URIAH HEEP - THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY
MAGNIFICENT MINT MINUS AUDIO
1ST PRESS A1U / B1U
NEAR MINT ROBOR SLEEVE WITH PAPER LYRIC INNER
THE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS OF MAGICIANS BIRTHDAY. THE PRESSING CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. FIRSTLY THE MATRIX NUMBERS MUST END IN -1U AND THE LETTER U IS INVERTED 90 DEGREES WITH THE OPEN END OF THE LETTER FACING THE 1 DIGIT
SECONDLY THE PRESSING MUST HAVE THE ISLAND CATALOGUE NUMBER. DESPITE THE RECORDING BEING ON THE BRONZE LABEL, THE EARLIEST ISSUES WERE GIVEN THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBERS. LATER ISSUES WOULD HAVE HAD THE 'BRON' NUMBERS.
THE LABELS ALSO HAVE ' MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY i ISLAND RECORDS LIMITED ' IN BLUE TYPEFACE AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE RIM
THERE MUST ALSO BE A SMALL DAAR IN BETWEEN THE ILPS AND THE 9213 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL
THE SLEEVE MUST HAVE THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBER IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE REAR SURFACE. IT ALSO MUST BE A ROBOR SLEEVE
ALSO FIRST ISSUES CAME WITH A PAPER LYRIC INNER SLEEVE WHICH ALSO MUST HAVE THE ILPS CATALOGUE NUMBER ON IT BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE B SIDE LYRICS.
THE RECORD
THE LABELS
BOTH LABELS ARE IN PRISTINE CONDITION. THE LIGHT CREAM BASE COLOUR IS RICH AND VIBRANT AND IS UNMARKED AND FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE, . THE BROWN TYPEFACE IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE, AND A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLE REVEALS ZERO VISIBLE SPIDER LINES
THE VINYL
THIS HEAVYWEIGHT (AND I DO MEAN HEAVYWEIGHT) DISC HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN AND LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS FLAWLESS AND EVEN UNDER A MAGNIFYING LED HALO IT STILL LOOKS PRISTINE
ALSO UNUSUALLY THE MOTHERS AND STAMPERS ARE BOTH ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE DEAD WAX ON SIDE DUE. THIS IS DUE TO THE 'G KONG' INSCRIPTION BEING PLACED WHERE THE STAMPERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN. FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER SEEN THIS ANOMOLY
PLAYING THE RECORD
ABSOLUTELY SUPERB EXAMPLE OF THIS CLASSIC ALBUM FROM URIAH HEEP
THE FINAL TRACK ON SIDE ONE IS A GENTLE TRACK CALLED RAIN, AND I HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES I THOUGHT I HAD A GREAT COPY TO LIST ONLY FOR THIS TRACK TO LET THE DISC DOWN. IT HAS ON MOST COPIES AN EMBEDDED LIGHT BACKGROUND WHICH IS HEARD ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT, SPOILING THE MUSIC. TAKE A LISTEN TO THIS ONE
THE VINYL HAS AN INCREDIBLE STEREO REPRODUCTION. YOU ONLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE OPENING FEW BARS, FOLLOWED BY THE AMAZINGLY CLEAR VOCALS TO BE CONVINCED.
THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND AT ANY POINT, SHOWING THAT WHAT LITTLE PLAY THE LP HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS
THERE IS NO HEAVY BACKGROUND CRACKLE AND NO LOUD CLICKS
ALL I HEARD DURING THE PLAY WAS A TINY BIT OF VERY LOW LEVEL STAIC ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS ON SIDE A, PLUS A COUPLE OF LITTLE STATIC TICS, AND THAT IS ALL
SIDE TWO PLAYS TO ABSOLUTE PERFECTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH
SILENT LINKING GROOVES
THERE ARE NO DUST POPS TO BE HEARD ON EITHER SIDE
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS VINYL PLAYTHROUGH AS MINT MINUS
TAKE A FULL LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF
THE SLEEVE
NON LAMINATED ROGER DEAN GATEFOLD SLEEVE SURFACE. MADE BY ROBOR
THE FRONT SURFACE IS VERY CLEAN AND HAS RETAINED ALL OF THE ORIGINAL COLOUR. THE COLOURS ARE VERY DEEP IN COLOUR AND OFTEN HAVE FADED DUE TO BEING LEFT IN SUNLIGHT. HERE THOUGH THEY ARE RICH AND VIBRANT. THERE IS NO RUBBING AND NO LOSS OF COLOUR AT ALL.
YOU WON'T SEE MANY AS GOOD AS THIS ONE
THERE ARE NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES ANYWHERE,NO FOLDS OR BENDS
THERE IS JUST ONE SMALL PRESSURE LINE CLOSE TO THE SPINE. NONE ALONG THE TOP EDGE, NONE ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGE, AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE.
NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE, AND THE FOUR CORNERS ARE SHARP AND SQUARE WITH A PIN PRICK OF RUB ON THE TWO RIGHT TIP ENDS
THE TOP EDGE IS FREE FROM ANY SHELF WEAR, APART FROM A TINY SCUFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REAR SURFACE .
THE REAR BOTTOM EDGE SURFACE HAS A FEW WHITE FLECKS ALONG IT AND A LITTLE RUB IN THE CORNER
THE SPINE USUALLY HAS FADED COLOURS , BUT THIS COPY THE COLOURS ARE AS RICH AS ON THE FRONT AND REAR SURFACES. THERE IS ALSO NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER, AND NO SQUASHING AS THE SPINE IS TOTALLY FLAT.
ALL OF THE WHITE TYPEFACE IS PRISTINE AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. THE COLOUR RUNS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WITH UNBLEMISHED ENDS
THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME SUPERB CONDITION AS THE FRONT.
IT IS HERE THAT RING WEAR USUALLY SURFACES, BUT THIS EXAMPLE IS JUST PERFECT. NO LOSS OF THE DEEP RICH COLOURS AT ALL
ONE TINY LINE NEAR THE SPINE , NONE ALONG THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES. .
THE OPENING EDGE IS RAZOR SHARP AND APTLY SHOWS JUST HOW LITTLE THIS ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT OF THE SLEEVE.
OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE WITH JUST A FEW WHITE DOTS ON THE DARK BORDER
THE ORIGINAL LYRIC INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED AND IS INCREDIBLY UNSPLIT. USUALLY THIS HAS MULTIPLE SEAM SPLITS, BUT NOT THIS ONE. IT IS ALSO PERFECTLY FLAT AND STILL FAIRLY WHITE. LIGHT STORAGE AGEING
I AM HAPPY TO GRADE THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT
GARRY
POSTAGE Firstly, if you win more than one item i will always combine shipping / postage, but please wait for me to invoice you first I will only ever use a tracking and signed for service for all records to protect both buyer and seller Current post and packing rates are as follows for LP's UK - FIRST CLASS SIGNED FOR £5.85 THE E.U - TRACKED AND SIGNED £15.10 U.S.A - TRACKED AND SIGNED £29.40 AUSTRALIA - TRACKED AND SIGNED £28.05 CANADA AND THE FAR EAST - TRACKED AND SIGNED £25.40 Post and packing rates for singles UK - FIRST CLASS SIGNED FOR £3.23 THE E.U - TRACKED AND SIGNED £13.80 U.S.A - TRACKED AND SIGNED £18.35 AUSTRALIA - TRACKED AND SIGNED £17.60 CANADA AND THE FAR EAST - TRACKED AND SIGNED £16.45