LED ZEPPELIN III 1970 UK 1st PRESS PLUM/RED LABELS "DO WHAT THOU WILT" TOP AUDIO

	£		142
	$		188

LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN III 3

A truly excellent (at least) condition copy of this increasingly rare and highly sought after 1970 UK 1st press Led Zep rock classic, with original A5, B7 vinyl matrix numbers on the coveted red & plum Atlantic record label, STEREO, 2401 002

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   etched 2401002 A 7 followed by "ep" and a downward arrow, stampers "11 5" inverted at 6 o'clock, and also etched "Do what thou wilt"

Side 2    etched 2401002 B - 5 and "GHC" at 7.30 o'clock, stampers "1 2 4" at 12 o'clock, and also etched "So mote it be"

Note the "Do what thou wilt" and "So mote it be" side 1 and side 2 dead wax etched texts, indicative of a 1st UK pressing.

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is a solid excellent (EX), at least. Each side gleams, with a gorgeous jet black sheen and in normal daylight comes across as completely unmarked. It is only with close scrutiny under a very bright light that a few small and extremely wispy hairlines come into few along with a couple of equally light paper scuffs - not obvious, even under a bright light, although there is a single 4cm very light line scuff on side 2 that is just visible in normal daylight when the vinyl is tilted at the right angle. Nothing feelable, nothing below the surface, and all very trivial and superficial. It is difficult to believe that this vinyl is a 50 year old antiquity. 

The labels are excellent plus (EX+). Gorgeous condition labels with black text upon the smooth red/plum/white background and, of course, the iconic Atlantic logo, all in tip-top condition. The only blemishes are just a few small and extremely faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label. Note the "MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN", "Warner Bros Music Ltd.", "Under license from...", and "EXECUTIVE Producer: Peter Grant" texts - all indicative of a true UK 1st pressing.

The condition of the non-laminated outer sleeve is excellent plus (EX+). Amazingly, hard to fault...all edges, including the spine, remain firm with NO scuffing at all! Each corner remains a perfectly defined right angle with NO rubbing! All spine text is perfectly intact, the opening edges remain firm with NO feathering or fraying, there is NO carboard creasing, NO laminate lifting, and there is NO age discolouration - remarkable!! The unique revolving picture wheel also remains in perfectly functional condition, and all colours, art work, photos, and text remain in rich, vibrant condition with great clarity and definition. It is difficult to find fault with this iconic 1st press gatefold at all (actually I've just found one - there is a single, barely noticeable, 2cm laminate striation on the reverse side towards the bottom edge...nothing really) - simply put, it remains in gorgeous condition with the inside of the gatefold looking as wonderful as the day this record was first bought half a century ago!

The quality of the audio is excellent (EX) or better. Wonderful tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No repeats, sticks or obvious clicks (I noticed a single light click during the interlude preceding track 2 on side 1), and barely any crackle or interference - just the hint of some very mild background crackle at the very beginning and end of each side and during a couple of the quieter moments but this is non-intrusive, very trivial and I am sure that a proper clean would further reduce any background noise (probably down to dust in the grooves through decades of storage) which is very minimal anyway. Every track on this wonderful, timeless LP makes for great listening, and these 1st pressings have so much more power and "raunchiness" than later pressings/re-issues, which somehow seem diluted. Brilliant!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. IMMIGRANT SONG

2. FRIENDS

3. CELEBRATION DAY

4. SINCE I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU

5. OUT ON THE TILES

Side 2 :

1. GALLOWS POLE

2. TANGERINE

3. THAT'S THE WAY

4. BRON-Y-AUR STOMP

5. HATS OFF TO (ROY) HARPER

Comes with near perfect condition poly-lined "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" inner sleeve with "British Patent..." and "MADE IN ENGLAND" text  - no rips or tears and just a little mild creasing towards three of the corners, and of course remaining fully functional. Note that I always use a new, plain white replacement inner sleeve for shipping purposes in order to protect the original.

In summary a very solid excellent condition and eminently presentable copy of this increasingly rare and sought after 1970 UK 1st press Led Zeppelin rock classic - the whole LP remains a tremendous listen....timeless, in fact. A "must" for any serious rock vinyl collection and will only continue to gain in value.

 If you require any further information, including photos, then let me know and I'll do my best to oblige. 

If this record interests you then take a look at my other 60's & 70's classic vinyl listings.

A bit about myself : I have been collecting vinyl for more than 50 years and have amassed a huge collection covering a varied genre, but mostly of 1960's and 70's origin. Most of my records were originally bought by myself for my own collection, but during the past 30 years I have embellished my collection by buying records from a variety of sources : friends/acquaintances, car boot sales, auctions, and even through putting up a "vinyl wanted" notice in my wife's shop! I am now retired and take great delight in being able to spend more time scouring the country and attending boot sales and auctions in the hope of unearthing more vinyl gems...I am 65 years of age now and am still discovering bands and music of the 60's and 70's that I have never come across before. Wonderful! Richard

My ebay feedback speaks for itself so rest assured that you are buying from a trusted seller and in the very unlikely event that you are unhappy with your purchase just e-mail me and I'll sort out the problem. I offer a "no quibble" refund policy. 

On the subject of postage, I take great care in the packaging of all items, using a proper vinyl thick cardboard "crucifix" style mailer along with at least two thick cardboard stiffeners. I take great care in separating the record from the outer sleeve in order to help prevent sleeve damage in transit and I always insert the vinyl, outer sleeve and inner into a clear plastic sleeve, thus adding further protection. 

For this item postage & packaging will be UK £4.00, Royal Mail 1st class signed for; 

Continental Europe £11, and Rest of the World £15 respectively, Royal Mail 1st class international Airmail tracked and signed for

 I DO discount post & packaging costs for multiple purchases. I do NOT profit from postage.

Good luck with your bidding!

NOTE : My vinyl descriptions comply with the official Record Collector vinyl grading guidelines :

Mint

The records itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items, such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. Records advertised as Sealed or Unplayed 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, discolouration, etc.

Fair

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

Poor

The record will not play properly due to scratches, bad surface noise, etc. The cover and contents are badly damaged or partly missing.

Bad

The record is unplayable or might even be broken, and is only of use as a collection-filler