Jake Holmes WLP PROMO 45 Dazed & Confused Above Ground

$

38

TOTALLY COOL! I've never seen this 45 before, and it may have only been available as a promo, but yes, this is the original song written by Jake Holmes that Jimmy Page took credit for on the Led Zeppelin debut (and continues to!). There is no doubt about it when you hear the chromatic descent on the guitar intro which directly echoes the bass line in the LZ version, that this is the song that he heard in 1967 with the original Yardbirds... later played as "I'm Confused" on the deleted Live Yardbirds LP. Jake Holmes later wrote Page about the matter, but Page never responded. He declined to take legal action, causing Page to go MAD with guilt... or no... maybe not. Ahem. Maybe the person who wins this can try to get it autographed by Page... I wonder how he would react?

The 45 is in VG+ condition with light scuffs, may have been pressed in late '67 or early '68... the time on the 45 is nearly four minutes, making this an extended play, so the light wear is audible more so at the beginning, since this is a rather soft program with acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and P-bass and percussion (which may be just thumping of strings and such). I doubt you will ever see another one in the next several years. There is no record of one being sold or possessed anywhere. It comes from the LP The Above Ground Sound Of on the Tower label. He later went on to have a very successful career as a jingle writer, but this will probably be his greatest claim to fame, and the obligatory story you'll probably hear from him as the bars close down in NYC... affirming Page's distinction as the person who has stolen the most from the American Blues and Folk tradition... no one even comes close! Squeeze that lemon till it runs out of juice, Pagey! Karmically speaking, he should have been the one electrocuted in the bath tub playing his guitar, not Keith Relf! Kieth, was that Jimmy's guitar? (yes, I do like me some LZ, admittedly!)

THERE's MORE! Check out this interview quote from the man himself

JH: We did Above Ground Sound while we were on this college tour. We went into the studio and did it in about two days. We knew everything cold because we'd been playing it so much and there were only the three of us. We recorded most of it live. We did it the way you did folk music. We didn't have a budget. Freddy Weintraub wouldn't give us any money and we were on a subsidiary label. Our budget was probably five or six thousand bucks. The tragedy was that they lost the stereo mix of that. They did this electronic thing to make it stereo. The stereo album sounds like crap. It sounds like it's delayed. The only decent version is the mono. Then you get to hear the truth of it. It's very raw and simple, but complex musically. It was upsetting. They tried to sell it as a stereo album and it sounded like crap.

This 45 has the un-altered mono mix, which makes it one of only a few hundred ever made, and maybe one of the only surviving copies. I'm not sure if this mix is even the same one I've been hearing, as the one on the LP with all the effects... for instance, the ending on the 45 is totally dead, the one on the LP has reverb, there is also an annoying flanging delay that sounds like hell when you cancel it into mono on the LP version. This 45 differs from every version I've heard and may be the only true mono first mix ever issued. I've provided a link to listen to it here, how could I not? I did use a tick filter on it, as I am saving it for my own listening as well.

These auctions are streamlined for quicker listing. Please use google for track listings and details. All info is in the auction title. The first rating is for the vinyl, the second is for the jacket. One rating applies to both.

M-= MINT- virtually unplayed

NM= Near Mint

EX= Excellent

VG++= Very Light Wear

VG+= Normal Wear

VG= appreciable wear

NOC= Name on Cover NOL = Name on Label



Hi there, I'm Bruce. I have one of the largest personal collections of rare vinyl in the area and work at one of the largest stores in the world. Please mark me as one of your favorites, check in often and please don't hesitate to email me if you are looking for something special or have a concern with a purchase. I really like what I do and feel a kinship with every collector out there. We're all friends here!
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