Following a well-deserved rest after the New York concerts; shows
that ended to the grueling promotional tour of "Houses of The
Holy.". Jimmy Page called of the rest of the group to his house in
Plumpton, in september of 1973, to begin to shape what would be the following
study work: ”Physical Graffiti”, project still without concrete title.
Jimmy wanted a double lp and
had two options: a studio album with new songs accompanied by another live
record with the recordings of Madison Square Garden, in the style of what Pink
Floyd had done years ago in 1969 with "Ummagumma". Or another, completely studio, where he
would mix the new themes that already hovered in his head with other
unpublished, discards product of other sessions from the times of Led Zeppelin
III.
Thus, in November, the
first sessions began for the new job at Headley Grange, a former hospice, built
in 1795 in East Hampshire (United Kingdom), famous during the 70s for being not
only recording studio and essay Led Zeppelin, like other bands such as:
Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Peter Frampton, The Pretty Things, Ian
Dury or Clover.
But these sessions were
interrupted when John Paul Jones got tired of the frantic pace and left the
band, to lead a quieter life as organist of Winchester Cathedral although
it was officially said that he had fallen ill; part of the investment that had
been made in the contracting of the studies was recovered, renting them to Bad
Company, while Peter Grant was trying to convince Jones not to
leave the group.
In January, the fourth members of Led Zeppelin returned to the studio
for record more material, between that month and the next three, the band
recorded and finaliced eight new songs: "Custard pie". "Sick
again". "In my time of dying". "In the light"
."Ten years gone". "Kashmir". "The wanton song"
and "Trampled under foot".
At the end of the mix sessions, in July, two different cuts were made from
the album; one with these new songs together with the outtakes from past
works, which had been given a facelift at Olympic Studios by Mike Harwood;
and another, with the best songs from the New York concerts, mixed by
Eddie Kramer at the Electric Ladyland studios for the second disc. But
when Jimmy Page listened these material opted to postpone the publication of a
live album, because the quality it was not all the good that he wanted. In
addition, the fact that he temporarily canceled the documentary from the
past tour, also influenced in the final decision.
This reconstruction brings you, the original order of the songs,
according to the acetate, with three unpublished mixes: "Sick Again",
which started with "The Rover", because Jimmy Page had not finished
the song and mixed as it was played live, along with two simpler and
abbreviated versions of: "In my time of dying" and "In the
light", shortened so that do not exceed 26 minutes per side. I also
recover the original mixes of "Dazed & confused", "Stairway
to heaven" & "Whole lotta love", selected for the live album
and rejected by Page.
Side A: (Studio).(26:20)
1. Custard Pie.(4:16)
2. The Rover/Sick
Again.(5:43)
(Unreleased version).
3. In My Time Of Dying.(9:50)
(Unreleased version).
4.. In The Light.(6:32)
(Unreleased version).
Side B: (Studio).(24:59)
1. Ten Years Gone.(6:34)
2. Kashmir.(8:39)
3. The Wanton Song.(4:08)
4. Trampled Underfoot.(5:36)
Side C: (In Concert).(26:43)
1.Dazed and Confused.(26:43)
(Original mix)
Side D: (In Concert).(25:07)
1. Stairway to heaven.(10:43)
(Original
mix)
2. Whole lotta Love.(14:24)
(Original
mix).
Although the album was
ready in July after the mixes made at Olympic Studios, its publication was not
announced to the press until November 1974, because the group decided to
postpone its edition until February of the following year, because there were
other issues that in one way or another affected its diffusion like the end of
the contract with Atlantic, the creation of own record label "Swan
Records" or the promised rest that Peter Grant had offered to Jones in
exchange for not quit Led Zeppelin.
“Physical Graffiti”, considered the best double album in history of all
times , Bit.ly/75LzPG went on sale on February 24, 1975 in the US and a day
later in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world, coinciding with the first
dates of his new world tour that had already begun on January 11 in Holland and
that would end in November, the album became number one, staying in this
position for six weeks in a row.
Finally, the artwork:
two were selected by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, both made by Mike Doud &
Peter Corriston: that of the façade of building No.96 from St.Marks Street in
New York and another one of Mount Machu-Pichu. For this reconstruction, has
been used the artwork discarded from Peru.Enjoy it.
