Led Zeppelin III Red Plum Uk 1st Press 1970 Peter Grant label credit A5 B5 Ex

	£		180
	$		239

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This is from my own collection, I am not a dealer, in the next few months I am selling off part of my collection, some collectable and rarities, no filler! Thanks for looking!

Excellent Vinyl

The very first 1970 UK pressing hand etched A5 B5  matrixes!

Incredibly rare with the infamous `Peter Grant` producer credit on the label.

Please note that this album is complete and original 1st UK pressing and is priced for its rarety, the record and sleeve are original and 55 years old, the vinyl plays in keeping with its age and condition, it's been cared for over the 55 years.

The A5 B5 "so mote it be" and "do what thou wilst" hand etched matrixes are the earliest available on this album. released in October 1970.

there were only 300,000 copies sold in UK (all versions)

so a true 1st press like this is very hard to find ...

 This has the rare Peter Grant credits on label.  This is now getting  very hard to find in good order ...

 "Peter Grant" labels A5 B5 as only a few thousand were off the press run before this was removed, now almost 56 years on how many survive?

... very very collectable

collectors copy of this first press with the A5 B5 matrices. compare with 6,000,000 sold in US, also the UK Version has in our view the better quality pressings and cover by EJ Day Is amazingly solid and stand up better than the US version. .

We play tested this fully on 2 decks a Rega 3 on both very good with the super discerning Japanese "Kenwood" deck tracking light  (Ex) there is some surface noise in quiter parts, nothing to detract badly.

This is a rare early label version with the "Peter Grant executive producer" in bold on the label, and on the A5 B5 hand etched matrixes etched on run out "so mote it be" and "do what thou wilst" with 24001 002 a nod by Page to Aliester Crowley, Page had recently bought Crowley s old Boleskine house on the shores of Loch Ness Scotland and was researching Crowley work buying artifacts and "wands"

This is rare rare and is a keeper with great shine to the vinyl!

Its almost 56.

Led zeppelin III recorded between their "mayhem tours" in USA 69 and in July 1970 "on batteries!" at Bron Y Aur cottage Snowdonia Wales and Olympic studios and island studios london Peter Grant "borrowed " island studios time from his old mate and adversary Micky Most.

The classic tracks are here by the bucketful again , the viking war cry of "immigrant song" , "since I've been loving you" (pages greatest blues) "celebration day", "out on the tiles" all jump off the grooves with incredible clarity on this copy, the audio is awesome on our Rega 3.

The acoustic tracks,

Friends, Bron Y Aur Stomp, Tangerine, That's the way and Gallows Pole all show how impressed Page and Plant had become with the current West Coast fashion led by Crosby Stills and Nash, Young, and the critics in UK panned them for this (time has shown this as misguided) probably more to do with sulking journalists wanting invites to the Starship and the US excess tours! The Bron Y Aur segments came to form as lasting part of the live stage sets and anyone who caught the 75 us and uk Earls Court Shows will tell you how well they were received by the rock audience.

Page got what he again wanted here and the mixing done at various locations dictated by tour schedule are a credit to the producer, despite delays by mastering artwork and "moving wheel" wrangles with pressing plants, but in the end an outstanding cover was produced by EJ Day London. Atlantic the album was released in UK end October 70,

 This is one of those first  few days Peter Grant label copies ! A5 B5 matrixes!

This recording was well received in US where Zeppelin were touring regular but in UK it got a cooler reception from the UK critics (at the time)

Atlantic by this time had given artistic freedom following the commercial success of Zep 2 but when Atlantic questioned the volume of acoustic numbers?

to this day many regard this as one of the greatest rock/folk mix albulms of all time... judged for yourself but for us the audio quality of these 1st presses are vastly superior to the recent "deluxe super deluxe releases!"

Atlantic did a great job in 1970 with these, word is Peter Grant got the pressing plants to clean the master discs more regular (using a process normally reserved for classical recordings) after the 2nd album'

rock and pop were still considered "passing phases" so it was not felt necessary to clean as often due to the volume they were recorded at with few quieter passages

.

Once again Grant broke the mold when he visited the uk pressing plant and "insisted" who would refuse him?

The job was done this way for the early runs in the first year or so... after...

Only the first presses came out with "Peter Grant Credits" or "Celebration" errors on the label (this one is Peter Grant) only on very early presses so easy to spot once you know, see photos,

all photos are of actual item for sale, what you see is what you get here, see our 100% feedback!

Grab yourself a piece of rock history!

These are getting harder to find in anything like this condition.

The Record    

Excellent

A5 B5 matrixes! all are (hand etched)

In excellent condition with some light lines and scuffs and scrapes from sleeve removal and handling over the years , there are light lines nothing serious (please see photos and ask any questions)

Plays clean and with great bass response.

Please bear in mind this is a 55 year old vinyl record!  Nice fat pre oil crisis 70s vinyl wow !

Plays fantastic with bright crisp sound may benefit from a professional clean, slight static and surface only on Gallows Pole and intro to Tangerine nothing to disrupt playing (we don't do this as it's an individual thing) some light static is noticeable in the quieter passages but nothing to disrupt playing too much, all the other tracks on our Rega 3.

Great Shine to the vinyl.

Has its original `Plastic Bags can be Dangerous` inner sleeve in very good shape for

55 and is supllied in  quality PVC lined inner and bag.

The labels are free of writing doodles or stickers and retain great bold colours with no fade we can notice under light.

The sleeve

EX Condition

Despite having done it's job over 55 years the superb fully functioning sleeve made by "EJ Day ltd" London has little ring wear (see photos) The sleeve is fully working with no stickers, writing or doodles. Magic wheel is intact and rotates freely amazing! Solid Rivet

This is a very clean sleeve with only some normal aging handling wear from its 55 years, kept in PVC sleeve for over 30 years it has not faded or discoloured badly, a real original.

Magic wheel rotates freely.

There are no seam splits on record exit side , see photos .... colours are good and no signs of fading, the thick card has held up well, no fading or yellowing or serious damage, has handling wear over the 55  years.

Creases on the rear sleeve to the laminate, common on this sleeve.

The fully functioning "Magic Wheel" is truly a collectors item!

Atlantic Deluxe blue stamp on lower right of cover and song titles on right inner sleeve only on first presses! As seen here!

"credit to Bron Y Aur" cottage in Wales

 "credit must be given to Bron-Y-Aur a small derelict cottage in South Snowdonia for painting a somewhat forgotten picture true completeness which acted as an incentive to some of these musical statements -august 1970"  is inside in the centre of the right side as it should be on a 1st UK pressing. (later copies are on the left)

This is by Robert Plant who visited the cottage in his youth and later purchased the cottage.

The acoustic tracks are recorded here on batteries!

This is a keeper for someone looking for a wholly original 1st press of this great album.

Nr mint copies are almost impossible now sometimes £260 +!

This is a great affordable upgrade!

See photos.....

See my other Zeppelin albums for sale

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