Longest live song / longest Stairway?

[unleasher]

What was the longest live performance/jam that Zep did?

How about the longest live version of Stairway?

bonus question, what was their longest show ever?

[JP78]

i'm guessing "no quarter" for the first question.

[TheLastSpartan]

Longest version of Stairway was Berlin July 7th 1980, the very last Led Zeppelin concert with Bonham.

[tmtomh]

I always thought that 45-minute version of Dazed from The Forum in '75 was the longest live performance.

As for the longest version of Stairway, isn't it the version from the last show, Berlin '80? [Edit: TheLastSpartan - looks like we were posting at the same time!)

As for the longest show ever, that one I'm not sure about. Off the top of my head, I'd guess either Mar 27 '75 or May 25 '75 at Earls Court. I believe the available tape for each of those shows is a little more than 3-1/2 hrs long.

Edited January 16, 2013 by tmtomh

[Stormbringer]

afaik, the longest show was Boston Tee Party 26/01/69. It took around 4,5 hours and they played a lot of covers, including some Beatles songs etc. People just wouldnt let them go and so they jammed... .

[TheLastSpartan]

afaik, the longest show was Boston Tee Party 26/01/69. It took around 4,5 hours and they played a lot of covers, including some Beatles songs etc. People just wouldnt let them go and so they jammed... .

I can't remember but I think that hasn't been confirmed, and was possibly a mis-communication with JPJ, whether he said "we played for hours" or "we played four hours".

[Stormbringer]

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/january-26-1969

Thats official enough for me . But yeah, I dont know, could have been some communication breakdown as well .

[TheLastSpartan]

http://www.ledzeppel...january-26-1969

Thats official enough for me . But yeah, I dont know, could have been some communication breakdown as well .

Still not really convinced personally, but I guess I'll let it slide

[kingzoso]

This might be one of the Longest Live Led Zeppelin Concerts:

Same with this gig:

Sorry, I tried to upload the whole concerts for all to enjoy, but it started and ended with the first song and not the with the whole concert.

The concerts I was trying to upload (download?) was the the 1972-06-09 - Seattle, Washington concert and the 1972-06-25 - Los Angeles, California gig. Both are Long and truly amazing bootlegs.

Edited January 16, 2013 by kingzoso

[Strider]

Longest song/jam: Dazed and Confused March 27, 1975 LA Forum

Longest Stairway: July 7, 1980 Berlin

Longest concert: Depends if you're only counting musical content, or total tape time including audience appluse between encores...there's often 8-10 minutes of applause between encores at the Earl's Court shows. That said, I think the two concerts in the running for longest ever are May 25, 1975 Earl's Court and June 27, 1977 LA Forum.

[Geezer]

The DVD of May 25, 1975 runs for 3 hours and 50 minutes.

[Nutrocker]

We've discussed this before (I'm too fucking lazy to do a search right now ) but 27/6/77 is the longest show; 25/5/75 is second longest, barely a minute shorter actually.

Berlin '80 boasts not only the longest "Stairway" (fifteen minutes) but also the longest "Trampled Under Foot" (twelve minutes), as well as the longest non-medley "Whole Lotta Love" (18 minutes) and -unfortunately- the longest "White Summer" as well (sixteen minutes!)

27/3/75 is indeed the longest "Dazed And Confused" (I remember some guy on another site claiming it was 52 minutes long; Millard's tape supposedly ran out and he missed a couple of minutes due to the tape change, this guy supposedly has a copy of the recording longer than any of the commercial boots)

27/6/77 also has the longest "No Quarter" (almost thirty six minutes) as well as the longest "Noise Solo" (almost 26 minutes!)

Bonham's longest drum solo was 26/5/77, closely followed by the next show (28/5/77), both were also around thirty six minutes (and are excruciatingly boring IMO, and I say this as a fan of the drum solos)

I think in regard to the supposed "Four and a half hour" '69 Boston Tea Party gig: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

[Sagittarius Rising]

I second both Nutrocker & Strider on this. I also agree 100% with Nutrocker regarding those drum solo's. JMO but I don't care how damn good of a drummer anyone is, a solo longer than 10 or so minutes is boring. I like TSRTS version of Moby Dick the best, and even that one I would cut out about three minutes. 26 min noise solo...perfect example of addiction and it's consequences on others. I can only dream of how smokin' the 77' setlist would have been sans OTT, the noise solo, and (don't flame me Nutrocker, just an opinion) a shortened NQ of about 15 - 20 min without the rockabilly jam which destroys the songs mood to me. Personally, a version of NQ that combined the 73' approach with the 07' approach would have been perfect for me

[LiveWire1979]

I second both Nutrocker & Strider on this. I also agree 100% with Nutrocker regarding those drum solo's. JMO but I don't care how damn good of a drummer anyone is, a solo longer than 10 or so minutes is boring. I like TSRTS version of Moby Dick the best, and even that one I would cut out about three minutes. 26 min noise solo...perfect example of addiction and it's consequences on others. I can only dream of how smokin' the 77' setlist would have been sans OTT, the noise solo, and (don't flame me Nutrocker, just an opinion) a shortened NQ of about 15 - 20 min without the rockabilly jam which destroys the songs mood to me. Personally, a version of NQ that combined the 73' approach with the 07' approach would have been perfect for me

The crowd though at the '77 gigs didn't get bored from the length of NQ but from Over The Top and Jimmy's noise solo...

[zep41]

Longest performance of one song: Dazed, last night at the LA Forum 1975

Longest Stairway: July 7, 1980 Berlin. Last Zeppelin show ever.

[Sue Dounim]

I'm 90% sure the 2nd longest Stairway is 1977/06/26, and I could've sworn that the longest No Quarter was from 1977/06/22. The longest ever Kashmir is from 1977/05/28. Now that I've said that, I'm gonna exit this thread before I have to see more people rag on the Noise Solo.

[Sagittarius Rising]

The crowd though at the '77 gigs didn't get bored from the length of NQ but from Over The Top and Jimmy's noise solo...

Agree, I was at the April 10th show in Chicago (from what I recall, an amazing performance). I was not bored at all during NQ, I just did not like the blues / rockabilly section they put in the song at some of the dates. I always thought NQ was a particular theme and should have stayed that way. WLL on the other hand...

[Nutrocker]

I'm 90% sure the 2nd longest Stairway is 1977/06/26, and I could've sworn that the longest No Quarter was from 1977/06/22.

Believe it or not, the second longest STH is none other than...John Bonham drum roll, please...Tempe! (14:50)

Yer close regarding "No Quarter": 27/6/77 is the longest at 35:41; 22/06/77 is second longest at 33:58, closely followed by 26/6/77 (33:36)

Now that I've said that, I'm gonna exit this thread before I have to see more people rag on the Noise Solo.

:lol:

Ah yes, you like that epic 25:53 one from 27/6/77...

I second both Nutrocker & Strider on this. I also agree 100% with Nutrocker regarding those drum solo's. JMO but I don't care how damn good of a drummer anyone is, a solo longer than 10 or so minutes is boring. I like TSRTS version of Moby Dick the best, and even that one I would cut out about three minutes. 26 min noise solo...perfect example of addiction and it's consequences on others. I can only dream of how smokin' the 77' setlist would have been sans OTT, the noise solo, and (don't flame me Nutrocker, just an opinion) a shortened NQ of about 15 - 20 min without the rockabilly jam which destroys the songs mood to me. Personally, a version of NQ that combined the 73' approach with the 07' approach would have been perfect for me

No flaming here, Sage- I'd've been perfectly happy if they kept NQ in '77 to a '73/'75 arrangement, but, as I've said before, that three or four minutes of jamming was probably the most spontaneous thing they played on the whole fucking '77 tour- that's what makes the "Boogie Sections"'s special for me.

We are in total agreement about thirty minute drum and noise solos, though.

[Strider]

27/6/77 also has the longest "No Quarter" (almost thirty six minutes) as well as the longest "Noise Solo" (almost 26 minutes!)

...I could've sworn that the longest No Quarter was from 1977/06/22. The longest ever Kashmir is from 1977/05/28. Now that I've said that, I'm gonna exit this thread before I have to see more people rag on the Noise Solo.

Yer close regarding "No Quarter": 27/6/77 is the longest at 35:41; 22/06/77 is second longest at 33:58, closely followed by 26/6/77 (33:36)

Sue is correct. Counting only from the beginning of the song to the end(no Plantations or applause included), the 6.22.77 No Quarter is over 34 minutes while the 6.27.77 No Quarter is 33:30.

I second both Nutrocker & Strider on this. I also agree 100% with Nutrocker regarding those drum solo's. JMO but I don't care how damn good of a drummer anyone is, a solo longer than 10 or so minutes is boring. I like TSRTS version of Moby Dick the best, and even that one I would cut out about three minutes. 26 min noise solo...perfect example of addiction and it's consequences on others. I can only dream of how smokin' the 77' setlist would have been sans OTT, the noise solo, and (don't flame me Nutrocker, just an opinion) a shortened NQ of about 15 - 20 min without the rockabilly jam which destroys the songs mood to me. Personally, a version of NQ that combined the 73' approach with the 07' approach would have been perfect for me

Somewhere on one of the 1977 threads, I posted how I thought the 1977 setlists could have been improved...sort of like I did on the 1980 tour thread. Lord knows where it is. Just one reason why multiple threads on the same topic are a pain.

[Nutrocker]

Sue is correct. Counting only from the beginning of the song to the end(no Plantations or applause included), the 6.22.77 No Quarter is over 34 minutes while the 6.27.77 No Quarter is 33:30.

I will bow to yer knowledge here...all I did was take the times off of my CD's. I s'pose on 27/6/77 the CD track does include Plant tweaking Jonesy about the "Strawberry Tart"...one of my favourite Plantations of all time

[Dallas Knebs]

looks like I am in the thinly populated camp on this...

I enjoy the meandering drum solos and even the noise solo and not put off by OTT... the rockabilly section of NQ I enjoy due to it's jam. It does seem to violate the kernel of what is No Quarter, the thought of taking it there though (from a players point of view) intruiges me.

The longest track played live- ever- by Led Zeppelin is....D&C LA Forum? (sans Plantations/audience)

I thought I had a boot LP in the early '80s that had a HMMT that took up the entire side B and a Garden Tape of D&C that did the same. Both around 35 minutes (?) I will check. Probably a foggy memory.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Dallas Knebs

[Sue Dounim]

looks like I am in the thinly populated camp on this...

I enjoy the meandering drum solos and even the noise solo and not put off by OTT... the rockabilly section of NQ I enjoy due to it's jam. It does seem to violate the kernel of what is No Quarter, the thought of taking it there though (from a players point of view) intruiges me.

The longest track played live- ever- by Led Zeppelin is....D&C LA Forum? (sans Plantations/audience)

I thought I had a boot LP in the early '80s that had a HMMT that took up the entire side B and a Garden Tape of D&C that did the same. Both around 35 minutes (?) I will check. Probably a foggy memory.

+1 Iove the long Noise Solos, but it's tough knowing most other fans detest them.

[Bonzo_fan]

27/3/75 is indeed the longest "Dazed And Confused" (I remember some guy on another site claiming it was 52 minutes long; Millard's tape supposedly ran out and he missed a couple of minutes due to the tape change, this guy supposedly has a copy of the recording longer than any of the commercial boots)

That would be incredible if that full version ever surfaces, for curiosity's sake alone. I'm a big fan of that version, and there are two (maybe three) noticeable cuts in the tape.

That would also line up with what I read on some other site where a guy who was at that show said that Dazed was 55 min and the show was over 4 hrs (which would be plausible considering at least two minutes of The Rain Song are missing in addition to however much is missing from Dazed).

[Sue Dounim]

Actually there's a mediocre sounding second source that has been used to fill all the gaps (except Moby Dick, he turned his tape off.) The gap in Dazed is only about a minute long.

That would be incredible if that full version ever surfaces, for curiosity's sake alone. I'm a big fan of that version, and there are two (maybe three) noticeable cuts in the tape.

That would also line up with what I read on some other site where a guy who was at that show said that Dazed was 55 min and the show was over 4 hrs (which would be plausible considering at least two minutes of The Rain Song are missing in addition to however much is missing from Dazed).

[Nutrocker]

That would be incredible if that full version ever surfaces, for curiosity's sake alone. I'm a big fan of that version, and there are two (maybe three) noticeable cuts in the tape.

That would also line up with what I read on some other site where a guy who was at that show said that Dazed was 55 min and the show was over 4 hrs (which would be plausible considering at least two minutes of The Rain Song are missing in addition to however much is missing from Dazed).

Actually there's a mediocre sounding second source that has been used to fill all the gaps (except Moby Dick, he turned his tape off.) The gap in Dazed is only about a minute long.

Yes...in re-reading the discussion in which the chap made his claims about having a longer Millard source, it seems like he might have been fucking with the other participants in the discussion (again, said discussion took place on a different site)...many requests were made to the guy (some dude from Alaska who claimed to have gotten copies of Mike Millard's recordings from the guy who pushed Millard's wheelchair) to upload/share out his version with the longer "D & C" but -surprise, surprise- he had a myriad of excuses why he couldn't do that

Sue's info regarding the alternate source is probably closer to the truth...I'm pretty sure if there indeed had been a 52 or 55 minute version of "Dazed And Confused" chances are we'd have the audio evidence by now...

In other words, the longest version of "Dazed And Confused" is about 47 minutes long...which is still way too fuckin' long in my not so humble opinion...for some reason I can dig half an hour of "No Quarter" or "Moby Dick" but 30+ minutes of "D & C" is just too self indulgent for my admittedly warped tastes...