Jimmy Page is sharing his original home demo of the Led Zeppelin classic, “Ten Years Gone.”
The surprise posting comes months after the band celebrated the 50th anniversary of its sixth studio album last fall.
“As a footnote to Physical Graffiti,” says Page, “I thought you might like to hear the original home demo, recorded in my studio at Plumpton Place of a piece of music that was going to surface as Ten Years Gone.
“I presented this rough mix to the band at Headley Grange in order to do this for real. Robert Plant came up with some lyrics for my music that were extraordinary and then we arrive at the song ‘Ten Years Gone.’”
Released on February 24, 1975 in the US (and four days later in the UK), “Physical Graffiti” immediately achieved platinum sales status and has recently been certified 17x platinum.
Generally regarded as one of the greatest double albums of all time, the original 15 tracks represent a creative tour de force that explores the band’s dynamic musical range, from the driving rock of “Custard Pie” to the exotic construction of “Kashmir” and the funky groove of “Trampled Under Foot.”
Page began the initial work at his home studio in Plumpton in the summer and autumn of 1973, with the first recording sessions taking place that October at Headley Grange, using Ronnie Lane’s Mobile Studio. Further sessions at Headley continued in January 1974. Additional overdubs were recorded at Olympic Studios, where Page completed mixing of the album in July 1974.
Pick up some Led Zeppelin for your collection here.
Led Zeppelin will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their iconic sixth album, “Physical Graffiti”, with the release of their new Live E.P. on 180-gram 12" vinyl, CD and digital formats on September 12.
The new Live E.P. features live recordings of “In My Time Of Dying” and “Trampled Under Foot” from Earl’s Court, 1975, alongside “Sick Again” and “Kashmir” from Knebworth, 1979. These live performances were originally released on the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD and appear on CD / Vinyl / Digital formats for the very first time.
Released on February 24, 1975 in the US (and four days later in the UK), “Physical Graffiti” immediately achieved platinum sales status and has recently been certified 17x platinum.
Generally regarded as one of the greatest double albums of all time, the original 15 tracks represent a creative tour de force that explores the band’s dynamic musical range, from the driving rock of “Custard Pie” to the exotic construction of “Kashmir” and the funky groove of “Trampled Under Foot.”
“It goes from one extreme to the other but at the same time, it’s very evident that it’s Zeppelin… I love the album and it does work as a double album,” says Robert Plant. “There are some real humdinger, roaring tracks.”
“I’m a big fan of ‘Physical Graffiti’”, adds John Paul Jones. “[It] was very wide ranging. It probably was a pinnacle.”
Jimmy Page began the initial work at his home studio in Plumpton, Sussex, England, in the summer and autumn of 1973, with the first recording sessions taking place that October at Headley Grange, using Ronnie Lane’s Mobile Studio. Further sessions at Headley continued in January 1974. Additional overdubs were recorded at Olympic Studios, where Page completed mixing of the album in July 1974.
“We had enough material for one-and-a-half LPs,” recalls Jimmy Page, “so I figured, ‘Let’s put out a double and use some of the material we’d done previously but never released’. I always thought the sequencing of an album was really important and that was part of my role as the producer."
Also released on the same date will be an updated 50th Anniversary edition of 2015’s “Physical Graffiti Deluxe Edition” 3LP vinyl set featuring the Companion Audio disc, now including a new bonus replica Physical Graffiti promotional poster (sized 443mm x 610mm).
Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995; the group disbanded in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, but the surviving members have occasionally reunited for special charity events – including a December 10, 2007 tribute concert at London’s O2 Arena for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, which was released in 2012 as “Celebration Day.”
Pick up some Led Zeppelin for your collection here.
Led Zeppelin “Live EP”
Release date: September 12
CD / digital
1. In My Time Of Dying (Earl’s Court - 1975)
2. Trampled Under Foot (Earl’s Court - 1975)
3. Sick Again (Knebworth - 1979)
4. Kashmir (Knebworth - 1979)
12" Vinyl
Side One: Earl’s Court - 1975
1. In My Time Of Dying
2. Trampled Under Foot
Side Two: Knebworth - 1979
1. Sick Again
2. Kashmir
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia (excluding Japan), and Benelux to the first official Led Zeppelin documentary “Becoming Led Zeppelin.”
Directed by Bernard MacMahon (“American Epic”), the project delivers awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music as the members of Led Zeppelin tell their origin story in their own words.
Highly anticipated since its announcement and subsequent work-in-progress screening at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation, the now completed film features a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as never-before-heard interviews with the late John Bonham.
The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of unseen Led Zeppelin performance footage, including The Fillmore West (January 1969), The Atlanta Pop Festival (July 1969), and The Texas Pop Festival (August 1969).
“When I saw the early cut of the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, it was amazing,” says Jimmy Page. "The energy of the story, and the power of the music, is phenomenal.”
“We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound,” adds MacMahon.
“We loved this film from the first moment we saw it,” shared Sony Pictures Classics. “It has been nothing short of extraordinary to witness the organic process Bernard, Allison, and their team have taken to sculpt what has turned out to be THE definitive film on the origins of Led Zeppelin. We are honored to be working with such committed artists who have crafted a film that immediately transports you right into the energy and excitement of that time. It seamlessly weaves astonishing performances, archival footage, and interviews through superb editing and impeccable sound design. This film is a grand theatrical experience and we are very proud to be bringing it to the world.”
No further details were provided regarding a potential timeline for the theatrical release of “Becoming Led Zeppelin.”
Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995 and have sold more than 300 million albums worldwide.
The group disbanded in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, but the surviving members have occasionally reunited for special charity events – including a December 10, 2007 tribute concert at London’s O2 Arena for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, which was released in 2012 as “Celebration Day.”
Get your copy of the Blu-ray edition of “Celebration Day”here or the DVD/2CD version here.
The Black Crowes rocked the 1970 Led Zeppelin rarity, “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”, during a March 27 appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
The tune was originally released as the b-side to the “Led Zeppelin III” US vinyl single, “Immigrant Song”, which went on to become a Top 20 hit in the region while the b-side wasn’t available via CD for another two decades.
“This one’s for you, by the way, Howard”, said Chris Robinson after Stern shared how excited he was about the song selection.
The host also checked in on the band’s current relationship with Jimmy Page, which Chris shared alongside news that the band is planning to expand a live recording they did with Page in 1999 that was released the following year and only included Zeppelin material; a 25th anniversary package due next year will include previously-unreleased Black Crowes material featuring the guitar icon.
The group was featured on the Stern Show to promote their newly-released album, “Happiness Bastards”, and the April 2 launch of a North American tour in Nashville, TN.
Pick up some Black Crowes for your collection here.
Jimmy Page delivered a surprise performance at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York on November 3.
On hand at the Barclays Center to induct guitarist Link Wray in the Musical Influence category, the Led Zeppelin icon gave an inspired and passionate speech about the early rocker’s breakthrough 1958 rock instrumental “Rumble”.
Wray’s US Top 20 hit was among the first to feature both distortion and tremolo.
"What is this?,” said Page as part of a pre-taped induction speech. “In those days, there were many guitar instrumentals, but as a 14-year-old kid who could barely play the guitar, it really had an effect on me. The vigor and the strength and the power in it. And you know something else – it was fearless. It was just phenomenal. The essence of cool."
Following the video, Page was joined for his first live performance in eight years by drummer Anton Fig (who had recorded with Wray) and bassist Tim Givens to perform “Rumble” to a surprised and enthusiastic crowd.
“I was asked to induct Link Wray into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame @rockhall; a guitarist, instrumentalist and songwriter that I’d admired from the very first taste of the ‘Rumble’”, commented Page after the event. “I first heard it when I was 14, roaring from a jukebox in my hometown of Epsom. As a guitar instrumental the attitude of it was totally unique in its mystery, imagination and execution — it had a profound effect on me.
“Link Wray and ‘Rumble’ stand alone at the pinnacle in the world of instrumentals and I was thrilled to stand on stage in New York with drummer Anton Fig and bassist Tim Givens at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame to induct one of my heroes.”
Page’s last public onstage performance took place in 2015 at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum, when he was honored with a Founder’s Award; he joined an all-star cast to perform the Led Zeppelin classic, “Rock And Roll” – watch it here.
Pick up some Link Wray music for your collection here.
The group’s fifth studio record, “Houses Of The Holy” delivered Led Zeppelin their third US No. 1 album, which would go on to sell more than 11 million copies in the region.
Get your copy of the remastered “Houses Of The Holy”here.
Led Zeppelin is streaming remastered video of a performance of “Over The Hills And Far Away” from a July 1973 show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The upgraded footage arrives during the band’s ongoing celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the release of “Houses Of The Holy.”
Featuring classics like “The Song Remains The Same”, “The Ocean” and “No Quarter”, and produced by Jimmy Page, the group’s fifth studio record delivered Led Zeppelin a US No. 1 album that went on to sell more than 11 million copies in the region.
Led Zeppelin is marking the set’s 50th anniversary this spring by sharing audio, video and photos from the era across its social media platforms – including the original demo for “The Rain Song.”
Get your copy of the remastered “Houses Of The Holy” here.
Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” and John Lennon’s “Imagine” are among 25 sound recordings newly-selected for induction into the US Library Of Congress National Recording Registry.
Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian – with advice from the Library's National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) – annually selects 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.
Recordings from 1908 to 2012 are featured in the new series of inductions, including Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s 1970 album, “Déjà Vu”, “Synchronicity” by The Police, the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”, and records by John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, and Madonna, among others.
The 2023 inductions bring the number of titles on the registry to 625, representing a small portion of the national library’s vast recorded sound collection of nearly 4 million items.
The epic “Stairway To Heaven” was featured on the UK band’s 1971 untitled fourth record, which went on to be referenced as “Led Zeppelin IV” and become one of the best-selling albums of all time.
“The idea of ‘Stairway,’”Jimmy Pagetold the BBC in 2014, “was to have a piece of music, a composition, whereby it would just keep unfolding into more layers and more moods. The whole subtlety and intensity of the overlay would actually accelerate as it went through every level – every emotional level, every musical level. And so it keeps opening up, as it continues through these patterns.”
Lennon recorded “Imagine” for his 1971 self-titled album; it became the best-selling single of his solo-career and one of the world’s most-covered songs.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is sharing the original demo for “The Rain Song” in sync with this week’s 50th anniversary of the release of “Houses Of The Holy.”
“My original idea for the opening tracks for ‘Houses of the Holy’ was that a short overture would be a rousing instrumental introduction with layered electric guitars that would segue in to ’The Seasons’, later to be titled ‘The Rain Song’,” explains Page. “Again there would be a contrasting acoustic guitar instrumental movement with melotron that could lead to the first vocal of the album and the first verse of the song.
“‘The Seasons’ was a memo to myself as a reminder of the sequence of the song and various ideas I’d had for it in its embryonic stage. I’d worked on it over one evening at home. During the routining of the overture now titled ‘The Plumpton and Worcester Races’, the half time section was born and the overture shaped in to the song, ‘The Song Remains The Same’. These rehearsals were done in Puddle Town on the River Piddle in Dorset, UK.
“The first set of recordings were done at Olympic Studios with George Chkiantz,” Page adds. “We then came to record at Stargroves, Sir Mick Jagger’s country home, and, like Headley Grange, with the Rolling Stones recording truck. ‘The Song Remains The Same’ was played on a Fender 12 string, the same one used on Becks Bolero, with my trusty Les Paul number 1 on overdubs in a standard turning. The ‘Rain Song’ was an unorthodox tuning on acoustic and electric guitars. On live shows, it became a work-out feature for the double neck.”
Featuring the singles “Over The Hills And Far Away” and “D’yer Mak’er”, and classic tracks like “Dancing Days”, “No Quarter” and “The Ocean”, Led Zeppelin’s fifth album delivered their fourth straight UK No. 1 while also topping the US charts, where it went on to sell more than 11 million copies in the region.
As part of the 2022 hennemusic Rock News Awards, the daily news site is counting down the Top 10 Rock News stories of the past year.
Finalists for the 13th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: the Rock News Story Of The Year is determined by page views, while the Rock News Artist Of The Year is based on the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2022 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Friday, December 16.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss performed the Led Zeppelin classic, “When The Levee Breaks”, during a June 24 appearance at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival.
The BBC are streaming live video footage of the duo’s version of the closing track from 1971’s “Led Zeppelin IV”, which also served as the final tune in their 12-song set.
Check out the No. 4 hennemusic rock news story of 2022 on LED ZEPPELINhere.
As part of the 2022 hennemusic Rock News Awards, the daily news site is counting down the Top 10 Rock News Artists of the past year.
Finalists for the 13th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: the Rock News Story Of The Year is determined by page views, while the Rock News Artist Of The Year is based on the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2022 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Friday, December 16.
Led Zeppelin began 2022 by continuing to stream a 50th anniversary video series about their 1971 album, “Led Zeppelin IV”, including spotlights on “Going To California” and “When The Levee Breaks.”
Robert Plant promoted “Raise The Roof”, his latest recording with Alison Krauss, with videos and news of a US tour; in April, the singer launched the fifth season of his podcast series, Digging Deep, with a look at the 1970 Led Zeppelin classic, “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp.”
In June, Jimmy Page revealed the band was approached to do an ABBA-style avatar concert similar in scope to the ABBA Voyage experience in London, which mixes holograms of younger versions of the singers appearing along alongside a performance by a live band.
Among the songs Plant and Krauss performed at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival in late June was the Led Zeppelin classic, “When The Levee Breaks”, and the BBC shared video from the event.
In September, rare, unearthed 8mm video footage of Led Zeppelin’s September 4, 1970 concert at the LA Forum surfaced after five decades in storage, while John Paul Jones was among the artists who performed at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts in London and Los Angeles, where he teamed up with his Them Crooked Vultures bandmates at both events.
Led Zeppelin marked the 15th anniversary of their 2007 reunion in December by sharing the concert film, “Celebration Day”, which was streamed by hennemusichere.
Pick up your own copy of the Blu-ray edition of “Celebration Day” here or the DVD/2CD version here.
hennemusic is pleased be a part of a Led Zeppelin global streaming event of their 2007 reunion concert to mark its 15th anniversary.
Released in 2012 as “Celebration Day”, the rare live appearance took place on December 10, 2007 at London’s O2 Arena, where the band headlined a tribute event for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, to perform 16 songs from their celebrated catalog including landmark tracks “Whole Lotta Love,” “Rock And Roll,” “Kashmir,” and “Stairway To Heaven.”
Although 20 million people applied for tickets, the band’s first headline show in 27 years was seen only by the 18,000 ticket holders who were fortunate enough to have secured seats through a worldwide lottery.
“Celebration Day” won Led Zeppelina 2014 Grammy Award in the Best Rock Album category, while a second nomination – for “Kashmir” in the Best Rock Performance category – lost out “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons.
You can get your own copy of the Blu-ray edition of “Celebration Day” here or the DVD/2CD version here.
Led Zeppelin will host a global streaming event of their 2007 reunion concert on December 10 to mark its 15th anniversary.
Released in 2012 as “Celebration Day”, the rare live appearance took place at London’s O2 Arena, where the band headlined a tribute event for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, to perform 16 songs from their celebrated catalog including landmark tracks “Whole Lotta Love,” “Rock And Roll,” “Kashmir,” and “Stairway To Heaven.”
Although 20 million people applied for tickets, the band’s first headline show in 27 years was seen only by the 18,000 ticket holders who were fortunate enough to have secured seats through a worldwide lottery.
The 15th anniversary global watch party will take place on Saturday, December 10 at 8 p.m. U.K. / 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST on the official Led Zeppelin YouTube channel.
You can get your own copy of the Blu-ray edition of "Celebration Day"here or the DVD/2CD version here.
Rare, unearthed video footage of Led Zeppelin’s September 4, 1970 concert at the LA Forum has surfaced after five decades in storage.
As Rolling Stone reports, the film was shot by a fan named Eddie Vincent, who snuck a Kodak Brownie 8mm camera into the arena.
“When my friends and I got to the Forum, I tucked it under my jacket,” Vincent says in the introduction to the video. “There weren’t any problems at the door back in those days. The seats were excellent, first row behind the stage. We were behind John Bonham’s gong, so you couldn’t really see him much, but the sound was great.
“During the acoustic set, John ducked behind the gong to grab a cigarette and very graciously acknowledged our slavish praise. He even posed twice for my still camera, and both times the flash failed to go off. Those pictures came out worthless, unfortunately. But a few others, along with that 8 mm film, survived.”
As the wind-up camera could only film for 30 seconds at a time, the newly-shared video features only snippets of songs from one of the final dates of Led Zeppelin’s summer 1970 North American Tour, which took place a month before the release of “Led Zeppelin III.”
The Forum show saw the group deliver a 2-hour, 16-song performance that opened with “Immigrant Song” and closed with a cover of “Blueberry Hill”, which was originally recorded in 1940 by Sammy Kaye And His Orchestra and made famous with Fats Domino’s 1956 version, as US No.2 hit.
Vincent recently unearthed his footage and sent it to fellow Zeppelin fan John Waters, who paired it with audio from the bootleg, “Live On Blueberry Hill”, before sharing it online via YouTube.
Fallowing its fall 1971 release, “Led Zeppelin IV” begins the new year at the top of the US and Canadian album charts.
In February, the band releases the track, “Rock And Roll”, as a single and play a two-week series of shows in Australia and New Zealand that would mark their only live appearances in the region.
By the spring, the outfit regroups for pre-production sessions and rehearsals for their next studio record before entering London’s Olympic Studios to begin recording what would become “Houses Of The Holy”, which wouldn’t surface until the following year.
After playing a pair of warm-up dates in Amsterdam and Brussels in late May, Led Zeppelin launches a month-long North American tour in Detroit, MI on June 6; the series would include two nights in New York and Seattle, while a pair of California dates late in the run would be recorded for a possible future release – going on to become the 2003 package, “How The West Was Won.”
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has revealed the band was approached to do an ABBA-style avatar concert.
The Swedish pop superstars have recently re-attracted global attention with the launch of their ABBA Voyage experience in London, which mixes holograms of younger versions of the singers appearing along alongside a performance by a live band.
The Guardian reports that, well before there was talk of the ABBA recreation, Led Zeppelin was asked to do “that sort of thing”, Page told an audience at the Hay festival.
The guitarist explained that he and his two surviving bandmates, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, couldn’t agree, so the project “didn’t really get moving”, while adding that he thought the concept might for Led Zeppelin.
He also spoke positively about Elvis Presley’s hologram performance, telling the audience: “I bet that was good, but I didn’t see it.”
Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995 and have sold more than 300 million albums worldwide.
The group disbanded in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham, but the surviving members have occasionally reunited for special charity events – including a December 10, 2007 tribute concert at London’s O2 Arena for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, which was released in 2012 as “Celebration Day.”
A Ronnie James Dio hologram debuted in 2016 and was featured for a handful of songs as part of a full live set and tour by the Dio band; it received mixed reviews in the rock community before the late singer’s wife and manager, Wendy Dio, shut it down after a 2019 run.
Robert Plant is revisiting the track, “Please Read The Letter”, on the latest episode of his Digging Deep podcast series.
Written by Plant, Jimmy Page, Charlie Jones and Michael Lee, the song first appeared on the 1998 Page/Plant album, “Walking Into Clarksdale”; the singer later revamped a version of the tine for his 2007 collaboration with Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand.”
“Please Read The Letter” would win Plant and Krauss recognition as the Record Of The Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards, where the project picked up a total of five honors, including Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album, among others.
Plant and Krauss will launch a world tour in support of their 2021 album, "Raise The Roof", with a series of US dates starting in Canandaigua, NY on June 1.
