Led Zeppelin IV UK LP VERY 1ST RED/ PLUM WITH ALL 5 LABEL ERRORS.PLAYS EXCELLENT

	£		260
	$		345

LED ZEPPELIN - 4

THE ULTRA RARE VERY FIRST PRESS WITH THE LABEL ERRORS

ORIGINAL RED AND PLUM ATLANTIC PRESS

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  2401012
• MATRIX: 2401012 B3 (CROSSED OUT) A//3  1.2.5  2401012 B//3 1 2 1 
• SIDE ONE DEAD WAX HAS 'PECKO DUCK' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX, SIDE 2 HAS 'PORKY' ETCHED INTO THE DEAD WAX
• PETER GREEN CRDITS
• NO SUPERHYPE CREDITS
• INCORRECT LED ZEPELIN TYPEFACE PLACEMENT
• INCORRECT ATLANTIC CORP CREDIT PLACEMENT
• CORRECT SPELLING OF MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP

ON OFFER HERE IS A VERY VERY RARE GENUINE FIRST PRESS OF THIS CLASSIC ALBUM FROM LED ZEPPELIN. CERTAINLY ANY RED AND PLUM LABELLED ISSUE OF THIS CAN BE CONSIDERED A FIRST PRESS, BUT THERE WERE LABEL AND CREDIT ISSUES THAT BLIGHTED THE INITIAL RELEASED AND THESE HAD TO BE CHANGED AND THEREFORE THE VERY FIRST BATCH OF VINYLS THAT CAME OFF THE PRESS ALL HAD INCORRECT LABELS. THIS IS THE VERY FIRST OF THOSE, WITH ALL OF THE MISTAKES.

FIRSTLY THE VINYL'S MATRIX NUMBERS ARE A3 / B3 WHERAS MOST OTHER RED AND PLUM ISSUES ARE A3 / B4

NEXT THE LABEL HAS 'UNDER LICENCE FROM ATLANTIC CORPN,' JUST ABOVE THE WHITE BAND ON THIS LABEL WHERAS THE CORRECT AND LATER ISSUES HAS THIS WORDING INSIDE THE WHITE BAND BELOW THE LARGE ATLANTIC LOGO

THE MUSIC CREDITS ON THIS LABEL STATE KINNEY MUSIC LTD, WHERAS THE CORRECT CREDITS STATE KINNEY MUSIC LTD / SUPERHYPE MUSIC INC'

THIS FIRST LABEL ALSO HAS THE NAME OF THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER PETER GREEN UNDERNEATH 'PRODUCED BY JiMMY PAGE' AT THE FOOR OF THE LABEL, WHEARS THE CORRECT LATER LABEL OMITS ANY MENTION OF PETER GREEN

FINALLY AND PROBABLY THE MOST OBVIOUS IS THE LED ZEPPELIN TYPEFACE. IT SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE ORANGE SECTION AT THE TOP OF THE LABEL SITED JUST UNDERNEATH THE FOUR SYMBOLS, BUT ON THIS EARLIEST LABEL IT SITS IN THE PURPLE AREA UNDERNEATH THE TRACK LISTING

AND ONE OTHER THING. THERE WERE A LOT OF THE LATER LABELS THAT HAD AN INCORRECT SPEELING OF MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP, AND IT WAS LISTEN AS MISTY MOUNTAIN 'TOP', BUT ON THIS EARLIEST LABEL IT IS CORRECTLY DESCRIBED AS 'HOP'

THIS VERY RARE LABEL ERROR WAS LIMITED TO JUST A FEW HUNDRED COPIES AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE HARDEST ZEPPELIN ALBUM TO COLLECT EVEN RARER THAN THE TURQUOISE TEXTED FIRST ALBUM

I ALSO WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME DETAILING THE SUBJECT OF AN ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS SLEEVE, BECAUSE OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNERS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON THIS ALBUM IN PARTICULAR TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE THEN YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A PLUM AND ORANGE LABELLED DISC SITTING INSIDE A GREEN AND ORANGE LABELS ISSUE SLEEVE. SO I AM GOING TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU NEED TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR

FIRST OF ALL THE SLEEVE ON THE VERY FIRST ISSUES WERE MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD THAN LATER REISSUES, AND THEREFORE IT WAS STRONGER. TAKE A LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE OPENING EDGE AND THE CARD USED SHOULD BE A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN THAN THE CARD USED ON THE LATER ONES. MOST OBVIOUS OF ALL IS THE FACT THAT THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SEMI LAMINATED WHERAS A CORRECT FIRST ISSUE IS DEFINITELY NOT LAMINATED.

THE INNER SLEEVE IS ALSO DIFFERENT, AND IS VERY EASY TO TELL APART FROM ANY THAT HAVE BEEN SWAPPED. THE FIRST ISSUE MUST HAVE FLIPBACKS OVERLAPPING THE EDGES AND STUCK DOWN OUTSIDE OF THE INNER, AND IN ADDITION THE FIRST ISSUE IS A DARKER SHADE OF GRAY THAN REISSUES

I TELL YOU ALL OF THIS SO THAT YOU ARE IN THE KNOW AND CAN AVOID A HYBRID CONCOCTION, EVEN IF THIS PARTICULAR SET IS NOT FOR YOU.

I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT I WOULDN'T USUALLY LIST ANY RECORD THAT FALLS BELOW AN EXCELLENT PLUS GRADE, BUT HERE WE HAVE ONE OF THE RAREST ZEPPELIN ALBUMS, AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT IS AS GOOD A CONDITION THAT I WOULD USUALLY WISH TO FIND, IT IS NEVERTHELESS A RARITY

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE RED AND PLUM LABELS ARE IN TOP CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITEBAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY THERE ARE JUST 10-15 TINY SPIDER LINES CLOSE TO THE SPINDLE HOLE SHOWING THAT THIS  VINYL HAS  HAD LIMITED PLAY SINCE 1971 SOME 40 YEARS AGO

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN REALLY CLEAN AND SHINY CONDITION. THE VINYL HAS RETAINED ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL LUSTRE AND IN DAYLIGHT LOOKS ALMOST FLAWLESS WITH JUST A COUPLE OF VERY FINE HANDLING LINES TO BE SEEN.  HOWEVER UNDER INTENSE ILLUMINATION THERE ARE MANY MORE FINE HANDLING LINES AND WISPY HAIRLINES TO BE SEEN

PLAYING THE RECORD

I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON A FANTASTIC COLLECTIBLE VINYL, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE BUYING. I HAVE THEREFORE INVESTED IN THE SOFTWARE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO JUST THAT.

I HAVE DECIDED TO RECORD THE ENTIRE ALBUM FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO BEFORE DECIDING TO MAKE A BID. I NOW DO THIS WITH ALL MY LISTINGS AS I KNOW THAT BIDDERS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE RECORD BEFORE LAYING A BID. THIS IS A SERVICE I AM DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER MY CUSTOMERS

I WAS STAGGERED AT THE CLARITY OF THIS ALBUM. IT IS PURE FIRST PRESS, AND THE INTRODUCTION TO 'ROCK AND ROLL' IS JUST INCREDIBLE

THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO THE SOUND SHOWING THAT THE PLAYS THE VINYL HAS RECEIVED WAS COMPLETED WITH AN UNWORN AND CORRECTLY WEIGHTED STYLUS

THERE IS SOME VERY LIGHT BACKGROUND VINYL NOISE HEARD LIGHTLY BEHIND SOME AREAS OF THE MUSIC

THERE ARE IN ADDITION RANDOM LITTLE POPS AND TICS HEARD THROUGH THE PLAYTHROUGH

FOR ME THIS VINYL GRADES EXCELLENT OR EXCELLENT PLUS AT THE VERY BEST

DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH, TAKE A FULL LISTEN AND JUDGE IT FOR YOURSELF

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES

THE COLOURS REMAIN UNRUBBED AND INCREDIBLY THERE ARE NO TINY LINES NEAR THE SPINE.

THERE IS NO RINGWEAR OR EVEN A TRACE OF RECORD SHAPE EITHER.

THE  BOTTOM LEFT CORNER TIP IS RUBBED SLIGHTLY

THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES HAVE VERY LIGHT SHELF WEAR IN THE FORM OF LIGHT RUBBING TO A FEW RANDOM PATCHES

THE SPINE IS IN TOP CONDITION.  ALL OF THE COLOUR INTACT WITH JUST THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS LIGHTLY RUBBED.

IT IS TOTALLY FLAT AND 100% UNSQUASHED

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP, AND DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY THUMB NAIL NICKS

THE REAR SURFACE IS IN THE SAME STUNNING CONDITION AS  THE FRONT. UNCREASED AND ALL OF THE COLOURS INTACT AND AGAIN NO LINES NEAR THE SPINE

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A PRISTINE INNER SURFACE THAT HAS NO COLOUR LOSS , AND THAT IS UNUSUAL BECAUSE THE JET BLACK SURFACE HAS USUALLY GOT SOME WHITENESS OR FLECKS ON THE SURFACE. BUT THIS ONE IS JUST PRISTINE ON BOTH PANELS

THE ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE IS INCLUDED, WITH THE FLIPBACKS. I HAVE DETAILED AT THE TOP OF THE LISTING WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE INNER TO BE A CORRECT FIRST ISSUE AND THIS ONE IS EXACTLY THAT DESCRIPTION

WHAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR INNER IS THAT THERE ARE NO CREASES WHATSOEVER. IT IS TOTALLY FLAT AND ONLY THE BOTTOM SEAM SHOWS ANY WEAR, BECAUSE IT LOOKS TO HAVE SPLIT A LITTLE AT SOME POINT BUT HAS BEEN INVISIBLY REPAIRED

THE SLEEVE GRADES NEAR MINT

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BID IF YOU CHOSE TO GO FOR IT

GARRY