Yet another Led Zeppelin label error has been spotted (many thanks to Jonas for pointing this one out). The debut album, as we all know, was originally issued with the ‘turquoise’ sleeve variant. This sleeve should carry a vinyl with a Superhype label, as opposed to a later Warner Bros label (see below). However, it turns out there are two versions of this label for Superhype, one with an erroneous numbering system for crediting the publishing on side 1. Check out the two labels below:
The top label lists (correctly) that songs 1, 2, 4. are published by Superhype Music and song 3. by Jewel Music. The 2nd label lists songs 1, 3, 4. as Superhype and then 3. again as Jewel… (don’t pay too much attention to the colour variance in the labels above, the 1st label is a hi-res scan from my own collection, the 2nd label is a camera photograph I’ve sourced from the internet).
The Warner Bros version is shown below for comparison:
Well spotted Jonas!
Rare Record Collector 
I’ve always had doubts concerning the order in which the various releases of this album actually appeared (1-Turqouise lettering on cover and Superhype credits on labels; 2-Orange lettering on cover and Warner credits on labels; 3-Orange lettering on cover and Superhype credits on labels).
The Superhype company was created at the end of 1968 and Led Zeppelin allegedly recorded their album in September of the same year. It is much likely that they initially gave the publishing rights to an already existing company like Warner and soon switched them to the newly created Superhype.
Otherwise I can’t see the point of songs credited to Superhype, then to Warner and again to Superhype in just a few months.
In my opinion, the original pressing of this album is the one with orange lettering on the cover and the Warner credits; the turquoise lettering cover may well have been produced by mistake or as an intended variation of the design which was not well received and soon switched back to the original colour.
Hope you can give me further details.
Augusto
Hi Augusto
Thanks for your comments. I think you are incorrect in your assumptions…
Superhype Company Limited (now dissolved) was incorporated 22 October 1968 (according to UK Data.com). The registered address was at 91 TABERNACLE ST, LONDON, EC2A 4BA – now the offices of Joan Hudson & Co, Accountants…
Led Zeppelin recorded their debut album during September and October 1968 at Olympic Sound Studios, London. (117 Church Road, London, SW13 9HL).
Album released 12 January 1969.
Page stated it took 36 hours of studio time recorded over a few weeks at a total cost of £1,782 (which equates to £49.50 per hour, although this was pre-decimalisation, so in reality it would have been £49 and 10 shillings per hour…!)
So the timing of the publishing rights assigned to Superhype does make sense…
With regards to finding a Superhype credited vinyl in an orange lettered sleeve, I think it is more likely to have been swapped or substituted over the years…or simply that once the production run of the turquoise sleeve was halted and replaced with the familiar orange one, any existing vinyls were placed in these new orange sleeves. The Warner credit was then (for some reason) introduced for the second pressing.
Therefore, I think the order should be as follows:
1. Turquoise sleeve, Superhype credit
2. Orange sleeve, Superhype credit
3. Orange sleeve, Warner credit
Ultimately…we’ll never know 100% for sure…unless we get hold of a time machine…and then can you imagine how many turquoise copies you’d try and buy in 1969 planning for 44 years into the future!!!
Best regards
Neil
Fast, detailed and…very convincing reply. Thanks very much Neil, I’ll keep following the nice work you’re doing!
Augusto
Hi Augusto
Also, just done some more research…even though Superhype is now dissolved, there is another company called Superhype Tapes Limited, one of the directors is James Patrick Page, born 1944, registered address is 91 Tabernacle Street, London…any of this sounding familiar?!!! Therefore, it looks like it was Mr Page himself who founded Superhype back in 1968 in order to control his own publishing rights…
regards
Neil.
And finally…(!), the other directors for Superhype Tapes Limited are Mr Robert Anthony Plant, Mr John Baldwin and Ms Joan Hudson…
James Patrick Page is also a director of Flames Of Albion Music Limited (along with Baldwin, Plant, Hudson and one Susan Jacqueline Frankland Haile), Jimmy Page.com Ltd, Three P Films Ltd, (directors same as Superhype), Succubus Music Ltd (with Hudson and Haile), United Blag Productions Ltd (directors as Flames Of Albion), Classicberry Ltd (directors as Succubus), The Equinox Book Sellers and Publishers Ltd (with Hudson), Mythgem Ltd (directors as Superhype but also with Mrs Patricia Bonham).
They were also directors of three other companies now dissolved, Cap Ten Limited, C+P Eighty Six Limited and Langwest Limited.