LED ZEPPELIN Houses of the Holy RARER UK 1st PRESS A2/B2 EX LP

	£		105
	$		139

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. 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: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Houses of the Holy.

Producer(s): Jimmy Page.

Track Listing:

Side 1: The Song Remains the Same; The Rain Song; Over the Hills and Far Away; The Crunge.

Side 2: Dancing Days; D’Yer Mak’er; No Quarter; The Ocean.

Label/Format: Atlantic.

Label Conditions: Two super original labels that are very attractive with the deeper green and orange colour. This copy has the ultimate first A2 / B2 matrixes which are much harder to locate. Clean, fresh with light+ and less than moderate spindle marks that have modest visibility.

Cat Number: K 50014 .

Country of Manufacture: England.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 125 grams. Around average weight.

Rarity: Moderate: like most Led Zeppelin albums, this sold well. However first issues with the A2 and B2 matrixes are far harder to find and both have the ‘STERLING’ etchings as well. Some initial copies included an Obi band around the cover as this one never had any text printed on it at all. These are now very rare indeed and this copy does not have it. But still a very nice first issue and cleaner pressed than many I have heard before.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: K 50014 A2 / K 50014 B2

Run-Out Groove Text: ‘STIRLING KL’ / ‘STERLING RL’.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Their brilliant fifth album and the first that never appeared on the famous Plum format in the UK. Often underrated, compared to the first four but unjustifiably so, how could any band follow classics of that stature indefintely? - answer, to do something a little different and Houses of the Holy works beautifully, only slightly blemished (in my opinion) by two lesser songs. ‘The Crunge’ which experimented with a funk sound and the reggae track ‘D’yer Mak’er’, which really does not work for me. The other six songs are pure classic Led Zeppelin at their very best. Chart topping in both the UK and US this album again proved a popular big-seller. Please note, I have carefully placed items to obscure the closer images but NOTHING unwanted is hidden in terms of wear, marks or blemishes. This is a quality original copy, no Obi (as per most), but the earlier issues always seem to carry that extra detail and sonic delivery and this really packs a BIG punch.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: an unlaminated, matt finished gatefold that has no text printed on it whatsoever. This includes the textured inner sleeve which was printed and made in England by MacNeill.

Cover Front & Back: Both sides similar with just a little gentle rubbing near the top and bottom edges but no ring wear and barely any creasing at all. Mainly clean with few marks with lovely artwork, the merest hint of fading on the spine edge, almost so narrow it hardly even shows.

Cover Inner Gatefold: One of the greatest inner gatefold spreads you will ever with to see, I love this artwork and rarely have seen it look better. This looks gorgeous and is very richly coloured with much deeper colour that subsequent printings.

Top Edges: Both very straight with minimal traces of any wear or rubbing.

Bottom Edges: Mainly light patchy rubbing, again straight and these traditional storage edges will seldom show a great deal less.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with again minimal wear, any thickening or burring small and light as seen critically end-on. Record enters on the back edge, both guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with barely any compression or rubbing. Folded square, so the edges meet up very closely and parallel. No text was printed on this one, lightly faded which is commonly seen on a cover that is clearly less resistant to natural daylight.

Corners: Most of any tip rubbing is mainly quite small and light. Fine to very fine shape is retained.

Cover Summary: Never an easy cover, these early matt finished examples are prone to all forms of wear. So one with so little to fault should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): this being the heavier card with the original textured finish, they were not lined. It has the original MacNeill Press English credits. Later inners were made with smooth, untextured card, the first ones being rarer especially in this type of condition. A considerable bonus on this one apart from being clean with few marks, all edges are unsplit with no repairs and no creasing at all. This up there with the very best I have seen and even the wide top opening is crisp and unthickened.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: or very close to. A very fine first pressed A2 / B2 copy and appearing fairly modestly played. Viewed critically under bright angled light, some ultra fine and faint whispy surface marks are seen but no penetrating scratches. This is very clean, with a lovely shine, intense black and solidly pressed. A simple fact is, these hard card unlined inners were never record surface friendly and fine marks do accrue over time. Visually still an impressive ‘House of the Holy’ that should please many collectors again.

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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This genuine first issued record plays mostly even above it’s high visual grading with little 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. A little gentle surface sound – this being played on ultra sensitive equipment, including a Linn LP12 turntable – light heard on a couple of very quiet passages, The beginning of ‘No Quarter’ is impossibly delicate and few will ever play dead silent. I know this album well and it is one where pressing quality can be hugely variable. Many have constant moderate crackle and even pressing issues. So finding a silent vinyl copy will prove a near impossible task and in terms of quiet sound, this delivers on the vast majority. Again I state, any present on the copy are very light and gentle indeed and easily within this listeners tolerance. However, not all listeners are the same, so that is why I play-grade all my records from beginning to end on quality kit and emphasise what I actually heard. This is still one of the better UK pressed examples of this difficult album I have heard. The power and dynamics, also the detail on the earliest issues far outweigh any minor negatives and this really packs a healthy punch when played on a worthy system. Heavy rock is unbeatable via the original analogue format with huge scale and drama and all is fully focused, crisp and precise. Quite likely few available copies will outperform this early pressing significantly and I found this very easy to enjoy. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this impressive album and merits high recommendation unless perfection is mandatory.

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 8,000+ items sold in over 10 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’.