LED ZEPPELIN I A1/B1 1st PRESS UK 1969 TURQUOISE 'Superhype' MISS-NUMBER 3/3 EX
£
1,020
$
1,352
£ 1020
Sold For
Jan 26, 2020
Sold Date
Jan 16, 2020
Start Date
£ 895
Start price
5
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
Led Zeppelin I A1/B1 1st Press 'Turquoise' cover
' Uncorrected' 8s / miss-numbered 3/3 S1 label
This iconic album of course needs no introduction. It is undoubtedly Led Zeppelin's most collectable album, the 'holy grail' you could say. It is said only 2000 were produced and this one has withstood the test of time extremely well. Now over 50 years of age it has only minimal marking and S2 in particular is stunning!
The audio plays to a very high standard with only some interference on one track on S1 and this is detailed below. The remainder is superb with very little 'background'.
The rare turquoise cover with the silver band on the bottom edge is very clean with only light shelf wear. There are no rips or tears and only a minimal amount of laminate creasing.
As this a genuine first press it has the 'Superhype Music' credit on the labels and the incorrect 3/3 numbering of the tracks on the S1 label. This makes it one of the earliest first pressings as this was actually corrected on some of the later turquoise editions. Amazing really it was noticed on such a limited run! This 'mistake' makes this album even more collectable of course. The catalogue number on the run out grooves has no corrected 8 on either side which is another thing to look out for on the first pressings.
588171 (uncorrected 8) A // 1 1 1 2
588171 (uncorrected 8) B // 1 1 5 3
The audio on S1 is Ex+ (Near Mint in some sections / Track 2 VG+ but VG- for 1.5 mins / T3 intro Ex)
The audio on S2 is Near Mint (Mint- in many sections / T1 intro VG / T4 Near Mint-)
The cover is Ex
The inner sleeve is Ex+
The labels are Near Mint
Visual grading
The vinyl retains a lovely glossy sheen and does not have an excessive amount of spindle wear. It has not been over-played and this reflects in the quality of the audio. S1 does have a couple of small scuff lines and one faint scratch but aside from that is very clean with only a relatively small amount of faint hairlines. S2 is in superb condition with only a handful of faint hairlines, it really is very impressive visually. This is a fine example overall, yes S1 isn't perfect but it would be difficult to find a better S2! The run out grooves and labels are also very clean with no marking.
Play grading
'Good Times Bad Times' has barely any static on the intro and as the vocal comes in there is no decrease in quality. The entire track plays with immense power and depth and there is no intrusion on the audio at all. There are a couple of crackle sounds as you approach the final section and at the end of the fade out also but the clarity throughout is very impressive and has no clicks or pops. Overall this deserves an Ex+ grade although the majority does play better than that!
The acoustic intro on 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave' plays very cleanly with only minimal light static and it's only when the vocal begins that the interference I mentioned in the introduction can be heard. The actual music plays very clearly with no underlying static but there is a click/crackle type sound per revolution of the record. It lasts for 1.5 minutes but is not audible in the louder acoustic passages. There are certainly no skips or jumps and there is no audio deterioration as such, it is just the click/crackle sound that you can hear. I have just played it again and whilst the interference is a little intrusive the clarity of the sound, like I said before, is very impressive. I think VG- is a fair assessment for this section and the following acoustic section plays with sublime power and definition. There are then a few static clicks but the remainder of the track plays with wonderful clarity bar a couple of light clicks. The final two minutes play with excellent audio with just some light crackle and one dull click on the quieter end section. This is by no means a perfect rendition but it remains a very good listen and many sections do play extremely well indeed.
'You Shook Me' plays with wonderful clarity and very little intrusion. There is just one click on the intro but from then on it plays with such a strong deep rich sound. There is minimal static and the mid instrumental section plays incredibly well. Wow! The clarity and power is exceptional! The final vocal plays without issue and even Plant's 'exertions' at the end cannot be faulted. There is no interference and for a track with so many relatively quiet sections the playback from start to finish is extremely impressive and an Ex+ grade is deserved.
The classic bass intro on 'Dazed And Confused' has only very light static and Plant's first vocal is very 'clean' and this clarity continues throughout. This truly is a fantastic version of this classic and I cannot praise it highly enough. There is barely any static during the long quiet instrumental and the louder sections play with impeccable precision and power. The 'high octane' section that follows the instrumental is a prime example of that and plays with a power and depth that is second to none plus there is no distortion either. I cannot emphasise enough just how superbly it plays! There is one click near the end but aside from that this end section plays very well indeed, just a little of the usual light static on the fade out. Ex+ overall I would say but with many sections playing better than that!
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As is so often the case the organ intro on 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' does have a couple of light clicks and some obvious crackle which does decrease the further it progresses. The quieter mellotron section has only a little static and as Bonham and Page enter the scene the playback is superb. The first vocal also plays with wonderful precision and it continues in exactly the same way. There are no clicks or pops and the clarity is exceptional. There is no intrusive static and the only 'background' is a couple of light static ticks. This is a 'high end' version with an intro that grades as VG and the remainder as Near Mint it is that good!
The segue into 'Black Mountain Side' is 100% perfect and from then on this instrumental is Near Mint there is no other way to describe it. It could hardly play any better and all I heard was a couple of quiet static ticks, so minor you could easily miss them! I sit so close to the speakers and I am sure that is the only reason why I picked them up. This is truly an outstanding version, the playback can hardly be faulted.
'Communication Breakdown' plays superbly from the very first groove and has no obvious static on the intro. From then on it plays with super strong audio and no distortion on the top end. This is another stunning track and rarely do they play as well as this on the Turquoise first pressings. In fact I have just played it again and I quite simply blown away by the power and definition here and the solo section from Page is a prime example of that. This is easily Near Mint although many would say it deserves a higher grading!
The acapella intro on 'I Can't Quit You Baby' has only a couple of static ticks and plays very clearly. Thereafter it does not disappoint and for a track with so many quiet sections the clarity is hugely impressive. The entire opening section has barely any 'background' and Page's first solo could hardly play any better! With only a handful of mega light dust ticks the playback is superb! The definition of the audio is so good i.e. each note plays with incredible precision and there is no 'muddiness' to the sound whatsoever. The following vocal has only 3/4 very quiet static ticks (not clicks!) and are totally non-intrusive. To the end it plays with sublime clarity and it has to be said how many genuine first pressings play as well as this? This track has a number of quiet sections and yet there are no clicks or pops. With only the absolute minimum of light static this grades as Near Mint- without doubt.
The classic bass intro on 'How Many More Times' is just Mint I am delighted to say! As the volume increases there is no decrease in quality and the first vocal/riff section is of the same wonderful standard. There is no distortion and again Page's first solo is of the highest standard possible. The following quiet section is just superb! The clarity at the start is 'as new' I have never heard better and the remainder is also mega 'clean' with only a couple of light static ticks. Honestly the clarity here just has to be heard to be believed! The next 'powerful' section is without fault and the 'Oh Rosie' vocal is FANTASTIC! The clarity is stunning and I'm not sure I've heard this section play as well as this on a standard red/plum press let alone a Turquoise pressing! It continues to play with amazing power and depth and with no interference at all. The final riff section is again 'as new' and right to the final note the audio could not play any better. This is one of the 'cleanest' and most powerful versions I have ever heard and whilst many would grade as Mint I will grade as Near Mint as from start to finish there is no obvious interference. Any collector would be so impressed with the audio on this track and it provides a truly spectacular end to this classic album!
In summary this very collectable first pressing plays with great clarity for the majority. As described there is some interference on the second track on S1 but it isn't that loud and I repeat there are no skips or jumps. The remainder of the side is very impressive and S2 is absolutely stunning! Only the opening track has some 'background' but what red/plum pressing does not have this?! Aside from that the sonic quality and depth of the audio is breathtaking. Remarkably there is no distortion and this is clearly a record that has not been over-played. Overall a superb listen with only minimal interference.
The 'Turquoise' Cover
The iconic laminated cover has only minimal wear and is in excellent condition. The edges have no rubbing and the thin pinched spine is in superb order and remains 100% legible with only a couple of barely visible crease lines that are always found. The corners are also very clean and only the bottom right one has a small amount of wear. The opening edge has barely any handling wear either which is so rare! The front cover has stood the test of time extremely well with no marking and the only 'obvious' wear is one crease next to the spine almost halfway up. There is some of the usual laminate lift either side of the spine but this is always found even on later red/plum pressings. So often the front cover has a number of obvious laminate creases but this one is very impressive with only a handful of very faint ones towards the right hand side and can only be seen when you hold it at a certain angle! Aside from that there are only a small number of faint creases around the edges. The back cover is equally as good with no marking and only that small crease line showing again next to the spine. There is very little corner wear.
Overall this is a fine example of this rare and mega collectable cover and with only minor shelf and I am sure any collector would be very impressed with it. It is certainly better than so many you see today!
Inner Sleeve
The 'Plastic Bags...' poly-lined inner is in excellent condition with no side splits or tears and very little fading around the edges. It has only very minor creasing also. This one does not have a date code on it and I'm sure this isn't a rare occurrence as I have seen many red/plum pressings without it.
The Labels
They are in superb shape and have lost none of their original colour. There is no marking or writing and not too much spindle wear as stated. This is a record that has not been overplayed.
Play tested on my Pro-Ject Essential III Turntable // B & W 684 Speakers
This record has been professionally cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
588171 (uncorrected 8) A // 1 1 1 2
588171 (uncorrected 8) B // 1 1 5 3
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
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Postage & Packaging
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