LED ZEPPELIN I - RARER EARLY UK 1970 ATLANTIC PLUM EX LP with SILVER STRIP COVER

	£		112
	$		148

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers will now be blocked at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Led Zeppelin (One).

Producer: Jimmy Page.

Executive Producer: Peter Grant.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Good Times Bad Times; Babe I’m Gonna Leave You; You Shook Me; Dazed and Confused.

Side 2: Your Time is Gonna Come; Black Mountain Side; Communication Breakdown; I Can’t Quit You Baby; How Many More Times.

Label/Format: Atlantic – Red and Maroon (‘Plum’) format with early Warner Credits. Both are matt with smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both immaculately clean, fresh and hugely attractive. Any spindle marks are very small, few and faint – just a mere couple each side that hardly even show. So hard to find these early Zeppelin albums that are so obviously lightly played.

Cat Number: 588171.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 125 grams. A quite typical weight for this album, also superbly pressed.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: The title itself on the ‘Plum’ label is moderately scarce with the orange coloured cover. The turquoise covers are far rarer and command massive prices, mostly out of reach for the ‘average’ collector. This is an early copy from late 1970 as proven by the code on the inner sleeve (seen in close-up). This one has a very attractive cover that includes the first silver (or grey) strip on the bottom edge (soon removed thereafter) and a record that offers clean and very powerful sound that generates real excitement when played at volume on a quality system.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: 588171 A//1 1 2 2 7 & 588171 B//1 1 2 2 (both have ‘8’ digit scratched corrections) Also, the last two digits on side two (2 2) look mirror image e.g. backwards. Musicians: Jimmy Page – Robert Plant – John Bonham – John Paul Jones.

Brief Info: A very small run of early copies were issued in a turquoise sleeve lettered sleeve and some had Superhype credits. These were quickly changed to the more familiar orange versions as per this – the reasons still after all these years unclear with rumour and counter-rumour and now it seems even unclear if the turquoise covers and Superhype credits were even the very first. I cannot say with any degree certainty either, I prefer to explain what I have on offer and it’s condition. What IS certain, the legend started here: formed from the ashes of the Yardbirds, this self-assured debut album immediately established them in their own right. Faultless musicianship combined with strong material to create an emphatic statement of power and purpose. Blues standards are extensively reworked and original songs are as immense and memorable as found on any debut album ever made. Page’s guitar explores the instrument’s potential with dazzling runs of sonic inventiveness, while Plant takes the lead vocal into new realms of expression. Raw and loud this has moments of true brilliance and many still are convinced this was their best ever album – a tough call for sure. Led Zeppelin albums are [in most cases] best enjoyed on the Plum labels, they just seem to have that extra detail and clarity as well as very loud and dynamic sound qualities that are never bettered – all audiophile collectors and fans will know exactly what I mean. Of all the Led Zeppelin albums I find, this first album is always the one that seems the most played, often in the poorest conditions. Okay it’s the oldest, but not by much. It simply was adored by early owners and often played into submission. When clean and lightly played copies come along, they are not to be taken for granted. This is a lovely example with an impressive cover. The record appears little played – side one has a very small mark that emits around half-a-dozen or so quite light clicks – but that apart, this record plays superbly. Even that difficult organ introduction on side two is immaculate, that as I always state, far from easy. The lack of distortion or crackle on this most challenging passage means the difference between average and exceptional. Indeed this area being one of the very quietest on any Plum copy I have yet heard. So not quite ‘perfect’, but this will still take a fair amount of beating and will delight all but the perfectionists.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): a fully laminated, single format with orange lettering and includes the scarce silver strip on the bottom edge. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press and includes the 1970 date-coded inner sleeve.

Lamination – Front & Back: This iconic rock cover is very attractive indeed and retains a genuine freshness and I will never state this lightly. The laminate both sides is very shiny, fresh and clear with any marks light and faint, as mostly seen critically under light. This has far less of the usual spine edge lifting, with any only being very fine on the back. The same applies for creasing, most of any present are fine edge types with only one half moon away from the sides on each side. Nice to see the silver-grey strip present too, most see it omitted as only slightly ones saw it removed altogether. The flats on the spine ends – these are quite deeply pinched in manufacture – are well defined and neat, avoiding the usual bending and dinking seen so often. What really sets this one apart is the shine, even under angled light, the lack of dulling or even rim impression is more than evident, and on covers this great age (and popularity), that is somewhat of a rarity – both sides look very impressive.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both are superb with full laminate which is smooth and straight. My finger test located no scuffs or abrasions to the tight and solid laminated surfaces. The lack of bowing always a major plus.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Very clean, mostly sharp to very sharp with little wear and guaranteed, untrimmed. Any burring or thickening light as seen viewed end-on. The front edge again sees the laminate end strip, still wide and clean and aged little with any grubbiness to this and the other ends light – especially compared to some I have seen recently. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine: solid, straight with any compression light and hardly any laminate cracks, a trait this thin card cover often suffers. The ends are quite deeply pinched in manufacture and these retain excellent shape and fine definition. All text is perfect and unworn under clear and still shiny unpeeled laminate. Also mainly well-centred on a fairly narrow depth.

Corners: Any tip rubs tiny and very fine to better than excellent shape retained with no dinks.

Cover Summary: A strongly attractive example with genuine freshness and pure good looks – and this is a cover fast approaching forty five years of age as reitterated by it’s original inner sleeve. With so few blemishes, this should please most collectors – one to hold and enjoy, and indeed could prove a significant upgrade for many.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): this Polydor-style polylined inner has it’s history too and being date coded 0670 tells the owner the exact era of manufacture. Okay, not a first-made, but in terms of this classic album, still a very early one (please see my close-up picture of this detail). This date-code translate to June 1970, so very early. An inner that has aged little with any toning and darkening of the adhesive on the seams gentle and light (compared to most). The window circles are very crisp and neat, both undamaged with a very clear lining. Unusually, this is barely crinkled at all. No edge splits or tears (or repairs) with no hard creases, writing or marks, this inner is the icing of authenticity on this prestige album.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: and this arguably somewhat harshly graded. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with excellent shine and solidly pressed. A couple of visible surface marks and one very small mark omits around half-a-dozen (or so) fairly light clicks at the very end of track one into two – coming and going very quickly and thereafter, hardly anything else unwanted with truly fantastic sound. More critically under bright angled light, fine surface marks are seen that are totally superficial, faint and light, few very early pressings will fail to have them as a bare minimum. Compare to many, if not most seen on the Plum labels, such a brief blemish is pretty minor when so many are seen played to near destruction with deep penetrating scratches, grubby and dulled surfaces and labels with multitudes of spindle marks. This super copy is light years away from any of that, I would never even contemplate buying or offering records like that. I will never deride such a copy that still offers superb sound and fine looks, this should please most collectors again unless digital CD silence is mandatory throughout – and good luck with that.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This landmark album plays above it’s impressive visual grading with little else to fault bar the aforementioned brief few light clicks on side one. It offers massively powerful, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. An album of immense sonic power and raw dynamics, this record is capable of awesome intensity when played at high volume on worthy equipment. ‘Dazed and Confused’ – my personal favourite Led Zeppelin track ever – plays with incredible clout. For some time, the sound is restrained, even mellow, but like a tinder keg it’s ready to explode through your system, and the finale does just that with a cresendo of sheer raw volume. This gave me that rare ‘tingle factor’ that only the very best recordings and albums ever can. Check out too the start of side two with it’s incredibly hard-to-track solo organ introduction that almost never plays devoid of some (often severe) crackle or distortion. In fact I have heard examples of this that literally break-up totally with severe noise and horrible groove-wear sound and echo, and this even on clean looking copies. This intro is critical and highly uncompromising, few examples will play this even well let alone ‘perfectly’. Only the exceptional copies that have received few plays on more sympathetic equipment have any real chance these days. Here, this impossibly difficult intro plays SUPERBLY (this too on a high-end and critically revealing turntable that takes no prisoners in revealing all). This organ passage is notoriously difficult and most will fail to please the more discerning listener. I am delighted to be able to say, this plays almost as quitely as I have heard – almost silent in fact – few ever will, this way above the norm and average. I feel nigh-on certain, none will ever be totally silent on vinyl, but any surface sound here is bordering on minuscule. When the bass and drums kick in, VERY hard it can almost make you leave your seat, the slam on the drum is astonishing with Bonzo’s crashing stick-work immense – few hit the skins harder than this legendary drummer. Overall, this copy has minimal surface sounds and no pops or other significant clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a highly demanding album. Hear those incredible running basslines and the percussion, that has real zing and breathtaking realism. Page’s guitar splinters through the speaker-cloth as does Plant’s awesome, expressive vocals. This is powerhouse blues-rock at it’s very best. I filed this under ‘Rock Classic’ and this is a supreme example of the genre. Remember this album’s age and vintage and what it could have been subjected too. I know I state this often in my listings, but so many vintage classics were written off by worn or damaged sylus that stripped and destroyed those delicate groove walls. One arm drop or jolt and there’s another one ruined, such decks took no prisoners with massively high tracking weights, sometimes exceeding 10 grams. This has largely escaped any such trauma and I am certain it has never been subjected to these most basic of turntables. It still offers genuine thrilling sound. Some listeners like to just be reminded with the odd minor blemish that are actually listening to a near 45-year-old record, if clinical silence is demanded, well the digital format will offer just that. But the sheer thrill and drama of the original mix and mastertape sound that only vinyl truly offers will not be beaten. A copy that appears well stored and only lightly handled and certainly not overplayed, this was highly enjoyable (to say the least). Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this astonishing record – I always expect a trace of crackle or minor click on such a record, but this has little and few. Both record and cover will prove difficult to find much better and merit strong recommendation. An evergreen rock masterpiece that simply refuses to age.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.