ROY HARPER Flashes Archives Oblivion UK 1st 2LP Page Bonham Led Zep EX

	£		32
	$		42

Roy Harper Flashes Archives Oblivion UK 1st 2LP Page Bonham Led Zep EX

💥 ULTIMATE COLLECTOR COPY – UK 1ST PRESS WITH LED ZEP CONNECTION

🎤 Artist / Title
ROY HARPER – FLASHES FROM THE ARCHIVES OF OBLIVION
Original UK live double LP, 1974

💿 Pressing details

• Label: Harvest / EMI – classic yellow/green labels, “Made in Gt Britain” rims

• Cat no: SHDW 405 (sides numbered SHSP 4051 / SHSP 4052)

• Matrices:

  • Disc 1 – SHSP 4051 A-3 / B-1

  • Disc 2 – SHSP 4052 A-1 / B-2
    Proper early UK 1st press set – the cut serious Harper / Harvest / Zep collectors want.

🤘 Jimmy Page, John Bonham & friends – the Valentine’s Day Massacre

• Much of this set is drawn from Harper’s legendary Valentine’s Day “Massacre” show at the Rainbow Theatre, London (14 Feb 1974).

• That one-off band featured JIMMY PAGE (Led Zeppelin), JOHN BONHAM (Led Zeppelin), KEITH MOON (The Who), RONNIE LANE (Faces/Small Faces), Max Middleton, David Bedford and others – a who’s-who of early-70s British rock captured on tape.

• If you’re chasing that intersection of British folk-rock and the Zeppelin / Who universe, this album is essential.

🔥 Music & sound

• Effectively an early “best of” live anthology, with inflamed, stretched-out versions of classics like:

  • “Me And My Woman” – huge, widescreen performance

  • “South Africa” & “Highway Blues” – electric, on-edge readings

  • “One Man Rock & Roll Band”, “Another Day”, “Kangaroo Blues” and more

• Big, open early-70s Abbey Road sound – these Harvest cuts play loud, dynamic and very alive when they’re in good nick like this copy.

📸 Infamous sleeve & packaging

• Original nude Roy Harper cover – the EMI Hayes factory infamously downed tools over this one; it’s become one of the great 70s sleeve talking-points.

• Front image still sharp with strong colour, no writing, no big creases.

• Rear sleeve clean with fully legible SHDW 405 / OC 192-05736-7 text.

• Inside gatefold photo collage (live shots, portraits, cat, family photos etc.) is crisp and bright – so often these are badly yellowed or ring-worn; this one is far nicer than average.

✅ Conservative condition (visual + play-check)

• VINYL (both discs): EX – lovely glossy surfaces, just the faintest paper scuffs under strong light. No feelable scratches. Plays superbly on my system: powerful, quiet run-ins and between-track gaps, no repeating clicks or jumps. This is a copy you can really turn up.

• SLEEVE: EX- – minimal edge / corner wear, a touch of age to the white areas as you’d expect, but no tears, splits or heavy ringwear. Spine straight and fully readable.

• INNERS: clean generic inners supplied; I recommend storing in fresh poly-lined sleeves (not included) to keep this set at its best.

🎯 For the serious collector

• Key title in Harper’s catalogue – his first live album and a perfect entry point if you love Stormcock, Lifemask or Valentine.

• Direct Led Zeppelin / Who / Faces crossover piece thanks to the Rainbow line-up – a brilliant partner to Led Zeppelin III’s “Hats Off To (Roy) Harper” and Harper/Page’s later Jugula LP.

• Copies in this sort of EX/EX- first-press condition are getting scarce – most surviving examples are heavily played or badly browned. This one has clearly been very well looked after.

📦 Shipping
I use eBay Simple Shipping in the UK and the eBay Global Shipping Programme for international buyers. Records are removed from sleeves, packed in sturdy mailers with extra stiffeners for maximum protection.

🧼 Cleaning & guarantee
Each record has been carefully cleaned in a HumminGuru Sonic vinyl cleaner, visually inspected and play-tested. Buy with confidence – 100% Guarantee – all records fully returnable.