TBL ARCHIVE SPECIAL – LED ZEPPELIN II IT WAS 56 YEARS AGO/ THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME SOUNDTRACK ALBUM 49 YEARS GONE/MORE ON LED ZEPPELIN III 55 YEARS GONE/ CARRY FIRE EIGHT YEARS GONE/DONOVAN 60 YEARS IN MUSIC APPEARANCES/ROLLING STONES IT’S ONLY ROCK’N’ROLL 51 YEARS GONE/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE
TBL Archive Special: Led Zeppelin II – it was 56 years ago …October 22,1969…
Led Zeppelin II – A Kind of Rock…
To celebrate the release of the Led Zeppelin II album this week back in 1969 – some thoughts 56 years on…
Led Zeppelin II:
A Kind Of Rock…. Still Flying
In the same way Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue defined the jazz genre, the second Zep album well and truly encapsulated rock music as we know it. Dave Lewis re appraises Led Zeppelin II on the occasion of its 56th anniversary.
In reappraising the second Led Zeppelin album 56 years on, it occurred to me that a parallel with the jazz giant Miles Davis is evident.
In the same way that Miles Davis Kind of Blue was the jazz album of choice for those who thought they didn’t like jazz, Led Zeppelin II became the rock album for those who thought they didn’t really like rock.
After Kind Of Blue, Miles Davis went on to make continuing adventurous music (witness In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew), Led Zeppelin also would push the boundaries of creativity with the likes of Led Zeppelin IV and Physical Graffiti.
Neither artist though, quite replicated the sheer shock element of intent so apparent on Kind Of Blue and Led Zeppelin II. These are both works of massive influence that grew their respective audiences manifold.
The album came together in a most haphazard fashion as they toured the UK and US during 969. From April to August they stopped off to record and overdub this second album at no less than eleven studios as follows:
Olympic Studios London, Morgan Studios London, A & M Studios Hollywood, Mystic Sound Hollywood , Mirror Sound Studios Los Angeles, R & D Studios Vancouver, A & R Studios New York, Groove Studio New York, Mayfair Recording Studios, New York Juggy Sound Studio New York and Atlantic Studios New York. Two others -Goldstar Recording Studios in Hollywood and Quantum Recording Studios in Torrence were visited but proved fruitless. It says much for Jimmy Page and Eddie Kramer’s production and engineering skills that the finished album sounded so cohesive -despite being recorded in so many different studios.
It’s also worth noting that During that five month period they made 78 live appearances. In fact, during the whole of 1969 they performed a total of 150 gigs – almost as many as they would play in the next three years.
Put simply, during the early part of their career Led Zeppelin’s work ethic was second to none and it was this desire to be seen and heard wherever they could, that really forged their legacy.
Perhaps surprisingly Jimmy Page admitted to having lost a bit of confidence by the time the album appeared in October 1969 accompanied by an advert that proclaimed it be ‘’Now flying’’. He need not have worried. By the beginning of 1970, Led Zeppelin II had dethroned The Beatles Abbey Road at the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. It marked the beginning of the band’s world domination. It registered over 130 consecutive weeks on the UK chart and remarkably was still holding court when Led Zeppelin III appeared a year later.
So what inspired this sales longevity normally reserved for the likes of The Sound Of Music or Bridge Over Troubled Water? Put simply Led Zeppelin II defined the rock genre in a way that Cream and Jimi Hendrix had hinted at. Here was a seamless forty one minute experience as track merged into track and sledge hammered the listener into submission. At the helm of it all was Jimmy Page. If the first album had laid down the foundations of what this quartet were going to be about, Zep II extended the notion with a brain crushing display of dynamics. And it was Page’s precision production that gave the record its real character, a standard he would uphold on successive Zep albums.
It was also his ability to adapt to the varying studio conditions they found themselves in that gave the album its distinctive sound. Page’s experiments in distance miking, a trick he picked up during his session days considerably enhanced the effect of John Bonham’s straight from the wrist drumming and Robert Plant’s wailing vocal. When it transferred to disc, it reproduced an air of electricity you could almost touch.
This was best personified on Whole Lotta Love, the catalyst opening track and smash US hit single. The lyrics may have been the work of Willie Dixon but the sound was pure Page/Zep. The swirling white noise middle section being the result of a weekend mixing session in New York with Eddie Kramer.
This second Led Zeppelin album also marked the emergence of Robert Plant as the group’s lyricist. He offered up compositional strength that would further flower on subsequent albums. The dreamy What Is And What Should never be ,the emotional love song Thank You with John Paul Jones excelling on organ and the Tolkien inspired Ramble On all sound as fresh today as they did five decades back.
Chris Huston was the studio engineer at Mystic Studios in Los Angeles where some of the tracks were cut. ‘’It was such a small studio’’ recalls Huston. ‘’I was very impressed with Jimmy’s ability to double track and create the sound he wanted first time every time. What you hear is the product of a lot of spontaneous chemistry in their playing’’.
Examples of that spark of chemistry can be heard in the smash and grab solos that light up The Lemon Song and the closing track Bring It On Home- the latter highlighting the band’s somewhat dubious practice for taking unaccredited old blues tunes (in this case Sonny Boy Williamson s song of the same name) and respraying them Zep style. Derivative as this tactic appeared, such arrangements always emerged unmistakably as their own.
Led Zeppelin II also contains one of the finest and few listenable drums solos committed to record in Moby Dick, Heartbreaker – plus a riveting Page guitar virtuoso piece and a kitsch rocker Living Loving Maid that they always said they disliked, but actually packed a tight incisive punch. Another winning factor: The album made memorable use of the newly found freedom stereophonic sound offered, making it an early hi fi buffs delight.
It would of course been easy to replicate this formula on their next record but that was never an option. As the gold and platinum albums began lining their walls, Page and co had already moved on. Refusing to stick to one particular groove, with their second album they had already made the definitive hard rock statement. Mandolins, Martin acoustic guitars, Mellotrons and a date with ‘’A lady who’s sure’’ now beckoned.
The intervening 56 years have done nothing to diminish the startling air of tension that signifies the opening cough and riff of Whole Lotta Love and the commencement of an album that continues to defy the wrath of time.
It’s a kind of rock…and a kind of legend and it’s still flying.
It’s Led Zeppelin II – go and wish it a happy 56th birthday and play it right now …
Dave Lewis – October 2025
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More on Led Zeppelin II from the TBL Archive:
The Led Zeppelin Reissues: Now And Then
Dave Lewis offers some personal recollections and current thoughts on the first Led Zeppelin reissues…
The Led Zeppelin Reissues Then And Now: Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin II: A kind of Rock then – a kind of rock now …even more so…
THEN:
Led Zeppelin II came in to my life very soon after the release of Led Zeppelin III. I had initially been alerted to the sound of Led Zeppelin a year previous when DJ Alan Freeman played Whole Lotta Love on his Pick of the Pops Radio One show –the effect was to be a lasting one.
As I eagerly devoured any news about Led Zeppelin via the weekly music papers, hearing and acquiring their music as a 13 year old was not so simple. They were rarely on the radio and the necessary funds to invest in an album was not forthcoming – I was a singles buyer and guess what? Led Zeppelin did not release UK singles…
However, after the watershed of hearing Led Zeppelin III, my mission was to acquire Led Zeppelin II as soon as possible. It was duly purchased from Braggins department store in Bedford for two reasons – I was able to hear the opening track on their in store record booths (you may recall in my Zep I tales, the store’s policy for youngsters was to be able to listen to track one side one only) and Braggins sold their LP’s in very nice pvc covers. Result!
This copy was on the German Atlantic label for some reason although given the timespan (November ’70), with the album at the top of the charts it may well be that demand had forced Atlantic in the UK to source copies elsewhere.
Anyway, the fact was I had the album with its imposing fold out cover and grandiose inner cover with their names emblazoned across the sleeve like royal headstones.
The following 12 months my listening pleasure was divided by Zep 1 and II and later a reel to reel recording of their BBC Radio One In Concert show broadcast in April 1971.
Upon the arrival of the fourth album, the first two Zep albums did take a back seat and not long after that I commenced my mission (on LP and cassette) to hear as much live material by this extraordinary group as possible.
There was one other Zep II related initiative –and that was to acquire the US single of Whole Lotta Love backed with Living Loving Maid. This challenge was eventually met via an advert in Sounds for US import singles. So it was in early 1972 that I sent off a postal order to a guy in Newcastle for the princely sum of £1.25 to invest in this hallowed piece of vinyl imported all the way from the USA. Eventually after weeks of waiting (no predicted arrival dates ala Amazon in those days!), this seven inch single in a very attractive Atlantic Records sleeve arrived. It was the beginning another love affair – the collecting of all manner of Led Zeppelin vinyl be it on 7 inch or 12- an obsession that is still rife in my life over 40 years on.
Unsurprisingly I have a variety of Zep II pressings – the original brown bomber with the Lemon Song credits, the rare UK pressing that lists Living Loving Maid as Living Loving Wreck – and a very nice US pressing on thick cardboard acquired earlier this year from a local charity shop. It remains an iconic piece of Zeppelin art.
As for the listening credentials of the album – again in my scheme of things I tend to play it less than some of the later albums – however I can say I have experienced notable moments when I have completely lost myself in its greatness. Again unsurprisingly this has been when I have immersed myself in writing about it – notably on the 35th anniversary back in 2004 when I did extensive retrospective features on Zep II for both Record Collector and Classic Rock. Five years later I celebrated the 40th anniversary of its release with a major feature in TBL 25 which coincided with me meeting and interviewing the director of engineering on the album Eddie Kramer.
In reappraising the second Led Zeppelin album forty years on, it occurred to me that a parallel with the jazz giant Miles Davis was evident.
In the same way that Miles Davis Kind of Blue was the jazz album of choice for those who thought they didn’t like jazz – Led Zeppelin 2 was the rock album for those who thought they didn’t really like rock.
After Kind Of Blue, Miles Davis went on to make continuing adventurous music (witness In A Silent way and Bitches Brew), Zeppelin also would push the boundaries of creativity with the likes of Zep 4, Houses Of The Holy and Physical Graffiti. Neither artist though, quite tapped in so effortlessly again with a statement of intent absolutely and completely of its time as they did with Kind Of Blue and Led Zeppelin 2 respectively.
Here’s how I re- appraised the album back in 2009:
Led Zeppelin II was an instant success going on to spend 130 consecutive weeks on the UK album chart and was still riding high in the top 20 when Led Zeppelin III was released.
So back in 1969 what inspired this sales longevity normally reserved for the likes of The Sound Of Music or Bridge Over Troubled Water? Led Zeppelin 2 defined the rock genre in a way that Cream and Jimi Hendrix had hinted at. Here was a seamless 41 minute experience as track merged into track and sledgehammered the listener into submission.
At the helm of it all was Jimmy Page. If the first album had laid down the foundations of what this quartet were going to be about, Zep 2 extended the notion with a brain crushing display of dynamics. And it was Page’s precision production that gave the record its real character, a standard he would uphold on successive Zep albums.
It was his ability to adapt to the varying studio conditions they found themselves in that gave the album its distinctive sound. Pages experiments in distance miking a trick he picked up during his session days considerably enhanced the effect of John Bonham’s straight from the wrist drumming and Robert Plant’s wailing vocal. When it transferred to disc, it reproduced an air of electricity you could almost touch.
Another winning factor: The album made memorable use of the newly found freedom stereophonic sound offered making it an early hi-fi buffs delight.
It would of course been easy to replicate this formula on their next record but that was never an option. As the gold and platinum albums began lining their walls, Page and co had already moved on. Adamantly refusing to stick to one particular groove, with their second album they had already made the definitive hard rock statement. Mandolins, Martin acoustic guitars, Mellotrons and a date with ‘’A lady whose sure’’ now beckoned.
The intervening 40 years have done nothing to diminish the startling air of tension that signifies the opening cough and riff of Whole Lotta Love and the commencement of an album that continues to defy the wrath of time.
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NOW:
So the shadow of Led Zeppelin II has loomed large for decades around these parts. The long awaited arrival of this newly remastered version with companion audio disc is most welcome.
As with Zep I the sound just takes over the room from the start. I’ve played this album countless times but hearing it blaring out on a mid week early June morning, the clarity and sheer sonic thrust of this second Led Zeppelin album ensured yet another memorable listening experience.
For example: the delicate bongos behind the beat on Whole Lotta Love, the always impressive stereo panning of the outro of What is and What Should Never Be, Jonesy’s bass throughout The Lemon Song, the delicacy of Jimmy’s acoustic picking on Thank You.
Over on side two and at this point it’s worth mentioning the sheer mastery of Jimmy’s sequencing of the album as one performance crosses into another – Heartbreaker kicks in vibrantly, then there’s the precise backing vocals on Living Loving Maid and then the sheer beauty of Ramble On…
Oh yes Ramble On – signifying a complete lump in the throat tears welling up moment here as the sheer enormity of their achievements just engulfed me.
Another point of reference: listening to these remastered albums I am constantly reminded of the quality and deftness of that heavy chorus technique they applied to so many of their songs – the aforementioned Ramble On being one such delight.
On the home straight, Moby Dick still sounds like the best drum solo ever committed to record, while Bring It On Home is yet another revelation – the pure blues of the intro never sounded so pure and when the riff kicks in …well it’s a majestic moment.
The Companion Audio Disc: The embryonic version of Whole Lotta Love is just stunning in its sheer naivety and sparseness. This tells us so much more than we already knew about the Zep II opener, and as I predicted, has elevated this early Zep anthem to even greater status (also aided by the Dior Homme advert).
Thank You- It’s wonderful to hear the precision of Jimmy’s chiming Vox guitar. The acoustic picking has yet to be overdubbed on this version. On Living Loving Maid the spaces in between where the vocal should be are marvellously offbeat. It’s worth noting that these backing tracks are much more than mere ‘karaoke’ fodder- they genuinely bring it out the instrumental nuances in a way we haven’t been privy to before. Ramble On has that delightful ‘’I ain’t telling no lines ‘’adlib from Robert in more clarity. The fade is a simpler mix with again a few overdubs yet to be applied notably the ‘’Bluebird ‘’ insert. It fades to a full ending.
La La –totally nonscript in a quintessentially Jimmy Page manner. Like I said before, La La is what the phrase ‘tangents within a framework’ was invented for…
Summary: In short, peering into the portal of where Led Zeppelin were at during 1969 opens up a whole new perspective. Led Zeppelin II is still a very special Kind of Rock and now there’s even more of it to enjoy…the phrase ”embellishment of riches” springs to mind…yet again.
DL – June 18th, 2014.
TBL Archive Special 2:
The Song Remains The Same Soundtrack 49 years gone…
49 years ago, on the afternoon of Thursday October 21 1976, I anxiously tore open the box marked Warner/ Elektra/ Atlantic Records at the WH Smith record shop where I worked to reveal for the first time the gatefold sleeve of, as the label spine gloriously put it ‘’The Soundtrack To The Film The Song Remains The Same‘’.
Yes the only official live album released during the band’s life time is 46 years old.
I have much affection for that original double live album – it captures a certain era of innocence when we knew a lot less about the actual construction of such things and just enjoyed it for what it as – four sides of live Zep to accompany the release of their long awaited film The Song Remains The Same. Whilst the on stage experimentation of their 1972 US tour had levelled out, these New York ‘73 concerts a year later capture all the swagger and verve of a band in the throes of conquering the world.
In those innocent days I was completely immune to any criticism of the boy’s work. I was therefore absolutely incensed with Nick Kent’s less than complimentary review of the film in the NME. So much so that I wrote a letter to the paper the next week pointing out an inaccuracy on his part. This was duly printed – I used the pseudonym ‘Ace Wallbanger’, a reference to the soccer team I played in, the infamous and much feared in a keystone cops sort of way Wallbangers FC.
Left: Angry Ace Wallbanger of Bedford has the right of reply…
Thanks to the esteemed Eddie Edwards we now know a whole lot more of how the live set was assembled via Eddie’s amazing Garden Tapes analysis.
of a few years back
See link at http://www.thegardentapes.co.uk/tgt.html
I know Eddie was far from happy with the revised version of the album that was issued in 2007. It cooked up a lot healthy debate at the time.
I was actually ok with Kevin Shirley’s mix. He cleverly kept the excitable crowd reaction high in the mix which adds a real ‘right there’ front row authenticity heard to great effect on the opening blast of Rock And Roll, Celebration Day and Black Dog. In extending the original double album, the six previously unreleased performances included a very fluent Over The Hills And Far Away, the riotous The Ocean and of course it finally gave a home to the brilliantly sublime recording of Since I’ve Been Loving You –always a stand out performance in the film and one of their best ever live moments.
I’ll be playing through both versions of the album this week – and there is much to admire – pull them out yourselves for a nostalgic blast of prime era Zep on this 48th anniversary.
Dave Lewis – October 2025
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Led Zeppelin III at 55:
To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the release of Led Zeppelin III are ‘s the first part of the making of Led Zeppelin III feature I wrote for Record Collector in 2010.
Led Zeppelin III
Dave Lewis tracks the story of the album that ensured Led Zeppelin would be remembered for much more than stacks of Marshall amps….
At around 9pm on the evening of Saturday June 28th 1970, a pivotal moment occurred that would shape the whole future of Led Zeppelin. Following a performance of Thank You from their second album, forty minutes in to their bill topping set at the Bath Festival, Jimmy Page exchanged his Gibson Les Paul for a Martin acoustic guitar and John Paul Jones switched to mandolin. After a few minutes of tuning up Robert Plant joked with the audience that ‘’This is a medley of Lonnie Donegan tunes before announcing ‘’This is one of the really good ones especially for John Bonham’’.
As Page strummed the first chords Plant revealed ‘’This is called The Boy Next Door, for want of a better title’’. Led Zeppelin were playing acoustically on stage for the first time in the UK. The better title would appear as That’s The Way, one of the centerpiece recordings on their landmark third album issued forty years ago this month.
The significance of their Bath Festival acoustic performance could not be understated. This was a band who had often bludgeoned their listener into submission with the full on rock assault of the likes of Whole Lotta Love, Dazed And Confused and How Many More Times. Indeed performances of those songs at the Bath Festival did much to cement their growing reputation as the most popular band in the world. Clearly though, as indicated by that acoustic rendering of That’s The Way, Led Zeppelin were going to be much more than just purveyors of Marshall amplifiers.
‘’We are not a rabble rousing group’’ Page informed journalist Chris Welsh early that year. We are trying to play some music.’’
Unsurprisingly, was a mixed reaction to the album when it was released in October of 1970. Many critics and fans could not quite believe their ears. However,the clues however had long since been there. The acoustic overtones of Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, the folk instrumental Black Mountain Side (itself a borrow form folk guitarist Bert Janch’s Black Waterside) and the subtly of Thank You and Ramble On all displayed evidence of Page’s intention to bring what he would often describe as a light and shade to the proceedings.
Misleadingly,the overall bombastic thrust of Led Zeppelin 2 clouded the musical diversity that lay ahead. Written and recorded on the road in between an extensive touring itinerary in 1969 ,the nature of the recording sessions provided was little room for reflection and experimentation. Its untamed power was perfect for the emerging mass album buying public, and they entered a new decade with the album topping both the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic dislodging The Beatles Abbey Road in the process.
Despite the successful formula applied to their second album, for their next recorded statement they were determine to extend the musically boundaries that their hectic schedule had yet to allow time for.
Initially sessions for their third album carried on from where Zep 2 had left off. Their fourth American tour ended in on November 8th in San Francisco just as Whole Lotta Love the single extracted from Zep 2 was climbing the American charts. There was intense pressure from Atlantic in the UK to issue a similar edited version of the song for the UK market. Peter Grant’s no singles rule averted any such plan though not before a few hundred copes slipped out from a warehouse in Manchester – ensuring it’s long term rarity status.
When they gathered in Olympic Studios in late 1969 there was a plan to try and record something for single release. Announcing the withdrawal of the planned release of Whole Lotta Love in the UK in December of that year Peter Grant issued a statement that read ‘’the group had no intention of issuing this as a single as they felt it was written as part of the concept of the album. They’ve written a special number intended as their first British single which they are recording this week’’’. It’s possible one of the numbers under consideration was the semi acoustic Hey Hey What Can I Do, which eventually emerged as a future American single B side
Page had also mentioned the singles dilemma in September of that year. ‘’We are going to spend time on producing a single. It’s going to be a bit of a challenge because in the past on the albums we’ve done long tracks, so it’s a question of condensing a 15 minute performance down to about three minutes.’’ It’s also possible the statement from Grant may well have been a smokescreen to divert the singles controversy.
In the end the plan to record a single came to nothing. However,the late ’69 session did see the beginnings of what would emerge on Led Zeppelin 3 a year hence. Page experimented with a chord progression that over laid a series of Hendrix like runs. This was dubbed Jennings Farm Blues, a reference to Plants then farmhouse in Blakeshall. This track would remain voiceless and unreleased. However the melody of this electric piece would later emerge in an acoustic arrangement titled Bron Y Aur Stomp. Another song they worked on during these initial sessions was Since I’ve Been Loving You. A dramatic custom made blues that showcased Plant’s soaring range and Page’s guitar virtuosity to great effect.
Led Zeppelin opened the new decade riding high on the back of the sales success of Led Zeppelin 2. A sold out eight city British tour for which they set a precedent in appearing without a support act (aside for a date in Edinburgh where Barclay James Harvest did the honours), saw them further cement their growing reputation. The future Zep 3 standard Since I’ve Been Loving You made its debut on the tour and would remain in the set for many years to come. The set list for these shows included a new set opener, a cover of Ben E. King’s ‘We’re Gonna Groove’. This number was recorded in the studio for Led Zeppelin 2 but remained unreleased until it turned up on the posthumous Coda set in 1982.
The UK tour included a memorable showcase at the Royal Albert Hall staged on January 9th –the night of Jimmy’s 26th birthday. The performance was captured on film by Peter Whitehead for an intended TV documentary.’’’ We are working on a film’’ said Page at the time adding that ‘’This show was just like it was at the Albert Hall in the summer, with everyone dancing round the stage. It is a great feeling. What could be better than having everyone clapping and shouting along? It’s indescribable, but it just makes you feel that everything is worthwhile.” Backstage visitors included Roger Daltrey and his wife Heather. Jimmy was introduced to Charlotte Martin, a French model with whom he would develop a long-term relationship and who would become the mother of his daughter Scarlet. The show was professionally filmed on Grant’s instructions under the direction of Peter Whitehead and Stanley Dorfmann and recorded by Vic Maille on the Pye mobile studio (the same recording unit employed by The Who for the recording of their Live At Leeds album a month later) . Disc later announced that Zeppelin would be seen on TV screens this year for the first time in a £25,000 film financed entirely by the group. “The movie, an hour-long semi-documentary, will show scenes for the Albert Hall, a section of a States tour, individual members of the group off-duty with their wives and families – and a lot of live action shots. Peter Grant stated.
The film was their planned retort to the numerous TV offers they had turned down. Although they did a spate of TV shows early in their career, including a BBC2 appearance on How Late Is (long since wiped), they had turned down offers to appear on Top Of The Pops and This Is Tom Jones.
Despite plans to film other concerts and a sequence showing John Bonham’s then four year old son Jason playing drums, the TV documentary idea was eventually scrapped as they were unhappy with the quality of the Albert Hall footage. It was eventually salvaged by Page and restored for their official DVD which saw the light of day in 2003. The Albert Hall footage is unfortunately missing the embryonic arrangement of Since I’ve Been Loving You as some of the footage was too dark to be used.
The touring continued into Europe in February With Robert fully recovered the group were back on the road within a month playing 11 dates in Europe. The most memorable date occurred on February 28th in Copenhagen. Before the show they were confronted by one Eva Von Zeppelin. Claiming to be a direct descendant of the designer of one of the first airships, Count Von Zeppelin, she threatened to sue the band if they performed as Led Zeppelin, making the infamous statement: “They may be world famous but a group of shrieking monkeys are not going to use a privileged family name without permission.” For their KB Hallen appearance they went under the name The Nobs, a playful pun on the name of their European promoter Claude Knobs and, of course, a thinly disguised reference to something else entirely. Little was heard of Eva’s Von Zeppelin’s claim again and they were back as Led Zeppelin for their next show.
From March 21st to April 18th they were back in America for remarkably what would be their fifth visit in the space in a little over a year. Billed as ‘’An Evening with Led Zeppelin’’, the tour captured the band in full on rock assault mode for the final time. Despite a few run ins with the US authorities over their long hair and. They performed 25 shows on the tour with a show that now exceeded two hours.This one was arranged to continue their push for mass acceptance in the US and saw them perform in venues of 10,000 capacity and upwards. It was a gruelling schedule that eventually took its toll on Plant’s voice, the final date in Las Vegas being cancelled. Stone The Crows were initially announced as the support act for the tour but then cancelled. From now on in, the shows were billed as ‘An Evening With Led Zeppelin’ and there were no support bands. The political climate in the US was far from stable at this time. The shooting of four students on Ohio’s Kent State University campus during a demonstration against the Vietnam War had exacerbated the already edgy relationship between the youth of America and its police. With their long-hair and wild appearance the Zeppelin entourage attracted unfavourable treatment from the authorities. Plant was more sensitive to the unpleasantness than his colleagues and his observations would later flower into the lyrics of the Led Zeppelin 3 standard That’s The Way. “We’ve seen much in America we don’t agree with and our feelings of protest do reflect in the music,” remarked Plant. “People may think we make a lot of bread but in some cities it’s so rough – fans won’t come to our shows. We’ve been threatened with arrest if we returned to the stage and our manager’s had a gun pulled on him.” It was during this tour that Page had his Gibson ‘Black Beauty’ Les Paul Custom guitar stolen during a flight change. It wasn’t all bleak news though – in Memphis they were made honorary citizens and they sold out the venues in almost every city they visited. The total gross of the tour was over $1,200,000 with record breaking attendances reported in Montreal and Vancouver.
At the end of the tour Plant collapsed on stage at the end of their show in Phoenix Arizona due to a bout of laryngitis forcing the cancellation of the final date in Las Vegas.
Plant’s fatigue and illness highlighted the band’s current state. They all needed a rest. Since their debut tour of Scandinavia in September 1968 they had barely stopped performing. Burn out loomed and Peter Grant knew he had to allow them some slack.
Just prior to the much needed break, viewers to BBC2’s Sunday night Julie Felix Show were privy to a significant performance by Jimmy Page.
“My next guest this evening is a member of certainly the most successful group to come out of Britain in the last couple of years. Led Zeppelin LP’s top both the British and American charts and the lead guitarist in that group is definitely a very talented and special musician. Ladies and gentlemen: Jimmy Page!” That was the introduction afforded Page on the night of April 26th when the show aired. This rare Page rare solo TV appearance came about from Julie’s friendship with John Paul Jones and her being part of the RAK management stable that shared the same office as Peter Grant. Recorded at the BBC’s Lime Grove studio, the performance featured Jimmy picking feverishly away on an all acoustic delivery of White Summer/Black Mountain Side – a then prominent part of their stage act played as an electric piece on a Dan Electro guitar. On this occasion he used a Gibson J 200 acoustic guitar acquired from session man Big Jim Sullivan. This would be the last performance of this showpiece for nine years. Again the all acoustic setting was a hint of things to come.
The majority of May 1970 was deemed a holiday period – and this provided the perfect opportunity for Page and Plant to take a break together. The plan was to visit a run down cottage Robert had remembered holidaying there when he was a child. The cottage known as Bron Yr Aur Welsh for “golden hill”, “breast of the gold” or “hill of the gold” was an 18th century building located in South Snowdonia. It’s worth noting that all credits for Bron Yr Aur on the Led Zeppelin 3 album incorrectly named the cottage as Bron Y Aur. It was restored to Bron yr Aur for all future album credits notably the 1970 Bron Yr Aur acoustic track that eventually surfaced on Physical Graffiti.
This trip to the serenity of the Welsh countryside would emerge as a working holiday.
Together with a roadies Clive Coulson and Sandy McGregor, Jimmy and Robert plus visits from their ladies Maureen and Charlotte spent the month at the cottage. Given the lack of domestic electricity, the arrangements for the new songs that emerged were entirely acoustic thus setting the flavour for much of their third album.
“We’d been working solidly and thought it was time for a break, or at least some time to get away from the road’’ said Page. ‘’Robert suggested going to this cottage in South Wales that he’d once been to with his parents when he was much younger. He was going on about what a beautiful place it was and I became pretty keen to go there. So often we went; took along our guitars of course. It wasn’t a question of ‘Let’s go and knock a few songs in the country’. It was a bit of a case of getting away for a bit. As the nights wore on the guitars came out and numbers were being written.” Plant did tell of an incident when three guys on motorbikes tuned up at the cottage one night. We were preparing for trouble but it turned out they were Led Zeppelin fans who had just come for a chat. Turns out one of them was the son of a local farmer which came in handy as his dad said we’ d be welcome to fish on his private stretch of river nearby.’’ Roadie Clive Coulson told journalist Phil Sutcliffe ‘’They just wanted some peace and quiet. They met local people while they were there. They ended up buying some goats from one of the local farms. Jimmy and Robert went into Machynlleth and at pub called Owen Glendower. Everyone mucked in at the cottage, there was no superstar shit. Pagey was the tea man. The cottage was stone freezing cold. There was an open hearth fire. Pagey had a Martin guitar and they a lot of songs at the cottage’’
These compositions carried influence from a variety of sources. America was already feeling the soft rock influence of Crosby Stills Nash and Young – in fact Page and Plant were in attendance at the band’s London show earlier in the year. There was a definite Neil Young lit about I Wanna Be Your Man an acoustic skit that they left unfinished and Down By The Seaside which would eventually surface on Physical Graffiti. Plant’s reflective That’s The Way (aka The Boy next Door’’) was another number borne under the influence of the cottage.
The Rover, Hey Hey What Can I Do, Poor Tom and Friends were other songs that were first developed.
When the group reconvened for studio sessions at Olympic in late May e they had a good ten numbers at the ready to record stage. ‘’We’ll be recording for the next two weeks and we are doing a lot of acoustic stuff as well as the heavier side’’ John Bonham told Melody Maker’s Chris Welch from the studio. ‘’There will be better quality songs than on the first two albums’’
TO BE CONTINUED…
Here’s a link to a Led Zeppelin piece I did for the Louder/Classic Rock website:
https://www.loudersound.com/features/25-things-about-led-zeppelin-III
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Today’s the day – the release of the eleventh Robert Plant solo album Carry Fire:
’‘All that’s worth the doing is seldom easily done, all that‘s worth the winning is seldom easily won’’
Carry Fire updated review
The Vinyl Review:
As a follow up to my preview a couple of weeks back, here’s the view from three sides of vinyl edition. Note with the aid of the lyrics and track details on the vinyl version, I have revised some of my initial observations.
To re iterate:
Carry Fire pretty much carries on from where Robert Plant’s previous album left off.
Vocally, he is singing with mature authority deploying that close-to-the-mic, breathy vocals style that he first perfected on Little Hands, his contribution to the Skip Spence tribute album More Oar. This album is amasterclass in pure vocal control.
Having listened to the tracks on Carry Fire, in reviewing the album , I’ve purposely listed songs from the Plant back catalogue that hint at the mood of these new offerings.
Side A:
The album opener and first single, The May Queen sets the tone for much of the album. Semi acapella vocals over a slight Another Tribish rhythm with bendir/ tambourine back beat – drowning out any snare drum presence. As more than one listener to the preview has commented, the opening segment on this track has a passing resemblance to Factory Girl from The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet. Seth Lakeman’s contribution has a touch of Zep’s Poor Tom about it.
An effective echo on Robert’s vocal aids New World – a grittier stomp with a mid tempo riff that sounds like a descendent from the Page & Plant arrangement of Please Read The Letter. A melodic cascading vocal refrain brightens the mood and Skin’s solo here is a real delight.
The folksy Season’s Song benefits from lush multi layered vocals that reminded me of I Cried For You (off Manic Nirvana). There’s a touching romantic quality to the vocal delivery here. It all leads to a nicely crooned ‘’crazy crazy fool’’ vocal line in the style of the live arrangement of Ship of Fools. All The Kings Horses (from the Mighty ReArranger album) is a further reference point here.
Side B:
The beautifully reflective Dance With You Tonight is for me, the outstanding track. Lyrically, the singer aspires to enjoy ‘’one more chance for the last dance.” lamenting that ”We shared a word forever changing – through dancing days and wondrous nights’. He sings it with immense grace bringing a Roy Orbison melancholy into the mix. Down To The Sea and Come Into My Life are reference points to the organic nature of this superb outing.
The politically inspired Carving Up The World Again… A Wall And Not A Fence is another in the vein of Another Tribe – a jumpy urgent nagging affair with some neat bluesy guitar lines. Robert delivers this in a more familiar high register vocal style.
A Way With Words is very much in the Stolen Kiss vein, with stark piano and a mournful feel akin to Page & Plant’s BlueTrain. Redi Hasa’s cello dds to the dreamlike atmosphere.
The title track, Carry Fire lends itself to the oft favoured North African influence. Mid tempo, with exotic sounding oud playing from Justin Adams, it’s a haunted, tension building affair. Seth Lakeman is again prominent adding a meandering solo that merges with Redi Hasas cello work.
Side C: (Note Side D is an etched inscription of the title and logo)
Bones Of Saints is another highlight with an urgent vocal delivery , coupled with some guitar licks in the syle of The Enchanter from Mighty ReArrnanger. The clarity of the vinyl version brings out the purity of the finely textured backing vocals and I detected a slight Four Sticks like wail at the fade.
Keep it Hid is a jazzy 5/4 time vibe unlike anything else on the album. John Baggott keyboard synth sustains throughout -Silver key in a golden cup” repeats the singer effectively.
The cover of Ersel Hickey’s Bluebirds Over The Mountain (also recorded by The Beach Boys and Richie Havens, amongst others) is, as Robert commented, ‘’put through the Bristol sonic mill’’. This makes for a trip hop, grungy affair that renders Chrissie Hynde’s vocal contribution somewhat understated in the mix. Seth and Redi add some pleasing string work. Rich Newman guests on drums.
The album closes in a downbeat manner with Heaven Sent – a bleak atmospheric piece that reminded me of Heart In Your Hand from Walking Into Clarksdale. Robert adds yet more words of wisdom repeating the lines “All that’s worth the doing is seldom easily done, all that‘s worth the winning is seldom easily won.’’ Before it all fades away.
Those lines are a pretty accurate appraisal of the album.
Like his previous album, this one needs working at and getting used to. Play it randomly a couple of times and it’s likely to pass over your head.
It took me a good few plays before it really got under the skin.
Give it some dedicated listening time and there are some very rewarding performances.
In his advancing years, Robert’s muse has become more introverted, less flamboyant and increasingly dignified – all of which is reflected in the music he now produces.
So no, you won’t be dancing around the Christmas tree to this album. However, it will be something of a thought provoking warm pleasure as the winter nights kick in. In fact, for a man who has much empathy for the seasons, this feels like a Robert Plant winter album.
As can be seen by the virtual sell out of the forthcoming UK tour, the attraction to see this signer perform live on stage is plainly still fervent. As demonstrated at last Friday’s BBC 6 Music session, the songs are already developing further identity on stage – notably the title track Carry Fire.
So, to summarise: For all his idiosyncratic traits, being a Robert Plant fan remains a richly rewarding experience. He does everything an artist should do: he enchants, he intrigues, he frustrates, he confuses and above all… he inspires.
Carry Fire carries on that tradition.
Dave Lewis – October 12, 2017
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The Grand Unveiling of Carry Fire live: A lunch time date with Robert Plant…
So to Maida Vale on a bright Sunny early October morning for another new beginning…
Scene of two visits by Led Zeppelin all of 48 years ago. They were here on Wednesday March 19, 1969 between 5.30 and 9 pm to record a session in Studio 4 for the Alexis Korner Rhythm and Blues show. Alongside I Can’t Quit You Baby and You Shook Me, this session included Sunshine Woman, never performed live or on record and given a very belated release on last year’s Complete BBC Sessions release.
Some four months later they were back in Studio 4 from 2.30 to 9.30 pm on Tuesday June 24, 1969 for a memorable session for John Peel’s Top Gear. Alongside versions of Whole Lotta Love and What is And What Should Never Be, they recorded another rarity – Travellin’ Riverside Blues that would eventually see the light of day on the Remasters 1990 box set.
The old white building looks much as it did back then as I wait patiently to enter. Then it’s into the hallowed Studio 2. This week the studio has played host to a week of BBC 6 Music Live broadcasts. Morrissey, Mogwai, alt-J, and Loyle Carner have all participated. Now it’s the turn of, as BBC 6 Music host Lauren Laverne described him ‘rock royalty.
For today is the day Robert Plant and the Strange Sensations will perform for the first time live, material from the forthcoming album Carry Fire. Robert’s eleventh studio album and his second with the Space Shifters line up.
Once inside, I am more than pleasantly surprised by the close proximity of the stage to the audience area. It’s no trouble at all to casually walk right in front of the main mic (and we all know who that’s for).
Thought number one. This is going to be very exciting.
Thought number two. I have not been this close to the Robert Plant live action for some considerable time. Probably since the very first Space Shifters at the Gloucester Guildhall in 2012 and before that the Kings Head pub in Fulham back in 1993
Some other thoughts that occur. At 12 noon, this will be the earliest in the day I’ve seen Robert Plant sing live –beating the 5pm starts of the Knebworth 90 Silver Clef show and the Priory of Brion appearance in a tent at Ashbury De La Zouch back in 1999. This will also be the first time I hear Robert Plant greet a crowd with ‘’Good Morning’’ as opposed to the usual ‘’Good Evening’.
The audience itself has been drawn from the BBC 6 Music ballot for tickets to attend this the performance – the BBC 6 Music announcer informs us that 35,000 applied for just 200 tickets.
Privileged to be here? Just a bit
There are some moments when it all comes right and being here today right in front of the action makes all the effort I make to share and enlighten fellow fans via the magazine,website,facebook etc all worthwhile. And then some…
The live broadcast of Lauran Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show is aired over the PA and then the lady herself comes out to introduce Robert to the stage- this is to initially conduct a short pre gig interview with him on stage. On he walks looking good in black leather jacket (the same one he had on for the Oxford Paul Rodgers gig)
The very fluent Lauren conducts a relaxed interview honing in on the new album. Robert is on fine spieling form. Showing derision on the idea of an autobiography he remarks ‘’If it ain’t funny it ain’t worth remembering. He talks up his affinity for the Space Shifters noting it’s ”A jigsaw of music – everybody’s got a groove’’
The interview ends – there’s a few minutes of preparation as the camera crew in front of me test their angles. Lauren’s back on for the official introduction and to a huge roar, Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters walk on stage. A quick tune up -I momentarily detect a slide guitar effect from a Led Zep II classic and sure enough, Robert walks up to the mic to utter the words ‘’And if I say to you tomorrow…’’
I’m watching Robert Plant perform What I And What Should Never Be on a Friday lunchtime and boy life is good. What follows is an hour in rock’n’roll dreamtime – one of those pinch me I’m dreaming’’ affairs. I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in a fair few of those occasions witnessing this singer over the years.
First impressions – the sound is crystal clear, Robert’s delivery quite joyous – full of smiles as he ad-libs the familiar fade out. it strikes me this is a very appropriate opener given that he performed the song with Led Zeppelin in this very building all of 48 years ago.
Next up a tough and no messin’ delivery of Turn it Up from the Ceaseless Roar album. Robert stalking the mic closely – throughout the performance he will hug the mic ra – although with a rather cramped stage, there was not a lot of room for any mic off poses.
Having not seen them for three years, it’s easy to forget the undoubted chemistry of the Space Shifters unit. Justin Adams to the right as enthusiastic as ever, often duck walking over to Skin Tyson, the latter ever impressive on an array of guitars. John Baggott underpinning it all with a variety of psych loops, electronic samples and keyboard parts. Billy Fuller steadfast on bass (Robert would comment that Billy is the ring master of it all) while Dave Smith adds an unorthodox percussive element playing the kit left handed in a Phil Collins style. His role is also pivotal, driving the rhythms along with ethnic feel.
The first adventure from the new album is New World – led by the duel guitar thrust of Justin and Skin. Having lived with the album for a good now, the urgent nagging nature of this song really comes alive on stage – and Skin lays down a soaring solo.
Robert then introduces Seth Lakeman on violin and they swing into a very different arrangement of Misty Mountain Hop – guitar led rather than keyboards and with Seth on violin. It takes a while to actually recognise it’s the Zep IV staple but it grooves along nicely and the outro refrain of ”I really don’t know” is sung with much intent. Previous Plant re- workings of Zep songs have not always fully succeeded (No Quarter and Black Dog spring to mind) but this one is likely to go on to be something of a crowd pleaser on tour.
The already familiar May Queen is the next Carry Fire premiere – there’s something of a gospel effect in the vocal and Seth leads it into a bluesy jam which reminded me in places of the bluesy strut of Zep’s Poor Tom.
A word about this latest and important addition to the Space Shifters line up. The exotic presence of Juldeh Camera added a distinctly North African element to their sound – Seth’s comes in from a much more English folk traditional angle. His boyish enthusiasm is most apparent – he reminds me of a younger Dave Swarbrick the late legendary Fairport man. On the evidence of this opening performance Seth is going to be a revelation.
Robert’s inbeween song patter is full of humour playing up the new album ‘’if you need any I’ve got some in the car’’ he comments tongue in cheek.
The title track….this is where it really takes off. From its meandering Indian flavoured intro, through to the stop start dynamism of the repeated line ”Just like, just like I scarred you” this is just magnificent. In between all that, Skin, Justin and Seth cook up a mighty roar of sound. Robert for his part, holds the mic nodding appreciatively at the noise he is in the centre of. It reminded me of the way along with Jimmy and JPJ, he crowded around Jason’s drum kit at the 02 reunion -soaking it all up.
This performance of Carry Fire sent shivers down my spine – it was one of those truly unforgettable moments of live music delivery (like the Black Dog part in Kashmir at the MTV Unledded show) that unfolds in front of me with quite awe inspiring intensity.
What a moment…and there’s another one coming up
They next kick into a melodic sequence that at first I thought was Hey Hey What Can I Do – but in fact leads into a surprise delivery of In The Light. Oh yes!
This was briefly part of the Strange Sensation set back in 2001. It’s the first time I’ve seen Robert sing it live – and what joy it is as he free falls into the familiar refrain. There’s a pleasing descending chord sequence led by Seth that delights every time it comes around. The overall delivery is a little tentative – but rest assured, by the time In The Light has been performed a few times it’s going to be a standout part of their set – and a major indulgence for fans in search of some Zeppelin retro. This arrangement ended with the opening lines being sung communality amongst the band members.
The good vibes prevail as they deliver a wonderfully upbeat Rainbow which as Robert playfully inserting lines from Sea of Love at the close.
Bones Of Saints is another new number that benefits from a live arrangements. Justin and Skin grinding down on the riff..
Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down is another standout. This compelling spiritual croon from the 2010 Band of Joy album unfolds in a sparse traditional setting. Plant builds the tension verse by verse while behind him a plaintive banjo from Skin offers a jaunty counterpoint to the dark theme of the lyrics. The final lines including that one from In My Time of Dying are delivered with daunting menace.
With time running out, they steer into the middle jam a part of Whole Lotta Love- Skin eventually unveiling the riff that ate the word and we are off to a fun filled nod to the signature opening track of Led Zep II.
”We’ll’ see you again probably in a minute’’ is Robert’s coy comment indicating that there may be just a little bit more to come.
The main broadcast has come to an end but there is one more bonus. We had been advised earlier that there would be some final camera angles to be shot after the main set and that there might be one extra number.
Indeed there is, as they return to zip through a riveting Lemon Song with Robert between Skin and Justin totally immersed in the bluesy groove we know so well from that fabled Zep delivery.
A final wave and smiles all round and Robert and the Sensational Space Shifters leave the stage. The BBC announcer is back on. He leaves us with this statement:
”In thirty five years of working at this studio that has to be the best thing we’ve ever had here at Maida Vale…’’.
As I’m leaving I over hear another conversion from one of the tech staff – ‘’That was incredible – I can retire happy now’’
Indeed…
So there you have it. I’ve had worse lunch hours…
It was quite a lot to take in and the train journey back is something of a haze.
Back home around 5pm, by the wonders of the BBC red button service remarkably I’m watching the footage in the company of the good lady Janet – who is mightily impressed too. The party continues into the evening with a visit to the Bedford Beer Festival – watching Robert Plant unveil a new campaign is thirty work you know!
Summary: Having viewed the footage a few times, even by his standards, this was an outstanding performance.
Relaxed, confident, and utterly transfixing. There was a real sense of urgency from the whole band and one could feel how keen they all were to finally unleash this new music on an audience.
And what new music it is – even on one live outing, its more than evident how these new songs will develop and grow in a live setting. Add in some very special Zep related excursions – well, are all in for a real treat when the tour gets underway.
I’m still slightly reeling from it all Beng in such close proximity near the front of the stage was incredibly exciting – I could really feel the depth of vocal agility the singer brings to the proceedings. By my reckoning, this is the 117th time I’ve seen Robert Plant sing live onstage since 1971. When the dust settles on it all, this BBC 6 Music Live lunch time session in the histrionic surroundings of the Maida Vale Studios will be right up there as one of the most memorable occasions in his company.
Suffice to say, it was an absolute privilege to be there as the Carry Fire campaign commenced.
Get ready to feel it’s white hot noise in the months ahead…
Dave Lewis
October 12 ,2017
Friday October 18 1974 was a bit of a red letter day for me. Aside from being my Mum’s 62nd Birthday, on that day I went in to town to have an interview for the job of record department assistant at WH Smith. A few days later I was informed I had got the job and my first day was to be Monday October 24. That was the start of a very fulfilling 35 year career in music retail.
While at the shop I also purchased the long awaited new Rolling Stones album It’s Only Rock’n’Roll which was released that day.
I was very excited about this as the Stones were my number two band (joint with The Beatles and and still are). The previous week Nick Kent had reviewed the album very favourably in the NME. This was at a time when the opinions of likes of Nick along with Charles Shaar Murray and Roy Carr counted for a lot for this then 18 year old.
Nick was spot on it was and is a brilliant album stack full of prime time Stones. From the opener if You Can’t Rock Me through the raucous take on The Temptation’s Ain’t To Proud To Beg ,the already familiar title track (with that memorable video), on into the latest in a long line of sensitive Stones ballads Till The Next Time We Say Goodbye. Then the epic closing track of side one Time Waits For No One with that amazing Mick Taylor solo. This was to be his final work with the band -what a talent he was.
Over on side two the mock reggae fun of Luxury, the down and dirty Dance Little Sister, the rollicking Shot n Curlies and – the classic deep soul dive of if You Really Want To Be My Friend with Blue magic’s backing vocals – a very underrated track – one of Jagger’s finest vocal performances, aand finally the out on the New York street thrust of Fingerprint File.
I loved every nuance of every track. It was an inspiration, a massive influence on my tastes. This was a period when new albums were to be immersed in to become trusted friends on hand to fit every mood.
This was also an album that also inspired me to begin putting pen to paper myself and I have my own hand written personal review in my archives -there would be more to follow.
I can still reel of the tracks of this album in order at will such has been it’s 51 year impression. I was saying to my record collecting comrade and authorGraham Sharpe when I met him in the week that although I am still a mega Stones fan I’d be hard pushed to name three tracks off their last album Hackney Diamonds.
Perhaps it’s a lack of time and application and of course I still enjoy their albums but back then at a very impressionable age acquiring albums was not just an investment but a way of life. We played them, we talked about them, we shared them. The Zep catalogue, T. Rex Electric Warrior, Bowie Young Americans, The Who Who’s Next, The Beatles White Album and a fair few more – these are the albums that formed my musical DNA and that I would certainly include The Rolling Stones It’s Only Rock’n’Roll in that list.
So Happy 50th Birthday to a record that sounded great on this day back in 1974 and still does now.
I am going to enjoy revisiting it once again this weekend…
Dave Lewis – October 18,1974
It’s a Happy Birthday to our very dear friend Mark Harrison – an incredibly knowledgeable and inspiring Led Zeppelin fan – he was right there when it was al going on, long time supporter of all things TBL and all round top man – Happy Birthday Mark from Janet and I and have a great day mate!
Wednesday October 22:
It’s a Happy Birthday to Mr Rudi O’Keefe – long time Led Zep fan, prolific gig attendee over many years (Jethro Tull 100 times plus!), big supporter of my TBL stuff, great company at our TBL London pub meets and all round top man…have a great day mate!
Wednesday October 22:
Wednesday October 22:
Until next time…
Dave Lewis – October 22 2025
TBL website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis
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