Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions 1969-1971 {Remastered & Complete} [A Prof. Stoned Comp 2021]
24bit/96khz (High Resolution) except * exists only as 16bit/44.1khz (CD Quality)
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Session #1
01) Communication Breakdown
02) Dazed And Confused
03) You Shook Me
04) I Can't Quit You Baby
Recorded: Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, London UK; Monday 3 March 1969
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'John Peel's Top Gear': Sunday 23 March 1969
Producer: Bernie Andrews
Engineer: Pete Ritzema
Tape operator: Bob Conduct
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Session #2 *
01) 'Alexis Korner Intro'
02) Sunshine Woman
03) 'Slow swing is hard to find'
04) I Can't Quit You Baby
05) 'The blues is spreading'
06) You Shook Me (incomplete)
Recorded: Maida Vale Studio 4, Delaware Road, London UK; Wednesday 19 March 1969
Broadcast: BBC World Service Radio 'Alexis Korner's Rhythm and Blues'; Monday 14 April 1969
Producer: Jeff Griffin
Engineer: Joe Young
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Session #3
01) The Girl I Love
02) 'Quiet in the studio'
03) Communication Breakdown
04) Somethin' Else
05) What Is And What Should Never Be
06) 'Interview With Chris Grant'
Recorded: Aeolian Hall studio 2, Bond Street, London UK; Monday 16 June 1969
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'Chris Grant's Tasty Pop Sundae'; Sunday 22 June 1969
Producer: Paul Williams
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Session #4
01) Whole Lotta Love
02) Communication Breakdown
03) 'Here we go'
04) What Is And What Should Never Be
05) Traveling Riverside Blues
Recorded: Maida Vale studio 4, Delaware Road, London UK; Tuesday 24 June 1969
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'John Peel's Top Gear'; Sunday 29 June 1969
Producer: John Walters
Engineer: Tony Wilson
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Session #5
01) 'Alan Black Introduction'
02) Communication Breakdown
03) I Can't Quit You Baby
04) 'Interview With Alan Black'
05) Dazed And Confused
06) 'By way of contrast'
07) White Summer-Black Mountain Side
08) 'Another number'
09) You Shook Me
10) 'Goodbye'
11) How Many More Times
Recorded: BBC Playhouse Theatre, London, UK; Friday 27 June 1969
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'One Night Stand'; Sunday 10 August 1969
Producer: Jeff Griffin
Engineer: Tony Wilson
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Session #6 *
01) 'Julie Felix Introduction'
02) White Summer-Black Mountain Side
Recorded: Lime Grove Studios, London UK; Thursday 23 April 1970
Broadcast: BBC TV 'Julie Felix Show'; Sunday 26 April 1970
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Session #7 *
01) 'John Peel Introduction'
02) Immigrant Song
03) Heartbreaker
04) 'About a year old today'
05) Since I've Been Loving You
06) 'Quick think'
07) Black Dog
08) 'Long time back'
09) Dazed And Confused
10) 'Can't really tell you'
11) Stairway To Heaven
12) 'Anybody who hasn't been takin' mandrax?'
13) Going To California
14) 'Must tell you about my bottle'
15) That's The Way
16) 'Hold on...'
17) What Is And What Should Never Be
18) 'The whole element behind it all..'
19) Whole Lotta Love Medley
20) 'One from way back'
21) Thank You
22) Communication Breakdown
23) 'Peel sez: If you could now leave'
Recorded: Paris Theatre, Lower Regent Street, London UK; Thursday 1 April 1971
Broadcast: BBC Radio 'In Concert'; Sunday 4 April 1971
Producer: Jeff Griffin
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Total time: 3h56m42s
All tracks are Mono except Session #7 is Stereo
Research & Mastering: Prof Stoned
Special thanks to JWB & Matt (tmtomh on SHForum) and also: http://www.thegardentapes.co.uk/bbc.html
v1.0: 21-07-2021
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Note:
After two official editions which both suffer from lackluster mastering and heavy editing, it is about time the record was finally set straight (even if only by a guy on the internet).
This is material of great historical significance and it deserves to be presented with balanced sound and in a fully uncut setting. Too many bits were removed from the official releases, mostly to avoid copyright issues. This edition is almost 40 minutes longer than the 2016 release and restores all the missing music, interviews and some stage banter (the 1971 show still misses about 6 minutes of interlude noise but the music is all there).
I have carefully remastered every track in my studio. Apart from the 1971 show, this was all mixed directly to mono and as a result the sound tends to have some rough edges. The recordings definitely need work to make them shine. The ME who did the 2016 set seems to have followed a very hands-off approach (possibly at JP's behest) and as a result the overall presentation is very bass heavy, but not really in a good way.
This compilation is mostly sourced from the HD version of the 2016 edition with chopped-off beginnings/ending & various bits taken from the EVSD set. The 2nd session survives only as an off-air recording; the original tapes were wiped by the BBC. I used the EVDS for that part. The first half of 'How Many More Times' from the Paris Theatre is taken from the old TSP CD, as the official and EVSD versions sound muffled there. The 1971 set was record on an 8-track machine, and there are two stereo mixes of this show in circulation. The mix here is believed to have been done in the early 90s and was also used for the two official releases. I used the LSD set as the main source and the missing minute of the 'Whole Lotta Love' medley from the FSS CD (original mix).
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Sources:
- The Complete BBC Sessions (33xFile, FLAC, 24/96) Atlantic, Rhino Records 2016
- The Complete BBC Sessions (5xCD, Unofficial) EVSD-410/411/412/413/PRO
- White Summer (CD, Unofficial) The Swingin' Pig TSP-CD-019 Luxembourg 1989
- BBC Sessions (4×CD, Unofficial) Last Stand Disc LSD-60/61/62/63/64 Japan 1999
- BBC In Concert (2xCD, Unofficial) Forever Standard Series FSS 99-005 Japan 1999
