TRAFFIC Mr Fantasy RARE 67 US Version. DIFFERENT SONGS

	£		32
	$		42

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: TRAFFIC

Album Title: Mr Fantasy.

Producer(s): Jimmy Miller.

A Special Note About This Copy I rarely offer US copies of English classic albums, but I will make a happy exception on this one simply because it’s so different from the UK version (and in my opinion, better). Firstly, it obviously has a very different cover: here a single format with a stunning band picture of three of the early members. Why Mason was omitted I don’t know. Also on a different label, UA instead of Island. But the more important reason is the track listing (seen below). Here, the two superb singles are included, ‘Paper Sun’ and for me one of the greatest psych singles of all time, Dave Mason’s magnificent ‘Hole in My Shoe’. The songs ‘Utterly Simple’ and ‘Hope I Never Find Me There’ from the UK version, are omitted, but with the two stunning singles, two other songs are included namely, ‘ Smiling Phases’ and ‘We’re a Fade, You Missed This’. So 12 songs are included on this US version compared to 10 on the UK one. Truly, both versions are essential, why the UK version omitted the classic singles is beyond me, but I think someone really got that decision wrong. This US version is pretty rare and not seen often for sale, especially outside America. A fabulous, arguably superior version of one of the greatest albums of the best year in music history, 1967, the year of psych and ‘the summer of love’. A truly indispensable album.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Paper Sun; Dealer; Coloured Rain; Hole in My Shoe; No Face, No Name, No Number; Heaven Is in Your Mind.

Side 2: House for Everyone; Berkshire Poppies; Giving to You; Smiling Phases; Dear Mr. Fantasy; We’re a Fade, You Missed This.

Label/Format: United Artists (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both immaculate: very clean and attractive and struggling to find a single spindle mark trace at all.

Cat Number: UAS 6651.

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: 133 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 135 to 145 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, many 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 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: US.

Rarity: Original UK versions are rare, especially in mono. US versions quite honestly I would think are rarer still. It’s certainly the first one I have ever seen. Without doubt not many of these found there way to the UK or Europe in general.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: UAS 6651 A-1G / UAS 6651 B-1G

Musicians: Dave Mason – guitar, mellotron, sitar, tambura, shakkai, bass guitar, vocals; Jim Capaldi – drums, percussion, vocals; Steve Winwood – organ, guitar, bass guitar, piano, harpsichord, percussion, vocals; Chris Wood – flute, saxophone, organ, percussion and vocals.

Brief Info: One of the truly essential US pressings for a British classic. Traffic’s stunning psych debut is without doubt one of the most sort after albums from this most famous year in music. This is an exceptionally difficult album to find these days, copies do turn up but are invariably trashed or played so much the sound quality is badly affected – noisy, scratched with distortion, most often with horrendous covers too. This is a lovely American copy with a stunning cover and barely played record. Mr Fantasy was released at the height of flower power and is beautifully produced by Jimmy Miller. Traffic were originally the perfect ‘tangerine candy coloured bicycle’ group. Mason’s hippy ditties blended with Winwood’s more ambitious musical aspirations. Although they were given the same title, the US and UK albums have different track-listings. This US version arguably has the edge because it includes the hit singles ‘Hole in my Shoe’ and ‘Paper Sun’ as well as ‘Smiling Phases’ and the short finale at the end. Thank goodness both versions included the magnificent title track with the definitive Winwood guitar solo (or was it Mason?), a breathtaking moment on a stunning album. Of course both versions are absolutely essential, the UK album peaked at 8 and the US album surprisingly only made 88. A stunning landmark debut, issued in the greatest year in rock, the summer of love 1967 - this remains one of the greatest from that amazing year. An album always featuring high in any all time greats lists whether compiled by critics or the record buying public and justifiably so. This album is special, very special and finding an American version here in the UK is unusual, I hope the winning bidder enjoys it as much as I did.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: A stunning Mint(-) and this too on a more delicate US-made cover. These were not laminated, matt finished and a single format with totally different artwork. The back panel is the traditional US paste-on style.

Cover Front: Stunning as made, it’s hard to find fault with this truly gorgeous front at all and what incredible artwork of the young original Traffic.

Cover Back: Again, practically as made, US covers are at a real premium like this and this is very special indeed. Both sides are totally devoid of rubbing and creasing.

Top Edge: A faint and minor rub trace near the right corner area, that apart, as made.

Bottom Edge: The odd faint rub trace only, all closed edges unsplit.

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

Spine and Text: Pristine immaculate, as made again. Solid, straight, uncompressed, the white surface still just that, what. All text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: Again all practically as made, any tiny tip rubs barely even register and all crisp, solid and neat.

Cover Summary: Contender for the best US cover I have ever had. A thing of real beauty and unique artwork too. This beautiful item should please practically all collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Around EX, although I am certain this record has barely been played, it’s a typical US looking pressing. Never as ‘pretty’ as UK versions and again with light surface marks, odd scuff, hairlines and press mark blemishes. They have no effect on sound and that is the important factor. Most collectors of UK and US items know American records are usually seen with superficial manufacture or transit marks. Imported examples being the most common to suffer. As stated, when they have no bearing on sound, it’s not an issue as far as I am concerned. A fine visual copy that is clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. Visually a more typical US record.

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 fine record plays above its 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. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or clicks were noted and this is a fine clean pressing. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. I would wager a fair amount if I could prove these superficial surface blemishes were present from manufacture and have nothing to do with handling or any mistreatment from the owner. The cover gives more than a clue that has suffered no abuse, but been carefully stored. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. If light surface marks are an issue, please do not bid.

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: 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, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. 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 as well as a 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not 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. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

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 ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12. (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 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’.