LED ZEPPELIN - THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE

'Dance In The Dark Of Night, Sing To The Morning Light'

 

Sometimes fate and the moment can lead to the unexpected. The Battle Of Evermore began life due to one of those moments. Tucked away in the damp bucolic dilapidation of Headley Grange, the relaxed confident atmosphere made work easy. Restful.

Jonesy had brought several instruments along for the sessions, including a mandolin. Jimmy, as fate would have it, picked it up and, strummed a few chords and messed around a bit. He recalls the sequence for The Battle Of Evermore came quickly, easily, at the same time light heartedly suggesting a decent mandolin player would laugh at the basic riff he'd created.

This was late 1970, and after the lukewarm press response to 'III' and disappointing initial sales, Jimmy responded by driving the band on, moving forward, almost subconsciously knowing there was something big, special to come from his band.  And he wasn't wrong.

Coming after the bombast and crunch of Black Dog and Rock And Roll, The Battle Of Evermore is a brilliant mood change. From the chiming introduction, gradually filling the air as Andy Johns edges up the faders, the calm is palpable until those familiar chords ring in.

The inspired choice of Sandy Denny was a masterstroke. Jimmy and Robert had become close to Fairport Convention, even though Sandy had decided to leave the band that year. Back in June they'd appeared on the same bill at the Bath Festival. The most legendary collaboration came after one of the most celebrated Zeppelin gigs of them all. On September 4th 1970 they wowed the L.A. Forum in Inglewood with a sterling performance captured by not one but (at least) three enterprising bootleggers, made famous by not only premieres of tracks from the as yet unreleased 'Led Zeppelin III' but a final almost unglued third encore of Fats Domino's anthem 'Blueberry Hill'. Hence the Blimp and later TMOQ bootleg of the same name.

said performance they returned to the Riot House and headed for the Troubadour, just a few blocks away on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Here, Fairport were playing the first of 3 nights, recording them for a possible live elpee. Sandy Denny was no longer a part of the group, but the connection was there. Of course, adrenalin still flowing, a jam ensued into the night which, according to Richard Thompson, was recorded but Gee took and kept the tapes of his charges performance. The belatedly issued live elpee has no Led Zeppelin or even mention of the night. Shame.

So, once the band had an arrangement for The Battle Of Evermore, Robert began to formulate lyrics, the story. The outtake versions (pre-Sandy Denny) show us a tentative, less confident and formulated vocal. During a period when Robert was virtually obsessed with the romantic history of the dark ages, the Scottish Border wars and the myths and legends of the rulers and bloodlines steeped in the hills and vales around his chosen home, he delved into both fact and fantasy, once more recalling Tolkien into ever expanding lyrical description.

Sandy Denny was asked, and added her Town Crier vocal as part of what was increasingly a timeless play, a far cry from the 'getting our heads together in the country mannnn' acoustic doodlings from many bands at the time. Their voices gelled perfectly, Sandy bringing a discipline and focus where alone Robert may well have gone just that bit further. Sandy even got here own rune.

Listening to it in context, just the introduction with it's long long fade in is the perfect aural palette cleanser. By the time it chimes off into the distance the whole mood and expectation of the elpee has changed. And after that there's Stairway To Heaven.

Maybe lost for some due to not being a constant live track, The Battle Of Evermore is to me a wonderfully heroic song, and a risk that works brilliantly.

When getting a set together for the Magick 11th US Tour in 1977, it was auditioned and considered as a star part of the revamped acoustic set. Never thought of before, probably due to Sandy Denny's imperious vocals, they decided in Jimmy's words of the time to 'take the odd risk' and set out to find a workable arrangement in January '77 in Manticore.

It was left to Jonesy to provide vocals, as well as acoustic guitar and bass pedals. Bonzo and Jimmy added harmonies of sort, and Bonzo hammered out the drum motif on tambourine. It was a gamble, and despite the obvious vocal inadequacies it kinda works. Robert expands his vocals with echo and his eventide harmonizer during the coda.

Performed throughout the '77 US Tour, it became an instant favourite earning huge ovations night after night. Sadly, it disappeared along with the rest of the acoustic set after the tour. Performed at every complete show on the tour, we have 34 versions on bootleg to choose from, plus the pro-shot footage of the Seattle July 17th to watch as well.

The new expanded edition of 'Untitled' includes an instrumental take from January 29th 1971, plus we have various part and complete outtake mixes as well. Have never seen any singles or EP's with this on, although there are polish and Russian postcard flexi's. The 2CD collection covering much of Sandy Denny's career 'The Music Weaver' did include The Battle Of Evermore, an unusual and rightful gesture.

It was also wonderfully reimagined for the Unledded project with Najma Akhtar reprising Sandy's role in a new, Eastern way. A definite highlight, the beauty of the song shone once more. It wasn't a standard part of the set without Najma being part of the tour, but she did appear at the tail end of the '95 UK Tour, beginning with the two NEC Shows.

And Robert had also performed it with Fairport Convention and went on to include a live arrangement with Alison Krauss...