PATTO Hold Your Fire VERY RARE ORIG UK 1972 VERTIGO SPIRAL EX LP + Inner.

	£		206
	$		273

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Artist or Band: PATTO

Album Title: Hold Your Fire.

Producer(s): Muff Winwood.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Hold Your Fire; You, You Point Your Finger; How’s Your Father; See You at the Dance Tonight.

Side 2: Give it all Away; Air Raid Shelter; Tell Me Were You’ve Been; Magic Door.

Label/Format: Vertigo – Matt, smooth surfaces with full spiral on side one and small spiral above outline ‘VERTIGO’ on side two. This was the only format this album was issued on as a first pressing. I am sure this was only pressed once and it totally flopped (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean and attractive with only light to light+, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. The cover may be a little tatty, but the record is impressive and appears only lightly played. The odd very gentle toning spot, little else.

Cat Number: 6360032.

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: 121 grams. A quite typical weight for the later Vertigo swirls.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: VERY RARE INDEED. May no mistake about this, an album that sold very poorly, it is reputed to have sold less than 1,000 copies and this remains one of the most elusive Spiral titles and is seldom seen or offered. ‘The Tapestry of Delights’ guide book rates it R3 (Extremely Rare). The first Patto album (also on offer), sold poorly, this one sold very poorly and the band were then dropped from Vertigo. Of the few pressed, I would imagine many were sold off in bargain bins (along with other rare now rare spirals) or sent back for meltdown. The gimmick cover should have caused attention, but that failed also. Special mention has to be made on the cover: it has to be one of the most fragile ever made. It has three hinged strips that can be opened and closed for combining different bizarre artwork characters (some combinations shown on in my pictures). Vastly understrength and most seen are in very poor condition. I would be sure many held together with cellotape or missing parts altogether. This one is not wonderful, but far from terrible, but it is not one I would offer if it was not justified by it’s rarity – and the record – the really important part, is very nice. So a hugely elusive Spiral album, not for the more discerning, but as I sometimes state, some give-and-take has to be made for the genuinely rare titles, especially with such a fragile and impossibly flimsy cover. This will not be seen or offered often, that IS for certain.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 6360032 1Y // 1 420 1 1 4 & 6360032 2Y // 1 420 1 1 5

Musicians: Mike Patto - lead vocal; Olly Halsall - guitar, piano, vibes, organ, vocal; Clive Griffiths - bass, vocal; John Halsey - drums, percussion.

Brief Info: A highly regarded album by many on the famous and highly collectable Spiral label, this one has always been a major irritation for Vertigo collectors. Firstly, the sheer rarity of the record itself, selling so few copies, this is one of the toughest to even find. Secondly the condition the infamous three flap cover is usually found in. Based on a children’s card game that combines cartoon characters into different combinations by opening and closing flaps (as seen in my cover pictures), this was impossibly fragile and even the most careful of owners could easily damage this cover without even trying. Selling in such low numbers meant Patto were dropped from a label where the majority of their titles sold in relatively small amounts, this sold far less than the debut. After some 18 months, the band signed a new contract with Island but their high standards inexplicably dropped. An album that was critically well received, it’s failure to sell was something of a mystery and now there are simply not enough copies to go round. After an initial pressing error that meant the album has to be remixed and pressed, this does sound more polished than the debut. Patto played a mixture of jazz-tinged prog-rock and connoisseurs of the genre rate this as one of the very best of its type. But the public’s imagination (at the time) was not captured and ‘Hold Your Fire’ remains one of the ‘lost’ Spiral classics. As stated, the cover has wear, but amazingly, still full intact with no repairs to the flap hinges. The record is impressive and plays very well, it appears only lightly used. So a great opportunity for Spiral collectors to full one of those elusive and tough gaps without possibly spending a king’s ransom. If a true high grading excellent or better cover was offered, it would surely command a vast sum as there are so very few around.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: The highest possible, off-the-scale, this is one of the most impossible covers ever made and few will ever be found intact – and that’s not putting too fine a point on it.

Cover Grade and Format: GOOD(+): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. The front is cut into three segments and has three hinged strips that open to combine the bizarre cartoon characters. This was printed and made in England by Howards.

Cover Front: Firstly, the good news: the three hinges of the strips are all intact and reasonably strong with NO tape or repairs. The less good news: it has sticker tears on the top right area, but missing the Vertigo logo. This appears to be one of those that had a sale sticker attached, as the evidence strongly suggests it was a bigger sticker than a standard price one. Three tears, one tiny, one small, one more moderate, and all on wuite areas, so the better news is, not damage to the actual graphics which I consider crucial. A few marks/toning spots, a couple of reasonably mild creases and some burring to the flap edges. Minus the sticker pulls, the front would be very decent, and arguably still is.

Cover Back: Again, dark brown ink with no laminate protection – all sure-fire recipes for heavy rubbing and deep penetrating ringwear. Well this has little more than rubbing on the edges and corners, and the lack of ring wear a real bonus. One fairly fine crease near the bottom left corner and some fine edges types, but the back is really quite nice. I would grade it a solid excellent(-) on it’s own.

Cover Inner Gatefold – Left Side: The three flaps are quite solidly and naturally attached with no repairs or tape (said that already I know, but it is significant). The top of the second and third ones have half inch splits going downwards, but the rest is reasonably solid (but care obviously needed to keep that way). There is a moderate crease to the right side of the third flap and a more gentle one on the top of the middle one. Some burring and mild feathering to the edges here and there, but actual wear to the surface is only light with all text and graphics fully present and unrubbed.

Cover Inner Gatefold – Right Side: More bizarre characters artwork and these do look impressive and quite clean. A little light toning/mild marks on the white background, but the characters are near perfect. Now what gives this cover even less chance of longevity is the fact the record is stored in the centrefold. Meaning the already stressed and thin spine, has to carry the burdon of supporting the record as well, with the perils of slicing the card almost anywhere the record makes contact with. So although the cover is clever and ingenious, it was never going to withstand the test-of-time, and given the facts, maybe I have undergraded with somewhat?

Top Edges: Some rubbing to the dark back, no splits and the actual thin card of the flaps, quite neat and tidy.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The right edge, which is closed, as the record is stored from the centre has rubbed. But again the flap edges are quite neat and reasonably sharp with any thickening or burring modestly light. These are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced in any way (or they would hardly still be full cover width, which they are.

Spine and Text: The most vulnerable part of this cover with the stresses of being separated into three parts with a centre loading record – most all will fall apart and very quickly too. This spine has survived mostly INTACT but a little flaking to the surface has happened. As stated above, two fairly small splits but the flaps themselves are still solidly attached with no tape or repairs to these areas. A couple of other areas were flaking, so I DID readhere these surface parts and very neatly too. Almost remarkably, ALL the text is fully present and easy to read, that is some achievement on a cover with wear, and a real bonus I feel. So as solid as could almost be expected and still very decent – but BE CAREFUL!

Corners: The spine ends in fair condition with some rubbing and feathering. The right ones have rubbed but neater, the flaps especially so.

Cover Summary: On a scale of 10 for being damage and wear-prone, this gets a 9.5. No other cover I know really comes close to this, maybe the other Spiral cover, Dr Strangely Strange is close but this one has little chance of surviving intact, and the fact this one has makes this major rarity all the more difficult. Given all the facts, my grading of Good(+), can be regarded possibly one full grade better. I have taken off a full grade for the front sticker tear. Clearly not for the discerning collector, but a great chance to own this album as an original. The record goes a long way to compensate, and of course, you cannot play a cover.

The Inner Sleeve: VERY GOOD: this 1971 album, like Black Sabbath’s ‘Master of Reality’, this has the second swirl design with more black. Still quite an attractive one with the lining clear and intact. A small tear on the window of the back side and the band and album name written on the left corner of the back as well. One fairly small edge split I repaired to stop it widening in the future. The front side is especially nice with not a great deal to fault, there is very little creasing at all and this rarer inner makes the set complete.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or close to. A very fine visual copy that is clean with fine shine, intense black and solidly pressed. A copy with modest plays on all the evidence and showing only fine surface marks under angled light that have minimal to no affect on sound. There are no penetrating scratches. Visually a splendid record that should please most 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 snippets 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This significant spiral rarity plays up to, and even above its high visual grading with very little to fault. Strong sound with a better production than the debut, all frequencies are sharper and clearer - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal and infrequent and overall, a very clean pressing. The cover has issues, but the record has few and I enjoyed hearing this again on only the second copy I have ever had to offer. The record should please many collectors.

End Piece: With many serious collectors trying to put together a full run of the Spiral label, this album remains one of the big sticking points, yes one or two may be even rarer but musically this is a good one. If cover perfection is mandatory, well (clearly) this one isn’t, but I strongly suggest it could be one of the few intact examples that will be offered on Ebay this year. Even Spiral ‘experts’ openly state this is near impossible to find in even decent condition – and even ones in magazines showing originals, are usually tatty or repaired. This is still very ‘decent’, and sticker issues on Vertigo’s are far from uncommon. The record looks nice and plays very well overall. A genuine near mint example of this album is treasure trove and I would only believe they exist if I actually saw one. For collectors needing this impressive album, this could prove a rare opportunity, should the cover be acceptable.

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 Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

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 new VPI-17 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 boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, 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. When larger boxes are used, 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. 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. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 10,000+ items sold in over 12 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 stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (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 [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; 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 [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an 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: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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 necessarily 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’.