Led Zeppelin I Sessions
August - October 1968

AUGUST 12 or 19, 1968 - RONNIE SCOTT'S JAZZ CLUB BUILDING, 39 GERRADRD STREET, SOHO, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
The songs rehearsed most likely include The Train Kept A Rollin', Smokestack Lightning, As Long As I Have You and Dazed And Confused.
AUGUST 23~26, 1968 - RONNIE SCOTT'S JAZZ CLUB BUILDING, 39 GERARD STREET, SOHO, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (suspected)
LATE AUGUST/EARLY SEPTEMBER 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
PJ Proby Three Week Hero album sessions. It was the first time ever the band entered the recording studio together.
SEPTEMBER 23, 1968 - PANGBOURNE, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they rehearsed for the upcoming Led Zeppelin I album under the name The Yardbirds.
SEPTEMBER 24, 1968 - PANGBOURNE, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they rehearsed for the upcoming Led Zeppelin I album under the name The Yardbirds.
SEPTEMBER 25, 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. The session took place at late and was continued until the early hours next day. They supposedly did do a full studio run through of As Long As I Have You during this period of time. Flames and Chest Fever were rehearsed for the album but no one in the band has ever confirmed that either song was actually recorded.

SEPTEMBER 27, 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. The session took place at late and was continued until the early hours next day. They supposedly did do a full studio run through of As Long As I Have You during this period of time. Flames and Chest Fever were rehearsed for the album but no one in the band has ever confirmed that either song was actually recorded.

Recording Includes: Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (take 8), [ cut ], Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (take 9, stopped), [ cut ], Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (take 9, complete with count-in), [ cut ], You Shook Me (take 1) [ cut ].
Source: Incomplete excellent soundboard recording. 21 minutes.

Bootleg CD Reference(s): I Sessions (Wendy Records), Alternates And Outtakes I & II Volume 1 (Boogie Mama), Evolution Is Timing 2 (Empress Valley Supreme Disc box), Meet The Led Zeppelin (Akashic Records), Robert's Last Stand (Red Devil), The Rockpile Canada 2-2-69 (Totonka), Sessions (Antrabata Reference Master box), Studio Magik - Sessions 1968-1980 (Godfatherecords box), & Studio Sessions Ultimate (Scorpio box)

      This is the first known recording session of the band playing their own music that is in circulation. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is the song Jimmy and Robert bonded on in their first face-to-face meeting at the ex-Yardbird's home. The final product sounds much more restrained than these two takes, with Plant singing his guts out. The instrumental background is just superb, as well as delicate passages played on the acoustic guitar. You Shook Me is the very first take according to the voice of engineer Glyn Johns. It goes a bit slower than the version we know from the release, the guitar has no echo and overdubs, and it sounds overall much more rough. The take lasts for almost eight minutes and cuts out at the very end. The final mixes of these two compositions were later used for the album. So sad we do not have any more, it would be amazing to hear How Many More Times and Dazed And Confused work-in-progress.

SEPTEMBER 28, 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. The session took place at late and was continued until the early hours next day. They supposedly did do a full studio run through of As Long As I Have You this period of time. Flames and Chest Fever were rehearsed for the album but no one in the band has ever confirmed that either song was actually recorded.

OCTOBER 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. The session took place at late and was continued until the early hours next day. They supposedly did do a full studio run through of As Long As I Have You this period of time. Flames and Chest Fever were rehearsed for the album but no one in the band has ever confirmed that either song was actually recorded. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones rehearsal.

Recording Includes: Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 1), Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 2), [ cut ], Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 3), [ cut ], Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 4), [ cut ], Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 5), [ cut ], Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 6), [ cut ], Guitar/Organ instrumentals (take 7) [ cut ].
Source: Incomplete excellent soundboard recording. 22 minutes.

Bootleg CD Reference(s): I Sessions (Wendy Records), Danish TV And Studio Sessions (Watch Tower 1st and 2nd edition), Evolution Is Timing 2 (Empress Valley Supreme Disc box), Meet The Led Zeppelin (Akashic Records), Sessions (Antrabata Reference Master box), & Studio Magik - Sessions 1968-1980 (Godfatherecords box)

      A very interesting jam. The music is very moody, and the playing is simply wonderful. It sounds like Page and Jones are trying to get a handle on Your Time Is Gonna Come. The last take feature some additional bells-sounding-like percussion background. We can also hear parts of this improvisation during some early live versions of White Summer and Black Mountain Side in a much abbreviated form. Some sources claims that the second musician was either Steve Winwood or Steve Miller.

OCTOBER 3, 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. The band also worked on Your Time Is Gonna Come, A Man I Know (later known as Good Times Bad Times), Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Too Good (later known as Communication Breakdown), How Many More Times, Dazed And Confused and Blues #1. Sugar Mama was later mixed at The Sol Studio, Cookham, Berkshire, United Kingdom on May 1, 1981 and included on Coda album.

Recording Includes: Sugar Mama (complete mix).
Source: Complete superb soundboard recording. Almost 3 minutes.

Official LP Reference(s): Coda "deluxe" and "super deluxe" editions (Swan Song)

Official CD Reference(s): Coda "deluxe" and "super deluxe" editions (Swan Song)

Bootleg CD Reference(s): I Sessions (Wendy Records), Alternates And Outtakes III Volume 2 (Boogie Mama), Coda Advanced Tapes (Boogie Mama), Different Mixed Coda (POT), Evolution Is Timing 2 (Empress Valley Supreme Disc box), The Lost Sessions Volume 8 (Empress Valley Supreme Disc), Sessions (Antrabata Reference Master box), & Studio Magik - Sessions 1968-1980 (Godfatherecords box)

      A truly thrilling slice of embryonic Zepp from one of their early recording sessions. Plant's excited yelp setting the pace. It is a bouncy, catchy pop number and is obvious why it has never been issued by the band in any form until as one of bonus tracks on a special deluxe versions of Coda album. Plenty of echoes of The Yardbirds here, with the single Happenings Ten Years Time Ago a definite reference point. The official take is about the same as the version that surfaced in a much poorer quality on various bootlegs, but adds an extra "sugar mama" from Robert.

OCTOBER 10, 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. Baby Come Back Home is yet still under its initial title, Tribute To Bert Berns. The final version remained unreleased until appearing on the 1993 compilation Boxed Set 2 (as shortened and edited version), mixed at Atlantic Studios in November 1992 and promoted by a single also. The master tape went missing for a number of years and allegedly turned up in a refuse bin outside Olympic Studios in 1991.

Recording Includes: Baby Come On Home (take 1, instrumental with count-in) (stopped), [ cut ], Baby Come On Home (take 2, instrumental with count-in) (stopped), [ cut ], Baby Come On Home (take 3, complete mix).
Source: Incomplete excellent & superb soundboard recording. 8 minutes.

Official LP Reference(s): Coda "deluxe" and "super deluxe" editions (Swan Song)

Official CD Reference(s): Coda "deluxe" and "super deluxe" editions (Swan Song) & Led Zeppelin Box Set 2 (Atlantic)

Bootleg CD Reference(s): I Sessions (Wendy Records), Alternates And Outtakes I & II Volume 1 (Boogie Mama), Evolution Is Timing 2 (Empress Valley Supreme Disc box), Meet The Led Zeppelin (Akashic Records), The Rockpile Canada 2-2-69 (Totonka), Sessions (Antrabata Reference Master box), Studio Magik - Sessions 1968-1980 (Godfatherecords box), & Studio Sessions Ultimate (Scorpio box)

      There are three takes of Tribute To Bert Burns, which surfaced on Led Zeppelin Box Set 2 back in 1993 as Baby Come On Home. A rather rare example of Zeppelin playing in a quite pop style. The song was originally recorded in honour of the American songwriter and producer Bert Burns, who had died in December 1967. It is loosely based on two slightly different songs he had written and produced for Hoagy Lands and Solomon Burke, although the lyrics were completely re-written for the band's own version. What's very interesting, on this track Page played a Leslie guitar and Jonesy played piano and a Hammond organ. The final mix has been reissued on companion disc.

OCTOBER 15, 1968 - OLYMPIC SOUND STUDIOS, BARNES, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
According to studio records they recorded under the name The Yardbirds. The band worked on Black Mountain Side and I Can't Quit You Baby (or I Had Too Much Pudding For Tea).