CREAM Fresh Cream RARER Orig UK 66 Reaction Stereo EX++

	£		127
	$		168

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

Artist or Band: CREAM

Album Title: Fresh Cream.

Producer(s): Robert Stigwood.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: NSU; Sleepy Time Time; Dreaming; Sweet Wine; Spoonful.

Side 2: Cat’s Squirrel; Four Until Late; Rollin’ and Tumblin’; I’m So Glad; Toad.

Label/Format: Reaction – Deep violet format with deep double inner ridge (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both look stunning as I hope my pictures show. Ultra clean, fresh and highly attractive with just one small and light spindle scuff on side two. I am struggling to find anything at all on side one and clearly this record has hardly even been handled. This remarkable piece of rock history has barely been played which is reitterated by stunning clear stereo sound. I hardly think it possible to hear a better example of this landmark recording in the original stereo format.

Cat Number: 594001.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 138 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: Even rarer in stereo and copies in such condition are getting very elusive and hard to find. Quality examples such as this are mostly locked away in valuable collections and seldom will gems be located this good.

Original Year of Release: 1966

Matrix Nos: 594001 A // 1 1 1 7 / 594001 B // 1 1 1

Musicians: Eric Clapton - guitar, vocals; Jack Bruce - Bass guitar, harmonica, vocals; Ginger Baker - Drums, vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: One of many classic debuts from the 1960s, Fresh Cream were a British supergroup in their infancy. It features five non-band titles and not a composition credited to Clapton at all - but with the quality of material included did it really matter? Brilliant virtuoso blues-rock, the Cream legend began here. This is a truly breathtaking early-pressed example that sounds immaculate from the very beginning to the very end. This again is another from a connoisseur’s collection that were hardly played or even handled. I had the pleasure of playing this at high volume, and quite honestly it left me aghast. The sheer power and details from this beautful record were astonishingly good - this plays with audiophile sound quality and all analogue lovers will treasure this. The cover, so highly prone to wear and creasing is also in superb condition and overall, the only blemish is a small laminate pull near the top left corner that has been improved. This had a large Harlequin cellotape sticker applied from new which was removed, but these things were almost entrenched on covers they were applied too and quite honestly, the small mark looks far better than the unsightly advertising tape. They were rarely applied to the fronts of covers and of course on the unlaminated backs were totally impossible to remove (without risky use of chemicals which I would never do). A truly beautiful piece of popular music history, it hardly gets much better than this. Classics of this era so rarely show in such lightly played condition, and this is hardly even run-in in vinyl terms.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High, the back rarely escapes significant grubbiness and ringwear. The front, for whatever reason is rarely seen devoid of heavy creases or major laminate lifts.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++, this NOT taking into account the small improved tear (of lift) on the front as mentioned above, you the collector decide how much this degrades. A single, front laminated design, this laminate protects the top and bottom edges but not the spine that clearly makes it highly vulnerable to wear. Printed and made in England by Ernest J. Day & Co Ltd and includes the ‘Patent pending’ text.

Lamination & Front: A beautiful front with laminate very fresh, clear and with tremendous shine. There is just light dulling around the record’s rim shape mainly visible with angled viewing. Few, if any will survive without this. To reinforce the beauty of this front still further is the general lack of creasing which is a major factor on this vintage cover. Any of the few present are fine to very fine mainly edge types with just one small half moon. More good news is the lack of lifting or blistering which again is unusual, but crucial for quality good looks. The small laminate pull/scuff near the top left is a blemish but has been tipped-in to improve and diminish the mark’s presence. If this minor blemish is an issue, do not bid, it’s sure better than the rather large piece of Harlequin tape that was there previously which really did detract from the beauty of this splendid vintage cover. Even with critical viewing to the laminate surface, there are few traces of surface marks or even fine hairlines, the laminate as smooth as glass with genuine lustre retained. This front really does look lovely and will take a considerable amount of beating.

Cover Back: A back that never ages well and is massively prone to all forms of wear time, handling and mistreatment can subject it too. There is no evidence of such abuse on this one and this is really exceptional and looks superb to the eye. The back is very clean and retains a genuine freshness so many lack. The lack of grubbiness is unusual to say the least and this has barely any. With no ringwear or creasing and just one tiny graze scuff near the top edge, this is almost as good as you will ever find. No rubbing or grubbiness and barely any other marks, this most delicate and unforgiving of backs will prove immensely difficult to find better and complements the front perfectly. This has to be seen to be believed, simply compare to most seen.

Top Edge: Just the tiny scuff trace as mentioned above, very clean and straight.

Bottom Edge: Practically unworn and again very straight, odd tiny scuff trace only really apparent if the fingertip is brushed across.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no burring, chipping or feathering, the double protection by the owner with two outer sleeves more than paid off here. Record entered on this edge.

Spine and Text: An absolute beauty: solid but quite thin and one of the very few I have seen with ALL text unrubbed or damaged, yes ALL is fully present even if centred slightly low. This is incredibly hard to find with the spine text present as it has no protection by laminate. Still very white and unaged with minimal compression. Never underestimate how difficult this is to find like this.

Corners: All four look practically as made and that is retaining super shape with very finely pointed definition with no noteworthy wear.

Cover Summary: A fantastic example and one that can be held and enjoyed to the near maximum, the small laminate pull-scuff is a blemish, but one of the tiny few present on this barely aged cover. Again I state, this small mark looks far better than the sizeable piece of Harlequin advertising tape that was stuck to this front. I risked its removal and nigh-on got away with it. (If any winning bidder indeed wants the removed piece of tape, simply let me know and I will include it). Clearly the Harlequin chain of shops from the 60s wanted their free advertising on all the records they sold and the tape was made never to be removed. Only the fact it was on laminate did I risk it – lesson learnt I suppose, but I really did not like this tape on a cover front and can (just about) put up with them on the backs where they usually appear. Still, few available examples will get close to this and I feel most collectors will enjoy it. If the small front blemish is an issue, do not bid.

The Inner: The Polydor style inner that is lined is included in superb EX+ condition. The window clear and both circles pristine. No edge splits and any creasing mainly few and light, record rim shape of course is apparent. Mild glue browning on the seams, few avoid this at least and a lovely original inner for this classic record.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading & Sound: EX+/EX++ hardly does this fantastic record full justice, merely downgraded a tiny notch from Mint(-) because of a light surface scuff on the first song that has NO sound, any other surface blemishes are very few and ultra faint seen under light, the light today being direct sunlight through my window (for a change), nothing is more critical than this of course. A wonderful record, any surface blemishes are minuscule and this will prove near unbeatable for fresh clean looks. It looks gorgeous with ultra clean and very shiny playing surfaces that retain incredible lustre and ‘newness’ for a record this substantial age. I know for a fact it has hardly been played which is reitterated by the highest quality audio clarity. Fully focused, distortion-free sound with not even a hint of crackle and devoid of any pops or clicks, this is the audiophile’s dream copy and it was a privilege to hear this. Clearly barely played and lightly handled and well looked after for its long existence. We all know what these vintage classics can, and usually do look and sound like these days. I can categorically state, this album has not been subjected to worn out old stylus that reeked havoc to so many gems like this. A record time has largely forgotten and a gateway into the recording studio itself when played on suitable and worthy equipment. A copy that may be matched (by a small minority) but will prove immensely difficult to find much better. This deserves a good home and I hope any winning bidder enjoys it as much as I did. Not even easy to let this one go, but the decision is made. The highest possible recommendation is mandatory for such a beautiful piece. The famous-trio would surely approve.

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 2M moving magnet 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.

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 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. 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’.