Sold Date: February 7, 2019
Start Date: January 30, 2019
Final Price: £160.00 £145.00 (GBP)
Seller Feedback: 714
Buyer Feedback: 22

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!

Very Good Plus the Vinyl

The very first 1970 UK pressing A5 B5 1st ever matrixes!


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 48 years old

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 sold in UK 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 hard to find ...

 "Peter Grant" labels A5 B5 as only a few thousand were off the press run before this was removed, now 48 years on how many survive? ... very very collectable

Truly a "Near Gem" collectors copy of this first press with the First 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  (Near Ex)



This is a rare First label version with the "Peter Grant executive producer" in bold on the label, and on the A5 B5 First 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 decent copy with great shine to the vinyl!

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  fews days Peter Grant label copies ! A5 B5 the very first 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 albums 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    

Near Excellent Condition

A5 B5 among the earliest possible matrixes! all are (hand etched)

In Near Ex condition with some faint hairlines and minor scuffs from sleeve removal over the years (please see photos and ask any questions), has its original `Plastic Bags Can Be Dangerous` inner sleeve.

Please bear in mind this is a 48 year old vinyl record!  Nice fat pre oil crisis 70s vinyl wow !

Plays very good with bright crisp sound may benefit from a professional clean (we don't do this as it's an individual thing) some background static is noticeable in the quieter passages intro to Gallows Pole, also some on intro to Since Ive been loving you , but nothing to disrupt enjoyment  other tracks all shine through on our Rega 3.
Great Shine to the vinyl.

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

The sleeve

Very Good Plus Condition

Despite having done it's job over 48 years the superb fully functioning sleeve made by "EJ Day ltd" London has very little ring wear (see photos) The sleeve is fully working with no stickers, writing or doodles. Magic wheel is intact and rotates freely amazing! some ancient  tape removal danage to inside of sleeve see photos. not too much of a detraction.

This is a very clean sleeve with only a little aging, kept in PVC sleeve for over 30 years it has aged but not faded too badly, a real gem, good corners and clean spine. There is historic tape removal marks and slight damage to inside inner top right `see photo` its not too detracting but its there so sleeve is other wise in good shape.

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, some fading,slight yellowing , only nornmal wear over the 48 years.
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 £350 +!
This is a great affordable copy to own and keep.!
See photos.....

See my other Zeppelin albums for sale

Overseas yes we do! post is in GBP

buyer is responsible for any import taxes applied in their country.