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From album
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin · 1971
Details
TonalidadF
Compás4/4
Tempo144 BPM
Duración7:08
CompositorKansas Joe McCoy / John Paul Jones / John Bonham / Memphis Minnie / Jimmy Page / Robert Plant
ÁlbumLed Zeppelin IV
Año1971
ISRCUSAT20703874
Credits
Music Kansas Joe McCoy, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Memphis Minnie, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
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The story behind
When Jimmy Page and John Bonham set out to shape *When the Levee Breaks* for Led Zeppelin's 1971 untitled album, they started with a 1929 country blues song. The original piece, written and recorded by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, narrated the experiences of the devastating 1927 Mississippi River flood. The original lyrics, which Robert Plant largely retained, described the loss of home and family, but also, according to some biographers, a sense of rebirth in the face of tragedy. McCoy and Minnie's version, recorded in New York, featured McCoy on vocals and rhythm guitar, while Minnie added embellishments with a slide guitar style in open tuning.
The reinvention by Led Zeppelin focused on sonic power. Instead of the traditional blues structure, Page and John Paul Jones opted for a single-chord modal approach to create a hypnotic sound. The recording took place in December 1970 at Headley Grange, using the Rolling Stones' mobile studio. Before that, they unsuccessfully attempted to record it at Island Studios. Engineer Andy Johns played a crucial role in capturing Bonham's distinctive drum sound. He placed it at the bottom of a three-story staircase and recorded the resonant, slightly muffled sound with two microphones at the top. This rhythm, along with Plant's guitars and harmonica (with a reverse echo effect that anticipated the sound), aimed to evoke the fury of the storm. The song was recorded at a different tempo and then slowed down, leading Plant to sing in an intermediate key. Led Zeppelin's version, which is 7:08 long, became a key element of their 1971 album.
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