LED ZEPPELIN III A5/B6 Red/Plum CELEBRATION Error Lovely COVER & MINT- AUDIO WoW
£
290
$
384
£ 290
Sold For
Apr 21, 2024
Sold Date
Apr 11, 2024
Start Date
26
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
Country Of Seller
eBay
Auctioned at
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Description
I will declare a lower amount on the customs form for all countries so as to avoid/decrease high import charges. However, in the case of the EU all purchases are subject to VAT which eBay collect at point of sale. No shipping currently to Russia.
Led Zeppelin III A5 / B6 Red / Plum Pressing w/ Celebration Error
I have not heard a red / plum pressing of this classic album play with such incredible sonic quality for a long long time. Put simply there is no interference and the clarity, depth and power of the audio is STUNNING! It may not be an A5/B5 first pressing but if you want a pristine FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing then this is the one to own! And of course it's well documented that the red / plums have a greater depth and warmth hence why they are so collectable. I have graded every track as Mint and only one as Mint- and that is only because of one minor static tick right at the end of a fade out! There is also one light click on S1 but that is in the dead wax between tracks.
The vinyl is visually stunning with no marks or scratches and has clearly hardly ever been played. There are only a couple of faint spindle traces on each label. It is easily one of the most pristine examples I have ever seen.
The iconic cover has been so well preserved with only the bare minimum of wear. I have graded it as Ex+ but it is so close to Near Mint- and the 'wheel' works perfectly by the way. The inner sleeve is in excellent shape with only light wear.
This is a transitional press and a relatively rare one at that. It has an A5/B6 matrix and still has the Celebration misprint on the S1 label. The 2401002 catalogue number on the labels has a hyphen and the Jimmy Page production credit is in bold at the bottom of each label. The inside of the gatefold has the 'new' Atlantic catalogue sticker and interestingly the S2 run off omits the 'So mote it be' etching.
2401002 A - 5 1 1 1 2 GHC // Do what thou wilt (all etched)
2401002 B // 6 ▽ 420 1 2 1 (all stamped)
The audio on S1 is Mint(-)
The audio on S2 is Mint(-)
The gatefold is Ex++
The 'plastic bags' inner is Ex
The labels are Mint-
Visual description
The vinyl is in lovely condition with a very strong glossy sheen and there are no marks or scratches. Looking under a bright light I can only see a small number of insignificant faint hairlines and there is obviously no 'bag rash' or groove wear. The run out grooves are extremely clean as are the red / plum labels which are unmarked and have hardly any spindle wear. They have also retained all of their original deep colour.
Play grading
The run in on S1 has no background and then the intro on 'Immigrant Song' plays loud and true with no intrusion either. Plant's opening vocal is faultless and it continues to play with that typical Led Zepp power with nothing to detract from the audio. The rhythm section of Jones and Bonham of course add so much to the 'sound' here - the bass is so deep and strong and the percussion drives along so powerfully. Every vocal and instrumental section play 'as new' and that includes the fade out also. A superb Mint version to begin the album.
With complete silence in the dead wax the 'spoken intro' on 'Friends' has not even a single dust tick and the acoustic section is just as impressive. The first vocal is just as clean as is the next instrumental passage. The next vocal is of the same standard and to the very end it plays with sublime quality and... no interference. There is none of that 'tinny' distorted sound that you so often find on this vinyl and Mint is again deserved.
The segue into 'Celebration Day' is perfect - the moog intro is basically perfect with only a couple of barely audible dust ticks. Page's first introduction has only one mega quiet static and Bonham joins in the audio is stunning! This is a powerful 'busy' track and yet the original sonic quality is still very much there in all its glory! There is no distortion on the top end and I really cannot compliment this version highly enough. I played it 'loud' and the playback is just phenomenal. Like I say there is zero distortion and Plant's vocal is also very much on the higher register here and yet is still so 'clean' and powerful. From start to finish including the fade out this is Mint and this is the definitive version. There is one light click in the dead wax, best place for it I guess!
The entire intro on 'Since I've Been Loving You' plays great clarity with no ticks, clicks etc. A Mint start for sure. Plant's opening vocal is up to the task also and plays with impeccable precision and it continues in the same manner. Page's mid solo is so good, 'as new' in fact with no background and the quiet section that follows could not play any better either. This truly is audio of the highest calibre! The rest of this classic plays with such clean audio and Plant's final high octane vocal is so strong and powerful. The brief instrumental that closes the track is perfect and again I have no hesitation in grading this as Mint such is the quality. It's worth noting that this track of course is relatively quiet even during Plant's vocal excursions and it's rare to find one playing with such immaculate clarity on a red / plum pressing.
'Out On The Tiles' so often plays with a fair amount of distortion but this has to be the most STUNNING example I have heard in many a year. You can play it loud without any distortion and the playback is just fantastic! From the very first note it plays with genuine power and definition and no interference. This is such a 'clean' version and that is very much in evidence throughout Plant's vocal. The 'heavier' section towards the end where Jones' bass is very high in the mix is superb! And through to the very end it plays with incredible quality. I honest cannot remember when I last heard a Mint version of this classic (if ever!) but we certainly have one here.
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The acoustic intro on 'Gallows Pole' plays beautifully with no intrusion and the opening vocal section is just as good. As the tempo increases the clarity does not drop and thereafter plays with stunning precision. Bonham is in his element and this is a STUNNING version with perfect audio. I will grade as Mint- due to one light static tick at the end of the fade out!
The brief acoustic intro on 'Tangerine' is perfect and the 7 second 'silent' passage has no background either. I've never noticed it before but there is a 'count' through this silent section but it is so so quiet and I only heard it because the clarity here is just on another level. The next acoustic section is 'as new' and Plant's opening vocal section plays with outstanding quality also. The first chorus is just as impressive and it continues to play like it has never seen a turntable before! No ticks, clicks, pops or static - this is 10/10 throughout. It has that CD like clean aesthetic quality but with the warmth and depth you only find on vinyl. A Mint version in every way.
'That's The Way' also plays with a sonic quality that could not be beaten. The clarity of sound is again unbelievable and there is not a single dust tick and the depth of sound throughout is superb, especially on the end section where Jones' bass is very much to the fore. This is Mint from start to finish and so far S2 is definitely as good as S1!
'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp' is 'as new' with no interference. Led Zepp III met with a fair amount of criticism at the time because of its largely acoustic sound but it is another classic in their catalogue of course. The playback is perfect with no background and I mean NO background! Something you rarely hear - the final 'tweak' right at the end on Page's guitar! That is another indication of the clarity on offer here. Mint
'Hat's Off To (Roy) Harper' ends this remarkable album with exceptional audio and no intrusion. There is no need to elaborate as it just could not play any better and Mint is richly deserved.
In summary this red / plum pressing plays to a standard you so rarely find today. I tend not to use the word rare but in this case I do think it applies. The clarity of sound here is quite simply astonishing and it's been a long time since I heard one as perfect as this. Ok it's not a genuine first press but of course any red / plum is collectable when it plays with such IMMACULATE 'as new' audio. The vinyl is in lovely condition with no marking and it is patently obvious it has hardly been played, you do not get sonic quality like this if it has been spun a number of times. This is without doubt a FINAL UPGRADE archive pressing that could not play any better. It is a real 'find', a collectors item.
The Gatefold & Inner Sleeve
This laminated E.J. Day cover is in superb condition with hardly any shelf wear and there is nothing that stands out. As stated the 'wheel' still works perfectly and as per the first / early pressings the top and bottom edge of the front cover is 'open' so as to allow free movement of the wheel. The top and bottom edges are for once so clean with barely any rubbing and the wide spine is near perfect apart from one minor indent / crease line. Only the lower right corner on the front and lower left corner on the back have minimal wear / rubbing, the others are extremely clean. The opening edge is pristine and the front cover is very close to that with a couple of faint lines along the bottom edge and the minor creasing in the corner. The back cover is the same and rarely has none of the yellowing / fading around the edges that you so often see and there is no laminate creasing either. The inside of the gatefold is stunning and has the K50002 Atlantic sticker just below the track-listing. This has to be one of the best covers around today.
The poly-lined 'Plastic Bags...' inner has no side splits or tears and just has some age related fading mainly along the top edges and a little creasing.
Play tested on my Rega P2 with AT VM95EN Cart / Denon PMA-520AE Amp / B&W 684 Speakers
This record has been cleaned on a Pro-Ject VC-S machine
2401002 A - 5 1 1 1 2 GHC // Do what thou wilt (all etched)2401002 B // 6 ▽ 420 1 2 1 (all stamped)
I grade according to "Record Collector" guidelines.
Any questions please feel free to ask
Please pay within 4 days of auction end
Recent Feedback
THIS IS WHAT A SELLER SHOULD BE LIKE ON HIGH END VINYL! Exactly as described if not better ! I could not be a happier customer .. well packed for international flight .. and shipped and received very fast .. No worries here this guy is the topsGREAT AS DESCRIBED BEST SELLR OF ALL THE UK PEOPLE AND I HAVE BOUGHT FROM ALL OF THEM
Beautiful record as described, fast safe delivery, top seller. Cheers Steve.
Another fantastic LP from this seller - condition exactly as shown and the audio as described! Fast delivery, vinyl properly and carefully packed. Very highly recommended A++++
Another stunning LP from this very reliable and helpful seller.
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Great seller and great vinyl record, professionally packaged. I’m very satisfied with my purchase and will certainly buy again!
Postage & Packaging
I will only send items items worldwide via tracked shipping. This provides 'peace of mind' in case of loss or damage. The shipping costs are shown below and combined shipping is always offered. Any over-payment will always be refunded.
The Royal Mail only insure up to a value of £250 so if an item sells for more it may be wise to use a courier service (e.g. Parcelforce or DPD). An extra insurance premium will be required but I will not know the exact amount until the final sale price is known. Because of this I will sometimes have to estimate the cost and this will be shown in the listing. Please wait for the invoice before making payment and if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Many thanks.
All vinyls are packaged in strong over-sized custom made mailers with plenty of extra cardboard protection. They are placed inside separate poly-lined inners outside the cover so as to avoid seam splits in transit and then placed inside a PVC sleeve to provide even more protection. I pride myself on my high quality packaging as my feed confirms and if any customer has any specific requirements I am more than happy to help.
The mailers I use cost £1.00 each and I will use anything between 3-5 cardboard stiffeners which cost approx £0.18 each. There is also the cost of the poly-lined inner and PVC sleeve to consider, it all adds up! Not forgetting that eBay take 10% of the shipping fee also!!
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LPs/12" singles : £5.95 up to 1kg then £1.00 per extra item
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REST OF WORLD (Tracked - Max 2kg)
LPs/12" singles : £21.95 then £2.50 per extra
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