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"Stairway to Heaven" REAL length ?


XZed

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Hello all,

I decided to post here because of the following :

I really love this song and a friend was laughing about the fact i even didn't know the "REAL version"...

He didn't stop insisting that the "REAL version" had a length of ~ 17 min...

He considers that the 8 minutes version is a "Radio Edit"...

I never heard about that and even found such information...

On wikipedia, for example, i only find :

Formats and tracklistings

1972 7" single (Philippines: Atlantic 45-3747)

* A. "Stairway to Heaven" [part 1] (Page, Plant) 4:01

* B. "Stairway to Heaven" [part 2] (Page, Plant) 4:01

1972 7" promo (US: Atlantic PR 175 [picture sleeve], Atlantic PR 269)

* A. "Stairway to Heaven" [stereo] (Page, Plant) 8:02

* B. "Stairway to Heaven" [mono] (Page, Plant) 8:02

1972 7" promo (US: Atlantic PR-269, Atlantic STPR 269 [picture disc])

* A. "Stairway to Heaven" (Page, Plant) 8:02

* B. "Hey Hey What Can I Do" (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 3:55

1972 7" promo (South Africa: Atlantic Teal)

* A. "Stairway to Heaven" (Page, Plant) 8:02

* B. "Going to California" (Page, Plant) 3:31

1978 12" single (Brazil: WEA 6WP.2003)

* A. "Stairway to Heaven" [stereo] (Page, Plant) 8:02

* B. "Stairway to Heaven" [mono] (Page, Plant) 8:02

1991 20th Anniversary edition (US: Atlantic PRCD 4424-2, Japan: Warner Pioneer PRCD 4424-2)

* 1 x CD single, 1x7" single

I found that, in live sessions, they sometimes extend the music to ~10 minutes...

I really need the opinion of an expert...

Thank you very much,

Sincerely,

Edited by XZed
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The song is complete as you find it on the album and cds. Live they would extend the solo section sometimes, but otherwise the song has an exact number of bars. Your friend is mistaken.

Radio edit! :lol:

At 17 minutes, the song would practically take up an entire vinyl album side. Never happened.

Edited by Evster2012
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My rock station used to joke that they sometimes played Stairway to Heaven when they needed a loo break knowing they'd have enough time :lol:

Once, when Jim Ladd was on KMET back in the day, he put on one of the longer tracks and stepped outside to smoke a joint. The door locked behind him. As it was late night, he and the girl answering the phones were the only people in the building, and she had the front door locked. Talk about your dead air nightmare!! :lol:

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Once, when Jim Ladd was on KMET back in the day, he put on one of the longer tracks and stepped outside to smoke a joint. The door locked behind him. As it was late night, he and the girl answering the phones were the only people in the building, and she had the front door locked. Talk about your dead air nightmare!! :lol:

:oops:

:lol: Bet he never did that again :lol:

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He still does nightly on 95.5 KLOS, the last great dee-jay left on the radio.

Rachie can attest to that! :D

The last bastion of freeform radio. Ladd rules! When he came back in 1997, it was like things made sense again.

Like the good ol' days of 94.7. The mighty meat ya just can't beat! Little bit o' heaven 94.7, KMET tweedle dee. Good times! B)

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Hello all,

I decided to post here because of the following :

I really love this song and a friend was laughing about the fact i even didn't know the "REAL version"...

He didn't stop insisting that the "REAL version" had a length of ~ 17 min...

No, that's Inna Gadda Da Vida :D

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XZed, your friend is an idiot! ;) There is no 17 minute studio version of Stairway.

Now, he might be referring to the last night of the 1980 European tour(Zeppelin's last ever gig) where Jimmy played an interminable solo during Stairway...this might be the 17 minute version he has heard about. But it was played live, with no intention of it ever being released for an album or radio. So, if you bet him on this, you still win.

Edited by Strider
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XZed, your friend is an idiot! ;) There is no 17 minute studio version of Stairway.

Now, he might be referring to the last night of the 1980 European tour(Zeppelin's last ever gig) where Jimmy played an interminable solo during Stairway...this might be the 17 minute version he has heard about. But it was played live, with no intention of it ever being released for an album or radio. So, if you bet him on this, you still win.

Please don't bring up that solo. My head still hurts from how bad it is. The last live "STH" from them is one of the worst. :(

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He still does nightly on 95.5 KLOS, the last great dee-jay left on the radio.

I recall hearing an interview he did with Zeppelin back in the day. Not sure about the details, but I think it was around 1976. Probably, around the time for the L.A. premiere of TSRTS and with Page and Plant. Can anyone supply more specifics? Hopefully, this won't derail the thread for too long.

Edited by SuperDave
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He didn't stop insisting that the "REAL version" had a length of ~ 17 min...

I have read that Jimmy mentioned in an early interview that there was a piece the band was working on that was around that length that was generally assumed to be Stairway. The operative word being "assumed." So, it may be quite possible Stairway was originally a longer piece.

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I recall hearing an interview he did with Zeppelin back in the day. Not sure about the details, but I think it was around 1976. Probably, around the time for the L.A. premiere of TSRTS and with Page and Plant. Can anyone supply more specifics? Hopefully, this won't derail the thread for too long.

I have the vinyl LP of Zeppelin's Inner View, the label says 1976 & it's show # 13. I haven't listened to it in years though (probably not since I bought it in the 80s).

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Hi all,

before, let me apologize for the late answer...

i read all your answers and i'm very pleased with your answers...

thank you dpat for your details and all that answered me (e.g. : longest live session, etc...).

thank you very much,

sincerely

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Once, when Jim Ladd was on KMET back in the day, he put on one of the longer tracks and stepped outside to smoke a joint. The door locked behind him. As it was late night, he and the girl answering the phones were the only people in the building, and she had the front door locked. Talk about your dead air nightmare!! :lol:

Jim Ladd is the shit, and that story makes him even cooler haha.

But for the question, that is the real version, they refused to edit it for radio and left it as it was.

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I have read that Jimmy mentioned in an early interview that there was a piece the band was working on that was around that length that was generally assumed to be Stairway. The operative word being "assumed." So, it may be quite possible Stairway was originally a longer piece.

The interview where he refferes to the track going though multiple different styles? not impossible I spose but we do have demo's/early takes of stairway being built up in its released form/lenght.

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