LED ZEPPELIN Houses of the Holy 1st Press+ OBI

	£		388
	$		514

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Artist or Band: LED ZEPPELIN

Album Title: Houses of the Holy.

Producer(s): Jimmy Page.

Track Listing:

Side 1: The Song Remains the Same; The Rain Song; Over the Hills and Far Away; The Crunge.

Side 2: Dancing Days; D’Yer Mak’er; No Quarter; The Ocean.

Label/Format: Atlantic – Original deeper coloured original.

Label Conditions: Two stunning clean labels that retain the freshness and looks of new. Just a couple of very faint spindle marks each side seen under light,but this massive issue has barely been played, that rare in itself.

Cat Number: 50014 .

Country of Manufacture: England.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 147 grams. Way heavier than average for this one. Even slightly later pressings became thinner and invariably less well pressed.

A SPECIAL NOTE ON THIS COPY & RARITY: This is a much rarer heavyweight genuine first pressing that includes the near impossible to find original UK Obi strip – an identity sash placed on the cover when first issued (but briefly only). This being the first UK one I have ever seen, the only other was a German-made example. A few of the first issues included this paper band around the record cover for identification (as none is available on the outer cover itself). Of the few even made, even fewer survive, most were torn off and discarded and this one, is still infact with no repairs and any wear modestly light. I truly regard this Obi strip to be even rarer than the turquoise covered first album, those can be found without too much trouble if you have the money for one. But the first runs of this album that still include the Obi strip are proving nigh-on impossible to find. The Japanese use these paper bands around their albums, but are rarely used elsewhere and hardly ever in the UK. Also the inner sleeve is textured and thicker, later ones were made smooth. This has survived fully intact with NO repairs and is still clean too. The main cover is also heavier and thicker and printed with totally flat matt surfaces, later ones had a more soft semi-gloss sheen, the colour intensity varies too. Lastly, and for this critical sound enthuiast, far from leastly, this record is much more substantially pressed on heavy and thicker vinyl. And the sound it offers is simply fantastic. This is hardly a rare album per se, but the standard issue, most all flimsy pressings, often crackle and often substantially. This hardly played genuine A2/B2 matrix first issue plays beautifully with practically nothing unwanted offering the finest possible sound for the audiophile listener. Do not underestimate just how rare this album is as a complete first pressing. My first UK one ever and to even find the Obi band at all is rare, to find one still in one piece is a near impossibility. This has only modest wear and two small splits on one part of the fold area and is guaranteed original and with no repairs. Obviously over the years, the area that rests upon the folds of the cover will weaken and stress and most all will tear totally. Overall this fragile and rare cover band has survived the perils of time, handling and storate well and still looks lovely. Clearly a rare opportunity for the specialist Led Zeppelin collector and those who want the earliest pressing to get the maximum details and cleanest sound from the record.

Original Year of Release: 1973

Matrix Nos: K 50014 A2 / K 50014 B2

Run-Out Groove Text: ‘STIRLING K1’ / ‘STERLING RL’.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Their brilliant fifth album and the first that never appeared on the famous Plum format in the UK. Often underrated, compared to the first four but unjustifiably so, how could any band follow classics of that stature indefintely? - answer, to do something a little different and Houses of the Holy works beautifully, only slightly blemished (in my opinion) by two lesser songs: ‘The Crunge’ which experimented with a funk sound and the reggae track ‘D’yer Mak’er’, which really does not work for me. The other six songs are pure classic Led Zeppelin at their very best. Chart topping in both the UK and US this album includes fantastic (and slightly controversial at the time) artwork - the centrespread still for me is one of the most beautiful ever made. Please note, I have carefully placed items to obscure the closer images but NOTHING unwanted is hidden in terms of wear, marks or blemishes. Any Led Zeppelin collector will treasure this first UK pressing that includes the first heavier matt cover, textured inner sleeve and that ultra rare Obi band – again I state – it’s the very first UK one I have ever seen. The record hardly played and offering the ultimate sound quality and details only first first pressings ever can. This is a wonderful set and opportunity.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high and seldom seen like this. All the ingredients are here again for rubbing and ringwear and to find an early example with few blemishes are unsual.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated, matt finished gatefold that has no text printed on it whatsoever. Thus the first that made the shops had the Obi band to identify the album as per this – but few survive. This first cover is more substantial than later ones with thicker folds and more solid construction. This includes the textured inner sleeve.

Cover Front & Back: Both sides are quite similar: both very clean, fresh and barely worn or aged. A few light marks or minor faint surface crease but no ring marks and barely any rubbing. I have placed items carefully NOT to hide any blemishes but obcure the more closer images. One of the more unusual covers not to include any text what so ever on any surface and this beautiful work of art has more than stood the test-of-time and still looks fantastic.

Cover Inner Gatefold: One of the greatest inner gatefold spreads you will ever with to see, I love this artwork and rarely have seen it look better. This looks gorgeous and is very richly coloured with much deeper colour that subsequent printings.

Top Edges: The only rubbing is small near the back right corner.

Bottom Edges: Even these ‘resting edges’ show barely any traces of wear, just light rubs near the ends.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mainly sharp with little wear and both guaranteed untrimmed. Record entered on this right outside back edge. Slight thickening near the bottom of the back.

Spine and Text: An immaculate spine: solid, robust, straight, uncompressed and folded near square, both right edges meet up only a couple millimeters short of flush but very parallel. No text was printed on this one and the design flows around with practically zero traces of any wear to the delicate artwork surface. Any slight rub traces, near the very top and bottom.

Corners: Mainly light tip rubs that few will ever avoid, fast approaching 40, few matt covers with such vivid and bright artwork will avoid corner tip rubbing at the very least. All retain very fine shape, or better still.

Cover Summary: A few minor blemishes but realistically, few will better this genuine first issue cover. It still looks lovely and the matt surfaces are obviously more prone to wear, especially so with a much heavier than average record inside. All this and including the rare Obi sash, this should please most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): this being ultra critical. This being the heavier card with the original textured finish. It has the original MacNeill Press English credits. Overall, in superb condition with the only tiny hint of it’s age is ultra faint darkening on the seams from the adhesive. Barely any wear with no creasing and all edges unsplit with NO repairs. Still a fine shade of white, this is a substantial weight, heavier than later ones and soon to be constructed with smooth card when the specialised texturing was omitted.

The Obi Strip (Cover Band or Sash): EXCELLENT: I do not think any example will exist without some creasing or minor splits to the areas that contact the cover folds. Of course, over time, these will stress this thin paper band. Known as Obi strips or bands, these are used in Japan widely and the term is used for a belt worn with the Kimino. Seldom used elsewhere but initial examples of this album included this identity band as no other clues to what this album was are includes on the entire cover, including the inside gatefold. These original UK Obis are very rare indeed, and I truly state, I think they are rarer than the turquoise logo covers of the band’s first album. I have had a few of those over the years, but this is my very first one of these. Check out the websites to see how many of these have been sold before, you will find very few indeed, but plenty of turquoise Led Zeppelin I’s. Of the few that may or do surface, most will be badly torn, dirty and repaired (or a combination of all three). This one is fully intact with NO such repairs. It remains quite clean too, just two small splits below the letter ‘Y’ in HOLY, on the bottom part that makes contact with the cover’s bottom back fold. These are fairly tight when applied to the cover, hence they will weaken over the years and it’s a minor miracle this has survived so intact and with so few blemishes. This has the UK imprint as seen on my close-up picture and the join on the rear is totally original as made. The critical ends are a little scuffed and creased are light years of threadbare and still reasonably solid, but slightly delicate, so remove and apply with caution to avoid damage. The two splits are small (approx 6 and 8 mm) and the majority of the fragile area is intact. An extremely rare item in very fine condition, probably undergraded really, the main front text is superb and shows no rubbing and the back the same. Worthy of a second look as this will rarely be seen or offered with the elusive first issue album.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): a superb first pressed A2/B2 copy and without doubt hardly even played. A tiny few ultra fine and faint surface trace hairlines seen critically under light, these are nigh-on impossible to avoid on any album housed inside an unlined card style inner and many had them from removal on day one. This is very clean, with very fine shine, intense black and quite heavily pressed – much heavier than any other UK copy I have had previously. This feels just that extra bit special with those immaculate and colourful labels. All evidence suggests a copy hardly played reitterated by the cleanest sound quality I have yet enjoyed from this album, one that often crackles from usually inferior later pressings. Visually a beautiful ‘House of the Holy’ that should please most-all collectors again.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This genuine first issued record plays even above it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a fairly difficult album that sometimes can disappoint even on the cleanest looking copies. This, possibly by some distance, is the very best UK pressed copy of this difficult album I have ever heard. Few copies will match or outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure and this was a joy from start to finish. A record (and cover) clearly well looked after and little handled, I doubt if this record has seen daylight for three decades. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record and most fans will treasure it. This copy will prove very difficult to find better and is strongly recommended and that is to ALL fans, not just specialist collectors.

End Piece: Many things are often hyped up about certain rarities on Zeppelin albums, whether it be label credits or errors and some are justified of course. But I truly feel this original with the Obi band is rarer than most all other UK items. It’s something real that can be held and seen directly in your face, a major part and not just a piece of text. Like rare inserts or posters, an actual piece separate from the record or cover and a crucial element of a first issue that is in most cases is missing altogether. I have no idea how many of these were made, but statistically, the sheer low numbers that show up for sale must mean something. The simple fact of the matter is, the majority who bought this album quickly enough to get one, in most cases it was either ripped off or removed and discarded. Only with hindsight and collecting trends do the connoisseur collectors want ALL the pieces that were initially included. It probably looked like an insignificant piece of packaging to most when purchased, hence most ended up in the dustbin along with plastic bag the record shop provided to bring the album home in. Either that, or very few were even made available. Maybe just a short run and some wrapped around a select few or maybe just a promotional item? Back to 1973 when I was buying rock albums almost on a weekly basis, I can never remember seeing any copy of this cover with an Obi band around it. And speaking to fellow dealer friends, most cannot remember the last time they saw one either. This is an opportunity not to be missed, and a golden chance to own one of Led Zeppelin’s most elusive items in really lovely conditions. Do not lose this one.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.