LED ZEPPELIN III 1970 UK red/plum A5/B5 1st press Peter Grant label credit VG+

	£		58
	$		77

LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN III

An overall nice condition copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1970 UK very 1st pressing rock classic, on the coveted UK red/plum Atlantic record label, STEREO, 2401002

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1  etched 2401002 A-5  with stampers "1 9 8" at 1 o'clock and also etched "Do What Thou Wilt"

Side 2   etched 2401002 B-5  with stampers "1 5 3" at 11 o'clock and also etched "So mote it be"

Specific identifiers (not necessarily exhaustive) of this being a very 1st UK pressing are :

1. A-5 & B-5 dead wax matrix numbers are specific to 1st pressings

2.  "Do What Thou Wilt" and "So mote it be" dead wax etchings

3. 2401002 on labels

4. "Executive Prooducer : Peter Grant" on top half of both labels

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is very good plus (VG+). Both sides have retained an impressive jet black lacquered sheen and in normal daylight show no obvious sign of wear and tear. Under a very bright light, and with closer scrutiny, some hairlines and light and small scuff marks on each side do come into view (though there is one very light 3mm wide and 6cm long, very light and strictly surface only mark on side 2) but these are all non-"feelable" and appear to be surface only and non-intrusive in terms of appearance though there are a few very light, background clicks on each side so some of these hairlines may be slightly below the surface, but still definitely non-feelable. Impressive overall and a solid very good.

The labels are excellent (EX). Gorgeous condition labels with the coveted red and plum/maroon rich colouring still perfectly intact, as is the black text and black Atlantic logo. Under a bright light I can make out a few small spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label. But apart from that, perfect! Note the "Executive Producer ; Peter Grant" text on the top half of each label - a very 1st UK press identifier.

The iconic fully laminated E.J. Day gatefold sleeve is very good plus (VG+). Such an iconic sleeve with all edges remaining firm and unscuffed, perfectly defined right angled corners with no scuffing or rubbing, nice rigid spine with all text perfectly legible, and all art work, photos and colouring remaining rich, vibrant and in perfect definition. And, of course, the iconic "heeled" front-side with the wheel remaining in perfect working order. The blemishes are some residual marks/scuffing at the toi left corner of the front side where a sticker has been removed, the same (but very light) at the top right corner of the front side, some proud and feelable (but not particularly noticeable) horizontal laminate striations (see photos) on both the front and more so on the reverse side, and the slight colour age discoluration of the left side of the inside of the gatefold. There is also some laminate creasing along the spine but this is minor and all spine text remains in perfect order and totally readable. The opening edges are also firm with no fraying. Again, a solid very good.

Finally, the quality of the audio is overall very good (VG). This is difficult to accurately grade because overall the tone and clarity of the stereo audio is excellent, but there are occasional background clicks (and I counted x12 light background clicks during the intro to "Since I've Been Loving You" on side 1) and some light background (but noticeable) crackle at the beginning and end of each side and again during some of the quieter moments and interludes, but all of these glitches are relatively minor, certainly nothing nasty and certainly no repeats, jumps, or skips, and each track still makes for a great listen, but they are there and they are audible (having said that I am listening to "Tangerine" whilst typing this and the sound quality is a definite excellent, and the following interlude has no background noise at all). The sound quality ranges from very good to excellent so perhaps I am being a little conservative....does this LP make for a great listen? Yes, absolutely!! And that's the bottom line.

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. IMMIGRANT SONG

2. FRIENDS

3. CELEBRATION DAY

4. OUT ON THE TILES

Side 2 :

1. GALLOWS POLE

2. TANGERINE

3. THAT'S THE WAY

4. BRON-Y-AUR STOMP

5. HATS OFF TO (ROY) HARPER

Comes with "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" inner sleeve with the original "Britis Patent No..." and "MADE IN ENGLAND" text, with no tears, splits or rips - just a little mild creasing towards the corners and some mild age discolouration towards the top edges- and remaining 100% functional. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a nice overall condition and very presentable copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1970 UK coveted "red and plum" very 1st press Led Zeppelin rock classic - a worthy addition to any vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 64 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £5, Royal Mail signed for; continental Europe £10 and Rest of the World £14, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail, tracked and signed for.

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed should be Mint.

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

The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

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, discolouration, etc.

Fair

The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. The cover and contents are torn, stained and/or defaced

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler