Led Zeppelin HOUSES OF THE HOLY 1973 UK LP 1st Superhype W/Obi NEAR MINT AUDIO

	£		207
	$		274

I have come across a collection of records that defy time.

They belonged to a collector who was buying in the mid to late 60's through the 70's and 80's

However his family have said that he didn't own a record player until the mid 80's.

Very strange I know, but what it means is that the early records have in most cases never been played or at the most one play.

Naturally people's tastes in music change and that's why the 80's albums have had more play than the 60's

There are some incredible records in this collection

I aim to release one per day and will list them at 8pm UK time so that they don't get confused with my other listings

I will also be playing each record and recording IT. My very very careful test play will go undetected however

LED ZEPPELIN - HOUSES OF THE HOLY

IN MAGNIFICENT NEAR MINT  CONDITION

ORIGINAL 1ST PRESS  NO WARNER LOGO ON LABEL

SUPERHYPE CREDITS

A2/B2

ALL 1ST PRESS INDICATORS

INCLUDES THE RARE OBI STRIP

• CATALOGUE:ATLANTIC  K 50014
• MATRIX: K50014 A2 / B2
• STERLING RL STAMPED INTO THE DEAD WAX ON BOTH SIDES
• VERY HEAVYWEIGHT 1ST PRESS VINYL

I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THE SUBJECT OF AN ALL ORIGINAL PRESS. WHAT I MEAN BY THIS IS THAT OVER TIME SLEEVES AND INNERS HAVE BEEN SWAPPED ON ZEPPELIN ALBUMS TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AN ORIGINAL ISSUE, YOU MAY WELL END UP WITH A HYBRID,

WELL FIRSTLY THE SLEEVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRESS WAS MADE OF A SLIGHTLY THICKER CARD AND THEREFORE SOMEWHAT STRONGER. IF YOU LOOK ON THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE THE ORIGINAL CARD IS SLIGHTLY A LIGHTER SHADE OF BROWN THAN THAT OF THE LATER PRESSES, BUT MOST OBVIOUS IS THE FACT THAT ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUES THE SLEEVE WAS UNLAMINATED, WHEREAS THE LATER SLEEVES WERE SLIGHTLY GLOSSY AND HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH TO THEM

THE INNER SLEEVES ARE TEXTURED NOT SMOOTH LIKE LATER PRESSES AND THEY ARE MADE FROM STRONGER PAPER. 1ST ISSUES ARE ALSO PRESSED UP BY MACNEIL PRESS LIMITED, 

THE VERY VERY FIRST BATCH ALSO CAME WITH A JAPANESE STYLED OBI STRIP, WHICH HAD THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE REAR SURFACE

'This stereo record can be played on Mono reproducers provided either a compatible or stereo cartridge wired for Mono is fitted. Recent equipment may already be fitted with a suitable cartridge. If in doubt consult your supplier'

THE GREEN AND ORANGE LABEL IS THE DULLER LESS GLOSSY FINISH AND HAS NO WARNER LOGO AT 3 O'CLOCK ON IT, AND THE MATRIX NUMBER MUST BE A2 / B2 (A3/B2 OR A2/B3 WHILST ONE DIGIT HIGHER ARE STILL FIRST PRESS ISSUES)

THE LABELS ALSO CARRY THE SUPERHYPE CREDITS AT THE FOOT OF THE LABEL.LATER PRESSES JUST HAD WARNER CREDITS

FINALLY THE VINYL ON THE FIRST PRESSES IS A HEAVY WEIGHT DISC, AND BARELY FLEXIBLE

THIS IS A PROPER FIRST ISSUE SET

THE RECORDS

THE LABELS

THE GREEN AND ORANGE ARE IN MINT CONDITION. BOTH BASE COLOURS ARE RICH AND VIBRANT, AND THE WHITE BAND IS STILL WHITE AND NOT SOILED AT ALL. THE BLACK TYPEFACE IS UNRUBBED AND PERFECTLY LEGIBLE. FINALLY I HAD TO GET A MAGNIFYING GLASS OUT TO SPOT THE 2-3 MICROSCOPIC SPIDER LINES NEXT TO THE SPINDLE HOLE, DEMONSTRATING JUST HOW LITTLE THIS LP HAS BEEN NEAR A TURNTABLE IN 49 YEARS

THE VINYL

THE HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL IS IN MAGNIFICENT CONDITION. IT HAS RETAINED ALL OF IT'S ORIGINAL SHEEN.IN DAYLIGHT IT LOOKS TOTALLY FLAWLESS. 

WHEN PLACED UNDER SPOTLIGHTS THERE IS ONE LIGHT DULL STREAK LINE ACROSS PART OF SIDE A. NON SOUNDING AND TOTALLY INVISIBLE IN DAYLIGHT

THE TEST PLAY

THE LP PLAYS JUST SUPERBLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH BOTH SIDES, WITH A CRYSTAL CLEAR AND LOUD STEREO REPRODUCTION, AND EVERY NOTE IS HEARD AS WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED.

THE FIRST THING TO NOTE IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE CLARITY OF THE SOUND, THERE IS NO DISTORTION TO IT WHATSOEVER, MEANING THAT THE LITTLE PLAY THIS LP HAS RELIVED WAS COMPLETED ON A SYSTEM THAT HAD A CORRECTLY WEIGHTED AND UNWORN STYLUS

NEXT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO UNWANTED BACKGROUND CRACKLE. THE LP PLAYS SUPERBLY, AND IN ADDITION THERE ARE NO LOUD CLICKS

NO DISTRACTIVE VINYL NOISE EITHER AND THE LINKING GROOVES ARE SILENT AS ARE THE RUN IN'S AND RUN OUTS

ON SIDE ONE, THERE IS A LITTLE LOW LEVEL BACKGROUND TOWARDS THE VERY END OF TRACK TWO AND THE START OF TRACK THREE, PLUS A COUPLE OF LITTLE TICS

SIDE TWO ALL I HEARD WERE TWO TINY LITTLE TICS

THIS GRADES NEAR MINT FOR THE AUDIO

THE SLEEVE

 UNLAMINATED STRONG CARDED UNLAMINATED ORIGINAL ISSUE SLEEVE. 

THE FRONT SURFACE IS FLAT AND CLEAN AND HAS NO HEAVY CREASES OR CREASE LINES. 

THE SLEEVE HISTORICALLY SUFFERS FROM COLOUR LOSS DUE TO RUBBING, BUT THIS HAS BEEN TOTALLY AVOIDED BECAUSE THE DELICATE SLEEVE HAS SPENT IT'S LIFE INSIDE A PLASTIC  OUTER SLEEVE WHICH HAS PROTECTED IT AGAINST JUST ABOUT EVERY ISSUE THAT USUALLY BEFALLS IT

NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE

INCREDIBLY THERE ARE NO SMALL PRESSURE LINES NEXT TO THE SPINE, NONE EITHER ALONG THE TOP EDGE AND ONLY ONE ONE THE BOTTOM EDGE AND NO THUMB LINES NEAR THE OPENING EDGE

THE TOP EDGES HAVE ALL OF THE ORANGE COLOUR FULLY RUNNING UNBLEMISHED FROM CORNER TO CORNER WITH JUST A PIN PRICK OF WHITE SHOWING ON THE RIGHT TIP ENDS. 

THE BOTTOM EDGES  HAVE SOME RUB AND WEAR TO THE REAR RIGHT COIRNER AREA

THE SPINE  AMAZINGLY HAS NO COLOUR LOSS WHATSOEVER, BECAUSE THIS USUALLY FADES BADLY, BUT THIS ONE IS VERY RICH AND MATCHES THE COLOUR OF THE FRONT AND BACK. THERE IS THE BAREST SPECK OF RUBBING TO THE BOTTOM TIP END,.

THE OPENING EDGE IS STILL RAZOR SHARP 

THE REAR SURFACE IS EVERY BIT AS MAGNIFICENT AS THE REST OF THE SLEEVE, AND IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT THAT THERE IS NOT ONE JOT OF RINGWEAR, OR EVEN RECORD SHAPE THAT USUALLY PLAGUES THIS DELICATE SLEEVE.

OPENING THE GATEFOLD REVEALS A DEEP RICH BLUE SURFACE THAT SHOWS NO RUBBING OR DAMAGE

THE INNER SLEEVE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY LOOKED AFTER FROM NEW.STILL VERY VERY WHITE, AND NO SEAM SPLITS OR CREASES. THERE IS JUST THE BAREST TOUCH OF VERY LIGHT AGEING TO THE EDGES.

THE ORIGINAL OBI STRIP IS ALSO UNDAMAGED, UNTORN, UNREPAIRED CONDITION, 

AGAIN HAVING BEEN KEPT INSIDE THE PLASTIC OUTER FROM NEW. IT HAS AGED LIGHTLY NOO NOT AS WHITE AS IT ORIGINALLY WAS, BUT THE CORRECT UK ISSUE, NOT SOME COPY OR FOREIGN ISSUED ONE

THE SLEEVE GRADES AS NEAR MINT IT IS JUST THAT GOOD

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

GARRY