LED ZEPPELIN III 1970 UK LP red/plum Atlantic RARE crossover version TOP AUDIO

	£		123
	$		163

LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN II

An increasingly rare and highly sought after very early UK pressing of this 1970 Led Zeppelin 3 classic LP on the red/maroon ATLANTIC label, 2401-002

in BEAUTIFUL CONDITION!!

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1 2401 002 A-5 420 with stampers "1 4" and "1 1" at 1 o'clock and 1.30 o'clock respectively, the matrix number being hand etched as are the words "DO WHAT THOU WILT"

Side 2  2401 002 B//6 420 with stampers "1 2" and "0 4" at 12.30 o'clock and 5.30 o'clock respectively

The appearance of the vinyl is excellent++. The vinyl has a gorgeous jet black sheen on each side - wonderful! In normal daylight there are no visible imperfections whatsoever and even under a bright light the vinyl is hard to fault...to be honest I can't identify even the usual paper scuffs and wispy hairlines. Most would class the appearance and condition of the vinyl as near mint...this can't be far off. Beautiful vinyl both sides.

The labels are near mint. Pristine in fact with no even the usual faint spindle trails which, along with the beautiful condition vinyl and spindle "tightness" of the centre hole lends credence to the belief that this record has had very few plays.

Note that this copy is the rarer 1st pressing -> 2nd pressing "crossover" copy. The later 1st pressings (such as this one) of this wonderful album are identified by the red & maroon/plum label colouring, an absence of any Peter Grant credit on either label (the earliest 1st pressing production runs included the Peter Grant credit on the labels), and the track "CELEBRATION DAY" being labelled as simply "CELEBRATION" on the side 1 label. The 2nd pressing of this LP has catalogue number K50002 and green and orange colouring of the vinyl labels. The catalogue number for this copy is "ATLANTIC DE LUXE 2401 002" which is clearly printed on the spine and the record labels. As the 2nd pressing production run got underway the "leftover" 1st pressing gatefolds  were stickered with a "K50002" sticker (as this one was). The spine on the "crossover" version still has the old "2401 002" number for which no spine sticker was produced, only a single sticker for the inside of the outer sleeve (as per this copy). My understanding is that these "crossover variants are rarer than even the earliest 1st pressings.

The laminated "Zacron" outer gatefold sleeve is excellent.  Such an iconic sleeve, and so rare to come across an original in as good a condition as this. All the edges are firm with no scuffing, the spine is rigid, the colouring and artwork is unfettered by marks, nicks, writing, doodles, scrapes, abrasions, scuffs, or rubs...it's just beautiful. The corners are well defined right angles with no rubbing and the opening sides are rigid with no just the hint of some very minor fraying on the back opening side only. There is no laminate lifting and the pictured wheel works perfectly.  Other than that, perfect!!

Finally, the quality of the audio is excellent+. No clicks, skips, "pops" or anything untoward of that nature. Yes, perhaps just the occasional, sporadic hint of some background static but it's just dust in the grooves from decades of storage. Wonderful tone and clarity; deep, rich sounds emanating from each speaker with no distortion even at higher volume and on the higher frequencies. Every track on this timeless rock classic album still makes for a great listen. Clearly (and as already stated) this LP has been played only a few times. Enjoy!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. IMMIGRANT SONG

2. FRIENDS

3. CELEBRATION (listed as "CELEBRATION DAY" on the sleeve)

4. SINCE I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU

5. OUT ON THE TILES 

Side 2 :

1. GALLOW'S POLE

2. TANGERINE

3. THAT'S THE WAY

4. BRON-Y-AUR STOMP

5. HATS OFF TO (ROY) HARPER

Comes with original poly-lined "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" inner sleeve which has no splits or tears and remains in truly excellent condition. Note that I always post the record in a new plain white inner sleeve in order to protect the original.

In summary a SUPERB copy of this rare and highly sought after 1970 UK original "crossover" variant rock classic - a "must" for any serious rock vinyl collection and only continuing to gain in value. You will need to go a long way to find a better condition copy than this.

 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 48 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 63 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 cardboard mailer along with at least two 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 Royal Mail 1st class tracked and signed for  : UK £5.00, continental Europe £11, and Rest of the World £15. 

 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