LED ZEPPELIN I (1) A1-B1 RED PLUM 588171 UK-Warner Bros-1st

	£		54
	$		71

LED ZEPPELIN: Led Zeppelin

Untitled: Their First Album

Notes; Up for auction is a rare early press of Led Zeppelin’s first album. The very first press came with the famous turquoise lettering and with the matrix numbers unaltered, this one is the next one with the same A1-B1 matrix and with the altered matrix number 8 crossed out and handwritten. It has the Warner Bros credit on the label. This is still one of their most sort after Led Zep albums and this one is a very good example. It has a low start price and NO RESERVE. 

Inscribed in the dead wax:

Matrix Number

Side one: 58#8171   A//1

Side two: 58#8171   B//1

Mother Stamp

Side one: 1  2    31

Side two: 1 2 (the 2 is back to front)

Vinyl:

 At first glance the vinyl looks superb still retaining that new glossy look, there are a couple of hairlines that are noticeable but do not affect the audio, when angled to the light then you can see a few more very light hairlines and the usual sleeve removal wispy lines, but there is nothing deep or ugly, must grade at VG+. The sound is great as you would expect from this early heavy vinyl. You do get a bit of crackle now and then in the quiet moments but nothing too much; it’s still a great listen and would say a grade of VG+  

(I have graded conservatively using the Record Collectors Guide; see at the Bottom of the listing)

Sleeve:

 Printed and made by MacNeill Press Ltd. It has the slogan ‘UPTIGHT AN’ OUTASIGHT is the official Atlantic Appreciation Society’

This is the 2nd sleeve issued, the first having the Turquoise lettering; it has the grey strip at the bottom and is in excellent condition considering its age. The spine is strong and still square; normally these are squashed because of the thickness. All the spine text is clear and readable apart from the first ‘L’ in Led. The corners are sharp and the opening edge is also still sharp. The laminate is excellent and there are only a few odd spots where there is a slight crease and the laminate has very slightly lifted, nothing too much, check photo’s; on the front when angled to the light you can make out an impression of a number 5, this is at 8o’clock as you look at it. You won’t see it unless you look really hard. Because of this I have graded again at VG+

Inner sleeve;

 The inner sleeve has ‘PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS’ it is in excellent condition without any creases and still sharp at the edges.  

Labels:

 These iconic Red and Plum labels look superb, see the photos. There are no marks or any graffiti with the white middle section as clean as you get and can’t really see any spindle marks, see close up photos.

In August 1968, the English rock band The Yardbirds had completely disbanded. Guitarist Jimmy Page, The Yardbirds' sole remaining member, was left with rights to the group’s name and contractual obligations for a series of concerts in Scandinavia. For his new band, Page recruited bassist John Paul Jones, vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham. During September 1968, the group toured Scandinavia as The New Yardbirds, performing some old Yardbirds material as well as new songs such as "Communication Breakdown", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me", "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", and "How Many More Times". The month after they returned to England, October 1968, Page changed the band's name to Led Zeppelin, and the group entered Olympic Studios in London to record their debut album.

Led Zeppelin is the debut album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London and released on Atlantic Records on 12 January 1969 in the United States and 31 March 1969 in the United Kingdom. The album featured integral contributions from each of the group's four musicians and established Led Zeppelin's fusion of blues and rock. Led Zeppelin also created a large and devoted following for the band, with their take on the emerging heavy metal sound endearing them to a section of the counterculture on both sides of the Atlantic.

 Although the album initially received negative reviews, it was commercially very successful and has now come to be regarded in a much more positive light by critics. In 2003, the album was ranked number 29 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Tracks such as "Good Times Bad Times", "Dazed and Confused" and "Communication Breakdown" displayed a distinctively heavy sound that was uncommon in the late-1960s. Led Zeppelin also featured steel-string acoustic guitar by Page on "Black Mountain Side", and a combination of acoustic and electric approaches on their adaptation of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You".

"Dazed and Confused", based on the 1967 Jake Holmes song of the same name, is often considered to be the album's centrepiece; its arrangement features a descending bass line from Jones, heavy drumming from Bonham and distorted guitar riffs and soloing from Page. It also showcased Page playing guitar with a violin bow (an idea suggested by David McCallum Sr., whom Page had met while doing studio session work). This technique was also employed on "How Many More Times", a song which features a "Bolero" riff and an improvised shift in cadence.  "Dazed and Confused" would become Zeppelin's signature performance piece for years to come.

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Many of Led Zeppelin's earliest songs were based on blues standards, and the album also included three songs composed by others: "You Shook Me" and "I Can't Quit You Baby", both by blues artist Willie Dixon, and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". Regarding the last of these, at the time Page mistakenly believed he was adapting a traditional folk song he had heard on a Joan Baez record, but this was corrected on subsequent rereleases after it was revealed that the song was composed by Anne Bredon in the 1950s. Dixon, on the other hand, received proper credit as the composer of his two songs on this album (although "You Shook Me" would later be credited also to J. B. Lenoir) but would go on to settle out of court with Led Zeppelin over partial use of other material of his on Plant's lyrics to "Whole Lotta Love". On "You Shook Me", Plant vocally mimics Page's guitar effects, a metallised version of the "call and response" blues technique.

Beck had previously recorded "You Shook Me" for his album, Truth, and accused Page of stealing his idea. With John Paul Jones and Keith Moon, Page had played on (and says he arranged) "Beck's Bolero", an instrumental on Truth that would be grooved into the mix of the Led Zeppelin jam "How Many More Times".

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POSTAGE DETAILS

The cost of postage is set out below, however if you require any further information please email me. Some countries are cheaper than others so it could be less than below. If below £46 please state which service you want.

The cost below is for a single album weighing up to 600grams.

WITHIN THE UK

Value up to £46

Value over £46

Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded

£4.00

Royal Mail 1st Class Standard

£3.50

Royal Mail 2nd Class Recorded

£2.80

Royal Mail 2nd Class Standard

£2.50

Special Delivery

£7.00

Europe

Value up to £46

Value over £46

International Signed For

£10.00

Airmail Small Packets

£6.00

International Signed For

£12.50

Rest Of World

Value up to £46

Value over £46

International Signed For

£13.00

Airmail Small Packets

£8.00

International Signed For

£16.00

HOW IT WILL BE SENT

Records will be sent in a strong album mailer with stiffeners, and with the record separate to the album sleeve, inside a plastic cover.

RETURNS AND FEEDBACK

I don’t normally take any returns but in the unlikely event  if I have missed something or the description is wrong in anyway and you’re not happy with your purchase please contact me first (before you leave feedback) I WILL sort it out and I WILL of course make a REFUND. I do try my best to be as accurate as possible and would never miss-lead you in anyway. In the unlikely event the record is far removed from the description I put, then I will give a refund, but I will expect it back within 10 days from you receiving it and in the same condition as I sent it.

  (Please read all of my description) I will not make any refunds if you simply just changed your mind, I will always be fair and honest.

EXCELLENT 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK

BID WITH CONFIDENCE!!!

ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS

 FEEDBACK

 I will always leave positive feedback; for items I sell I will leave your feedback when you have paid, and for items I buy I will wait until I have received the item. I will never leave negative feedback, if there is a problem I will contact you first and I hope that you will do the same for me.

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GRADING

All my records are graded using the

Record Collector Magazine's Grading Guide

MINT:
The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks
or deterioration in sound quality.
The cover and any extra items are in perfect condition.
Records advertised as sealed or un-played should be mint.

EXCELLENT:
The record shows some signs of having been played,
but there is very little lessening in sound quality.
The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD:
The record has obviously been played many times,
but displays no major deterioration in sound quality,
despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch.
Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items,
without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD:
The record has been played so much
that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated,
perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches.
The cover and contents suffer from folding,
scuffing of edges, spine splits, discoloration, etc.

FAIR:
The record is still just playable but it has not been cared for properly 
and displays considerable surface noise; it may even jump. 
The cover and contents will be torn, stained and/or defaced.