Led Zeppelin III (Led Zeppelin) Easter Egg - Alastair Crowley in the Dead Wax

On the first vinyl pressing of the album 'Led Zeppelin III' in 1970, Jimmy Page paid homage to Alastair Crowley by placing a quote in the dead wax. Where the groove runs out in the middle on side A you can read, "Do What Thou Wilt..." and on side B, "So Mote Be It"
This is a motto of sorts for black magic, paganism and all that other stuff Page was into.

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Contributed By: tortoise217 on 03-06-2001
Reviewed By: Webmaster
Special Requirements: You need an original pressing of the album.
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Comments

ziggy writes:
I have side one and two (not side A & B) and "So Mote Be It" is on both sides.
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Serenity writes:
I have the original 45 of the "Immigrant Song" on Side A and "Hey, Hey What Can I Do" on Side B. On Side A is the inscription "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law". For years I thought perhaps I had a limited edition copy of this 45 (and I guess I do!). I have had the 45 since I was about 1972 and never noticed it until about 1988. When I first noticed it my hair stood on end, because having researched occultism and such I knew that the saying referred to Alistair Crowley's philosophy of life. I was a huge fan of Zepp. I know that at one time Jimmy Page owned Alistair Crowley's former house in Scotland. Yes, Jimmy Page definitely dabbled in the occult or at least had a fascination with it!
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I saw this recently at a used record shop. I couldn't read the B-side, but the A-side definitely said "Do What Thou Wilt" in script. And it was pressed into the record, not carved--totally freaked me out.
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LedZep522 writes:
Jimmy Page ordered this to be printed short time before the first pressing. It is a favorite motto of the famous occultist Aleister Crowley. It actually appears on several pressings in different forms.
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Johnny-Cakes writes:
The same message appears in the run-out grove of the original American 7" pressing of 'Immigrant Song', although there is more text but I'd go blind trying to read it.Cat no. 45-2777 on the Atlantic label.
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mick writes:
The song "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do?' which is now on the boxed set, was originally recorded during the Zepp III sessions but canned. Don't know why, it's a great track. It was available as the B side of a Japanese pressing of "The Immigrant Song" 45, for those who remember what those were! Another tune canned from these sessions was "Travelling Riverside Blues" which is on one of the boxed set discs. Great track with nice slide guitar and killer John Paul Jones base line!
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Ketil writes:
I have one copy of Led Zeppelin III, US print SD 7201 with gold sticker on front cover "Gold record award". The matrix "Do What Thou Wilt" is on side 2 and "So Mote Be It" on side one. Is that the 2nd print? Anyone know what it can be worth?
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ren&stimpy writes:
ok, i feel pretty stupid because i don't know what dead wax is, but i'm looking all over my dads old led zep 3 album, and i cant find it!it is the one where you spin the little wheel inside the cover and change the pictures, right?
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glenn writes:
do what thou wilt so mote be it...sure,it pays homage...if you want to put it that way,but its not like jimmy was a worshiper,he just thought it was cool to put something on the album that would make the buyer a little curios...maybe thinking the answer would be on the next album....so now you gotta buy that one too,you do know that the zep WAS in the industry to make money right ?
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