LED ZEPPELIN “Bonzo’s Birthday Party Party” double LP

	£		31
	$		41

 LED ZEPPELIN “Bonzo’s Birthday Party Party” double LP

Label - Trade Mark of Quality

*Grading of sleeve – Cover missing

*Grading of vinyl - Good

*Grading of inserts - None

Record made in - Unknown

Photo of actual item? - yes

Comments – A Good home wanted for culturally-priceless but intrinsically valueless exposition of the almighty ones’ infamous live recording from their USA tour in 1973. See notes below.

For completists’ who despite winning this auction will have to continue waiting for a decent copy, as this pressing has no cover and the red and yellow vinyl discs both have several marks and scratches that will spoil your listening pleasure.

The sound quality is poor. You have been warned. Why I paid £30 for what should be a drool-worthy artifact, knowing the faults … well I got carried away. You might just cop it for a mere quid!

There’s no refund available for this one boys – you pays your money and you keeps the goods.

Tracks – Misty Mountain Hop, Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, No Quarter, the Ocean, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love, |Let That Boy Boogie Woogie.

BIDDERS FROM UK or EU ONLY PLEASE. Please read the following smallprint carefully ...

Postage Rates:

UK – £3.00 for single albums and £4.00 for double albums using Royal Mail second class. Items fetching over £20 will be posted with recorded delivery AT MY EXPENSE. Items under £20 will be sent with a post office counter receipt with your postcode written thereon as proof of posting, otherwise recorded delivery is an extra 70p.

Registered delivery (aka next day delivery) with up to £500 of compensation, is £5 extra. Other options may be available – please email after auction is over.

EU - £5.00 for single album and £7.50 for a double. International signed-for service is £5 extra (usually tracks items only to customs).

PACKING - Items are securely packaged in proper factory-made square-edged boxes. So no corner bending is possible.

Check out my other items and combine items to save on postage costs – shipping discounts are calculated AFTER the auction is over. If you wish to bid on further items please email me and do not pay until the auction ends on those further items.

I am not responsible for postal mishandling – I take out a proof of posting slip at the Post Office for every item and if it is lost in transit I will not give a refund. I advise you to pay that little extra for recorded delivery.

* Gradings – I grade items VISUALLY ONLY according to Record Collector rules – mint, excellent, very good, good and fair. However I do play the start of each side to test for crackles and also try out anything vaguely iffy.

I do not go into 500-word flights of ecstasy about the wonderfulness of my items – rest assured by gradings are strict and SO IF I SAY MINT I MEAN MINT! I have collected vinyl for 40 years and I understand fully the needs of fellow collectors and what gradings mean.

MINT: Virtually unplayed. The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. Cover is pristine.

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD PLUS: The record will still be nice and shiny, but may have a few light marks, and will play well. Slight wear and tear on the cover.

V.G: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, etc.

FAIR: Fair. It is noticeable that the record has been played so much that the sound quality has deteriorated very noticeably. The cover and contents are showing signs of folding, scuffing of edges etc.

Warning to feedback blackmailers – Your criminal activities will not be tolerated and reported to Ebay.

 Extra notes - Led Zeppelin’s May 31st, 1973 Los Angeles shows is one of the standards for any collection.  In constant circulation for almost forty years,

Robert Plant himself calls this show “magic” and it is given how loose everyone is and in the mood to party.  Jimmy Page hurt his finger several days before when they were throwing beer bottles out of the hotel window (so the story goes) and the first LA date on May 30th was canceled.  His injured finger is noticeable with some bum notes in “Rock And Roll” and especially “Celebration Day”, but with “Black Dog” he hits his stride.

“Is everybody sufficiently in the state of mind to have a good time?”  Plant asks afterwards, and when they finish “Over The Hills And Far Away” suggests the name of the recording and says he had known Bonzo for fifteen years ”and he’s been a regular bastard.”

They play an interesting version of “No Quarter.”  Plant mentions “it’s a song that, we’ve been kicking around for quite a while, and it seemed that Houses Of The Holy was the right concept in which to put it out.”  Comparing the jazzy demo recorded in 1970 to the bombastic version played in Los Angeles that night provides a startling contrast.

Page’s finger doesn’t interfere with the heaviest portion of the concert, a half hour long “Dazed And Confused” which is as perfect as any other version from the ninth tour.  “Stairway To Heaven” is dedicated to Bonzo and Plant allows him to bash his balls out for “Moby Dick.”  The finale of the show “Whole Lotta Love” is played without any additions to the medley, unlike the final night in Los Angeles. 

But before the encores Plant goes into a long explanation about the state of the band:  “We’ve had one or two problems which I’m going to tell you about now. Jimmy sprained his finger two days ago. We had to cancel last night, and he’s playing tonight and keeping his hand in a bowl of cold water to keep the swelling down, and so I think that’s great. I really do. When he was playing, when he was playing that bit in Hearbreaker, if you’d have felt what he must have felt. We’re rock and roll veterans, so we’re gonna do a song about you. It’s called The Ocean, and it’s about you.”

Zeppelin’s stay in Los Angeles on this tour is the source of much gossip and titillating speculation about the excesses of rock stars on the road.  Plant himself wrote “Sick Again” in response to these events, and a news release at the time reported:

“It didn’t get much attention, because the group paid for everything, but Led Zeppelin was in rare destructive form when they were here recently for some concerts.  Things got off to a bad start when lead guitarist Jimmy Page sprained a finger when he lurched against a fence at San Diego Airport. That apparently threw the boys into a grand funk.  Not too long after the group got settled in a ninth floor suite at the Continental Hyatt House, a table came sailing out their window. Explanation for the mis-Led table was, the boys were irritated at being told not to toss liquor glasses into an open Lincoln convertible parked on the street below. 

“Then it was off to a theater to attend a party for Jo Jo Gunne. There members of the group were accused of smashing up the rest rooms and defacing paintings in the lobby.  Back to their hotel they went toLed Zeppelin’s May 31st, 1973 Los Angeles shows is one of the standards for any collection.  In constant circulation for almost forty years,

Robert Plant himself calls this show “magic” and it is given how loose everyone is and in the mood to party.  Jimmy Page hurt his finger several days before when they were throwing beer bottles out of the hotel window (so the story goes) and the first LA date on May 30th was canceled.  His injured finger is noticeable with some bum notes in “Rock And Roll” and especially “Celebration Day”, but with “Black Dog” he hits his stride.

“Is everybody sufficiently in the state of mind to have a good time?”  Plant asks afterwards, and when they finish “Over The Hills And Far Away” suggests the name of the recording and says he had known Bonzo for fifteen years ”and he’s been a regular bastard.”

They play an interesting version of “No Quarter.”  Plant mentions “it’s a song that, we’ve been kicking around for quite a while, and it seemed that Houses Of The Holy was the right concept in which to put it out.”  Comparing the jazzy demo recorded in 1970 to the bombastic version played in Los Angeles that night provides a startling contrast.

Page’s finger doesn’t interfere with the heaviest portion of the concert, a half hour long “Dazed And Confused” which is as perfect as any other version from the ninth tour.  “Stairway To Heaven” is dedicated to Bonzo and Plant allows him to bash his balls out for “Moby Dick.”  The finale of the show “Whole Lotta Love” is played without any additions to the medley, unlike the final night in Los Angeles. 

But before the encores Plant goes into a long explanation about the state of the band:  “We’ve had one or two problems which I’m going to tell you about now. Jimmy sprained his finger two days ago. We had to cancel last night, and he’s playing tonight and keeping his hand in a bowl of cold water to keep the swelling down, and so I think that’s great. I really do. When he was playing, when he was playing that bit in Hearbreaker, if you’d have felt what he must have felt. We’re rock and roll veterans, so we’re gonna do a song about you. It’s called The Ocean, and it’s about you.”

Zeppelin’s stay in Los Angeles on this tour is the source of much gossip and titillating speculation about the excesses of rock stars on the road.  Plant himself wrote “Sick Again” in response to these events, and a news release at the time reported:

“It didn’t get much attention, because the group paid for everything, but Led Zeppelin was in rare destructive form when they were here recently for some concerts.  Things got off to a bad start when lead guitarist Jimmy Page sprained a finger when he lurched against a fence at San Diego Airport. That apparently threw the boys into a grand funk.  Not too long after the group got settled in a ninth floor suite at the Continental Hyatt House, a table came sailing out their window. Explanation for the mis-Led table was, the boys were irritated at being told not to toss liquor glasses into an open Lincoln convertible parked on the street below. 

“Then it was off to a theater to attend a party for Jo Jo Gunne. There members of the group were accused of smashing up the rest rooms and defacing paintings in the lobby.  Back to their hotel they went to spread a four-foot cake around the swimming pool. It happened to be Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s 25th birthday. When George Harrison and wife Patti dropped by to help celebrate. Bonham threw both of them, fully clothed, into the swimming pool.” (Led Zeppelin Tears Up Los Angeles, Newswire, June 1973)

The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin package their Bonzo’s Birthday Party is a single pocket cardboard sleeve with duplicates of the TMoQ vinyl release.  There are many competing releases of this show.  Even this was released shortly after Sanctuary released their version and at the same time Empress Valley entered the production of Led Zeppelin titles with a massive Bonzo’s Birthday boxset spread a four-foot cake around the swimming pool. It happened to be Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s 25th birthday. When George Harrison and wife Patti dropped by to help celebrate. Bonham threw both of them, fully clothed, into the swimming pool.” (Led Zeppelin Tears Up Los Angeles, Newswire, June 1973)

The Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin package their Bonzo’s Birthday Party is a single pocket cardboard sleeve with duplicates of the TMoQ vinyl release.  There are many competing releases of this show.  Even this was released shortly after Sanctuary released their version and at the same time Empress Valley entered the production of Led Zeppelin titles with a massive Bonzo’s Birthday boxset.