Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

BBC Sessions

 
Album Review: BBC Sessions
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Albums

BBC Sessions

Buy Now

Similar Albums:

How the West Was Won, Forty Licks, Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix, Ssssh/Cricklewood Green, Roadrunners!, Very Best of Cream, Having a Rave Up, Step Further, Truth
  • Artist: Led Zeppelin
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: November 11, 1997
  • Total Time: 138:58
  • Type: Compilation (best of), Live
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Led Zeppelin's BBC sessions were among the most popular bootleg items of the rock & roll era, appearing on a myriad of illegal records and CDs. They were all the more popular because of the lack of official Led Zeppelin live albums, especially since The Song Remains the Same failed to capture the essence of the band. For anyone who hadn't heard the recordings, the mystique of Zeppelin's BBC sessions was somewhat mystifying, but the official 1997 release of the double-disc BBC Sessions offered revelations for any fan who hadn't yet heard this music. While some collectors will be dismayed by the slight trimming on the "Whole Lotta Love Medley," almost all of the group's sessions are included here, and they prove why live Zeppelin was the stuff of legend. The 1969 sessions, recorded shortly after the release of the first album, are fiery and dynamic, outstripping the studio record for sheer power. Early versions of "You Shook Me," "Communication Breakdown," "What Is and What Should Never Be," and "Whole Lotta Love" hit harder than their recorded counterparts, while covers of Sleepy John Estes' "The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair," Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues," and Eddie Cochran's "Something Else" are welcome additions to the Zeppelin catalog, confirming their folk, blues, and rockabilly roots as well as their sense of vision. Zeppelin's grand vision comes into sharper relief on the second disc, which is comprised of their 1971 sessions. They still have their primal energy, but they're more adventurous, branching out into folk, twisted psychedelia, and weird blues-funk. Certainly, BBC Sessions is the kind of album that will only appeal to fans, but anyone who's ever doubted Zeppelin's power or vision will be set straight with this record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks



CD 1

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
You Shook Me (Lyrics) Willie Dixon, J.B. Lenoir Led Zeppelin (5:14)
I Can't Quit You Baby (Lyrics) Willie Dixon Led Zeppelin (4:22)
Communication Breakdown Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (3:12)
Dazed and Confused Jimmy Page Led Zeppelin (6:39)
The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair Sleepy John Estes, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (3:00)
What Is and What Should Never Be Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Led Zeppelin (4:20)
Communication Breakdown Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (2:40)
Travelling Riverside Blues Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Robert Johnson Led Zeppelin (5:12)
Whole Lotta Love Willie Dixon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (6:09)
Somethin' Else (Lyrics) Eddie Cochran, Sharon Sheeley Led Zeppelin (2:06)
Communication Breakdown Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (3:05)
I Can't Quit You Baby (Lyrics) Willie Dixon Led Zeppelin (6:21)
You Shook Me (Lyrics) Willie Dixon, J.B. Lenoir Led Zeppelin (10:19)
How Many More Times Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (11:51)


CD 2

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Immigrant Song Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Led Zeppelin (3:20)
Heartbreaker Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (5:16)
Since I've Been Loving You [#] Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones Led Zeppelin (6:56)
Black Dog [#] Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones Led Zeppelin (5:17)
Dazed and Confused Jimmy Page Led Zeppelin (18:36)
Stairway to Heaven Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Led Zeppelin (8:49)
Going to California Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Led Zeppelin (3:54)
That's the Way Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Led Zeppelin (5:43)
Whole Lotta Love Medley: Boogie Chillun'/Fixin to Die/That's ... Willie Dixon, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham Led Zeppelin (13:45)
Thank You [#] Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Led Zeppelin (6:37)

Credits

Led Zeppelin (Main Performer), Jimmy Page (Guitar), Jimmy Page (Guitar (Electric)), Jimmy Page (Mastering), Jimmy Page (Compilation Producer), Robert Plant (Vocals), Jon Astley (Mastering), John Paul Jones (Bass), John Bonham (Drums), Chris Walter (Photography), Andie Airfix (Art Direction), Andie Airfix (Design), Luis Rey (Liner Notes)
Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Wikipedia: BBC Sessions (Led Zeppelin album)
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
BBC Sessions
Live album / compilation album by Led Zeppelin
Released 11 November 1997
Recorded March and June 1969, 1 April 1971
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal, blues-rock, folk rock
Length 138:58
Language English
Label Atlantic
Producer Jimmy Page
Compiler Jimmy Page
Professional reviews
Led Zeppelin live album chronology
The Song Remains the Same
(1976)		 BBC Sessions
(1997)		 How the West Was Won
(2003)

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 11 November 1997, by Atlantic Records. This was the first release of new Led Zeppelin material in 15 years. Disc 1 consists of material from four different 1969 BBC sessions. Disc 2 contains most of the 1 April 1971 concert from the Paris Theatre in London.[1]

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.[2]

Contents

Track listing

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

Recording information

Session one
John Peel's Top Gear
  • Venue: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London
  • Recording date: Monday 3 March 1969
  • Original broadcast: Sunday 23 March 1969 (in a show with sessions from Free, the Moody Blues and Deep Purple)
  • Tracks: Disc 1; 1,2 and 4. Also included a version of "Communication Breakdown".
  • Producer: Bernie Andrews
  • Engineer: Pete Ritzema
  • Tape operator: Bob Conduct
Session two
Alexis Korner's Rhythm and Blues, (BBC World Service)
  • Venue: Maida Vale Studio 4, Delaware Road, London
  • Recording date: Wednesday 19 March 1969
  • Original broadcast: Monday 14 April 1969
  • Tracks: "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me" and "Sunshine Woman". The session was wiped or lost by the BBC, although recordings survive on bootlegs. The show was re-run later in 1969, adding the recording of "What Is And What Should Never Be" from the June 16 session.
  • Producer: Jeff Griffin
Session three
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 16 June 1969
  • Original Broadcast: Sunday 22 June 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
Session four
John Peel's Top Gear (Double recording session)
  • Venue: Maida Vale studio 4, Delaware Road, London
  • Recording date: Tuesday 24 June 1969
  • Original broadcast: Sunday 29 June 1969
  • Tracks: Disc 1; 6-9.
  • Producer: John Walters
  • Engineer: Tony Wilson
Session five
One Night Stand
  • Venue: Playhouse Theatre
  • Recording date: Friday 27 June 1969
  • Original broadcast: Sunday 10 August 1969
  • Tracks: Disc 1; 11-14. Also included a version of "Dazed and Confused", plus "White Summer"/"Black Mountain Side" (which was released on the 1990 Led Zeppelin boxed set.)
Session six
In Concert (Emcee John Peel)
  • Venue: Paris Theatre, Lower Regent Street, London
  • Recording date: Thursday 1 April 1971
  • Original broadcast: Sunday 4 April 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

Sales chart performance

Year Chart Peak position Certification Sales / shipments
1997 Japanese Albums Chart[3] 10
1997 French Albums Chart[4] 38
1997 New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 Albums Chart[5] 26
1997 Finnish Albums Chart[6] 28
1997 Swedish Albums Chart[7] 50
1997 UK Albums Chart[8] 23 Gold[9] 150,000
1997 Norwegian Albums Chart[10] 36
1997 US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart[11] 12 2x Multi-Platinum[12] 2,000,000+
1997 Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[13] 30

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog #
United States 11 November 1997 Atlantic Records 4 LP 83061-1
2 Compact Disc 83061-2
2 Cassette 83061-4
United Kingdom 2 Compact disc 7567-83061-2
Japan WEA Japan 2 Compact disc 11756-7

Personnel

Led Zeppelin
Additional personnel

References

  1. ^ Lewis, Dave (2003). "Led Zeppelin at the BBC". Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight but Loose' Files': Celebration II (1st ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 8. ISBN 1-84449-056-4. 
  2. ^ Lewis, Dave (2004). "BBC Sessions". Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide to Their Music (1st ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 76. ISBN 1-84449-141-2. 
  3. ^ "Top 100 Albums - 15 November 1998". Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  4. ^ "Top 200 Albums - 22 November 1997". lescharts.com. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=How+The+West+Was+Won&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  5. ^ "Top 50 Albums - 23 November 1997". RIANZ. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=BBC+Sessions&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
  6. ^ "Top 40 Albums - 23 November 1997". finnishcharts.com. http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=BBC+Sessions&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  7. ^ "Top 100 Albums - 28 November 1997". swedishcharts.com. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=BBC+Sessions&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  8. ^ Warwick, Neil (2004). "Led Zeppelin - 29 November 1997". The Complete Book of the British Charts (3rd ed.). London: Omnibus Press. p. 627. ISBN 1-84449-058-0. 
  9. ^ 'BPI BBC Sessions certification' 19 December 1997
  10. ^ "Top 40 Albums - 30 November 1997". norwegiancharts.com. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=BBC+Sessions&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  11. ^ "The 200 Chart - 6 December 1997". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=305&cfgn=Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3029009&cdi=7260519&cid=12%2F06%2F1997. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
  12. ^ "Riaa.org Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions - 7 August 2001". RIAA. http://www.riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
  13. ^ "RPM Albums Chart - 1 December 1997". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3394&volume=66&issue=13&issue_dt=December%2001%201997&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=hrg50o22lgammqcogv27ve6d95. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 

External links

v • d • e
Led Zeppelin
John Bonham · John Paul Jones · Jimmy Page · Robert Plant
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilations
Singles
Films
Tours
Related articles
portal The Led Zeppelin portal

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "BBC Sessions (Led Zeppelin album)".  Read more

Related answers
» More
 
Answer these
» More

Mentioned in

» More» More