Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The band consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The group's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues on their early albums, has drawn them recognition as one of the progenitors of heavy metal, though their unique style drew from a wide variety of influences, including folk music. After changing their name from the New Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin signed a deal with Atlantic Records that afforded them considerable artistic freedom. Although the group was initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with albums such as Led Zeppelin (1969), Led Zeppelin II (1969), Led Zeppelin III (1970), their untitled fourth album (1971), Houses of the Holy (1973), and Physical Graffiti (1975). Their fourth album, which features the track "Stairway to Heaven", is among the most popular and influential works in rock music, and it helped to cement the popularity of the group.

Links To Peel
Peel was a big supporter of the group through the late 60's and 70's. Jimmy Page, the guitarist in 1969 mentioned that the BBC running the airwaves left little room for any unconventional acts :
 * "The BBC have effectively killed the progress of 'underground' music,"

Page said. But in the same breath, he did praise two particular DJs by name.


 * "It's only John Peel and that other guy, Pete Drummond, who can play any of the good stuff,"  

When punk started to become popular in the late 70's, many prog and hard rock acts were slowly driven out of Peel's playlist including Led Zeppelin themselves. Even when the Peelenium was broadcast in 1999, no Led Zeppelin songs were featured at all. Despite this, Robert Plant, the singer, attended John Peel's funeral in 2004 and recognised that his group may not have been successful without Peel's show Top Gear plugging their records. In 2005, Robert Plant along with Roger Daltrey and other musicians recorded a tribute single to John Peel covering the Buzzcocks' Ever Fallen In Love'.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1976 Festive Fifty: Kashmir #36
 * 1976 Festive Fifty: Whole Lotta Love #19
 * 1976 Festive Fifty: Stairway To Heaven #01
 * 1978 Festive Fifty: Stairway To Heaven #14
 * 1979 Festive Fifty: Stairway To Heaven #24
 * 1980 Festive Fifty: Stairway To Heaven #63 (Only published and not played)

Live Concert
Led Zeppelin live, recorded 1971-04-01, Paris Theatre. Broadcast: 04 April 1971, 05 August 1977
 * 1) Communication Breakdown
 * 2) Dazed And Confused
 * 3) Going To California
 * 4) Stairway To Heaven
 * 5) What Is and What Should Never Be
 * 6) Whole Lotta Love (Medley): Boogie Chillun' / Fixin' To Die / That's Alright Mama / A Mess Of Blues

Sessions
1. Recorded: 1969-03-03. Broadcast: 23 March 1969. Repeated: 20 April 1969 2. Recorded: 1969-06-24. Broadcast: 29 June 1969. Repeated: 11 October 1969*What Is And What Should Never Be / Whole Lotta Love / Travelling Riverside Blues / Communication Breakdown 3. Recorded: 1969-06-27. Broadcast: 10 August 1969. Repeated: Unknown
 * Communication Breakdown / You Shook Me / I Can't Quit You Baby
 * Communication Breakdown / Can't Quit You Baby / Dazed And Confused / White Summer / You Shook Me / How Many More Times

Other Shows Played
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)

1969 1972 1973 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1994 1999 2004 Others
 * 25 October 1969: What Is And What Should Never Be (LP – Led Zeppelin II) Atlantic
 * 08 November 1969: Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman) (LP – Led Zeppelin II) Atlantic
 * 06 December 1969: Heartbreaker (LP - Led Zeppelin II) Atlantic
 * 27 December 1969: What Is And What Should Never Be (session)
 * 07 March 1972: Hey, Hey, What Can I Do (Compilation LP - The New Age Of Atlantic) Atlantic
 * 26 September 1972: Communication Breakdown (session)
 * 26 September 1972: What Is And What Should Never Be (session)
 * 05 April 1973: The Ocean (LP – Houses Of The Holy) Atlantic
 * 10 April 1973: The Song Remains The Same (LP – Houses Of The Holy) Atlantic
 * 24 April 1973: Communication Breakdown (LP – Led Zeppelin, 1969) Atlantic
 * 25 September 1975: Communication Breakdown (session)
 * 25 September 1975: Traveling Riverside Blues '69 (session)
 * 25 September 1975: Whole Lotta Love (session)
 * 09 December 1975: Down By The Seaside (LP: Physical Graffiti) Swan Song
 * 29 December 1975: Kashmir (2xLP - Physical Graffiti) Swan Song
 * 19 August 1976: Communication Breakdown (LP – Led Zeppelin) Atlantic
 * 19 August 1976: Whole Lotta Love (LP – Led Zeppelin II) Atlantic  (JP:  “An abbreviated version of that got to #4 in the American charts but of course no singles in Britain. And from the current LP by Led Zeppelin, or at least their most recent, Presence, this is ‘Candy Store Rock’.” ) 
 * 19 August 1976: Candy Store Rock (LP – Presence) Swan Song  (JP:  "And one has heard, hasn’t one, that there’s a new LP in the not too distant future for us from Led Zeppelin, and if by now Robert Plant’s foot is back in working order then perhaps the band will be gigging about again. I haven’t seen them play live for many years actually. I would like to do that.) 
 * 27 December 1976: Kashmir (LP – Physical Graffitti) Swan Song FF #36
 * 29 December 1976: 'Whole Lotta Love (LP-Led Zeppelin II)' (Atlantic) (JP: 'What a strange thing: not a single vote for the C.C.S. version.') 
 * 03 January 1977: Stairway To Heaven (Album: Led Zeppelin IV) (Atlantic) FF #01
 * 04 October 1977: Down By The Seaside (12", Album: Physical Graffiti) Swan Song
 * 26 December 1978: Stairway To Heaven (LP - IV) Atlantic
 * 28 December 1978: Stairway To Heaven (LP-Led Zeppelin IV)' (Atlantic) FF #14
 * 26 December 1979: Stairway to Heaven (LP-IV)' (Atlantic) FF #24
 * 07 January 1994: Dancing Days (CD - Houses Of The Holy)’ (Atlantic)
 * 31 August 1999: Immigrant Song (session)
 * 31 August 1999: Stairway To Heaven (LP - IV) Atlantic
 * 21 October 2004: 'How Many More Times' - (Atlantic)
 * 16 December 2004: Moby Dick'
 * 16 December 2004: 'Rock 'n 'Roll'
 * Where It's At: 'D'yer Mak'er (LP-Houses Of The Holy)' (Atlantic)
 * Radio Luxembourg Tracklistings 2: Gallows Pole (LP – Led Zeppelin III)