Led Zeppelin Dutch TV 1969 footage found and restored and to be included on the forthcoming Becoming Led Zeppelin Blu ray release...

What fantastic research and reporting by LZ News main man James Cook on the incredible find of the 1969 Led Zeppelin Amsterdam Dutch TV footage and  – you go away for a few days and it’s all happening!

In a superb story on how this footage was discovered James Cook at LZ News conducted an enlightening and detailed interview with Becoming Led Zeppelin director Bernard MacMahon as they unfolded the saga of how this amazing footage was found and restored:

Starting on August 18, Led Zeppelin fans were puzzled by a series of black and white video clips seemingly showing previously unseen footage of Led Zeppelin.

These clips, posted by LedZepNews as well as by LedZepFilm and others, led to significant speculation about what exactly was being teased.

Now, we can confirm that the clips originate from professionally shot footage of Led Zeppelin performing “Dazed and Confused” in Amsterdam on October 5, 1969.

The film, long thought to have been lost, was rediscovered in recent months, painstakingly restored and will now be released as a bonus feature on the upcoming Blu-ray release of “Becoming Led Zeppelin”.

The Amsterdam 1969 footage is arguably the most significant newly discovered Led Zeppelin footage to emerge since parts of the pro-shot footage of Led Zeppelin’s June 28, 1970 Bath Festival performance were posted online in 2022.

LedZepNews played a small role in helping release the Amsterdam 1969 footage, sharing the newly discovered archive listing with “Becoming Led Zeppelin” director Bernard MacMahon which kickstarted his restoration process and the upcoming release of the footage on September 30.

The full incredible story can be viewed at:

https://ledzepnews.com/2025/08/22/how-lost-footage-of-led-zeppelin-performing-in-amsterdam-in-1969-was-found-and-restored-for-becoming-led-zeppelin-on-blu-ray/

Hats off to James Cook and of course Bernard and all that have been involved in this very exciting prospect…

Dave Lewis – August 25 2025

Above advert image via Mike Tremaglio from the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book

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In Through The Out Door – It was 46 years ago…

Led Zeppelin’s ninth album In Through The Out Door was released on Monday August 20, 1979.

Here’s a Then and Now overview from the TBL archives… 

In Through The Out Door  ….Then:

The 1977 tour of America had given rise to a revival in the fortunes of the group. They were playing great, the on stage spectacle had reached new heights and plans for a new album to be recorded after the tour were in place.

The tour would subsequently be cancelled amidst backstage violence in Oakland and then the shocking news of the passing of Robert Plant’s five year old son Karac.

They were difficult days and Jimmy was at pains to explain that they would not be splitting and that Robert would work with the band again. Slowly they did pick up the pieces – though not before Robert had notions of giving it all up to go into teaching. With much support from John Bonham, he agreed to a group rehearsal  at Clearwell Castle in May of 1978.

As for me, with Zep off the road, I was busy with one or two other matters – for instance leaping up on stage at The Who filming in Shepperton. My summer was taken up writing and researching a major Zep ten years retrospective for Sounds music weekly. Working with Geoff Barton, it was a big thrill to see my work in print. The reaction spurred me on to move ahead with a long held idea to produce a Led Zeppelin fanzine. Built on the do it yourself ethics of the punk fanzines of the day such as Sniffin Glue and Ripped And Torn, I began hand writing what would become the first issue.

In the autumn rumours were rife that the group had resumed rehearsals at Ezyhire Studios in North London.

The opportunity arose for me to hear what plans the group had ahead from one of the principal players. On November 4 1978 Robert took part in the annual Goaldiggers Charity Five-a- side football tournament at Wembley Arena. I made it my mission to attend and wizzed over to the Wembley Empire Pool after playing soccer in the morning. I searched Robert out by the sidelines area and spent a memorable afternoon chatting to him and wife Maureen. Robert was more than amiable – laughing at the antics of the Page 3 ladies team and informing me that they were about to head for Stockholm to record a new album at Abba’s Polar studios. I came back from that encounter totally invigorated. This pic was taken by me on that afternoon.

By early 1979 two things had happened.

Led Zeppelin had a new album in the can (rumoured in some circles to be titled Look) and I had produced the first issue of Tight But Loose and it was already creating a platform of communication of like minded Zep fans.

Of course in true Zep style there followed a period of waiting..and more waiting..

Just as I was reporting in the second issue of TBL that there was no news of the album or any live shows, they surprised us all by announcing a comeback at  Knebworth.

It was the summer of Led Zep 1979 and what a summer it turned out to be.

Before we go any further one thing needs to be stated. The eighth Led Zeppelin album In Through The Out Door is intrinsically lined with those two Knebworth appearances.

Not least for the performances of two tracks from the then yet to be released album namely Hot Dog and In The Evening. The latter’s performance was a simply breathtakingly demonstration of their undoubted power. The still had it…and we all ready to lap it up on record.

The album was due for release in the UK on Monday August 20. I was most fortunate to find a pre release copy on cassette awaiting for me upon my return from the second Kenbworth show

Listening to it in my bedroom remains one of the most memorable playbacks of my life.

Something like In The Evening heralded a new Zeppelin with new places to go… and I intended to be with them every step of the way.

The next challenge was to acquire the six differing covers to the album. The problem was that as the sleeves were pre packaged with the distinct brown paper bag, the purchaser therefore would not know which cover he had invested in until the album had been bought. Luckily I worked for a record shop -on Monday August 20 I duly waded through a fair few copies of the album unsealing them and sealing them back up until I had been through about a 100 to narrow down the six sleeves. Mission accomplished. This pic shows me on my bike outside Dec’s house on the afternoon of Monday August 20 – the HMV bag contained my six LP’s as purchased from WH Smith where I worked.

The press reaction to the album was unsurprisingly somewhat mixed.

As Plant commented somewhat cynically from the stage on the August 11th show, “You’ve probably read the reviews it’s tremendous.’’

Writing in Sounds , Geoff Barton went for the jugular. The feud between Swan Song and the paper probably did not help matters. A two star review (poor) had Baton summarizing, ‘’On this album Zeppelin sound like a band that hasn’t played together for three years. I feel no elation. I don’t wish to gloat. I’m sad, disillusioned, downhearted it’s the end of an era. The dinosaur is finally extinct.’’

Over at the Melody Maker there was no respite. ‘’Whole Lotta Bluff’’ read the headline as Chris Bohn stated, ‘’Led Zeppelin are displaying the first intimations of mortality and it’s time they accepted their fate like men. They squeezed their lemons dry long ago’’

Rolling Stone predictably waded in with a negative review. ‘’Sad Zep’’ headlined Charles M Young’s review. ‘’With the paucity of good music to work with Plant fails to create phrasing good enough to disguise the lyrics which are horrible.’’

In Creem magazine there was a more upbeat reaction. John Swenson observed, ‘’Led Zeppelin have never made a bad album and In Through The Out Door is no exception. You can call them stupid, you can call them wimpy, you can call them stupid, you can call them gimpy. Just don’t call them late for breakfast, because these guys bring home the bacon every time.”

The more no frills prose of Record Mirror were highly complimentary. ‘’Zep Zap the faithful’’ it stated and Robin Smith concluded that, “This album is for kids like you and me.’’

Finally to Nick Kent –in the past a loyal Zep supporter though now trying to run with the new pack of hot new wave hip journo’s dominating the NME. His review was not the hatchet job expected. ‘’They were so much older then’’ was the headline for what was easily the most balanced and perceptive review of the album ‘’In Through The Out Door’’ is no epitaph. When it’s bad as on the downright clumsy ‘Hot Dog’ its very bad but when it shines, it does so brightly enough. It only remains to advise the gentlemen involved to get back on the road and really start working at being a band again. Three year stretches of indolence are simply not on in rock’ n roll terms. More to the point there are potential points of departure on this album that deserve following through. The doctor orders a period of intense activity.’’

The next six months contained many an Out Door thrill. Hearing the Radio One UK chart run down where it was announced that the album ahd entered the Uk chart at number one (fending off Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming in the process)…the US reports of the sales of the album being a saviour to the US record industry – as all Zep albums went back on the Billboard chart…collecting the various configurations of the single Fool In the Rain/Hot Dog.

On November 28, I was also lucky enough to attend the Melody Maker Poll Awards at London’s Waldorf Hotel. Robert, Bonzo and Jonesy plus Peter Grant, Richard Cole and various Swan Song personnel attended. They received awards for Best Band, Best Live Act, Best Album, Best Male Singer, Best Guitarist, Best Producer and Best Composers. John Bonham can be seen in this pic accepting one of the awards from Monty Python’s Michael Palin.

Then there was the incredibly exciting Over Europe tour the following summer where All My Love was a welcome addition to the set list – a final approval of it being one of the pivotal tracks on the album. I vividly remember being at the side of the stage at the Frankfurt Festhalle a few feet from Robert as he sang this emotional song with such passion.

‘’Expectations fulfilled – credibility intact’’ was how I described the album in my review in TBL issue 3.

As far as I was concerned it was job done. In Through The Out Door had in fact not been the hardest way to get back in after all…

America beckoned …

In Through the Out Door Now:

The 2015 reissue..

Much has been said over the years about the less than crystal clear mix – this certainly does sound sprightlier though not radically so.

In The Evening still retains that feeling of rebith so evident at Knebworth. South Bound Suarez is another of those hidden gems – much more to this track than first meets the ears. Fool In The Rain is a magnificent Bonham masterclass -marvel at the tympani drumming during the break and the way he comes back in for the final chorus. Jimmy’s solo is so off the wall. This is the Zep of new places to go and going there with renewed confidence.

Hot Dog sounds surprisingly fresh and would have made a great UK single had that been the game.

Carouselambra intrigues with it’s JPJ led dream machine keyboard effects. The vocal do sound slightly more upfront.

I still have great affinity for All My Love. The right song at the right time and Jonesy’s solo is prime JPJ.

I’m Gonna Crawl – another revelation – the interplay of all four here is just mesmerising. Some forceful Bonham sparring with Page brings a typical dynamic quality to the proceedings, while Jimmy is at his bluesy best on the solo. A pleading Plant vocal that peaks at 4 minutes 41 with the most angst of screams brings the track to a satisfying finale.

So to the Companion Disc.

In The Evening (Rough Mix) 6.54

Alternate effects on the drone intro which recalls the live Knebworth arrangement giving it a more Eastern in feel. A much cleaner vocal track with less echo – this really adds a new majesty to the piece. The guitar is also mixed higher. On the slowed up refrain with Jimmy’s guitar effects, this mix allows you to clearly hear JPJ playing that beautiful flute like keybaord motiv that could be heard on the live versions. His bass playing is also exemplary. That whole sequence from 4 mins 25 through to 5.00 is another wonderful revelation. Moving into the finale the outro sounds very live and pure – all in all, this rough mix is a total joy.The opening statement with added clarity and intent.…magnificent…

Southbound Piano (South Bound Saurez – Rough Mix) 4.14

In this mix the piano is right to the fore and the solo from Jimmy is much more prominent. Overall this mix highlights how much is going on here with the vocal overdubs and stomping piano adding to the busy nature. Of proceedings. A once underrated track that will command deserved renewed attention now.Rollicking fun to be had here…altogether now ‘’Shala lala lalla la la’’

Fool In The Rain (Rough Mix) 6.13

Not too many differences on this – the solo is slightly clearer and more up front in the mix and generally the guitar effects are more pronounced behind Robert’s vocal. Bonzo is brilliant throughout of course. Always an off beat percussive feast…

Hot Dog (Rough Mix) 3.17

A much more punchier mix with the harmonised vocals sounding less harsh. Bonzo’s rimshots at the end of the chorus are more to the fore. Overall this zips along with renewed gusto – there are some minor extra parts to be heard on the solo. Jonesy’s final piano sign off motiv at the close is slightly cleaner in the mix. Expect to enjoy this a whole lot more than before. The once maligned hoedown that works – contrary to public opinion…

The Epic (Carouselambra – Rough Mix) 10.48

On this mix the guitar is the lead instrument with the synth work further back in the mix. Bonzo is also more to the fore. The link into the slowed down sequence at 4 mins 10, has Jimmy’s guitar runs chiming away with increased clarity At 6.45 there’s a double track vocal effect on the ‘’I heard the word I couldn’t stay..another day’’ line. The vocals are slightly higher in the mix but not radically so. The fade out has differing nuances from JPJ’s GX1 synth have improved separation with the synth effects echoing away. The epic just got a little more epic…

The Hook (All My Love – Rough Mix) 5.52

Not too much to report here – a cleaner vocal track is noticeably. However this is not the much bootlegged Monitor Mix and therefore does not have the extended fade out and full ending. This mix fades as the original version. Shame the long ending was not retained…

Blot (I’m Gonna Crawl – Rough Mix) 5.31

Less sheen on the vocal here and the solo is more upfront – highlighting the sheer brilliance of something of an underrated performance which will now enjoy rightful acclaim. Jimmy’s solo is just exquisite. Far from a blot on the landscape – this is another another performance worthy of re investigation…

Summary: 

This very welcomed reissue puts In Through The Out Door right back in the spotlight. Sprightly and full of vitality -still with new ideas and musical themes to elaborate upon. Far from the so called tired finale, it’s an album that has solid foundations to point to a whole new era…with much to enjoy, and I have certainly enjoyed revisiting it all these past few days.

I could not miss the opportunity to re-enact that 1979 photo outside Dec’s house – so here I am same place -same bag with the new In Through The Out Door reissue

Dave Lewis – July,2015.

DL Diary Blog update:

The good lady Janet and I are back from a truly fabulous week on our paradise island of Santa Eulalia in Ibiza.

Weather hot and sunny, great hotel, food and drink, Abba, Frank Sinatra and Elvis tribute nights at the Mirage bar and superb cocktails at the Liquido bar. Feeling very blessed indeed.

Of course you go away for a few days and it’s all been happening – Led Zeppelin rare Dutch 1969 TV appearance found and set for a bonus extra on the forthcoming Becoming Led Zeppelin Blue-ray release, The Beatles Anthology 4 announced and Spurs won their first two opening games and are joint top!

Thanks for listening