Led Zeppelin HOUSES OF THE HOLY UK LP 1ST W/OBI MINT-

	£		315
	$		417

LED ZEPPELIN - HOUSES OF THE HOLY

IN MAGNIFICENT 2 PLAY CONDITION

ORIGINAL 1ST PRESS NO WARNER LOGO ON LABEL

A2/B2

ALL 1ST PRESS INDICATORS

INCLUDES THE RARE OBI STRIP

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  K 50014
• MATRIX: K5004 A2 / B2 (EARLIEST MATRIX NUMBERS)
• STERLING ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX ON BOTH SIDES

I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF AN ALL ORIGINAL PRESS. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNERS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON ZEPPELIN ALBUMS TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AN ORIGINAL ISSUE, YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A HYBRID,

WELL FIRSTLY THE SLEEVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRESS WAS MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD AND THEREFORE SOMEWHAT STRONGER. IF YOU LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE THE ORIGINAL CARD IS SLIGHTLY A LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN THAN THAT OF THE LATER PRESSES, BUT MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FACT THAT ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES THE SLEEVE WAS UNLAMINATED, WHEREAS THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SLIGHTLY GLOSSY AND HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH TO THEM

THE INNER SLEEVES ARE TEXTURED NOT SMOOTH LIKE LATER PRESSES AND THEY ARE MADE FROM STRONGER PAPER. 1ST ISSUES ARE ALSO PRESSED UP BY MACNEIL AND SONS, AND FINALLY ON THE VERY FIRST ISSUES ONLY THERE IS A SMALL THUMB NOTCH ALONG THE TOP EDGE OF THE INNER. THIS WAS ONLY EVER AVAILABLE ON THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF THE FIRST PRESSES. IT WAS SUCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE AND WAS QUICKLY REPLACED WITH AN INNER THAT LOOKED AND FELT THE SAME BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE NOTCH

THE VERY VERY FIRST BATCH ALSO CAME WITH A JAPANESE STYLED OBI STRIP, WHICH HAD THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE REAR SURFACE

'This stereo record can be played on Mono reproducers provided either a compatible or stereo cartridge wired for Mono is fitted. Recent equiptment may already be fitted with a suitable cartridge. If in doubt consult your supplier'

THE GREEN AND ORANGE LABEL IS THE DULLER LESS GOSSY FINISH AND HAS NO WARNER LOGO AT 3 O'CLOCK ON IT, AND THE MATRIX NUMBER MUST BE A2 / B2

THIS IS A PROPER FIRST ISSUE SET

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE GREEN AND ORANGE ARE IN TOP CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITE BAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST 2 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS SUPERB VINYL HAS JUST HAD THE 2 PLAYS

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN. IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS THE DAY IT WAS PRESSED. THERE ARE NO MARKS OR BLEMISHES ON THE SURFACE, AND EVEN WHEN PUT UP TO INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE APART FROM A COUPLE OF TINY TINY WISPS.

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE RECORDED 4 THREE MINUTE EXCERPTS FROM THIS LP. THESE INCLUDE THE FIRST THREE MINUTES FROM EACH SIDE WHICH INCLUDES THE DEAD WAX RUN IN, AND ONE OTHER RANDOM TRACK INCLUDING THE LINKING GROOVE, THIS IS SO YOU ARE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SILENCE IN THE DEAD WAX PASSAGES

THE LP PLAYS JUST SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, AND THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF DISTORTION, BACKGROUND CRACKLES OR CLICKS OF ANY DESCRIPTION

IF I AM BEING ULTRA PICKY THERE IS THE ODD SECOND OR TWO OF BARELY AUDIBLE STAIC, BUT REALLY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO MAR THE STAGGERING PERFORMANCE

PLEASE TAKE A GOOD LISTEN TO THE SOUNDBITES

I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO GRADE THIS DISC MINT MINUS

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED UNLAMINATED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES. THE SLEEVE HISTORICALLY SUFFERS FROM COLOUR LOSS DUE TO RUBBING, BUT THIS HAS BEEN TOTALLY AVAOIDED BECAUSE THE DELICATE SLEEVE HAS SPENT IT'S LIFE INSIDE A PLASTIC GATEFOLD OUTER SLEEVE WHICH HAS PROTETCTED IT AGAINST JUST ABOUT EVERY ISSUE THAT USUALLY RAVAGES THIS SLEEVE

THERE IS ONE REALLY TINY LINE CLOSE TO THE SPINE AND A SMALL THUMB LINE CLOSE TO THE OPENING EDGE, BUT THAT IS ALL. AND THE FRONT SURFACE JUST LOOKS FANTASTIC

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES AGAIN ARE USUALLY RUBBED BARE, BUT AGAIN DUE TO THE PROTECTION AFFORDED TO IT, HAS ABSOLUTELY 100% WEAR FREE EDGES.

THE SPINE IS ALSO JUST IMMACULATE. FLAT. AND TOTALLY UNRUBBED

THE OPENING EDGE IS AS SHARP AS THE DAY IT WAS PUT TOGETHER. NO SMALL THUMB NAIL NICKS ON ANY PART OF IT.

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE, AND IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF RINGWEAR, OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE THAT USUALLY PLAGUES THIS DELICATE SLEEVE

THE INNER SLEEVE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY LOOKED AFTER FROM NEW.THE ORIGINAL OWNER DECIDED TO REMOVE THE LP FROM IT AND KEEP THAT SEPERATE IN A DIFFERENT INNER, WHILST PLACING THE TEXTURED INNER INTO IT'S OWN PLASTIC SLEEVE , WHICH IS WHY THIS MUST BE ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF ORIGINAL ISSUES THAT HAS THE THUMB NOTCH ALONG THE TOP IN PRISTINE UNBLEMISHED CONDITION

THE ORIGINAL OBI STRIP IS ALSO INUNDAMAGED UNRIPPED UNREPAIRED CONDITION, AGAIN HAVING BEEN KEPT INSIDE THE PLASTIC OUTER FROM NEW. THERE IS JUST SOME LIGHT BROWNING WHERE THE GLUE USED TO JOIN THE STRIP TOGETHER HAS BROWNED WITH AGE.

I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW SUPERB THIS WHOLE ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS SET IS AND WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IN MY OPINION TO UPGRADE FROM

THE SLEEVE GRADES AS MINT MINUS,

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY