LED ZEPPELIN II RARER UK 1969 Lemon on Plum EX++ LP

	£		336
	$		445

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Led Zeppelin II

Producer: Jimmy Page.

Executive Producer: Peter Grant.

Label/Format: Atlantic – orange and maroon (‘plum’) format. This with the first ‘Lemon Song’ title on side one. (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions & Overview: Both look very impressive. Strong, rich and vibrant colour and clearly hardly handled or likely played, reitterated by fantastic clean sound. Even the hole rims are pristine and unchipped or even discoloured, the fit remains very tight on my LP12 spindle and even a small piece of ‘flash’ residue seen when held to light. Side two has a couple of dull areas – possibly adhesive from manufacture, but that a guess. The most significant and striking aspect of both labels is the sheer lack of spindle marks. Any traces are tiny, ultra few and faint. In fact not even easy finding any worthy of mention. This record was bought from new by the one and only owner and like most from this collection, I am certain it was hardly even used or removed from the cover. The sleeve may (as per usual) have some wear, but the record is fantastic and rarely will this rock masterpiece be seen or heard better. Not only that, the cover retains it’s original 19/11 price sticker the inner sleeve has the earliest 109 date code – that is October 1969, the month of first issue. Lastly, and the most important of all, this record plays with STUNNING sound quality with practically nothing unwanted at all. I pretty much got the feeling of playing a ‘new’ copy, such was the sonic delivery of this incredible album. Most are seen played to ruin with swathes of spindle marks, dulled surfaces and scratches on the playing surfaces. Unwanted sounds often dominate over the music with crackle and distortion, pops and clicks – this record is on the other side of spectrum and offers barely anything unwanted at all – this too on a very revealing system which is always crucial. Over my years of selling records on Ebay I have had a few Led Zeppelin II’s in fantastic condition, and this one is up there with the very best. Most fans of this legendary heavy blues rock band will treasure this record.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Whole Lotta Love; What Is and What Should Never Be; Killing Floor (The Lemon Song); Thank You.

Side 2: Heartbreaker; Livin’ Lovin’ Maid (Shes just a Woman); Ramble On; Moby Dick; Bring It On Home.

Cat Number: 588198.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 133 grams. A very good average weight for this album.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Original Year of Release: October 1969.

Rarity: Led Zeppelin II albums are not that hard to find, let’s be honest. But the earliest pressings and those with Lemon Song on the label are harder. What really determines ‘rarity’ is the condition – both cover and record are far from easy. The cover with large areas of brown, always wear very badly. Most seen with deep penetrating ringwear and rubbing and often far worse. The record was, and still is, very popular. Invariably it was played many times and often on mono, heavy tracking record players of the time. Such machines were used way into the 1970s often the stylus never changed, worn and chipped. It is no surprise so many are seen wrecked visually and the audio quality shattered. This copy has a nice cover but with some edge wear, the main areas are little worn and attractive. Nice to see a pre-decimal price sticker included as well – and this came from a private collection, not a dealer or fair, so I am as certain as I ever can be, this is absolutely as it came. The record looks hardly even played and has no bag rash, a trait of Polydor pressed records kept within their original inner sleeve. These original inners sleeves were polylined and often react with records that have not been removed for many, many years – as is almost certainly the case here. With two superb playing surfaces with barely even a hint of a mark or even surface trace and two almost spindle-free labels, this is an age-defying record of the utmost quality. The delivery of the music is awesome – that word used here in true context – not as selling hype. Get this disc on a worthy system and prepare to be blown away. Such clean copies of this record are rare, make no mistake, I have rarely seen or heard this actual record better.

Matrix Nos: 588198 A 2 1 2 9 & 588198 B 2 1 1 1 1 4

Musicians: Robert Plant – Jimmy Page – John Paul Jones – John Bonham.

Album Information: For many the greatest rock album of all time - a monumental and evergreen classic. Without any doubt, ‘Whole Lotta Love’ remains the definitive heavy rock anthem ever made. The album justifiably charted at Number 1 in the UK and US. After the raw brilliance of the heavy blues rock of their debut, ‘II’ expands the horizons still further. Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham rarely ever sounded better than on this massive issue. All rock fans and collectors will know this album well already – it’s content is legendary and it simply refuses to age or it’s ‘classic’ status diminish. This is one of the ‘Most Wanted’ albums ever issued, and so it should be. This copy has the first issue ‘Lemon Song’ on side one, it was quite quickly changes to ‘Killing Floor’ for legal reasons, then to be changed back again on the Kinney green and orange labels that followed in the early 70s. Also worthy of mention is the cover: the first issues had a paler brown cover than later ones. The Killing Floor plum pressings had a darker mid-brown sleeve and then the 1970s issue a very deep brown. So cover swapping is hardly unusual, the earliest pressing cover should be quite a pale brown as this one is. As stated, this came inside it’s original inner sleeve, but avoided bag rash. The code on this inner is 109 (as seen in close-up), this indicates October 1969 – the correct month and year of issue in the UK. All information on the parts is described below.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High++. ‘Perfect’ examples are nigh-on impossible to find these days.

Cover Condition and Details: EXCELLENT(-): and in context of how wear-prone it is, arguably better with the main faces in very fine condition. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt smooth surfaces. This the first issue paler-brown type and hugely tolerant of over-handling, bad storage or any abuse. Attractiveness and longevity was very limited unless kept in ‘cottonwool’. Printed and made in England by E. J. Day. The front includes a pre-decimal 19/11 price sticker which I think adds a great deal to a 1969 album. A reminder to younger collectors, decimalisation in the UK happened in 1971.

Cover Front: Firstly, the price sticker – white 19/11 on a mid blue background, as seen in close-up. This is in lovely condition and has aged little. A possible trace of a pick on the rim – did the owner think of a removal attempt and decide (wisely) against it? The front itself is quite impressive and this is far from easy. A little light grubbiness on the spine edge and a few fine surface marks and mild rubbing, but with most-all of the ink present and intact, this remains very attractive. As per most, a little edge rubbing is seen and some light to moderate corner tip rubs. The lack of creasing and fading is a significant bonus. A small orange-brown mark is seen just right and below centre of centre. This I am certain a small and minor printing blemish. I viewed this under a magnifier and the screen dot of the printing plate is seen on this area which proves almost beyond doubt this is the case. A stain or other mark would not have the dot screen detail. Overall, a very pleasing front and the price sticker for me is the star part.

Cover Back: Even harder to find in decent condition due to severe ring wear issues – large solid areas of dark colour always wear badly and are seldom seen so devoid of major wear. Again some mildish grubbiness on the very spine edge with the odd small tone spot or two. But the difficult brown area is very impressive, and note the lack of ring wear, in fact this has hardly any rubbing at all or even rim impression. The odd small mark or surface trace hairline, but pretty much devoid of any creasing at all. Corner tip rubs, yes, most all will have but this very difficult back I feel is substantially above average and looks very nice.

Cover Gatefold Inner: Barely any real wear at all and again very attractive. The only blemishing is a little light toning next to the central fold, that apart, this would prove immensely difficult to find better.

Top Edges: Light to moderate patchy rubbing – this split around 50-50. Both edges straight.

Bottom Edges: The back edge as per above. The front edge has far less rubbing and most present only very light. A small area towards the left corner nearer moderate.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and impressively sharp, practically unworn and crisp with barely any thickening and any burr traces tiny and light. The record enters on the back edge, the front being fully sealed.

Spine and Text: Mainly solid, straight with minimal compression, but a slight tilt to left. The ends have rubbed and for around half an inch further in. But the rest of the spine is far less affected. The odd small chip or rub but the important factor is, most-all of the text is present and unworn and very easy to read. A little mild grubbiness to the white area, but for such a perilous spine, this is not at all bad. So many are seen threadbare and very tatty indeed. This is not perfect, hence the grading, but nice to see the text and the vast majority of the brown ink present apart from the very ends.

Corners: Moderate tip rubs to the spine and the bottom back right. The others have only small and light tip rubs and all bar the spine top retain very fine shape. .

Cover Summary: A classic cover in very fine condition overall. Edge and corner rubbing is immensely hard to avoid, but with the main areas looking generally clean and attractive, this is way better than average and many, if not most collectors will enjoy it. The highly discerning or perfectionists will have to still seek the near impossible.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: in terms of real wear, little. Only marked down for the usual browning of the adhesive on the seam edges which here is moderate. A Polydor-style lined inner that is date-coded 109 (October 1969) as seen in my close up picture. Barely a crease to be seen and two window circles that look practically as made. The lining ultra clear and even crinkle-free, that is seldom seen. All edges unsplit with no repairs. This historically important inner matches the date of issue of this legendary album and is aged, in my view perfectly.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++) to MINT(-): an exceptional example that is very clean and retains an intense black finish with a fine shine and is solidly pressed. Complex, well patterned grooves, telling vinyl ‘readers’ it has the most intense sound quality and varied volume. In places wide and jagged which indicates thunderous dynamics – and it certainly has. Any ‘Plum’ example of this landmark recording in such conditions is the exceptional rather than the rule. Any surface marks are few, ultra fine and faint and this has been played very little and when so, clearly on a quality system. That is what makes the real difference. Early Plum copies of this one infrequently show up clearly so little played or looking better.

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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality: This top example plays even above it’s high visual grading with practically nothing to fault. As stated it has amazing sound quality and this is not an easy recording. A roller coaster ride in volume and quiet passages. This has immensely powerful clean sound and is totally devoid of groove-wear, distortion or pressing noises. ‘Thank You’, easily the most difficult song on the album, plays beautifully. So prone to distortion and crackle, not here and the fade-in and out at the end is ultra quiet and has practically nothing unwanted – few will better this significantly. The last few seconds often seen scratched due to the false ending that caught out many listeners when first heard. Premature lifting of the arm and sometimes catching those last few fine grooves as the music returns again. The intro to ‘Bring it on Home’ often causes problems too, but again plays superbly. Overall sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. A complex album with some monumental sound, all remained focused and sharp. The grooves are very clean and this record is a gateway into the recording studio itself. Few copies will match or outperform this earliest ‘Lemon Song’ pressing I feel sure. I feel certain this record has been played lightly and carefully handled with lovely clean playing surfaces. A one-owner-from-new copy, like most others from this collection, very impressive. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better overall and merits my highest possible recommendation.

The Zeppelin II Hi-Fi Experience: This proves beyond any doubt, not that there was any doubt anyway, that an original vinyl record will blow away any other format. The sound on this album is simply awesome and I use the word in it’s true context because this simply takes the breath away. If anybody has not heard a plum pressed Led Zeppelin II they have not really heard it at all. This will shake the foundations (and damn near did), the inherent power, scale, drama, dynamics, detail and stereo imagery are phenomenal and give that rare tingle factor only the truly great recordings ever can. Listen to that massive ‘slam’ on ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and the channel-to-channel guitar pyrotechnics, this is hi-fi nirvana. It was fascinating watching my Ittok arm and Ortofon tracking this complex record. The drum parts on ‘Moby Dick’ have such realism the kit could have almost been in the room. Complete silence is almost unrealistic for any vintage copy of this demanding title – but this copy has practically nothing to fault, if absolute clinical silence is demanded, stick to the silver disc format, but you will miss out on a sound experience of a lifetime. The colossal low frequency on ‘Whole Lotta Love’ will test any amp and speakers to the limit and the sound can simply saturate on even mid-priced systems. I remember hearing this album back in the 70s at an exhibition in London through a pair of Linn Isobarik speakers using a Naim six-pack active amp set up with a Linn LP 12 front-end deck (well at least I still have that part). This left an impression of sheer awe, that took the breath away. The sounds embedded into the early ‘Plum’ grooves are amazing and will never be replicated or beaten by any other later pressing or format. Now I am again a LP12 owner, I really turned up the volume again and let this go – I can never resist this on a worthy copy (and this is more than just worthy). This will sort out the real hi-fi systems, because many systems simply fall apart trying to control the sound on this one. A worthy amp and speaker system is almost mandatory to control the bass dynamics on this album - tin boxes will surrender almost immediately. Do not play this record on a less than worthy turntable. With my amps running hot, the bass thunders and growls, the drums and cymbals crash and zing, the guitars splinter into a frenzy and Plants vocals rarely ever sounded more sublime than on this wonderous record - yes I rather like this album, who wouldn’t?

End Piece: The word ‘essential’ and ‘classic’ are both overused (I too am guilty sometimes when offering a beautiful condition piece for a favourite title), but I make no apology for using them for this groundbreaking (and earth-shattering) album. Timeless vintage blues-rock the likes that will never be equalled. After the reunion, now come and gone, remind yourself what the boys sounded like back in 1969. If they sounded half as good as this monumental album, it would have been be a good night. Okay, the cover has some edge wear, most have (at the very least) but the record more than compensates. This is a high grading record and for many, could prove an ultimate upgrade. Do not lose this one.

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 - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, 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 its 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. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. 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 Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium 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 and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap 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 less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 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. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. 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 as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, 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 and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). 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] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 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 (£17 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’.