BBC Sessions (Led Zeppelin album)

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BBC Sessions
LZBBCalbum1997.jpg
Type Live album
Artist Led Zeppelin
Release Date 11 November 1997 (US), 18 November 1997 (UK)
Recorded 3 March 1969 - 1 April 1971 at
Playhouse Theatre, London;
Maida Vale Studio 4, London;
Aeolian Hall Studio 2, London;
Paris Theatre, London.
Genre Hard rock, blues rock, folk rock
Language English
Length 153 minutes 3 seconds
Label Atlantic Records
Catalogue Atlantic 83061-2 (US), Atlantic 7567-83061-2 (UK)
Producer Jimmy Page, Bernie Andrews, Jeff Griffin, Paul Williams, John Walters
Engineer Pete Ritzerma, Joe Young, Tony Wilson

BBC Sessions is a compilation album featuring live studio sessions and a broadcast concert recorded by English rock group Led Zeppelin for the BBC. It was released on 11 November 1997, by Atlantic Records.

Overview

This was the first issue of previously unreleased Led Zeppelin material since the 4 remastered out-takes in the early 1990s. Disc One consists of songs from four separate 1969 BBC sessions; at the Playhouse Theatre (3 March and 27 June), Maida Vale Studio 4 (24 June), and Aeolian Hall Studio 2 (16 June). Disc Two includes most of the 1 April 1971 concert from the Paris Theatre in Lower Regent Street, London.[1] 'Stairway to Heaven', 'Black Dog', 'Going to California' are all performed at the Paris Theatre prior to the release of their fourth album, before an invited audience.

Unofficial Led Zeppelin's BBC session recordings were among the most popular bootleg items of the rock & roll era, appearing on a myriad of illegal records and CDs.[2] They were all the more popular because of the lack of official Led Zeppelin live albums. This release was widely welcomed by Led Zeppelin fans as the first live release since The Song Remains the Same in 1976. However, due to licensing issues, some of the song medleys from the original broadcasts could not be included, while the masters for the 19 March at the Maida Vale Studio 4 recording were wiped by the BBC, meaning some material such as 'Sunshine Woman' exist only as an audience bootleg.[3]

Reviews

Reviewer Country Review Year Score
Scott Floman (Goldmine) United States Rock and Soul Album Reviews 2002 A-

Track list

Album information

Track listing:

  • Disc 1:
  1. 'You Shook Me' (Willie Dixon, J. B. Lenoir) – 5:14
  2. 'I Can't Quit You Baby' (Willie Dixon) – 4:22
  3. 'Communication Breakdown' (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) – 3:12
  4. 'Dazed and Confused' (Jimmy Page) – 6:39
  5. 'The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, John Estes) – 3:00
  6. 'What Is and What Should Never Be' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 4:20
  7. 'Communication Breakdown' (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) – 2:40
  8. 'Travelling Riverside Blues' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones) – 5:12
  9. 'Whole Lotta Love' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) – 6:09
  10. 'Somethin' Else' (Bob Cochran, Sharon Sheeley) – 2:06
  11. 'Communication Breakdown' (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) – 3:05
  12. 'I Can't Quit You Baby' (Willie Dixon) – 6:21
  13. 'You Shook Me' (Willie Dixon, J. B. Lenoir) – 10:19
  14. 'How Many More Times' (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) – 11:51
  • Disc 2:
  1. 'Immigrant Song' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 3:20
  2. 'Heartbreaker' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham) – 5:16
  3. 'Since I've Been Loving You' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones) – 6:56
  4. 'Black Dog' (Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant) – 5:17
  5. 'Dazed and Confused' (Jimmy Page) – 18:36
  6. 'Stairway to Heaven' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 8:49
  7. 'Going to California' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 3:54
  8. 'That's the Way' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 5:43
  9. 'Whole Lotta Love' (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Willie Dixon) [inc. 'Boogie Chillen' (John Lee Hooker), 'Fixin' to Die' (Bukka White), 'That's Alright Mama' (Arthur Crudup), 'A Mess of Blues' (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman)] – 13:45
  10. 'Thank You' (Page/Plant) – 6:37

Chart history

Album

Chart (1997) Peak position
Japanese Albums Chart[4] 10
French Albums Chart[5] 38
New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 Albums Chart[6] 26
Finnish Albums Chart[7] 28
Swedish Albums Chart[8] 50
UK Albums Chart[9] 23
Norwegian Albums Chart[10] 36
US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart[11] 12
Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[12] 30

Certifications

Country Sales Certification
United Kingdom (BPI) 150,000+ Gold[13]
United States (RIAA) 2,000,000+ 2× Multi-Platinum[14]

Certification history

Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA Gold 16 December 1997
RIAA – USA Platinum 16 December 1997
RIAA – USA 2× Platinum 7 August 2001

Credits

Personnel
  • Musicians:
    • Jimmy Page – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals, compilation producer, mastering
    • Robert Plant – vocals, harmonica
    • John Paul Jones – bass guitar, Hammond organ, keyboards, bass pedals, mandolin, backing vocals
    • John Bonham - drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Production:
    • Peter Grant – executive producer on original recordings
    • Bernie Andrews - producer
    • Jeff Griffin - producer
    • Paul Williams - producer
    • John Walters - producer
    • Jon Astely - mastering
    • Pete Ritzerma - engineer
    • Joe Young - engineer
    • Tony Wilson - engineer
    • Chris Walter - photography
    • Andie Airfix - art direction, design
    • Ross Halfin - photographic research
    • Luis Rey - liner notes

Notes

  1. ↑ Lewis, Dave (2003). “Led Zeppelin at the BBC”, Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight but Loose' Files': Celebration II. London: Omnibus Press, 8. ISBN 1-84449-056-4. 
  2. ↑ Christman, Ed (October 1997). "Atlantic Zeppelin Set Has Live BBC Performances". Billboard (11): 18. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Dave (2012). Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream. London: Omnibus Press, 133. ISBN 978-1-78038-547-1. OCLC 782996334. 
  4. ↑ Top 100 Albums - 15 November 1998. Oricon. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  5. ↑ Top 200 Albums - 22 November 1997. lescharts.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  6. ↑ Top 50 Albums - 23 November 1997. RIANZ. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  7. ↑ Top 40 Albums - 23 November 1997. finnishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  8. ↑ Top 100 Albums - 28 November 1997. swedishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  9. ↑ Warwick, Neil (2004). “Led Zeppelin - 29 November 1997”, The Complete Book of the British Charts, 3rd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-058-0. 
  10. ↑ Top 40 Albums - 30 November 1997. norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
  11. ↑ The 200 Chart - 6 December 1997. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  12. ↑ RPM Albums Chart - 1 December 1997. RPM. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
  13. ↑ 'BPI BBC Sessions certification' 19 December 1997
  14. ↑ Riaa.org Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions - 7 August 2001. RIAA. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
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