LED ZEPPELIN IV LP VERY EARLY UK 1st PRESS 1971 ORANGE/PLUM UPSIDE DOWN FEATHER

	£		43
	$		57

LED ZEPPELIN IV LP VERY EARLY UK 1st PRESS 1971 ATLANTIC ORANGE/PLUM UPSIDE DOWN FEATHER.
LED ZEPPELIN IV ORIGINAL RED AND PLUM ATLANTIC  PUBLISHED; November 1971 
CATALOGUE ; Atlantic 2401012
Matrix : Side One: 2401012 B3 (CROSSED OUT) CORRECTED TO - A.// 3 1 2 5 "Pecko Duck"etched into the run off area.
Matrix Side Two: 2401012 B//3 1 2 1 'Porky" etched into the run off area.
Track Listing Side One; Black dog. Rock And Roll. The battle Of Evermore. Stairway To Heaven. Side Two; Misty Mountain Hop. Four Sticks. Going To California.  When The Levee Breaks.



THE FIRST AND EARLY EDITIONS OF LED ZEP'S FOURTH ALBUM LABEL HAVE ENDURED AT LEAST SIX VARIATIONS TO IT'S DESIGN. WHAT WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DISCERN IS EXACTLY HOW RARE THESE INDIVIDUAL VARIANTS MAY BE - WHAT WE DO KNOW IS - THEY DO MAKE THE LP WITH ANY OF THESE VARIANTS A PARTICULARLY RARE VERSION. 1ST VERSION: BY PROCESS OF ELIMINATION - THIS MUST BE THE FIRST LABEL USED - HAS THE FEATHER (the symbol representing Robert Plant) IS UPSIDE DOWN ON SIDE TWO.
2nd VERSION: IDENTICAL TO THE ABOVE FIRST VERSION BUT SOMEONE HAS IDENTIFIED THE FEATHER MISTAKE AND CORRECTED IT.
3rd VERSION: HAS STICKERED LABELS - ONE ABOVE THE WHITE MIDDLE STRIPE AND ONE BELOW - IT WAS JIMMY PAGE WHO WAS FRUSTRATED WITH THE "EXECUTIVE PRODUCER" CREDIT GIVEN TO PETER GRANT - STICKERS WERE USED TO COVER THE CREDIT AND ALSO TO CORRECT THE PUBLISHING CREDITS AS USED ON THE PREVIOUS LABELS FROM - "Kinney Music Ltd" TO "Kinney Music Ltd./Superhype Music Inc." - BUT DUE TO THIS STICKER - COVERING THE BANDS NAME - ANOTHER STICKER WITH "LED ZEPPELIN" WAS PLACED ON THE TOP HALF OF THE LABEL ABOVE THE WHITE STRIPE.
4th VERSION: WITH ALL THE INFORMATION - USED FROM THE STICKERS - NOW CORRECTLY PRINTED ONTO THE LABEL - BUT BECAUSE "LED ZEPPELIN" IS IN THE TOP HALF THERE'S NO ROOM FOR "Under licence from Atlantic Recording Corpn.," THIS IS THEREFORE PLACED IN THE VERY MIDDLE - THE WHITE STRIPE PART OF THE LABEL. HOWEVER ‘MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP’ IS MISSPELLED AND BECOMES "MISTY MOUNTAIN TOP"
5th VERSION: CORRECTED EXACTLY AS ABOVE EXCEPT THE FEATHER ON SIDE TWO HAS AGAIN BEEN PRINTED UPSIDE DOWN AND "MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP" IS SPELT CORRECTLY. 
6th VERSION: THE FEATHER IS CORRECTED - MAKING THIS IS THE LAST VERSION ON THE RED/PLUM LABEL - THE NEXT ALBUMS WERE TO BE THE ORANGE AND GREEN LABELS - HOWEVER SOME ONE DID MANAGE TO REPEAT THE MISTAKE OF ‘MISTY MOUNTAIN TOP" BEFORE THAT BEING CORRECTED ONCE AGAIN TO "HOP" 
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM THE RESEARCH MY CALCULATED OPINION WOULD BE - THE LP I'M SELLING HERE AND THE PICTURES I'VE SHOWN OF THE LP I'M LISTING ARE OF THE EARLIEST FIRST LP LABEL AND ORIGINAL. 
Side one has Pecko Duck etched on it then the catalogue number 2401012 followed by XBX// then A. // 3 1 2 5 in the run off area. I have demonstrated the unusual crossed out/ corrected XBX// in the photographs, on side one. It would appear this was going to be stamped as B// the same as side two but the mistake was realised and crossed out - again that's purely my theory behind the crossed out numbers. 
Side two has Porky 2401012 B// 3 12 1 in the run off area. With the fourth symbol the feather upside down. 


I'm listing my record collection, that I put together during my days when I was a passionate record collector, from 1968 through to roughly 1982. They were usually purchased at the time of the release of the album and in the main are first pressings.These LP's are all from my collection,some have been initialed because a number of these albums were stolen (see picture six). The silver lining to the theft is I used to record them onto tape, however, this doesn't mean they're unplayed records, but it also means they haven't been played excessively either. The albums have been carefully stored, unplayed, for thirty years when inevitably I was no longer so passionate about music. 

The gate-fold sleeve has storage wear along the top and bottom seams as does the spine, though the front and rear covers are very aesthetically good. There is a small blemish on the rear cover - this should be visible in the photo. Inside the gate-fold is clean and in ace condition.
Unfortunately the inner sleeve split along the bottom - see photo - The opening has a small crease - again please see the photos.
The vinyl is a deep shiny black with some inevitable superficial hairlines visible from scrutiny when caught under bright light on each side. 
The vinyl plays particularly well. I have just played the LP. There is some surface noise at the very start of both sides. Playback on both sides is excellent with only minor surface noise evident, predominantly in the quieter passages / in between tracks. Very little deterioration in sound quality at all - sounds wonderful. The heavier rock track passages sound unreal.

EDIT:
I have been asked if I would grade the records. I'm not a professional record seller and although perceptions/opinions are always going to vary - I do see the point in grading them. I have to admit I really didn't know about the system so my apologies all round for not grading before.

I'd class this record as Excellent and the cover as a very good plus - using these guide lines below:

Record Grading:   MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality.    EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality.   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.   GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches.   FAIR: The record is still just playable but has not been cared for properly and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump.



Cover Grading:
MINT: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 cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.
VERY GOOD:Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.
GOOD: The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.
FAIR: The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.








  
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