Led Zeppelin Tried To Destroy Every Copy of This Record—One Just Resurfaced

Over the years, Antiques Roadshow has discovered some truly amazing treasures hiding in plain sight. On more than one occasion, the show proved that judging a book by its cover could mean the difference between junk and gold. Recently, the hit BBC show traveled to Caerphilly Castle for a special episode. And it was more than special when an individual revealed a vinyl that included the Led Zeppelin single “Whole Lotta Love.” The only problem – the vinyl shouldn’t exist. 

When diving into the history of Led Zeppelin, antiques expert Marc Allum explained how only about 500 copies were printed by Atlantic Records. It might sound odd, as if the song completely dominated the charts when released in the late 1960s. In the United States alone, it became the band’s first song to go gold. It was later listed on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. 

Although the special vinyl was released by Atlantic Records, Led Zeppelin had a strict policy when it came to “no singles.” Wanting fans to hear the entire project as they recorded it, the idea of a single would take away from the overall experience. When the band’s manager, Peter Grant, heard about the singles, he pressured the company to recall and destroy all copies. 

[RELATED: The 3 Undisputed Best Songs From Led Zeppelin’s 1969 LP ‘Led Zeppelin I’]

The Price For A Piece Of Led Zeppelin’s Banned History

While some fans might have followed the orders and returned their copy, one individual did not. The man noted how he owned the vinyl since the 1970s. “I was looking for records to start a disco and out of his bag came a couple of records and he went ‘you can have those’.” He added that not many people requested the song when on the dance floor. 

Disco fans might have an issue with Led Zeppelin, but at auction – the vinyl could sell for around £1,000. Converting that to USD, it was around $1,300. A massive return for the man who wasn’t looking for the Led Zeppelin vinyl, but he wasn’t planning to sell. 

When asked what he would do with the vinyl, he admitted, “It’s been with me for 55 years, and I will probably give it to my daughters to do what they want to do with it. I don’t think I will play it again as it will devalue it.”  

What started as a free record pulled from somebody’s bag eventually became a rare piece of rock history. But for its owner, the value apparently wasn’t enough to outweigh 55 years of disgruntled dancers. 

(Photo by Chris Walter)