LED ZEPPELIN I Scarce Early UK Plum N/M LP. ONCE PLAYED

	£		265
	$		351

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IMAGINE: Turning back the clock and removing an unplayed copy of this album for the first time…

Album Title: Led Zeppelin (One).

Producer: Jimmy Page.

Executive Producer: Peter Grant.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Good Times Bad Times; Babe I’m Gonna Leave You; You Shook Me; Dazed and Confused.

Side 2: Your Time is Gonna Come; Black Mountain Side; Communication Breakdown; I Can’t Quit You Baby; How Many More Times.

Label/Format: Atlantic – Red and Maroon (‘Plum’) format with early Warner Credits.

Label Conditions: Both immaculately clean and highly attractive and truthfully, I am struggling to find a single spindle trace. The best Plum example of this astonishing album I have seen for some considerable time (and possibly ever). This lovely early copy looks hardly even handled let alone played. This mind-blowing, age-defying copy was owned by a man who worked in a record shop, he often purchased two or three copies of records, hence this copy may, and was likely UNPLAYED, yes true. My play-grade was likely to have been it’s first and that was an almost surreal experience for a classic over 40-years-old. This was played at volume and left me almost hyper-ventilating, more information on the sound further down.

Cat Number: 588171.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 140 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The title itself on the ‘Plum’ label is moderately scarce with the orange coloured cover. The turquoise covers are rare and command massive prices, mostly out of reach for the ‘average’ collector. This is an early copy with superb cover that includes the first silver strip on the bottom edge (soon to be removed) and a likely ONCE PLAYED record that sounds beyond stunning. It’s lovely to be able to put a definitive date on this copy also: the original inner sleeve is date coded 1/0470. This is NO April Fool, these Polydor style inners put the date of issue for their pressings on the bottom right as can be seen in close-up, there is no disputes or mistaking this issue, it’s early and exceptional and of the highest quality audiophile standard, this will leave your head spinning too.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 588171 A // 1 1 2 2 4 / 588171 B // 1 1 3 2 9 (these matrixes have NO error corrections.)

Musicians: Jimmy Page – Robert Plant – John Bonham – John Paul Jones.

Brief Info: A very small run of early copies were issued in a turquoise sleeve lettered sleeve and some had Superhype credits. These were quickly changed to the more familiar orange versions as per this – the reasons still after all these years seem unclear with rumour and counter-rumour and now it seems even unclear if the turquoise covers and Superhype credits were even the very first. I cannot say with any degree certainty either, I prefer to explain what I have on offer and it’s condition. What is certain, the legend started here, formed from the ashes of the Yardbirds, and this self-assured debut album immediately established them in their own right. Faultless musicianship combined with strong material to create an emphatic statement of power and purpose. Blues standards are extensively reworked and original songs are as immense and memorable as found on any debut album ever made. Page’s guitar explores the instrument’s potential with dazzling runs of sonic inventiveness, while Plant takes the lead vocal into new realms of expression. Raw and loud this has moments of true brilliance and many still are convinced this was their best ever album – a tough call for sure. Led Zeppelin albums are always best enjoyed on the Plum labels, they are thicker and heavier and have slightly deeper grooves and very loud and dynamic sound qualities that are never bettered – all audiophile collectors and fans will know exactly what I mean. Of all the LZ albums I find, this first album is always the one that seems the most played often in poor conditions, okay its the oldest but not by much. It simply was adored by early owners and often played into submission. Well to be offered what was almost certainly an unplayed copy is like being offered the Crown Jewels for those wanting to hear a reference quality example – one indeed that has pristine sound that leads you directly into the recording studio itself – in my view, far more important than the colour of a cover’s logos or label credits. This record is pure raw-power and plays with blistering, fully focused sound with no inherent surface noises or other irritating blemishes. The cover has aged little and also looks lovely as does the date-coded inner sleeve. Forty years old and the record looking practically as made, well ask yourself, where will another be found like it?, indeed, does another still exist like this?

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Moderate(+). Even though fully laminated, this so often darkens and even yellows and most always creases badly with dull and aged laminate. This example is lovely with any blemishes minor.

Cover Grade and Format: EX++ but to grade this much less than Mint(-) is harsh. A fully laminated, single format with orange lettering and includes the scarce silver strip on the bottom edge. It was printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd, London. This has to be one of the very best orange format versions of this cover I have ever seen. If this indeed was the turquoise version in this condition, it was would be regarded as treasure trove. Never demean the orange cover – most serious Led Zeppelin collectors will want a copy of both of course, and this indeed may be the best you will offered for some considerable time.

Lamination: Front & Back: This iconic rock cover is beautiful and I will never state this lightly. The most astonishing features are the sheer freshness and ultra shiny laminate which is even largely free of surface marks e.g. fine hairlines or abrasions, any present are few and faint, only seen with scrutiny with critical viewing under angled light. This simply has not aged and remains crystal clear to view that famous old airship to absolute maximum advantage. Creasing is minimal with just a couple on the front, one a mild half moon and one near the top that hardly even shows. The back has none at all. To see this cover with laminate that could almost pass for new will remind those buyers what these covers looked like when first purchased. The glossy shine is breathtaking with any friction rubs or dulling hardly even registering. This sleeve often suffers tightening over time and most are seen with (sometimes) severe edge blistering and lifting, usually to the vulnerable spine edge. Although this is not really ‘wear’ as such, it’s not that attractive to see and better to avoid it of course. This one has only a very fine thin spine-edge line on front and back but nothing elsewhere and again is quite possibly the least I have ever seen, this too shows very little at all being lost on the white background. This cover has received no dink or knocks and the delicate spine edge has the manufactured tapered nipped ends which both are both quite neat. All the laminate is very solid with no peeling, cracking and is practically free of any marks or indentations which is extremely unusual on a cover this great age. This one has all the edges laminate protected bar the opening edge and top of the back that ends slightly short of full width. Some had the edges exposed but this rarer silver strip finished example was different. These exposed strips show only minor and light traces of grime-line formation that few avoid over the years and most are very clean indeed. Another important point, the original owner did not keep the record inside the cover, few ever thought to do this and the significance of this astoutness is a cover with NO pressmarks from the thick and quite heavy record, a possible first for me on this groundbreaking album. Record impressions are conspicuous by their absence and how many of these covers will ever boast this fact? Usually these record pressmarks form dulling around its shape but here there is nothing. The newness and attractiveness of both front and back will delight all fans of this famous rock act and few will get close to matching or beating this one.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both as new and dead straight, fully laminated and even these retain fine shine. My finger test located no scuffs or abrasions to the tight and solid laminate.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very sharp with no wear or feathering and guaranteed, untrimmed. Record entered on this right outside edge.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine: Solid, quite straight with only light traces of compression and no laminate cracks. All text is perfect and unworn and again the laminate shines, again still fully smooth to the fingertips

Corners: All retain excellent shape and definition with no dinking. Any tip rubs are tiny and few will better these.

Cover Summary: A fabulous example with genuine freshness and pure good looks – and this is a cover over forty years old as reitterated by its original inner sleeve. I feel certain, this beautiful item will please practically every collector reading this.

The Inner Sleeve: Many do not even consider these important – I disagree. This Polydor-style polylined inner has it’s history too and being date coded 1/0470 tells the owner of its manufacture date. Okay, not a first-made, but in terms of this classic album, an early one (please see my close-up picture of this detail). An inner that has barely aged at all, any discolouration being mild and faint (and for many, just right for its considerable vintage). The window is pristine and super-crisp with a crystal-clear lining that is firmly in place. No edge splits or tears and all edges intact and solid with no repairs. With no hard creases, writing or marks, this inner is the icing of authenticity on this prestige album.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Although I will rarely contempate grading a 40-year-old record as Mint, on this occasion I am surely tempted to do so. The plain fact is, this record was almost certainly unplayed when I bought it and looks simply as made. I have stated above, this was owned by a man who worked in a record shop and bought duplicate copies of records (I guess with staff discounts of the day). This was likely untouched or played, this will be more than obvious to any winning bidder. To view labels that look like new with no spindle or handling marks is a major privilege and rarity, how many will even exist like this? A supreme visual copy that is ultra clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. Both playing surfaces are immaculate with a gorgeous lustre of freshness. Simply compare to the heavily played and worn-out copies that are usually seen. With many examples rendered unplayable with years of use and abuse, this is almost like a breath of fresh air. A copy not even run-in in vinyl terms, my play-grade was it’s likely first – a virgin Led Zep I, just holding this send a shiver down the spine and even offering this diamond is proving hard. Visually a super record that should please all collectors, outstanding in every way, I state my reputation on this fact.

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 snippetts 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 landmark album plays up too its impeccable visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. An album of immense power and raw dynamics, this record is capable of awesome intensity when played at high volume on worthy equipment. ‘Dazed and Confused’ – my personal favourite Led Zeppelin track ever – plays with incredible power. For some time, the sound is restrained with that beautiful eeriness, but you can just feel it’s ready to explode at any time and the finale does just that with a cresendo of sheer raw power. This gave me that rare ‘tingle factor’ that only the very best recordings and albums ever can. Check out too the start of side two with it’s incredibly hard-to-track solo organ introduction that almost never plays devoid of some (often severe) crackle or distortion. In fact I have heard examples of this that literally break-up totally with severe noise and horrible groove-wear sound and echo, and this even on clean looking copies. This intro is critical and highly uncompromising, few examples will play this even well let alone ‘perfectly’. Only the exceptional copies that have received few plays (in this case, ONE), on more sympathetic equipment have any real chance these days and this copy excels like few others I have ever heard (this too on a high-end and critically revealing turntable that takes no prisoners in revealing all). This organ passage is notoriously hard and most will fail to please the connoisseur listener. Any traces or crackle here is minuscule and barely worthy of mention which tells me most all played copies will not play this part cleanly (and I know this to be a fact on just about all examples I have heard). Few will will get even close to this and it can be played loudly with a high degree of confidence. When the bass and drums kick in, VERY hard it can almost make you leave your seat, the slam on the drum is astonishing with Bonzo’s crashing stick-work immense. This has no surface sounds worthy of mention and no major pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a highly demanding album. Hear those running basslines grinding and the percussion has real zing and breathtaking realism. Page’s guitar splinters through the speaker-cloth as does Plant’s awesome, expressive vocals. This is powerhouse blues-rock at its very best. I filed this under ‘Rock Classic’ and this is a supreme example of the genre. Remember this album’s age and vintage and what is could have been subjected too. I know I state this often in my adverts, but so many vintage classics were written off by worn or damaged sylus that stripped and wrecked those delicate groove walls. One arm drop or jolt and there’s another one written-off, such decks took no prisoners with massively high tracking weights, sometimes exceeding 10 grams. This has not only avoided such abuse or accidents, it was likely unplayed when sold to me – in records terms, this is barely even ‘run-in’. Few copies will even get close to matching, let alone outperform this early ‘Plum’ pressing I feel sure and this was an awesome experience to hear again. A copy to keep for life, this will never degrade on quality modern, genuine high fidelity equipment. A copy clearly well stored and barely even handled, and within in a non-smoking environment which is always good news for the covers, especially the more revealing white ones – this has hardly any traces of darkening at all. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this astonishing record – a copy time has largely forgotten, I doubt if cover or record have seen light of day since the early 70s. This record will prove nigh-on impossible to find better and merits my highest possible recommendation. Although not the world’s rarest album, it may conceivably be the rarest in terms of lack of plays ever offered on Ebay – an opportunity like this will rarely will be offered – do NOT lose this one.

IMAGINE NO MORE: This is probably as close as you will ever get.

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 QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

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 Moth 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 thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) 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 THREE or EVEN FOUR 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. 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. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. 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. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners 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 6,000+ items sold in over 8 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 stiffners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

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.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (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 [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); 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 [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance 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: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 neccessarily 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’.