LED ZEPPELIN II RL/LH Hot Mix ATLANTIC RECORDS SD 8236 Robert Ludwig 1969 VG+/VG

$

200

LED ZEPPELIN II RL/LH Hot Mix ATLANTIC RECORDS SD 8236 Robert Ludwig Side A, Lee Hulko Side B.

Columbia Terre Haute Pressing as indicated by the CTH on labels. This must have been the only pressing plant that offered this unique pressing.

Side A is the RL hot mix, side B is the Hulko re-cut using notes taken from the RL cut, see below for further information. This pressing sounds extremely similar to a full RL pressing!!!! Still much better than subsequent pressings where the bass is gone.

This is a nice copy, killer not filler. There are a good amount of light marks butt this plays insanely close to VG+, 95% is VG+, but a few small areas make me rate this VG to be on the safe side.

VINYL in VG strong VG!!! Fully tested LOUD. Several light marks that produce some background crackle and a few spots of repeating crackle, but overall spectacular and strong. No skips on my system (Technics with Nagaoka cartridge through a Cambridge Audio receiver). On playback I rolled the treble up to hear for crackle, short 30 seconds or so of repeating crackle on "Ramble On", but not a game changer. The quiet fade-out fade-in on "Thank You" is a good spot to test for condition because of all the silent spots.

This copy is nice and VG+ during this segment. Another is during the solo on "Moby Dick" , again this copy soars super close to VG+, but rated strong VG.

COVER in VG with yellowing on cover, spine has yellowing and rubbing along edges, paper at spine starting to come loose in middle, still fairly solid, title partially obscured. Top seam has rubbing and chipping (not too bad), solid no splits. Bottom seam has 1" split at opening, rest has rubbing and chipping especially near spine, solid. Inner gatefold has 2 1/2" split in middle (see photos). Corner bumps/damage.

INNER SLEEVE Original Atlantic sleeve in G+ with yellowing/staining, corner damage on one side (see photos), split in middle on all seams.

• Rights Society: ASCAP
• Pressing Plant ID (Columbia Terre Haute, on labels): CTH

• Matrix / Runout (A-side runout etched [skinny "RL" etched next to a very small "ss"], variant 1): T ST-A-691671-1A C12 RL SS
• Matrix / Runout (B-side runout etched [very small "LH" etched next to a larger "ss"], variant 1): T | ST-A-691672-D A15 LH SS

Early press information:

This is the early pressing mastered at Sterling Sound by Bob Ludwig denoted by RL on side one and by Lee Hulko denoted by LH on side two.

Hulko was in charge of remastering some of side two which was the side that was causing the troubles with the original 2 sided RL mastered versions.

Ahmet Ertegün brought home a copy for his daughter, it skipped on her turntable so he had it recut to be less dynamic and less fleshed out in the bass.

It was certain parts in Ramble On and Moby Dick which were causing the needles to jump on certain turntables when the record first came out because of the bass. So they had Lee Hulko remaster side two.

Labels include "CTH" suffix (indicating Terre Haute pressing) and "Mfg By Atlantic Recording Corp., 1841 Broadway, New York, N.Y.".

The dead wax side two is slightly narrower than that on side one.

Later press information:

If this doesn't have "SS RL" and "SS LH" etched in the run-outs then it is a repress - remastered at Atlantic, rather than Sterling Sound.

Around 200,000ish pressings were done of Robert Ludwig's 'high mix' which, like Hendrix's 'Ladyland' 1st masters, caused some poor-quality phonograph needles to 'skip'. Thus, a repress ordered by Ertegün at Atlantic.