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Data as of Jun 16, 2026
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III
1970 · UK · Atlantic · Vinyl LP Album
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Pressing identification
Match these against your copy to confirm the exact pressing.
- Runout — side A
- 127 Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-51 1 7 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-51 1 8 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5 Gp↙11 1 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A 611 4 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A 7 OP↙1 4 3 / Do what thou will 2401002 A-5 Gp↙144 / Do what thou will 2401002 A-5 Gp↙11 4 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5 GHC15 4 / Do what thou wilt Gp↙ 2401002 A-511 7 / Do what thou will 2401002 A-7 Gp↙11 Do what thou wilt 2401002 A6 OP↙1 2 5 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5 Gp↙11 5 / Do what thou will 2401002 A-7 Op↙12 2 / Do what thou will 2401002 A-5 Op↙5 21 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5 GHC
- Runout — side B
- 122 So mote it be 2401002 B-51 1 1 / So mote it be 2401002 B-51 1 7 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 G4C11 11 / So mote it be 2401002 B-511 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 21 G4C128 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 G4C11 5 So mote it be 2401002 B-5 GHC13 12 / So mote it be Gp↙ 2401002 B-512 14 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 GHC8 11 So note it be 2401002 B-5 G4C1 1 7 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 G4C124 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 G4C12 1 / So mote it be 2401002 B-7 G4C6 21 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5 GHC
- Manufactured By
- Polydor Records Ltd.
- Printed By
- E.J. Day Group
- Made By
- E.J. Day Group
- Pressed By
- Phonodisc Ltd.
Specifications
- Artist
- Led Zeppelin
- Genre
- Rock
- Style
- Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Atlantic
- Catalog number
- 2401002
- Country
- UK
Tracklist
- A1Immigrant Song2:26
- A2Friends3:55
- A3Celebration Day3:29
- A4Since I've Been Loving You7:25
- A5Out On The Tiles4:04
- B1Gallows Pole4:58
- B2Tangerine3:12
- B3That's The Way5:38
- B4Bron-Y-Aur Stomp4:20
- B5Hats Off To (Roy) Harper3:41
- Executive-Producer
- Peter Grant
- Producer
- Jimmy Page
- Engineer [Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee]
- Terry Manning
- Engineer [London]
- Andy Johns
- Design Concept [Visual Creations]
- Zacron
About this record
The runout etchings on this first pressing read either '127 Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5' or '122 So mote it be 2401002 B-5', marking it as a Polydor Records Ltd., E.J. Day Group, or Phonodisc Ltd. pressing for the UK market in 1970.
The label carries the catalogue number 2401002 and credits Executive Producer Peter Grant on the top half—a detail removed from all subsequent Atlantic red/plum label variants, making this the definitive first generation. Demand is substantial: 7393 collectors want this title against 11031 who own one, and the community rating stands at 4.48 across 829 votes.
What drives its value
The first pressing commands attention because of its Peter Grant executive producer credit and the specific matrix combinations A-5 and B-5, which do not appear on later copies. The catalogue number 2401002 (printed on labels) differs from the sleeve variant 2401 002, a distinction documented in the release notes as unique to the first pressing.
Polydor Records Ltd. manufactured this for Atlantic Recording Corp., U.S.A., with production by the E.J. Day Group in London and Bedford.
The laminated gatefold sleeve includes a working wheel, a feature that affects both collectibility and condition assessment. Rarity is compounded by the track error correction: 'Celebration Day' was initially misspelled as 'Celebration' on the first label iteration, then corrected immediately, creating a narrow window for the error variant.
The 10-track album's scarcity relative to demand (7393 want versus 11031 have) reflects its status as the original UK pressing before the Peter Grant credit was stripped from subsequent runs.
How to appraise this pressing
Confirm this pressing by checking the label for catalogue number 2401002 and the Executive Producer Peter Grant credit on the top half of both sides. The sleeve should read 2401 002 and feature a fully laminated gatefold with a working wheel.
Examine the dead wax: side A should etch '127 Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5' and side B '122 So mote it be 2401002 B-5' (or the alternate format '1 1 7 / Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5' and '1 1 1 / So mote it be 2401002 B-5'). The pressing plant name appears stamped in the runout on Phonodisc copies.
Verify the publisher credit reads 'Warner Bros. Music Ltd.' on both labels. The track listing should show 'Celebration Day' spelled correctly; if it reads 'Celebration' alone, this is the rare error variant from the immediate first pressing.
Matrix numbers ending in A5 and B5 are first pressing; A6, A7, B5, B6, or B7 combinations indicate transitional later copies without the Peter Grant credit.
Further reading: grading a record, what makes a pressing valuable.
Listen
Hear the album before you buy.
Official videos via YouTube.
Release notes
Released on the Atlantic "red/plum" label in fully laminated gatefold sleeve with working wheel.
1st cat# on labels, 2nd cat# on sleeve
Specific to the first pressing; (1) 2401002 (on labels) (2) Produced by Jimmy Page, Executive Producer: Peter Grant (credited on top half of labels) (3) Warner Bros. Music Ltd. (4) Matrix numbers end with A5 and B5.
Various matrix number combinations from A6/A7 to B5/B6/B7 may exist with the above described first generation of label. They are transitional copies from the first pressing to the second pressing (the ones without Peter Grant credits), and they are later copies.
Under License from Atlantic Recording Corp., U.S.A. Manufactured for Polydor Records Ltd., London Printed and made by the E. J. Day Group London and Bedford.
Directly after the Peter Grant credit was removed another label was released with a track error. The track 'Celebration Day' was incorrectly typed 'Celebration' and was immediately changed to the latter label variation. ℗ 1970
Subsequent pressings released on the red/plum labels do not have the Executive Producer Peter Grant credits on the label, the label cat# appears as 2401-002 and the publisher credits appear only as Warner Bros. Music.
Runouts are etched, except for Phonodisc's father-, mother- and stamper-numbers, which are stamped.
Notes sourced from the Discogs database.
Frequently asked
How do I confirm this is the first pressing and not a later Atlantic red/plum variant?
Look for the Executive Producer Peter Grant credit printed on the top half of both labels. This credit was removed directly after the 'Celebration' track error was corrected. The catalogue number on the label should read 2401002 (not 2401-002, which appears on subsequent pressings). The matrix numbers should end in A-5 and B-5; later copies show A6, A7, B6, or B7 combinations. The publisher credit should state 'Warner Bros. Music Ltd.' (not just 'Warner Bros. Music').
What is the rarest variant of this first pressing?
The error pressing with 'Celebration' (instead of 'Celebration Day') on the label is the rarest, as it was corrected immediately. This variant exists only on the earliest copies before the label was revised. Collectors distinguish it from the corrected label variant that followed and from all subsequent pressings without the Peter Grant credit. The E.J. Day Group and Phonodisc Ltd. pressings may also vary in scarcity depending on production run size, though the release notes do not specify quantities for each plant.
What does the 'Do what thou wilt' and 'So mote it be' text in the runout mean?
These phrases appear etched into the dead wax on side A ('127 Do what thou wilt 2401002 A-5') and side B ('122 So mote it be 2401002 B-5'). They are mastering engineer signatures or studio marks, not part of the official catalogue data. Their presence confirms the pressing was cut from the original master tape used for the first UK release. These etchings do not appear on reissues or later pressings, making them a reliable identifier of the 1970 first pressing.
Why does the catalogue number appear in two formats on this record?
The label prints 2401002 as a single number, while the sleeve reads 2401 002 with a space. This dual format is specific to the first pressing and is documented in the release notes as intentional. Subsequent pressings standardized the format to 2401-002 with a hyphen. The discrepancy between label and sleeve is not a pressing error but a documented characteristic of the original 1970 Atlantic UK release.
Which pressing plants produced this first pressing, and does it matter for value?
Three plants are listed: Polydor Records Ltd., E.J. Day Group, and Phonodisc Ltd. All three manufactured copies for Atlantic Recording Corp., U.S.A., in 1970. The release notes state that Phonodisc's father-, mother-, and stamper-numbers are stamped (not etched) in the runout, distinguishing them from the etched marks on other copies. The plant name may appear stamped in the dead wax. Collectors typically do not assign different values to copies from different plants, as all carry the Peter Grant credit and A-5/B-5 matrices that define the first pressing.