Untitled Zeppelin post (take 8)

I suppose this would be the “oops-two-weeks-have-slid-by-since-the-last-installment” of my temporarily recurring feature here at the Licorice Pizza: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Sessions disks. Apparently 12 parts of any one thing is too much for me to stay on top of.

Much like Part 7, this is all Jimmy Page. And, like the recordings Page did for Lucifer Rising, these tracks were recorded during October – November 1973 at Boleskine House in Loch Ness, Scotland, and at Headley Grange Studios in Hampshire, England, during November 1973 and January – February 1974. This is also the time when Zeppelin began recording Physical Graffiti.

As these sessions began, the band almost lost John Paul Jones. According to Dave Marsh’s “The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin,” Jones “had wanted to quit the band and take up a position as choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral.” Fortunately, Jones was convinced all he needed was a break, and he returned after the holidays.

While there are 41 tracks in this set, there are only three different songs. The first one, “untitled instrumental,” sounds like the same type of thing Page was working on for Lucifer Rising. Listening to it, though, it also sounded like I was picking up some “Stairway to Heaven”-type chords. But that may have been my imagination.

The 12 short “Ten Years Gone” takes are all mostly recognizable as the song that would appear in its final form on Side 3 of Physical Graffiti. This song may have been a reworking of an unreleased Zeppelin song called “Swan Song,” according to Dave Marsh.

The final 27 tracks are something called “Midnight Moonlight.” This track may have also started life as “Swan Song.” (Or may have grown out of whatever else Page was working on under that title.) Zeppelin never recorded this song, although a decade later, Page would record it while he was a member of The Firm. I don’t have a recorded version, but you can see a live version here.

Once again, I’ve pulled a couple of the more interesting tracks, and then zipped the rest up for you.

Track1: untitled instrumental
Tracks 2-13: Ten Years Gone
Tracks 14-41: Midnight Moonlight

1. untitled instrumental.mp3
13. Ten Years Gone.mp3
14. Midnight Moonlight.mp3
36. Midnight Moonlight.mp3
41. Midnight Moonlight.mp3

Unzip it all here.

Labels: classic rock, guitar heroes, Led Zeppelin, outtakes

posted by aikin @ 9:43 PM