BBC Sessions (Led Zeppelin album)

Infobox Album
Name = BBC Sessions
Type = Live album
Artist = Led Zeppelin


Released = November 11, 1997
Recorded = Disc 1: March, June 1969
Disc 2: April 1, 1971
Length = 138:58
Label = Atlantic
Producer = Jimmy Page Songs = 24
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:rn59kett0q7v link]
*Pitchfork Media (8.9/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/19320-bbc-sessions link]
*Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau|neither [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=led+zeppelin link]
Last album = "Complete Studio Recordings (Led Zeppelin)"
(1993)
This album = "Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions"
(1997)
Next album = ""
(1999)

"BBC Sessions" is a compilation album featuring studio sessions and a live concert recorded by English rock group Led Zeppelin for the BBC. It was released on November 11, 1997 by Atlantic Records. This was the first release of unreleased Led Zeppelin material in 15 years. Disc 1 consists of material from four different 1969 BBC sessions. Disc 2 contains most of the April 1, 1971 concert from the Paris Theatre in London.

Countless bootlegs of these recordings circulated for years before the official release. This release was widely welcomed by Led Zeppelin fans as the first live release since "The Song Remains the Same" in 1976. Others have criticized the decision to edit some of the songs and drop others that were recorded for the BBC. Most notable are one session from 1969 which included the unreleased song "Sunshine Woman," and large portions of the "Whole Lotta Love" medley from 1971.

Track listing

Disc One

#"You Shook Me" (Dixon/Lenoir) – 5:14
#"I Can't Quit You Baby" (Dixon) – 4:22
#"Communication Breakdown" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 3:12
#"Dazed and Confused" (Page) – 6:39
#"The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair" (Bonham/Estes/Jones/Page/Plant) – 3:00
#"What Is and What Should Never Be" (Page/Plant) – 4:20
#"Communication Breakdown" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 2:40
#"Traveling Riverside Blues" (Johnson/Page/Plant) – 5:12
#"Whole Lotta Love" (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant) – 6:09
#"Somethin' Else" (Cochran/Sheeley) – 2:06
#"Communication Breakdown" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 3:05
#"I Can't Quit You Baby" (Dixon) – 6:21
#"You Shook Me" (Dixon/Lenoir) – 10:19
#"How Many More Times" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 11:51

Disc Two

#"Immigrant Song" (Page/Plant) – 3:20
#"Heartbreaker" (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant) – 5:16
#"Since I've Been Loving You" (Jones/Page/Plant) – 6:56
#"Black Dog"(Jones/Page/Plant) – 5:17
#"Dazed and Confused" (Page) – 18:36
#"Stairway to Heaven" (Page/Plant) – 8:49
#"Going to California" (Page/Plant) – 3:54
#"That's the Way" (Page/Plant) – 5:43
#"Whole Lotta Love" (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant) – 13:45
#"Thank You" (Page/Plant) – 6:37

Recording information

ession 1

:John Peel's Top Gear
*Venue: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London
*Recording date: Monday March 3, 1969
*Original broadcast: Sunday March 23, 1969 (in a show with sessions from Free, the Moody Blues and Deep Purple)
*Tracks: Disc 1; 1,2 and 4
*Producer: Bernie Andrews
*Engineer: Pete Ritzema
*Tape operator: Bob Conduct

ession 2

:Alexis Korner's Rhythm and Blues, (BBC World Service)
*Venue: Maida Vale Studio 4, Delaware Road, London
*Recording date: Wednesday March 19, 1969
*Original broadcast: Monday April 14, 1969
*Tracks: I Can't Quit You Baby, You Shook Me and Sunshine Woman. The first two tracks were wiped or lost by the BBC. The last was not released.
*Producer: Jeff Griffin

ession 3

:Chris Grant's "Tasty Pop Sundae" (although originally commissioned for Dave Symond's Symonds On Sunday show)
*Venue: Aeolian Hall studio 2, Bond Street, London
*Recording Date: Monday June 16, 1969
*Original Broadcast: Sunday June 22, 1969
*Tracks: Disc 1; 3,5 and 10. The session also included a prototype version of What Is and What Should Never Be.
*Producer: Paul Williams

ession 4

:John Peel's Top Gear (Double recording session)
*Venue: Maida Vale studio 4, Delaware Road, London
*Recording date: Tuesday June 24, 1969
*Original broadcast: Sunday June 29, 1969
*Tracks: Disc 1; 6-9.
*Producer: John Walters
*Engineer: Tony Wilson

ession 5

:One Night Stand
*Venue: Playhouse Theatre
*Recording date: Friday June 27, 1969
*Original broadcast: Sunday August 10, 1969
*Tracks: Disc 1; 11-14. Also included a version of Dazed and Confused, White Summer/Black Mountain Side

ession 6

:In Concert (Emcee John Peel)
*Venue: Paris Cinema, Lower Regent Street, London
*Recording date: Thursday April 1, 1971
*Original broadcast: Sunday April 4, 1971
*Tracks: Disk 2; all tracks. Also included a version of Communication Breakdown and What Is and What Should Never Be.
*Producer: Jeff Griffin
*Engineer: Tony Wilson

Credits

*Led Zeppelin:
**Jimmy Page - Electric and acoustic guitars, Mastering, Compilation Producer
**Robert Plant - vocals, Harmonica
**John Paul Jones - Bass guitar, keyboards, Mandolin
**John Bonham - drums
*Jon Astley - Mastering
*Chris Walter - Photography
*Andie Airfix - Art Direction, Design
*Luis Rey - Liner Notes

External links

* [http://www.thegardentapes.co.uk/ The Garden Tapes] - analysis of live tracks edits for the album