THE FUGS Virgin Fugs RARE Orig UK 1969 Fontana EX+ LP

	£		47
	$		62

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Rare Underground Music to the World

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Rates.

Artist or Band: THE FUGS

Album Title: Virgin Fugs.

Producer(s): Ed Sanders & Harry Smith.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: We’re the Fugs; New Amphetamine Shriek; Saran Wrap; The Ten Commandments; Hallucination Horrors; I Command the House of the Devil.

Side 2: CIA Man; Coca Cola Douche; My Bed is Getting Crowded; Caca Rocka; I Saw the Best Minds of My Generation Rot.

Label/Format: Fontana - Original matt black and silver format. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and highly attractive with very few spindle marks, mostly faint too.

Cat Number: STL 5501.

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 this Record: 136 grams. Around average for the late 60s.

Country of Manufacture: The record was pressed in England. The cover was printed in Holland which seems the normal for this album. I am sure a UK-printed cover does not exist and all initial first issues had this imported cover. As this had so little commercial potential, I am sure this was a compromise. Importantly, this UK copy includes the STL 5501 sticker on the back which is definitive proof this is a UK original (please see my close-up picture of this sticker detail).

Rarity: Quite rare as an original Fontana UK pressing. This band did not sell in any great numbers and rarely found in this superb condition. Bought by certain types who had the taste for the obscure US underground scene, few survive like this.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 858109 1Y // 1 420 1 1 & 858109 Y // 1 420 1 1

Musicians: Ed Sanders – vocals; Tuli Kupferberg – percussion, vocals; Ken Weaver – conga, drums, vocals; Steve Weber – guitar, vocals; Peter Stampfel – fiddle, harmonica, vocals; Vinny Leary – bass, guitar, vocals; John Anderson – bass guitar, vocals.

Brief Info: The tracks from this album were recorded at the same time as the first two Fugs albums only initially issued in the US, but this is not a compilation album and remains one of the earliest issued in the UK. Clearly they had limited commercial potential and few labels would touch them. Transatlantic issued two Fugs albums in 1968 and both are elusive. Blending satire with sexual humour and psych sounds, not dissimilar to Zappa’s early Mothers of Invention, this cult band will appeal to Mothers fans. Limited on musical skill, their sound was sparse and vocally brash and upfront. Controversial, poor sales and no air-play, Fugs originals are seldom seen or offered. This genuine UK-pressed first edition includes the normal Dutch-printed cover but importantly, includes the correct UK catalogue sticker on the back. This came from that wonderful collection I purchased last year where the owner played the records only once or twice. A record that retains beautiful clean lustre but with a very few ultra light hairlines of faint paper scuffs, these have no sound and it will prove immensely difficult to find this better. The ultra wear-prone cover is almost like new. One of least commercial US acts to make UK release, this being one of the rarest.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++ a single format with a shiny front, this is a coating rather than laminate I feel certain. The back is matt and unprotected. Printed and made in Holland and includes the Fontana STL 5501 on the back for the UK market. Also, the back panel is a paste on type like used in the US.

Cover: Front & Back: Both sides look superb with barely any traces of wear or blemishing. Any ageing is minuscule and the same for any discolour on the matt-finished back. Ultra faint tone traces just present with close viewing. No rubbing or ring marks and no noteworthy creasing. The STL sticker is immaculate and clearly never picked at or removed. This will prove near impossible to find better.

Top Edge: Practically unworn.

Bottom Edge: Any rub traces are tiny and very faint.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Practically as made: solid, straight, barely compressed and all text unworn.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and all retain excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this scarce 60’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This elusive item should please most-all collectors.

The Inner: The Polydor-style polylined inner is included. It has creased on both corners and has discoloured. But importantly, it dates this copy perfectly with it’s code 20/059 (May 1969).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX to EX+ going strictly by the guides, but this rare 1969 record is better still in real terms. With just light surface marks in the form of fine hairlines that have no sound, few will be found better. A super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a super record that should please many 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 scarce Fontana record even exceeds its high visual grading with practically nothing 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. With sparse instrumentation, this is hardly a hi-fi classic but it sounds as it was made. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no significant pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will outperform this first UK pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this underground gem, not seen this many times before, the odd one or two that do surface are invariably trashed. This copy will prove immensely difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly 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/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 QED Silver terminated cable). 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.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

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 & 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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: 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. 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 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’.