WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS

In the summer of 1926 the States, towns and cities alongside and near the Mississippi River experienced unusually high rainfall. By the September flood defences were reaching breaking point, and over the Xmas and New Year into 1927 something had to give. The Great Mississippi flood of 1927 was to rage for months, peaking in April and finally subsiding in August. When it was over there was huge crop and livelihood devastation, hundreds of thousands dislocated and more than 500 dead.

This life changing event was captured by the media at the time in film, picture and prose and also by musicians. Blues artists sang about the tragedy, Bessie Smith's Backwater Blues regaling her viewpoint as early as January 1927. The great Charley Patton recorded High Water Everywhere in December of '29 but it was Kansas Joe McCoy who wrote When The Levee Breaks that same year. It's his version that stood out, a duet with his vocals and rhythm acoustic guitar, embellished by the lead guitar work of  Memphis Minnie Douglas. 

Esteemed journalist Charles Shaar Murray credits the song to Joe, the original '78 names the artists as Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie with no mention of origin. Whoever scribed the tale, it's a wonderful heartfelt tale of despair and fear. 

Fast forward to the Autumn of 1970. After their 6th US Tour Led Zeppelin looked forward to their next album. Although the tour was a huge success 'III' was roundly criticized by the press and those fans baying for the son of 'II'. Responding to this, Jimmy drove the band on, rehearsing and writing. So just 6 weeks after the final notes echoed around Madison Square Garden Led Zeppelin found themselves in Island Studios. On November 2nd Four Sticks was recorded, and just 9 days later their first early take on Joe and Minnie's tale of woe - 'If It Keeps On Raining'.

A much more open sound, even without the seismic crunch achieved in Headley Grange Bonzo stars with some perfect syncopation, busier than the final arrangement. Robert is more down key, sticking closer to the original lyrics including 'work so hard to keep the water away' and only adds 'goin' home' at the coda. Without the searing slide lead and maestrom of dubs and panning Jimmy plays a precise on the money riff. It grooves, moves and is fine. Just not quite...

Recording continued into 1971, with most of the album recorded by the end of January. On May 19th further mixes and takes were auditioned. The three that have surfaced both officially and unofficially are all radically different lyrically and in terms of dubs and mix. Less intense than the released version, they show the way Jimmy added layer upon layer to turn the song into a monster, prompting Robert's much more impassioned vocals on the finished version, as if to match the swirling harp and searing slide overdubs.

And it's not until the final take that Robert adds the opening lines from Joe Williams 'Goin' To Chicago'.Playing these versions back to back, the enormity of the finished article is astounding. From the off, the backbeat groove and almighty crunch of Bonzo's introduction is game changing. Recorded with just 2 mics in the stairwell at Headley Grange, Jimmy ran the feed through a Binson echo unit, an Italian made effect that used a magnetic drum to record as opposed to a tape loop. Heavy compression to bring John's fabulous hi-hat and cymbal work to the fore completed the sound. 

All four are on the top of their game here, their collective drive and confidence palpable. For me, it's not just about that. Even with Roberts more and more pleading and hysterical vocals, Jonesy's on the button groove nailed to John's bass drum pedal, Bonzo's thunderous rolls towards the coda and Jimmy's layered guitar swoops intertwining with Robert's wailing harp the crowning glory is the production.

Bearing in mind the restrictions and barriers in the studio in 1971, Jimmy works miracles. 16 tracks at his behest, he takes the other worldly soundscape of 'Whole Lotta Love' to a whole new level. Each verse, bridge, break brings something new, an extra tone, one more flavour. And finally as it seems to almost get too much, Robert's vocals stand dead centre as Led Zeppelin swirl and glide around him. It actually SOUNDS like the levee breaking! Genius.

Live, we only have 3 live performances by Led Zeppelin on tape. The 2nd warm up in Brussels on Jan 12th '75, the recently surfaced Bloomington show from January 18th and the first Chicago gig on the 20th. Probably played in Rotterdam on the 11th, the only other possible that year is the 2nd night in Chicago. It works live, but for me needed to be later in the set and played consistently to get a life of its own as a live number.

Brought back post Zep by  Page & Plant, their 1994 Unledded arrangement was slower and more like the 1929 Joe & Minnie take. 

Robert played it with Alison Krauss too, and let's not forget this great 2017 version by the Deborah Bonham band, with Robert guesting...

Over the decades it has become (rightly) one of the most influential songs in the Zeppelin catalogue, largely due to Bonzo's immortal drum intro. So many have used it, following on from Trevor Horn's sampling Moby Dick for Frankie Goes To Hollywood!

From the Beastie Boys to Dr Dre, Eminem to Massive Attack plus countless mix DJ's across the globe.  

Half a century on, When The Levee Breaks is testament to Led Zeppelin as pioneers and masters of their art. Taking their own inspirations and influences and creating such a unique song that has in turn inspired new generations and genres...