Sold Date: August 7, 2020
Start Date: June 18, 2020
Final Price: £150.00 (GBP)
Seller Feedback: 943
Buyer Feedback: 0

This item is not for sale. Gripsweat is an archive of past sales and auctions, none of the items are available for purchase.

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 rarities and collectable, no filler! Thanks for looking!

UK press A3B4 among the earliest marixes from Oct 1971 to buy and keep!

Please note that this album is complete and original 47 year old UK pressing from 1971 and is sold for its rarity rather than for its condition.

To be clear this is an A3 B4 1971 original UK pressing,

THIS IS A VAULT STORED COPY Good AUDIO

The Famous "Misty Mountain Top" label error on side 2, this was spotted early and corrected to Hop for version 4 labels, making these "Top" copies now super collectable

There are 4 varieties of labels on the very first UK presses, this is no 3.

NR Excellent The Vinyl

This is the label 3 version with the uncorrected "Mountain Top" rare error! with the band name on the top half of label, so this is the label version 3 red plum 1st UK "error press" 1971 label with the "Misty MoutainTop"on side 2, version 4 shows the correct title "Misty Mountain Hop"

There is some SLIGHT static on intro to "Battle for Evermore" light static evident in some quieter passages but not many.Anyone are looking for "mint" or " near Mint" archive copies please see our other listings and note this is not one of those. A professional clean can help (we don't do this as its a personal thing)
Some background niose on run ins close to EX this vinyl very clean...
Photos are of actual item for sale, what you see is what you get here.

also credits go to "Kinney Music Ltd" and "Superhype Music Inc"

this has on side 1 "Peco Duck" and side 2 "Porky" hand etched on the runout groove....

(this was a reference by the famous "Beatles Engineer" George Peckham)

whose stamp was "a porkys prime cut" Page was so impressed with what heard on the Beatles records he asked for George , employed then at Apple then 3 Saville Row, London who obliged on this occasion.

the sound quality of these rare first presses wipes the floor in our view with the new reissues but over to the listener....

like the Turquoise 1st Album the song credits help identify a true 1st press which this is and its a reluctant sale...

We hear that there were only around 2000 Led Zeppelin 1 turquoise 1st albums made now they are sky high in value and deservedly so how many remain--

The A3 B4 Matrix vinyl AMONG THE VERY FIRST AVAILABLE(close to master tapes) early versions of the 4th album are getting rarer as collectors snap them up....it's a loud recording !

The Audio on the Early Red Plums knocks the socks off the new reissues in our view but over to the listener...

look now on ebay and once you sift through to the "real thing" only 1or 2normally show up , all normally priced £250 + in various conditions ,under £200 Nr Ex this vinyl is a keeper look no further!

This is rare and getting hard to find in good order

Led zeppelin IV recorded between their "mayhem tours" in USA in 1970 at Headley Grange England , this is very much the sound of a band settled and for many their best work.
The classic tracks are here by the bucketful, Black Dog , Rock n Roll, Stairway to Heaven, Levee Breaks all jump off the grooves with incredible clarity on this copy, the audio is awesome on our Rega 3.

Page got what he 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 "no title" wrangles with Atlantic the album was released in UK end October Early November 71. This is one of those early early copies!

This recording really put Zeppelin back on top following the cooler reception of the 3rd record (at the time) we have heard 1st hand some aging critics waxing on about how much they love the 3rd (hmm but at the time guys you panned it!) no names as we know you know.

Atlantic by this time had given a blank cheque but when they found out the 4th record was planned untitled no band names etc. Ahmet Ergun hit the roof! and summoned Page and Grant to USA to "discuss" ...backed by the very large Peter Grant Page stuck to his guns and replied "if they didn't like the last one this this will wake them up but no band names, this rests on the music and the fans" he was right and Peter Grants Boys had done it again, to this day many regard this as THE greatest rock album 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!" just DAMN HARD TO FIND AT A FAIR PRICE!

Atlantic did a great job in 1971 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) rock and pop were still considered "passing phases" so it was not felt necessary to clean the pressing plates 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 no band name on top the label only the 4 symbols. The spacing is different v later 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
A3 B4 The early matrixes! from 1971

Nr Excellent VAULT STORED copy clean with some surface lines removal scuffs, nothing serious and hairlines (see photos) which do not affect play, no jumps or sticks on our Rega 3 bear in mind this is a 47 year old vinyl record! we also tested on a fussy "light tracking" Kenwood deck with no issues.
very clear audio quality in the acoustic tracks with no skips or jumps to disrupt. slight static in some quieter passages but not many.  Some background on intros that sounds first revolution once music vocal starts all is good play loud it sounds great.      
This press has the rare version 3 label error of Misty Mountain "Top" instead of "Hop"

Anyone are looking for "mint" or " near Mint" or "Mint" archive copies please see our other listings and note this is not one of those.

some slight static and click in the very quiet, the acoustic parts,

Nice fat pre oil crisis 70s vinyl wow !nice flat and fat.

Plays fantastic 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 but not many of those!

The labels are free of writing doodles or stickers and retain great bold colours with no fade we can notice under light., the pictures show they are very very clean with few spindle lines,

Please note that this album is complete and original 1971 UK pressing and is priced for its rarety rather than for its condition
the record and sleeve are original and 48 years old

The sleeve

the sleeve is in Excellent order

with the original "Grey Blotting paper" inner lyric insert Nr EX

"Excellent Condition" The sleeve

Having done it's job over 48 years the sleeve has very ring wear and soiling on the rear! (see photos)recently stored in upright PVC sleeve and box for 30+ years.

It is one of the "original matt sleeves" it does have alight wear at corners, its an EX sleeve (see photos in listing) its been used so has very light general wear but overall looking amazing for 47! almost wear on spine , overall nice clean EX cover very hard to find with this sleeve . has a transitional `Atlantic` sticker on rear supe rare.  

(see photos in listing) , no major issues, rips, names or writing or tape evident.

There are no major issues, colours are good and not a lot fading, the thick card has held up well, no holes all mounting etc. amazing Ex sleeve.

The original grey blotting paper version inner with "Stairway to Heaven" lyrics is present wow! soo difficult to get.
Zero tape on this inner very unsusual...

inner sleeve is Nr EX , normally these are old and fragile now (see photos in listing) its best stored in "file" to preserve it, so the use as a record sleeve is not current a new quality white inner is supplied, .
These are often tatty beyond help but on this one is holding up very well as cared for Nr EX condition and an original from release date in 1971

This is a great buy for someone looking for a wholly original 1st press of this great album (its not an archive Mint copy)

It is a excellent in most places, only a light line here and a little surface niose here and there keps it away from EX, no skips or jumps and beatifull audio and Near Mint copies are almost impossible now sometimes £400+!

This is a great affordable copy to own and play! "nr Excellent overall " vinyl our "fully audio tested" grading.

See photos....Please note this item is advertised for sale elsewhere also

See my other Zeppelin albums for sale

Overseas yes we do! post cost is in GBP onlAny import taxes applied by your country are the buyers responsibility