LED ZEPPELIN IV Rarer Orig UK 71 Atlantic Plum EX+ LP

	£		90
	$		119

ONEADAYRECORDS – NO Reserves – LOW Starting Bids – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Led Zeppelin (IV).

Producer: Jimmy Page.

Executive Producer: Peter Grant.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Black Dog; Rock and Roll; The Battle of Evermore; Stairway to Heaven.

Side 2: Misty Mountain Hop; Four Sticks; Going to California; When the Levee Breaks.

Label/Format: Atlantic – red and maroon (‘plum’) format. There are subtle variations in the text on some of these labels, this being the more ‘standard’ variant. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with only light, fine and faint spindle marks and no wear around the hole area. Any handling traces are faint and minor and all clues lead me to believe this one has been played very little.

Cat Number: 2401012.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 116 grams. This is rarely found heavily pressed and this a fairly typical weight.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Much scarcer on the plum labels, very quickly to be changed to far more common orange and green ‘Kinney’ format. The inner sleeve and covers both changed in appearance too. This has the matt-finished cover and heavier, darker inner sleeve. Both ultimately fragile and prone to wear – the inner especially. I have seen very few of these unsplit and many were tape reinforced to stop this occurring. This one has no tape but there was some splitting on the edges. I decided to carefully and very neatly repair these edges, mainly to stop future splitting. There is now little evidence they were ever split in the first place. Also finding copies of this with very modest evidence of usage is hard too. This album is cast-in-stone as a monumental rock classic and it got played heavily in most cases. Also, I have found this album to have variable pressing quality, crackle and even pressing sounds are far from uncommon. This has little to fault and is one of the cleaner copies I have heard for a while.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 2401012 A // 3 1 1 8 & 2401012 B // 4 1 1 7

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘PECKO DUCK’ & ‘PORKY’

Musicians: Robert Plant – vocals, harmonica; Jimmy Page – acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin; John Paul Jones – synthesiser, bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin, recorders; John Bonham – drums. Guests: Sandy Denny – vocals; Ian Stewart – piano.

Brief Info: After the issue of three sublime albums already, how could this legendary band offer even more? Well the answer was with this untitled album, always known as IV. It’s unscripted sleeve design suggested anonymity, but nothing was left to question over this album’s content. An undisputed masterpiece within the genre of ‘Rock’. Led Zeppelin were never so stident as on ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘Black Dog’, two selections of undiluted brilliance. The blues standard ‘When the Levee Breaks’ is massively powerful, particularly through John Bonham’s thunderous drumming, and the group’s love of folk forms surfaces on the graceful ‘Battle of Evermore’, complete with a cameo from Fairport Convention’s Sandy Denny and the beautiful mandolins. ‘Stairway to Heaven’ has, of course, become the album’s best-known track, but the anthem-like stature it has since assumed should not obscure its groundbreaking companion songs. This album left much of heavy metal, and indeed rock itself, trailing in it’s wake. This album charted at 1 in the UK and 2 in the US and has become an evergreen classic of huge stature and remains as popular and in-demand as when first issued. Conditions for collectors is always an issue. These monolithic masterpieces were so often played to destruction and so many fail to please when played on modern highly clinical equipment. The finer grooves on this album often meant just a tiny fine mark or light scratch sounded more freely than on earlier albums. The perilous final seconds of ‘Stairway’ often meant arms being lifted prematurely resulting in scratches on those ultra fine innermost grooves with annoying clicks ruining those vital last few words. Finding a copy that gives that ultimate audio satisfaction is challenging and so many crackle either with variable pressing quality or over-playing on old record players that simply tracked at excessive weight. Covers often seen very tatty and tired looking, often grubby, rubbed, ringworn and severely creased. The originals are matt finished, and they do not wear well unless kept and handled carefully. The inner sleeve is even more prone to wear and damage and few are ever seen devoid of major splits and tears – this one did not escape. So many applied clear tape to the edges just to stop them splitting. The card so soft and frail, many were split when purchased due to record movement to the shops. Often the tape has fell off over time and left bands of residue and that does not look nice either – we have all seen them. This is a very sound overall copy, not pristine but solid and enjoyable. Many fans of this legendary band will enjoy it.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High (and the inner sleeve even more so).

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: a matt, smooth finished non-laminate gatefold format. Printed and made in England and including the original darker unlined inner.

Cover Front: Very nice indeed with little to fault at all. Faint surface traces seen critically under light but uncreased, clean and attractive.

Cover Back: Similar overall but with a near moderate crease near the top left corner area. Also a little light edge rubbing on the top edge, this extremely light and fine. The lack of ringwear is always a bonus.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Very fine tip creases on a couple, that apart, practically as made.

Top Edges: Light patchy rubbing.

Bottom Edges: Barely any wear to the front edge. Light to light+ patchy rubbing on the back.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any wear and guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Very solid, straight, barely compressed and folded very square, the edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. The artwork is barely worn at all and very clean too, the odd mere trace or a rub or two on the bottom fold (but look hard). There was no text printed here (or anywhere on the cover).

Corners: Light to near moderate tip rubs that few escape. Very fine to excellent shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this quite fragile early 70’s cover, one that will prove difficult to find a great deal better. The rear back crease is the most worthy blemish to consider, but compensated by the lack or rubbing and ringwear. This will please many collectors but not the highly discerning who want near perfection at any price.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: at least for visual, but I have as neatly as possible repaired some edge splitting that so few will ever avoid without being reinforced by tape. Soft and delicate card – this was never lined – and many are seen in tatters, shredded by the record’s rim. This clean, fresh and neat, avoiding ringwear and creasing too. It is much darker and delicate than subsequent versions, also having external rear flipback construction. The edge repairs are very neat making for a very clean looking inner, I deemed this necessary to avoid further splitting. Putting a definitive grading on this is actually hard when repaired, but excellent for visual is being conservative and it will not be easy to find a great deal better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a super visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence and any surface blemishes are very fine, few and faint as seen critically under light. There are NO penetrating scratches at all. Realistically, few available copies will ever look a great deal better, one that has avoided many plays and certainly with general care when it was. A keeper-copy that is unlikely to need upgrading, this classic will last indefinitely when played on quality lightweight equipment. Visually a super record 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 timeless classic plays mostly plays even above its high visual grading with little to fault – and how glad I am to be able to state that. So often I am less than impressed with even clean looking copies of this title. I am sure mass production did not help, crackle and surface noise is quite common and ruins the real pleasure of these lovely songs, especially the more gentle acoustic ones. This beauty offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear and sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are very light and infrequent and no pops or clicks were noted and this is one of the better-pressed copies I have heard in a while. Not absolutely silent for all, but this gives a very impressive account of itself, this played also on very sensitive equipment. Only the most critical audiophile who play their albums at very high volume on high-end equipment would possibly not be delighted with this 40-year-old record. Realistically, few plum copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been generally well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. The details, dynamics, grace and power of these wonderful songs via the original analgoue format cannot be matched or beaten even with the odd minor trace of surface sound present (being critical). All is fully focused and sharp with no pressing sounds or clipping. When heard at it’s best, this is an album of immense beauty and it’s hardly any wonder most collectors want this in their collection. I am simply telling it the way it is and leaving little (and hopefully nothing) to chance. This is an album that demands to be play-graded as visuals simply are unreliable (particularly) on this album. This copy will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be highly recommended.

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 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 7,000+ items sold in nearly 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 3 or 4 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). 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: Please as 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.

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 [£46 maximum]) = £10. (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 [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (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’.