Sold Date: February 25, 2016
Start Date: February 18, 2016
Final Price: £42.01 (GBP)
Bid Count: 4
Seller Feedback: 4147
Buyer Feedback: 69

"HOLE IN MY SHOE"  (Dave Mason, 1967)

I looked to the sky,
  Where an elephant's eye,
  Was looking at me,
  From a bubblegum tree,
  And all that I knew,
  The hole in my shoe,
  Was letting in water, (letting in water.....)

I walked through a field;
  That just wasn't real,
  Where 100 tin soldiers,
  Would shoot at my shoulder,
  And all that I knew,
  The hole in my shoe,
  Was letting in water, (letting in water.)
 

"I climbed on the back of a giant albatross,
Which flew through a crack in the cloud,
To a place where happiness reigned all year round,
Where music played ever so loudly."


  I started to fall,
  And suddenly woke,
  And the dew on the grass,
  It stuck to my coat.
  And all that I knew,
  The hole in my shoe,
  Was letting in water, (letting in water........)
TRAFFIC: "Hole In My Shoe"/"Smiling Phases" UK 45, IN MONO, VERY FIRST PRESSING, SEPTEMBER 1967.
  I cannot possibly resist hearing an unplayed Traffic masterpiece of a single in the unique Mono mix, not forgetting the amazing
45 RPM Mono mix of the glorious "Smiling Phases."   One my ultra careful plays that leaves no spindle traces and definitely no
marks, scuffs or scratches, that is the astonishing condition of the labels & vinyl, even the pink Island original sleeve has the
catalogue number suffix hand written on the top of one corner by the 1967 record shop.  I cannot take in how this remained in
  the ultimate condition, unbelievably unplayed, but very, very welcome to discover.


  ORANGE & BLACK FIRST PINK ISLAND LOGO LABEL, WITH A SOLID CENTRE: WIP 6017
On the right side of the centre hole under the catalogue number, making it's second appearance on a single was the logo just as
  important as Island's.    A circled arrowed symbol that was only recently first be found on their debut single, "Paper Sun", then
  every following Traffic single.

MAITRIX:  WIP 6017  A - 1   ∆ F /  WIP  6017  B - 1  ∆ F
  Pressed by Pye, the above format is that of a very first pressing made in Pye's pressing plant, Island did not own one and all




  ORIGINAL 1967 PINK ISLAND SLEEVE WITH A RARE STRAIGHT TOP, UNTORN AND UNSPLIT.
  Polydor sleeves between 1966 - early 1967 mostly had straight top opening's, the wavy top variety wre being introduced in that
  period, but all existing straight top sleeves were used up until none remained. Simple economics, Polydor and Pye were pressing
  for Island and Pye just went with the Polydor design.  The pink label was founded in January,1967 and Traffic's "Paper Sun" debut
  became Island's first large selling single in June,1967.   "Hole In My Shoe" followed in September when all 7" sleeves with straight
  top sleeves were finally used up.  Great to see one and obviously only some of the very first pressings had them,  this is the very
  first record pressed.  How can I be so specific about the earliest sleeves?  I bought several of the first Island singles in 1967
  including "Paper Sun" and in September, "Hole In My Shoe" on the day they were released.  Positively the original by virtue of an
  unplayed record, plus the back top right has the original 1967 record shop indexing by hand, the '6002' suffix catalogue/maitrix.
  You cannot get anymore authentic for the record and sleeve being paired up from day one.....and still together 49 years later.
 
  A superb deep pink colour, the white 'Island' lettering is totally unaged without any splits or tears, with only the record's
  impression and a few light related light creases.  Light ageing around the edges, which counterfeit Island sleeves will not have,
  they are are not even close to this sleeve's original deep 'blushing' pink, a few creases and light ageing belong there after
  nearly years holding such a heavyweight Pye pressed record!
  THE SLEEVE IS IN A MINIMUM OF EXCELLENT +++  CONDITION.
 

  THE RECORD WAS NEVER PLAYED AND IS TOTALLY UNMARKED, THE LABELS AND VINYL ARE IN ABSOLUTELY
  STUNNING UNPLAYED, MINT CONDITION.
I eased the centre hole onto my spindle before, ready to hear and describe, the centre was still as tight as a brand new record.


"Hole In My Shoe" was Traffic's most successful single and a No.2 chart UK position, reflected the psychedelic contents reception
when the warmth of the "Summer Of Love" was still glowing under a 'paper sun.'

Traffic's formation and arrival at Island Records for Steve Winwood, was more like a deayed home-coming than Island making a new
new signing.   For three years 'Island Records' had adorned the majority of the labels of Spencer Davis Group's LP's, EP's and
singles, founder Chris Blackwell had leased them out to Fontana until Island became financially stable.  The hard struggles of an
an independedent label who gave minority music a home, were very soon to be seen as lucrative ventures by the major companies
like CBS, EMI, Decca, Pye & Phillips.  Over the next two years, 'Blue Horizon', 'Harvest,' 'Deram,' 'Dawn' and 'Vertigo' were all
allocated bottomless financial purses to give new untested talent a crack of the whip. For labels like Island, talent spotting was
not a guessing game and survival depended on getting it right, Chris Blackwell signed up a sixteen year old kid in 1964 and by
1967, Stevie Winwood was more than ready to embrace psychedelia, also as one the UK's most naturally gifted blues vocalists
and musicians.  His god friend Eric Clapton had made the same transition with Cream and next to come from them in this year, was
the awesome "Disraeli Gears," the same genius in Steve Winwood now had an equally prolific band to work with.  Traffic would soon
record and release the late 1960's decade, era defining psychedelic masterpiece of an album, "Dear Mr. Fantasy," for the debut
single, the whole band of, Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason and Chris Wood, wrote two very special tracks, "Paper Sun" and
"Giving to You."   That became a No.6 single in the very heart of the 1967 "The Summer Of Love," to follow that required something
very special indeed and from the pen of Dave Mason, one of the most endearing and stunning psychedelic tracks was the perfect
bridge between "Paper Sun" and their debut LP "Dear Mr. Fantasy." "Hole In My Shoe" was an epic of a production and in with all
the sounds of the era like sitars, almost like a fairy tale or a chapter from "Alice In Wonderland", a little girl spoke between
a truly beautiful melody;
I climbed on the back of a giant albatross,
Which flew through a crack in the cloud,
To a place where happiness reigned all year round,
Where music played ever so loudly.
With the fantastic psychedelic B-side, "Smiling Phases," this was one of the most magical 60's singles ever released and even if
I'm slightly biased towards Traffic, few would argue about the incredible Jimmy Miller production, or the magical dust sprinkled
onto the original 1967 singles.  There is only one way to hear the unbelievable mono mix because neither track appeared on the
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" album and the 1969 "Best Of Traffic" was a stereo only LP.  So the original mono version is still unique to the
1967 45, original vinyl simply refuses to give up it's magic!


Both the heavily textured, rough surface labels are in pristine condition, the pink colour is unfaded and like new, without any
spindle traces of use.  The heavyweight vinyl has a highly glossy sheen exclusive to mint vinyl, there are no marks of any kind
on the entire record.  Needless to say an unworn, as new, pink Island single will have simply awesome mono sound quality, one
ultra careful play for the first time in nearly 50 years.... I can't wait!


"Hole In My Shoe" starts from near silent / silent run-in grooves, into the incredible UK mono mix of Traffic's second single, Dave
Mason's sitar has a tremendous impact on the intro.  So does Steve Winwood's organ and Chris Wood's flute, the mono is glorious
in this stunningly clean and extremely powerful, crystal clear sound, from a Mint first pressing.  Usually a 1967 record crackles
so loudly, you cannot distinguish the subtle instruments and vocals, but this is amazing for perfect audio clarity, without any
suggestion of sound irritants.  That includes during the beautiful spoken section from the girl I just typed, a psychedelic finish
features Winwood's organ creating wonderful sounds and to hear Dave Mason's lead vocals in this kind of pin point definition, is
to once again listen in wonder to a 60's mono single. I'm fully aware how well known and loved this fantastic A-side is, so there
is no need to write volumes about one of the most stunning records for the sound reproduction and the contents, you wish to hear.
Both the sound quality and all the dazzling psychedelic effects are just incredible!


A superbly titled  B-side ,"Smiling Phases" conjures up such idealistic, beautiful images of the 20th century's Golden year, 1967.
From near silent run-in grooves, well, they don't get any closer to absolute silence than this, the intro is ultra clean as harmonised
'ahh's' flood from the speakers with the organ, drums & flute, Steve Winwood  sings the lead vocals with that blues soaked voice.
A wonderful mixture of psychedelia, blues and even a touch of jazz and the beautiful melody packs a mighty punch, Jim Capaldi's
drums are exceptionally loud but perfectly crisp as they thud home. A brilliant Winwood/Capaldi/Wood composition has delightful
  vocal harmonies but there's an incessant hard edged r&b rhythm driving the track along.  Traffic's arrival in the very heart of the
psychedelic era, could not have been any better timed to gain the most from Winwood's musical genius.  Steve sings with a great
authority and softening that are the background vocalised 'ahh's' that were so much part of this period. To end Traffic play much
heavier improvised music that Steve Winwood's lead vocal was always heading towards, the mono mix on this amazing section has
the sound impacting with the greatest velocity.  I all but wore this side out in 1967 so it's a real pleasure to hear "Smiling Phases"
in such staggering sound quality, once again no crackles, clicks or even any surface sound. It's about time Island's singles received
the praise for such fantastic mastering and pressing, Pye played their part but the magic really began in the recording studio.
  {Roy}
    R & M RECORDS.

My lifetime's love of music and records began at a very young age, the arrival of the Beatles and the 1960's decade
  in general had a very profound effect. It was only natural to bring all my first hand experience of collecting vinyl
  into becoming a professional record seller.  Nearly thirty years ago we entered into the wonderful atmosphere
of record fairs with the highest possible standards set. When the Internet became the world's new market place for
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POSTAGE  COST FOR LP's
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