When the Levee Breaks
Encyclopedia
"When the Levee Breaks" is a blues
song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy
and Memphis Minnie
in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
.
It was re-worked by English
rock group Led Zeppelin
as the last song on their fourth album
, released in 1971. The lyrics in Led Zeppelin's version, credited to Memphis Minnie and the individual members of Led Zeppelin, were partially based on the original recording. Many other artists have also recorded versions of the song or played it live.
musical duo Kansas Joe McCoy
and Memphis Minnie
. In the first half of 1927, the Great Mississippi Flood
ravaged the state of Mississippi
and surrounding areas. It destroyed many homes and ravaged the agricultural economy of the Mississippi Basin. Many people were forced to flee to the cities of the Midwest in search of work, contributing to the "Great Migration
" of African Americans in the first half of the 20th century. During the flood and the years after it subsided, it became the subject of numerous Delta blues
songs, including "When the Levee Breaks", hence the lyrics, "I works on the levee, mama both night and day, I works so hard, to keep the water away" and "I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan, gonna leave my baby, and my happy home". The song focused mainly on when more than 13,000 residents in and near Greenville, Mississippi
evacuated to a nearby, unaffected levee
for its shelter at high ground. The tumult that would have been caused if this and other levees had broken was the song's underlying theme.
, where the band used the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
. The song had earlier been tried unsuccessfully by the band at Island Studios at the beginning of the recording sessions for their fourth album.
According to Led Zeppelin guitarist and producer Jimmy Page
, the song's structure "was a riff that I'd been working on, but Bonzo's drum sound really makes a difference on that point." The famous drum performance was recorded by engineer
Andy Johns
by placing Bonham and a new Ludwig drumkit at the bottom of a stairwell at Headley Grange, and recording it using two Beyerdynamic
M160 microphone
s at the top, giving the distinctive resonant but slightly muffled sound. Page later explained:
Back in the Rolling Stones' mobile studio, Johns compressed the drum sound through two channels and added echo through guitarist Page's Binson
echo unit. The performance was made on a brand new drum kit that had only just been delivered from the factory.
Page recorded Plant's harmonica part using the backward echo technique, putting the echo
ahead of the sound when mixing, creating a distinct effect.
"When the Levee Breaks" was recorded at a different tempo, then slowed down, explaining the "sludgy" sound, particularly on the harmonica and guitar solos. Because this song was heavily produced in the studio, it was difficult to recreate live. The band only played it a few times in the early stages of their 1975 U.S. Tour
.
"When the Levee Breaks" was the only song on the album that was not re-mixed after a supposedly disastrous mixing job in the U.S. (the rest of the tracks were mixed again in England). The original mixing done on this song was kept in its original form.
In the May 2008 issue of Uncut Magazine, Page elaborated upon the effects at the end of the song:
In another interview, Page commented:
, has been repeatedly sampled in in hip hop
and other music since the 1980s, as a result of its distinctly "heavy" sound. The first well-known sample was in the Beastie Boys
song "Rhymin' & Stealin'" from the 1986 album Licensed to Ill
. This usage prompted the remaining members of Led Zeppelin to try to take legal action against the Beastie Boys. Notable other songs in which the drum track is sampled include:
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
song written and first recorded by husband and wife Kansas Joe McCoy
Kansas Joe McCoy
Kansas Joe McCoy was an African American Delta blues musician and songwriter.-Career:McCoy played music under a variety of stage names but is best known as "Kansas Joe McCoy". Born in Raymond, Mississippi, he was the older brother of the blues accompanist Papa Charlie McCoy...
and Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie was an American blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the only female blues artist considered a match to male contemporaries as both a singer and an instrumentalist.-Career:...
in 1929. The song is in reaction to the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States.-Events:The flood began when heavy rains pounded the central basin of the Mississippi in the summer of 1926. By September, the Mississippi's tributaries in Kansas and Iowa were swollen to...
.
It was re-worked by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock group Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
as the last song on their fourth album
Led Zeppelin IV
The fourth album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin was released on 8 November 1971. No title is printed on the album, so it is generally referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, following the naming standard used by the band's first three studio albums...
, released in 1971. The lyrics in Led Zeppelin's version, credited to Memphis Minnie and the individual members of Led Zeppelin, were partially based on the original recording. Many other artists have also recorded versions of the song or played it live.
Origin
The original "When the Levee Breaks" was recorded by the bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musical duo Kansas Joe McCoy
Kansas Joe McCoy
Kansas Joe McCoy was an African American Delta blues musician and songwriter.-Career:McCoy played music under a variety of stage names but is best known as "Kansas Joe McCoy". Born in Raymond, Mississippi, he was the older brother of the blues accompanist Papa Charlie McCoy...
and Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie
Memphis Minnie was an American blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the only female blues artist considered a match to male contemporaries as both a singer and an instrumentalist.-Career:...
. In the first half of 1927, the Great Mississippi Flood
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States.-Events:The flood began when heavy rains pounded the central basin of the Mississippi in the summer of 1926. By September, the Mississippi's tributaries in Kansas and Iowa were swollen to...
ravaged the state of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and surrounding areas. It destroyed many homes and ravaged the agricultural economy of the Mississippi Basin. Many people were forced to flee to the cities of the Midwest in search of work, contributing to the "Great Migration
Great Migration (African American)
The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million blacks out of the Southern United States to the Northeast, Midwest, and West from 1910 to 1970. Some historians differentiate between a Great Migration , numbering about 1.6 million migrants, and a Second Great Migration , in which 5 million or more...
" of African Americans in the first half of the 20th century. During the flood and the years after it subsided, it became the subject of numerous Delta blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
songs, including "When the Levee Breaks", hence the lyrics, "I works on the levee, mama both night and day, I works so hard, to keep the water away" and "I's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan, gonna leave my baby, and my happy home". The song focused mainly on when more than 13,000 residents in and near Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
evacuated to a nearby, unaffected levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
for its shelter at high ground. The tumult that would have been caused if this and other levees had broken was the song's underlying theme.
Led Zeppelin version
Led Zeppelin recorded its version of the song in December 1970 at Headley GrangeHeadley Grange
Headley Grange is a former poorhouse in Headley, East Hampshire, England, UK. It is best known as a recording and rehearsal venue in the 1960s and 1970s for bands such as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Peter Frampton, the Pretty Things, Ian Dury and Clover.-Early history:Built...
, where the band used the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio owned by the musical group the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using it, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Iron Maiden, Mola Mola...
. The song had earlier been tried unsuccessfully by the band at Island Studios at the beginning of the recording sessions for their fourth album.
According to Led Zeppelin guitarist and producer Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, the song's structure "was a riff that I'd been working on, but Bonzo's drum sound really makes a difference on that point." The famous drum performance was recorded by engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
Andy Johns
Andy Johns
Andy Johns is an engineer and producer who worked on well-known rock albums such as Led Zeppelin's IV and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. His sound is exemplified by Free's album Highway, which he engineered and produced....
by placing Bonham and a new Ludwig drumkit at the bottom of a stairwell at Headley Grange, and recording it using two Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic GmbH & Co. KG is a German audio equipment manufacturer, which produces microphones, headphones, wireless audio systems and conference systems. Beyerdynamic remains a family owned company since it was founded in 1924.-History:...
M160 microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
s at the top, giving the distinctive resonant but slightly muffled sound. Page later explained:
Back in the Rolling Stones' mobile studio, Johns compressed the drum sound through two channels and added echo through guitarist Page's Binson
Binson
Binson was an early manufacturer of echo machines. Unlike most other analog echo machines, they used an analog magnetic drum recorder instead of a tape loop. Their most famous product was the Binson Echorec....
echo unit. The performance was made on a brand new drum kit that had only just been delivered from the factory.
Page recorded Plant's harmonica part using the backward echo technique, putting the echo
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
ahead of the sound when mixing, creating a distinct effect.
"When the Levee Breaks" was recorded at a different tempo, then slowed down, explaining the "sludgy" sound, particularly on the harmonica and guitar solos. Because this song was heavily produced in the studio, it was difficult to recreate live. The band only played it a few times in the early stages of their 1975 U.S. Tour
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1975
Led Zeppelin's 1975 North American Tour was the tenth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on January 18 and concluding on March 27, 1975...
.
"When the Levee Breaks" was the only song on the album that was not re-mixed after a supposedly disastrous mixing job in the U.S. (the rest of the tracks were mixed again in England). The original mixing done on this song was kept in its original form.
In the May 2008 issue of Uncut Magazine, Page elaborated upon the effects at the end of the song:
In another interview, Page commented:
Samples of the drum track
The opening drum riff from the Led Zeppelin recording, played by drummer John BonhamJohn Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, has been repeatedly sampled in in hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and other music since the 1980s, as a result of its distinctly "heavy" sound. The first well-known sample was in the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
song "Rhymin' & Stealin'" from the 1986 album Licensed to Ill
Licensed to Ill
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums.It is still the only album by a white hip-hop act to receive the coveted 5 mics from The Source....
. This usage prompted the remaining members of Led Zeppelin to try to take legal action against the Beastie Boys. Notable other songs in which the drum track is sampled include:
- The 1987 ColdcutColdcutColdcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
song "Beats + Pieces" - The 1989 Beastie Boys song "B-Boy BouillabaisseB-Boy BouillabaisseB-Boy Bouillabaisse was originally the 15th and final track on the album Paul's Boutique by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989...
" (the "Year and a DayYear and a Day"Year and a Day" is the fourth section of the 15th track on the album Paul's Boutique by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989. It was produced and written by the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers. The section was engineered by Mario Caldato and Allen Abrahamson...
" segment) - The 1990 Saint EtienneSaint Etienne (band)Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
song "Only Love Can Break Your HeartOnly Love Can Break Your Heart"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" is a song written by Neil Young.-Genesis and recording:The song is the third track on Neil Young's album After the Gold Rush. The song was supposedly written for Graham Nash after Nash's split from Joni Mitchell, though Young in interviews has been somewhat...
" (originally by Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
) - The 1991 ChapterhouseChapterhouseFor the religious buildings, see Chapter houseChapterhouse are a British shoegazing band originally of the early 1990s, from Reading, Berkshire, England. Formed in 1987 by Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman, the band began performing alongside Spacemen 3...
song "PearlPearl (song)Pearl is a single by English Shoegazing band Chapterhouse released in 1991. It peaked at #67 in the UK Singles chart, and #7 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks Chart. The main drum track is an oft-used John Bonham sample as well as Schooly D's "P.S.K. What Does It Mean? during the bridge, along with...
" - The 1992 Dr. DreDr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
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" - The 1992 Sophie B. HawkinsSophie B. HawkinsSophie Ballantine Hawkins is an American singer, songwriter, musician and painter. Her biggest hits are "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover", "Right Beside You", and "As I Lay Me Down".- Career :...
song "Damn I Wish I Was Your LoverDamn I Wish I Was Your Lover"Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" is a hit song in the U.S. by Sophie B. Hawkins. Released in 1992, it is from her album Tongues and Tails...
" - The 1992 Neneh CherryNeneh CherryNeneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
song "Trout", with Michael StipeMichael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often... - The 1992 Beastie Boys song "So What'cha WantSo What'cha Want"So What'cha Want" is the second single from the album Check Your Head by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released on June 2, 1992.Beck used the rhythm track of the song as a sample in "E-Pro", the opening track of his 2005 album Guero...
" - The 1993 KazikKazik StaszewskiKazik Staszewski is a Polish lead singer, songwriter, and leader of the band Kult.Kazik founded Kult in 1982. Their latest album, Hurra, was released in September 2009....
song "Jeden Przykład Fortuny Z Rodzimego Kraju" - The 1994 EnigmaEnigma (musical project)Enigma is an electronic musical project founded in Germany by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson in 1990. The Romanian-born Cretu conceived the Enigma project while working in Germany, but has based his recording studio A.R.T. Studios in Ibiza, Spain, since the early 1990s until May...
song "Return to InnocenceReturn to Innocence"Return to Innocence" is a 1994 song created by the musical group Enigma. The single was the first from their chart-topping second album, The Cross of Changes....
" - The 1994 Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
song "MagellanThe Songs of Distant Earth (album)The Songs of Distant Earth is the 16th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1994. It is based on Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel The Songs of Distant Earth.- Release details :...
" - The 1995 BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
song "Army of MeArmy of Me"Army of Me" is a song by Björk, released in 1995 as the first, and leading, single from her second solo album Post. The song also appeared, later in the same year on the soundtrack of Tank Girl as well as in the soundtrack of Sucker Punch in 2011...
" - The 1997 The Tea PartyThe Tea PartyThe Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
song "TemptationTemptation (The Tea Party song)"Temptation" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tea Party from the album Transmission. It was released as a single in Australia and a promotional single in Canada and the USA...
" - The 1998 Massive AttackMassive AttackMassive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
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" - The 1999 Enigma song "Gravity of LoveGravity of Love"Gravity of Love" is a 1999 song created by the musical group Enigma. The single was the first of two released from the album The Screen Behind the Mirror....
" - The 2000 EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
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" - The 2000 ScooterScooter (band)Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
song "She's The SunShe's The Sun"She's The Sun" is a 2000 single by German band Scooter. It was released as the second and last single from their seventh studio album Sheffield.-Track listing:CD Single#"She's The Sun" [Radio Edit] #"She's The Sun" [Extended]...
"
Other versions
Several other artists have covered the song or played it live:- Page and PlantPage and PlantJimmy Page and Robert Plant, both formerly of English hard rock band Led Zeppelin, recorded and toured in the mid-1990s under the title Page and Plant. The pair re-united in 1994 and, after recording a highly successful first album, they embarked on a world tour. They then recorded a second album,...
had performed it on their MTV UnpluggedMTV UnpluggedMTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
appearance and their 1995-96 world tour, swapping it with "Nobody's Fault but MineNobody's Fault But Mine"Nobody's Fault but Mine" is a traditional blues song that has been covered by many musicians since the late 1960s. A gospel song under the title "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine" is listed in the 1924 Cleveland Library's Index to Negro Spirituals...
" at times. John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
worked the song into the tour for his two solo albums. - With Plant playing guitar along with T-Bone BurnettT-Bone BurnettJoseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
's band, Alison KraussAlison KraussAlison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
sang it for the CMT Crossroads TV special starring Plant and Krauss, to promote their album Raising SandRaising SandRaising Sand is a collaboration album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. It was released on October 23, 2007 by Rounder Records...
. - Robert Plant and Alison KraussAlison KraussAlison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
regularly covered the song during their tour of USA and Europe in April and May 2008. - Led Zeppelin parody cover band Dread ZeppelinDread ZeppelinDread Zeppelin is an American band best known for performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style as sung by a 300 pound Vegas Elvis impersonator. Over the years they would also perform songs originally by Elvis Presley, Bob Marley and The Yardbirds. The group toured extensively around the...
covered it on 5,000,0005,000,0005,000,000 is Dread Zeppelin's second full-length album. Recorded in early fall 1990, it was conceived and recorded during a three-week break from touring to support the surprisingly successful Un-Led-Ed. Produced by Jah Paul Jo and Rasta Li-Mon, the album once again featured their patented...
. - The London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
performed a version of the Led Zeppelin cover on the CD Kashmir: Symphonic Led Zeppelin in 1997. - Hardcore punk band Judge recorded a cover version during the sessions for their final EP There Will Be Quiet (1990). The song appeared first on the CD edition of the EP, and later on their anthology What It Meant: The Complete DiscographyWhat It Meant: The Complete DiscographyWhat It Meant: The Complete Discography is a compact disc compilation featuring all of the known studio recordings by influential American hardcore punk band Judge...
. - W.A.S.P. released a version on the bonus disk of The Crimson IdolThe Crimson IdolThe Crimson Idol was the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band W.A.S.P., originally released by Capitol Records in 1992...
in 1991. - John CampbellJohn Campbell (blues guitarist)John Allen Campbell was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, who was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.-Biography:...
covered it on his Howlin' Mercy album in 1993. - Jeff BuckleyJeff BuckleyJeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
covered it on the so-called Rarities from NYC (that contains some songs recorded on tape and never released) in 1996. - Rosetta StoneRosetta Stone (band)Rosetta Stone were a British goth band formed in the mid 1980s by Porl King and Karl North , plus their drum machine and synthesizer rack nicknamed "Madame Razor"....
covered it on the album An Eye For The Main Chance in 1991. - Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
played it on her 2005 world tour, at a concert in Austin, TX just days after the hurricaneHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
on September 2, 2005. - Gov't MuleGov't MuleGov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
has been playing it in concert since 2005. - A Perfect CircleA Perfect CircleA Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. The original incarnation of the band also included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums...
included a version on their cover album eMOTIVeEMOTIVe-Personnel:* Charles Clouser - Programming* Critter - Engineer* Steve Duda - Digital engineer* Joshua Eustis - Drums, engineer, Fender Rhodes, mixing* Jason Freese - Sax , sax * Steven R Gilmore - Design, photography, sleeve art, poster design...
in 2004. There were few changes in lyrics but the melody was very different from Led Zeppelin's version. - The drum part was the inspiration for megaphoneMegaphone (band)Megaphone is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida, founded in 2004. Their general influences include Foo Fighters, Butch Walker and Led Zeppelin. They formed in late 2004 when founding member Matt Bloodwell traded his drums for a guitar and recruited local rock musicians from the Orlando...
's song "Stain" from their 2005 album "For Cryin' Out Loud." The band also performs part of the song live at the end of "Stain." - The Tuvan group Yat Kha performed a version on their 2005 album "Recovers", featuring throat-singing effects by the group's lead singer Albert KuvezinAlbert KuvezinAlbert Kuvezin is a Tuvan guitarist and throat singer.Kuvezin was one of the founding members of the Tuvan folk ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu, and is the leader of the Tuvan folk/rock/electro/post punk band Yat-Kha...
. - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
recorded a version under the name "The Levee's Gonna Break" for his 2006 album Modern TimesModern Times (Bob Dylan album)Modern Times is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 32nd studio album, released by Columbia Records in August 2006. The album was Dylan's third straight to be met with nearly universal praise from fans and critics...
. - Film score composer John PowellJohn PowellJohn Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with...
on the soundtrack to the 20062006 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
film Ice Age: The MeltdownIce Age: The MeltdownIce Age: The Meltdown, also known as Ice Age 2: The Meltdown or simply as Ice Age 2, is the 2006 sequel to the 2002 computer-animated film Ice Age. It was produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox, and premiered in Belgium on March 1, 2006...
. - Kristin HershKristin HershKristin Hersh is an American singer/songwriter who performs solo acoustic concerts; she also continues to perform as lead singer and guitarist for alternative rock group Throwing Muses and the hardcore punk-influenced power trio 50 Foot Wave...
covered it on her 1994 EP "Strings". - Stream of PassionStream of PassionStream of Passion is a progressive metal band with symphonic metal and gothic metal influences founded by Arjen Anthony Lucassen and Marcela Bovio. Because the musicians in the band lived thousands of miles apart, Lucassen composed the group's debut album, Embrace the Storm, over the Internet...
recorded a cover of the song for their single Out In The Real WorldOut in the Real World"Out in the Real World" is the only single by Stream of Passion, released on February 27, 2006, from their album Embrace the Storm.- Track listing :#Out in the Real World – 3:51#Computer Eyes – 6:03#Pain – 4:48...
and their live album Live in the Real WorldLive In The Real WorldLive in the Real World is the first live CD and DVD album by Dutch/Mexican progressive metal band Stream of Passion. It features not only songs from their debut album, Embrace the Storm, but also songs from Ayreon and Star One, which are other musical projects by Arjen Anthony Lucassen.- Disc one...
. - Stanton MooreStanton MooreStanton Moore is a drummer raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity...
recorded a version without lyrics on his album IIIIII (Stanton Moore album)III is Stanton Moore's third studio solo album released 2006. As each of Moore's solo albums have had unique character, III features keyboardist Robert Walter and guitarist Will Bernard for a 1970s-like soul funk with a "sense of authenticity" as "artists who live it."It was recorded at...
released in 2006. - Buckwheat ZydecoBuckwheat ZydecoBuckwheat Zydeco is the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. , an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He is one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success...
recorded this song on their May 5, 2009 release Lay Your Burden Down. This version features blues slide guitarist Sonny LandrethSonny LandrethSonny Landreth is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, but soon after, his family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, before settling in Lafayette, Louisiana...
. - DownDown (band)Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
performed it as a cover during their BBC Session, April 22, 2008. - BoneramaBoneramaBonerama is a brass funk rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Bonerama was formed in 1998 by trombone players Mark Mullins and Craig Klein, who, from 1990 up until late 2006, were also members of Harry Connick Jr.'s big band...
has performed it live along with other Led Zeppelin songs. - Blues TravelerBlues TravelerBlues Traveler is a rock band, formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band has been influenced by a variety of genres, including blues-rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock...
front-man John PopperJohn PopperJohn Popper is an American musician and songwriter.He is most famous for his role as frontman of rock band Blues Traveler performing harmonica, guitar and vocals...
covered this song frequently on his 1999 tour
Sources
- Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9