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Alternate Stairway


Ed A

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The media is starting to run with this announcement of the new alternate version of stairway to heaven. They are making it sound like this is a completely different take like the alternate of since I've been loving. Yet the official announcement seems to just mention an alternate sunset sound mix. So what's going on here are we getting the same song just a different mix or will we actually be hearing a different performance? Anybody have a clue?

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Without hearing it (of course) I am disapointed; After all, Page is previously quoted as saying Andy Johns should have been strung-up for the lousy mixing job he did at Sunset Sound; but now this version of STH is suddenly good enough to be the "star" track of the new release. I won't be buying without hearing it FIRST. Where are the STH versions with the other 2 guitar solos. That's what everyone really wants to hear. Or maybe they never existed! (some sources say that the classic released solo, which Jimmy always claims he "winged" in the studio, is really a composite , spliced together take anyway). BTW, for those who don't know, Page always said he recorded 3 guitar solos for STH; then chose the best one....

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Going by the name he's given it, I'm expecting it to be a different mix of the same take, perhaps with the odd thing added in or taken away.

Despite Stairway being much maligned these days, I still think it is such a great song & am quite excited about hearing this new mix...

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Hi to everybody :),

I'm Francesco from Rome (Italy) and this is my first message on the forum :)

On "Led Zeppelin Studio magik sessions" disc 8 there's (in addition to various rehersal) a nice rough mix of the song.

This mix omitted one of the two tracks of mellotron in the beginning, some Jimmy's rhythmic guitars near the end and contains a DIFFERENT solo than the original one.

Hope this will be the version released even if the "Sunset sound mix" mekes me think of a different mix of the song released.

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One one hand they probably don't want to mess with the success of the song. Yet for serious fans, I think we might prefer a way alternate take. I for one, have listener fatigue with the song...I would really like to hear a total rough take, different intro, plant riffing on stoned lyrics, different solo, whatever it may be. It's sort of a perfect song too...so why not have the original and then something really rough, basic, even an instrumental version. I guess they just want to leave that song alone though...with the sunset mix.

I had listener fatigue with sibly too and the new version has me listening to that more often now.

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Hi Francesco

Welcome to the forum. I think the rough mix you're talking of is a working mix from while the song was being recorded and not a final mix as the Sunset Sound Mixes were originally intended to be, and as the track listing states Sunset sound mix I guess that's what we'll be getting. As for the mellotron being omitted I'm afraid there was never any mellotron on Stairway. It was Jonseys recorder ensemble. They did use the mellotron flutes live though hence the common misconception that they used it on the studio version.

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One one hand they probably don't want to mess with the success of the song. Yet for serious fans, I think we might prefer a way alternate take. I for one, have listener fatigue with the song...I would really like to hear a total rough take, different intro, plant riffing on stoned lyrics, different solo, whatever it may be. It's sort of a perfect song too...so why not have the original and then something really rough, basic, even an instrumental version. I guess they just want to leave that song alone though...with the sunset mix.

I had listener fatigue with sibly too and the new version has me listening to that more often now.

There's a couple versions with Plant working out the lyrics and melody. I have at least 8 very rough takes with a solo which is slightly different each time. If they are going to release an alternate version it should have a different solo rather than just being a different mix. There's also quite a few recordings of Page working out the main structure of the song. Sounds nothing like that other song, what was it again? I forget :suntan:

Edited by juxtiphi
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After 43 years lead guitarist Jimmy Page has decided to release the "Los Angeles Sunset Sound Studio mix" of the band's calling card track. Mick Wall, who wrote the biography of the band, entitled When Giants Walked the Earth, tells Newsday's Julian Keane whether the original version of Stairway to Heaven could be improved.

https://soundcloud.com/bbc-world-service/newsday-led-zeppelin-seek-to-fix-what-aint-broke?ocid=socialflow_facebook

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Well when you listen to what Mick Wall says it sounds like its more than just a different mix.... obviously hoping we here something different, vocal, solo, etc...

I listened to this

and I have to say I don't think Mick Wall knows anymore than we do how it'll sound. He never actually says he's heard it, he's just doing what we're all doing, speculating! I certainly doubt Jimmy will have added any "bells and whistles" to it. My guess is we'll get what it says on the box, the rejected 1971 sunset sound mix. Hey I don't mind if I'm wrong but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Edited by babysquid
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I could be imagining this, but if I am not, I am positive that I read or heard an interview with Page in which he states that the upcoming Stairway release has a different solo. Now, does that mean that it is DIFFERENT, or does it meant that it is "different" in terms of the way it was mixed. Only time will tell, but I do suspect that it will be "another track for the super fan", like the vast majority of Deluxe Edition tracks are. I'll take what I can get at this stage of my life as a Zeppelin fan, but as always, I do think that there won't be anything too earth shattering to be revealed until after PG, for the simple fact that PG used up most of the good material that was left over from the sessions of the first five albums. I am optimistic that Presence, and Coda will have some treats for us, but I would also think that ITTOD was emptied out by the 1982 release of Wearing and Tearing, Ozone Baby, and Darlene.

Edited by The Dark Lord
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I don't know if anybody else feels this way but just seeing the companion discs with near mirror images of the original LP's kind of leaves me not so optimistic. At least the first three releases came with a live show, an unreleased track, etc. No Quarter rough mix - without vocals does not get me excited at all. I'd rather hear the jazzed up version I've had for years only in better quality.

What about the workouts of Black Dog on acoustic guitar that I'm sure plenty of us have heard too? That's the legend right there. How that stuff was actually made & putting you right there in the room with them as they were created. Why not provide that stuff?

And so whats to come with the rest of the releases? Same format, no more live shows (I know JP has said no more live stuff). That's a major bummer.

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I don't know if anybody else feels this way but just seeing the companion discs with near mirror images of the original LP's kind of leaves me not so optimistic. At least the first three releases came with a live show, an unreleased track, etc. No Quarter rough mix - without vocals does not get me excited at all. I'd rather hear the jazzed up version I've had for years only in better quality.

What about the workouts of Black Dog on acoustic guitar that I'm sure plenty of us have heard too? That's the legend right there. How that stuff was actually made & putting you right there in the room with them as they were created. Why not provide that stuff?

And so whats to come with the rest of the releases? Same format, no more live shows (I know JP has said no more live stuff). That's a major bummer.

I have to imagine that Jimmy (and co.) didn't make many copies of demo tapes. Those were stolen by the thieves who raided his house in the 1980s.

Anyway...I'm excited, and everyone should be, but whatever.

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Well there's always Fire

I have prayed for this; however, Jimmy seems to be taking a fairly tradional and conservative approach to these DE's, so I doubt we'll see Fire. Fingers and toes crossed though. I love that tune; very edgy and proggy.

Edited by The Dark Lord
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