FIRE The Magic Shoemaker Orig UK Pye 70 MINT

	£		751
	$		995

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality and the Rarest Music to the World.

JUST IMAGINE, if a pair of magic shoes could fly you back in time to 1970 and put a brand new copy of this wonderful ‘lost’ record into your hands…

Artist or Band: FIRE

Album Title: The Magic Shoemaker.

Producer(s): Ray Hammond & Ray Hendriksen.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Children of Imagination; Tell You a Story; Magic Shoes; Reason for Everything; Only a Dream.

Side 2: Flies Like a Bird; Like to Help You If I Can; I Can See the Sky; Shoemaker; Children of Imagination.

Label/Format: Pye – Original black and blue format (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both practically mint as made. two of the most astonishing labels you will ever seen on one of the rarest ever UK psych albums. These are truly immaculate with (maybe) just one ultra tiny and faint spindle trace. The original owner play his records once (and sometimes not at all). Both labels are connoisseur standard and are highly unlikely to ever be seen or offered like this again – that goes for the rest of the set too.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Cat Number: NSPL 18343.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: NSPL 18343 A-2 *T / NSPL 18343 A-2 *T

Mother & Stamper Codes: A 1 / D 1

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: A very impressive and substantial 163 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: England.

Musicians: David Lambert - guitars, percussion, piano, organ, vocals; Bob Voice - drums, percussion, vocals; Dick Dufall - bass guitar and vocals.

Rarity & Details: VERY RARE (using the term correctly): almost legendary and now listed in the top 10 most wanted UK prog-psych rock albums ever made. Seeing is believing (or it is with this seller), this is without doubt one of the rarest original albums I have ever offered on Ebay and one of the most beautiful too. The terms ‘Mega Rare’ and ‘Impossible’ are banded about on Ebay on albums that simply are not even scarce let alone rare. If they are so rare and impossible, why do they show up so often? This is a genuine rarity, not impossible, but very close too in this quite remarkable condition. This album sold in tiny numbers and how many will ever survive in near mint conditions? I easily grade this astonishing record as full Mint, now played twice after my play-grade and submitting to CD for own future listening pleasure, just offering this outstanding rarity is not an easy task. The record looks exactly as made with any visual blemishes, tiny pressing traces near the end of side two, there from manufacture. These have NO sound whatsoever and this record plays with PERFECT sound with NOTHING unwanted. A trip to the magic shoemaker’s recording studio itself and the ultimate trip into the world of Fire. Now regarded by many as ‘lost’ psych masterpiece, this is the only copy I have ever seen or heard and I can promise it will be a one-off. The cover is beyond fragile: made so very thin with soft textured card and the most stunning graphics on both sides, most will rub, erode and ringwear almost by looking at it. This is also stunning near mint with just a little mild rubbing to the spine and more to the bottom ‘resting’ edge. Quite how this has survived with a massive 163 gram record inside for over 40 years, I simply don’t know. The main faces are truly stunning and genuine works of art. Will a better available copy ever be offered?, well I truly doubt it. This is not hype or exaggeration, this is truly a stunning piece with a record that looks pressed today and it plays the same. The sleeve simply gorgeous. This album makes the other early concept albums like The Pretty Things ‘SF Sorrow’ look common.

Musically it’s fantastic too with some mind-bending guitar sounds blended with fantasy psych and elements of early prog-rock and some haunting gentle folk. One of the earliest ‘conceptual’ albums, the story is told in narration, between tracks by Dave Lambert. The magic shoes had the power to make the wearer fly. They were given to a king who was almost at war with a wicked neighbour, the only way to avert war was to sign a peace treaty. The evil neighbour seeing the king flying was so frightened and had no hesitation in signing the peace treaty and all as they say, ‘lived happily ever after’. Fire were a late 60s band and this their only album, but what a claim to fame this treasure was. The band that consisted of Dave Lambert, later to join The Strawbs, Bob Voice and Dick Duffall (Paul Brett Sage). A wonderful album in every respect but it failed to sell, hence near impossible to find. Even a VG example can be considered a real find, but a truly Mint record inside a close to Mint(-) cover, well this is must rank as one of the rarest opportunities that could come along this year on Ebay – one for the serious classic vinyl collector. Simply too good for words and I state my reputation on this record, if anyone has seen or owns a better copy of this actual record, I sure would like to see it. If this diamond is wanted, do not even think about lose it.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High++, one of the delicate and fragile covers I have ever held. Most will be falling apart or with ugly rubbing, ringwear, sticker tears and creasing. Apart from some modest bottom edge and light spine rubbing, this has little to fault. Look at my pictures, have you ever seen one quite like this before?

Cover Grade and Format: Grading this piece of art less than Mint(-) is not really doing this ultra fragile cover full justice. But with the aforementioned edge rubs, EX++ is correct but if any much better one can be located or even exists I sure would also like to see it. A single unlaminated format made with very thin textured, soft card. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd.

Cover Front & Back: I am almost having to pinch myself to belief this is for real. What an absolute stunning front cover, made even more mind-numbing brilliant because its so incredibly delicate. Under no circumstances hold this one in one hand as it bends over from it’s own weight and 40 years of what has been pretty careful storage would be shattered. The artwork is breathtaking and looks like an old master painting. The texturing almost makes this look like a real painting and the lack of speckle to the raised areas makes this an incredible find. There is barely a rub or mark to the gorgeous surface and the colour is as fresh and clean as when printed back in 1970. Creasing is always going to be a major factor on such a cover, well this few at all. Just a faint couple on the left and right edge and they barely even show. An ultra faint rub trace on the right entrance edge is almost minuscule. Ringwear? what ringwear?, how many will not have it? A massive 163 gram record inside a gossamer thin sleeve for 40 years, this is a near miraculous escape and I truly can hardly believe it myself. Seeing is believing however and both front AND back have none. Even record impression is ultra faint, the back registers NONE! Even under angled light the detail and lack of scuffs, marks or abrasions is incredible. The back has incredible depth of colour and truly it takes the breath away. The odd trace of edge and cornertip rubbing just encroaches into view on the front but this is almost nit-picking. In terms of cover artwork, quality and rarity, this is a national treasure. A collector’s dream-piece example and all but the most impossible to please will adore it.

Top Edge: Superb and with barely any wear and dead straight (which is also a near impossible ask). No splits, tears, repairs or pressure marks from the record. Soft, thin edges like these are highly prone to say the very least.

Bottom Edge: Mainly light patchy rubbing, more moderate nearer the corners. Being wafer thin and this being the ‘resting’ edge, I doubt if any will even exist with no wear on this most perilous area. Again no damages as listed above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with minimal traces wear and no feathering. Guaranteed NO trimming or enhancements. When viewed end-on, it becomes apparent just how thin this card really is, it’s almost like thick paper rather than card. Record enters on this edge that barely has even a significant burr trace or thumb crease.

Spine and Text: One of thinnest spines I have seen on a UK record cover. Incredibly, the text is well- centred and the really important parts still present and unworn (please see my close-up). Near the bottom was ‘Pye Popular Records’ and the Cat No. This has rubbed but can be read with angled viewing from below viewing. Solid, fairly straight (a modest wave near the bottom), uncompressed with no splits. Given just how impossible this edge is, it’s in very good condition.

Corners: Small tip rubs on the top pair. The bottom pair have moderate rubs. Fine shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A jaw-drop lovely example of one of the most fragile covers of its generation. This beautiful and rare cover should please most collectors. Even the realistic connoisseur can consider this one.

The Inner: The original polylined white inner is included. Around EX but it has toned quite noticeably and has two corner creases. The window is perfect and the lining clear, all edges unsplit.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint as made, if a better example can be found, well lucky finder I say. A stunning, jaw-drop record that is super clean, shiny, intense black and very heavily pressed. A copy played once, now twice for my play-grade and download to CD for my own personal use. Any minor visual blemishes are within the pressing as mentioned above and have NO effect on the immaculate sound. There is barely ‘usage’ or handling mark worthy of mention, this will remind those of a certain age, what a brand new record once looked like. Visually, a world-class museum quality record that should please all collectors. If anyone wants a better copy of this major psych-prog rarity, well they will wait for the near impossible forever.

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 beautiful record plays up to its high visual grading with 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 minimally minuscule and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing. Few copies will even get close to this, let outperform this ultimate early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I know for a fact this record has barely been played and has been clearly well stored and carefully handled. All sound fully focused, with rich clarity and smoothness, NO irritating crackle or clipping, simply wonderful from beginning to end. Not even run-in in vinyl terms, will a better example even exist? Truly I doubt it. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, this too on highly revealing and clinical equipment. My second listen, this time via CD play-back of this record reitterated its sheer-class. When downloading vinyl to disc via an analogue mode, every tiny sound can be heard with even more prominance than ever, but here it sounded incredible and close to absolute perfection. This copy will prove beyond any doubt, nigh-on impossible to find better, the term ‘impossible’ used correctly. My highest possible recommendation for this record is mandatory and this is one that will long be lodged into my mind long after its gone. In terms of collectability and class, this is up there with the very best I have ever offered – and I have offered some pretty amazing titles over the past few years as my regulars will know. Any questions on this one, please ask. This record will be posted anywhere in the world FREE of charge with bullet-proof packing (double boxed), fully insured and signed-for.

…Well until someone can make a pair of magic shoes for real or invent a time-machine, this may be just as close as it will ever get.

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’.