Led Zeppelin 1969 UK TURQUOISE 1st Press Atlantic superhype uncorrected matrix

	£		1,650
	$		2,186

LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN 

A very nice condition copy of this extremely rare and highly sought after 1969 UK very 1st press "Turquoise" variant Led Zep rock classic, with earliest (and uncorrected) A1, B1 vinyl matrix numbers on the coveted red & plum Atlantic record label, STEREO, 588 171

The dead wax matrix numbers are :

Side 1   588171 A//1 with stampers "1 1 8" at 5 o'clock

Side 2    588171 B//1 with stampers "1 8 5" at 11 o'clock

The appearance and overall condition of the flat and nicely weighted vinyl is an overall very good plus (VG+). Each side gleams, with a gorgeous jet black sheen and in normal daylight comes across as nothing less than very impressive. With close scrutiny under a very bright light some small wispy hairlines and a few very light scuff marks do come into view - all non-feelable, surface only, and superficial. The exception to this are two very light, but just feelable, scratches : a 6mm very light scratch on A1 and a similarly light 4mm scratch on A2. The A1 scratch does not impinge upon the overall brilliant sound quality at all, but the A2 scratch does result in x6 light clicks - background, but just noticeable. Overall a solid "very good" - still impressive and hard 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 very faint spindle trails adjacent to the centre hole on each label. Note the "Superhype" credits on each label - indicative of a UK 1st pressing.

The condition of the laminated MacNeill Press outer sleeve is a solid very good. The top and bottom edges remain firm with no scuffing at all and each corner remains a nicely defined right angle with minimal rubbing. All spine text is perfectly intact, and the spine itself is the 1st press "pinched" ends variant, and the opening edges remain firm with no feathering or fraying. There is some mild but noticeable and almost continuous vertical laminate lifting on the front side adjacent to the spine, x5 light surface/laminate creases adjacent and perpendicular to the spine on the front side, one of which does impinge slightly upon the spine itself and slightly reduces the rigidity of the spine at that point. There is also a very light (you need to tilt the sleeve to the right angle in a good light in order to spot it) 7cm surface crease underneath the turquoise text, a few other very light and non-obvious laminate crease marks on each side, and a small black smudge adjacent to the bottom edge on the reverse side. All colours, art work, photos, and text remain in rich, vibrant condition with great clarity and definition. In summary, not perfect by any means but definitely a "very good plus" and remaining eminently presentable, and with the coveted turquoise text incredibly rare.

The quality of the audio is excellent (EX). Excellent tone and clarity throughout, even at higher volume and on higher frequencies. No repeats, sticks, skips or intrusive background crackle/interference. There is just the hint of some very light background crackle during a couple of the quieter moments and interludes, and the aforementioned x6 light background clicks towards the beginning of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You". Irrespective of these very minor glitches every track on this wonderful, timeless LP makes for great listening, and there is no doubt that these 1st pressings have so much more power and "raunchiness" than later pressings/re-issues, which somehow seem diluted. Wonderful!

The tracks are :

Side 1 :

1. GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES

2. BABE I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU

3. YOU SHOOK ME

4. DAZED AND CONFUSED

Side 2 :

1. YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME

2. BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE

3. COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

4. I CAN'T QUIT YOU BABY

5. HOW MANY MORE TIMES

Comes with original excellent condition poly-lined "PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DANGEROUS" inner sleeve with "British Patent..." and "Made in England" text  - just a single 1cm tear on the front side on the circumference of the die-cut, but no other tears or rips, no seam splits, barely any creasing, and virtually no age discolouration, 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 lovely condition and highly presentable copy of this 1969 UK very 1st press Led Zeppelin rock classic - the rarest of rare rock holy grails with the coveted turquoise lettering; the whole LP remains a tremendous listen....timeless, in fact. A "must have" 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 £6.00, Royal Mail special delivery; 

Continental Europe £12, and Rest of the World £16 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