the US in 1965 but did not get released in Britain until 1969. This original British issue in stereo is very elusive indeed and try finding a better example.

Original Year of Release: 1969 in the UK. (1965 in their native US on ESP).

Matrix Nos: 888814 1Y 1 420 1 1 / 888814 2Y 2 420 1 1

Musicians: John Anderson - bass guitar; Tuli Kupferberg - tambourine, maracas; Vinny Leary - guitar; Ed Sanders - tambourine, maracas; Pete Stampfel - guitar, fiddle, harmonica; Ken Weaver - drums; Steve Webber - guitar. All members of the band contribute vocals.

Brief Info: Often referred to as the Mothers of the Mothers, The Fugs were not too dissimilar to Zappa’s early Mothers of Invention but The Fugs came first, their ability to outrage was equally infamous. Originally issued on the outlet avant garde ESP label in America, quite possibly the only label that would issue their music initially. This band of beatnik poets with very limited musical talent made music like no others at this time and many considered them outlandish and obscene. The band’s name by Kupferberg was ‘borrowed’ from the euphemistic substitute for the ‘F’ word, that was used in Norman Mailer’s book The Naked and the Dead. The Fugs were all about satire and performed at protests against the Vietnam War nationwide. They used uncompromising lyrics about sex, drugs, and politics which caused hostile reactions from many quarters. This first album remains easily their best and is quite easy to listen too, it includes their classic ‘Slum Goddess’, which laid the foundations of their style and content although this album. It’s hardly outrageous by today’s standards, but things went downhill fairly quickly afterwards. Their second album was delayed in the US and again was not issued until later in the UK. Musically sparse with some totally vocal pieces, this important very alternative ‘acid freak-beat folk band’ paved the way for lyrical extreme and content that Zappa’s Mothers happily carried on for far longer. Even today, hardly a household name but if your curiousity is aroused, this is an excellent place to start. UK ‘originals’ on Fontana are rare, make no mistake, the guides are laughably out-of-touch on titles like this. How many record fayres will have near mint Fugs albums on offer? – come on, do us a favour – this is only the second one of these I have ever seen and what a BEAUTY! Both LP and cover are in supreme condition and for those seeking out the obscure, rare and in its own kinda way, groundbreaking stuff, this is unbeatable.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-). Superb artwork with full lamination on this UK example and a single format. This was printed and made in England and was the original ‘WARNING—Copyright subsists in all Fontana recordings’ text. All very similar of course to Vertigo albums from this period.

Lamination – Front & Back: Both sides are very similar and that’s magnificent with little real wear at all. The lamination is in fantastic condition and retains a lovely glossy finish and remains crystal clear – the fantastic front cover artwork can be viewed to maximum advantage. Fresh and clean with few marks and any fine ones present only visible under angled light (but look hard). As fresh and attractive as manufacture day with no peeling, dry area blistering, cracking, mottling and no significant pressmark indentations. The top back edge has a tiny nick crease but this represent the only noteworthy blemish on the entire cover. The lack of creasing is a massive bonus too, with just one ultra faint surface trace on each side, again look hard. Being ultra critical, a fine trace of darkening on the entrace edge but this is faint it’s almost embarrassing to even mention it. The back cover’s black and white band picture is quite famous – a fine looking bunch that almost made the Mothers look handsome – control yourself girls. This band weren’t pretty, nor was their music, but for those with the taste for the bizarre and unusual, the Fugs are here to entertain you. This cover from a bygone era will be near impossible to find much better.

Top Edge: Practically unworn, even the tiny nick doesn’t show.

Bottom Edge: Unworn, as new.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with practically no wear or feathering. Record entered on this right outside edge. Ultra faint toning if being ultra critical.

Spine and Text: Practically as made: Solid, very straight with no wear or compression. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and uncracked laminate.

Corners: All unworn and very neat with superb pointed shape retained.

Cover Summary: A truely beautiful cover for an obscure underground ‘classic’, The Fugs are not for everyone, but for those with a taste for off-beat, somewhat nihilistic ‘music’ with a message, this will delight. A wonderful all round example of this very scarce late 60’s cover, one that will prove near impossible to find better. This amazingly preserved item should please all collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: I am truly tempted to grade this full Mint, it has all the hallmarks of an unplayed record, a copy time (and possibly owner) has forgot. A superb visual copy that is super clean, shiny, jet black and quite heavily pressed – I can only assume this was not to the buyers taste because it looks like new. Like many albums I am currently offering, this is reference standard vinyl and it will prove near impossible to ever find better. Finding a noteworthy mark or blemish on these playing surfaces is proving impossible. Visually a super record that should please all 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 quite astonishing record plays up too its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is high and has an impressive stereo mix with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Barely any trace of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly challenging album. Sparse instrumentation and plenty of vocals, this is a huge test for vintage vinyl but this passed with flying colours. Few copies will even be able to match this first UK pressing I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has hardly even made the trip out of the cover and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this period-piece, it will be immediately apparent to any winning bidder this is practically as new. This copy will prove nigh-on impossible to find better and is a rare opportunity for the serious collector of the weird and unusual – this bunch were quite unique. Unreservedly recommended.

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 (£35).

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’.