Most Desired Concert To Hear, Which NO Recording Exists?

[Rich Holt]

On 5/5/2020 at 1:06 PM, Bonzo_fan said:

Great thread to revive!  Anything from '68 would certainly be great.  I'll try to pick one from each year.

1968: Any

1969: April 29 or 30 - Los Angeles -- Based off of the roll they were on the preceding few days in San Francisco, these were probably phenomenal.

1970: March 31 - Philadelphia -- Falls on my birthday and during a great stretch of shows.

1971: August 19 - Vancouver -- First nights of a tour are always interesting, and they always played well in the Pacific Northwest.  Plus it would be the second-last show before the start of Plant's decline.

1972: June 23 - Denver -- Accounts on the official timeline suggest a setlist similar to Seattle and L.A.

1973: May 4 - Atlanta OR May 10 - Tuscaloosa -- Would be really cool to hear the first night of the tour, debut of "No Quarter," but I suspect Tuscaloosa may have been the better show, given the differences between Mobile and Tampa.

1975: January 18 - Bloomington -- The tease of the SBD that surfaced in February makes this even more tantalizing, as it confirms Plant hadn't caught the flu yet -- have to hear "When The Levee Breaks" in SBD quality with a strong Plant!  February 27 in Houston would also be really cool for the debut of the grand piano in "No Quarter."

1977: May 19 - Baton Rouge OR May 31 - Greensboro -- by all accounts, both were excellent.  They always played well in the Deep South, so Baton Rouge would be cool, but I might have to give the edge to Bonzo's Birthday Vol. II, especially since some accounts on the timeline suggest "Black Dog" was played as the final encore.

1979: N/A

1980: N/A

Why do you think Plant's decline started in August 1971 or did you mean after the June 1972 Denver show?

[Bonzo_fan]

2 minutes ago, Rich Holt said:

Why do you think Plant's decline started in August 1971 or did you mean after the June 1972 Denver show?

No, I meant August '71.  To my ears, his decline started after the 8/21/71 show in L.A.  It was gradual, for sure, but I feel that was the last show where he could hit any high note he wanted with power and conviction.  Sure, he rebounds in the States in June '72, but the high notes sound a bit hollow to me.  I'm a drummer, not a singer, so I'm not sure if that's the best way to put it, but they just sound kind of breathy, whereas at his peak he hit the highs with his full chest voice.  Compare 5/3/71 Copenhagen or 8/21/71 L.A. or 9/19/70 N.Y. (Evening) -- especially the beginning of "Heartbreaker" -- with anything from '72 and the difference is substantial IMO.

[Wolfman]

Tuscaloosa, AL in 1973. I went to school there. Would love to hear that show and the very first jam at Gerrard Street.

[nick2632]

3 hours ago, Bonzo_fan said:

No, I meant August '71.  To my ears, his decline started after the 8/21/71 show in L.A.  It was gradual, for sure, but I feel that was the last show where he could hit any high note he wanted with power and conviction.  Sure, he rebounds in the States in June '72, but the high notes sound a bit hollow to me.  I'm a drummer, not a singer, so I'm not sure if that's the best way to put it, but they just sound kind of breathy, whereas at his peak he hit the highs with his full chest voice.  Compare 5/3/71 Copenhagen or 8/21/71 L.A. or 9/19/70 N.Y. (Evening) -- especially the beginning of "Heartbreaker" -- with anything from '72 and the difference is substantial IMO.

After that show in LA 1971-08-21, he was probably celebrating his birthday at the riot house driving a motorcycle off the top floor balcony into the swimming pool, and probably took a massive hit off Jonsey's new 6' tall bong that left him coughing for 45 minutes ultimately messing his vocals up.

Afterall, the band certainly seemed like they did not get any sleep the next night at the Forum. Still played a killer show because it was 1971.

Edited May 11, 2020 by nick2632

[porgie66]

I would love to hear Chicago or New Orleans '71. 

[spindle]

I checked the set list for the Aug.19, 1971 show in Vancouver and I'm sure they don't have it right.  My recollection is that they sang Gallows Pole and SETLISTFM doesn't even mention that. Also no mention of Rock & Roll but they sang that on the encore.  

Edited November 17, 2020 by spindle

[ledzepfilm]

18 minutes ago, spindle said:

I checked the set list for the Aug.19, 1971 show in Vancouver and I'm sure they don't have it right.  My recollection is that they sang Gallows Pole and SETLISTFM doesn't even mention that. Also no mention of Rock & Roll but they sang that on the encore.  

I've seen a few mentions of Gallows Pole, but not Rock and Roll. Would you recall Friends and/or Tangerine being performed? These are rumored rarities but have yet to be confirmed.

[spindle]

I just uploaded a snippet of 'Rock and  Roll' from the encore.  (above in 1st post).  No recollection of Friends or Tangerine being played.  I missed the first two songs of the set.

[spindle]

My set list (missing first 2 songs, I think) in order- Stairway To Heaven- Going To California- That's The Way- Since I've Been Loving You- Black Dog- Dazed & Confused (w/Page using violin bow)- Communication Breakdown- What Is And What Should Never Be- Celebration Day- Gallows Pole- Whole Lotta Love (extended version w/Boogie Chillen' by John Lee Hooker, That's Alright, Mess Of Blues, Honey Bee by Muddy Waters, & Sittin' and Thinkin') (almost 20mins.) then the encore with one song I don't know, then Rock & Roll to close.

[Sticks of Fire]

38 minutes ago, spindle said:

I just uploaded a snippet of 'Rock and  Roll' from the encore.  (above in 1st post).  No recollection of Friends or Tangerine being played.  I missed the first two songs of the set.

That’s awesome.  You’re cooler than anything!!  You are going to make the world a better place with your recording!!

We need more people like you!!

[NegativeCrepe]

Either Dallas or Greensboro 77, bar none

[zeplz71]

7 hours ago, spindle said:

I just uploaded a snippet of 'Rock and  Roll' from the encore.  (above in 1st post).  No recollection of Friends or Tangerine being played.  I missed the first two songs of the set.

😃 😃😃  Please release the rest of your tape.

[SilverVishnu]

That Rock and Roll snippet sounds great and if this is the genuine article this is big big news! Really fantastic to hear. If / when Spindle shares this openly I for one will happily share with him any hard to find but still circulating Zepp / Page and Plant or even Janis Joplin shows. Look forward to this one immensely.

Edited November 17, 2020 by SilverVishnu

[spindle]

Thanks all for your kind words- I've got some work to do to organize the tapes. They've been in storage for almost 50 yrs. I'm slow!

[ledzepfilm]

5 minutes ago, spindle said:

Thanks all for your kind words- I've got some work to do to organize the tapes. They've been in storage for almost 50 yrs. I'm slow!

The community is forever grateful for whatever you can provide! Thank you for sharing this with us. 

[conquistador]

On 11/17/2020 at 7:24 PM, ledzepfilm said:

The community is forever grateful for whatever you can provide! Thank you for sharing this with us. 

^ That's a fact!!!

On 11/17/2020 at 7:14 PM, spindle said:

Thanks all for your kind words- I've got some work to do to organize the tapes. They've been in storage for almost 50 yrs. I'm slow!

 

[wordev1977]

On 11/16/2020 at 10:56 PM, spindle said:

My set list (missing first 2 songs, I think) in order- Stairway To Heaven- Going To California- That's The Way- Since I've Been Loving You- Black Dog- Dazed & Confused (w/Page using violin bow)- Communication Breakdown- What Is And What Should Never Be- Celebration Day- Gallows Pole- Whole Lotta Love (extended version w/Boogie Chillen' by John Lee Hooker, That's Alright, Mess Of Blues, Honey Bee by Muddy Waters, & Sittin' and Thinkin') (almost 20mins.) then the encore with one song I don't know, then Rock & Roll to close.

This is really cool, These are the concerts I've always wanted to hear the most from the first half of 1971 the one's where Robert's at peak voice still.

[LedZep123]

December 26th, 1968 - Denver

[UziZoso]

Houston 1975 first date in the 2nd leg and I think the band is on fire. Report from witness is 3.30 hour show and absolutely jhb warm. Cmon empress.... 

[sydfloyd]

King's Hall, Aberystwyth, 16th January, 1973. Partly because I love that tour, but mainly because my stepdad was there, aged 19.

[LedZep123]

That first gig in Denmark

[MKuznetsov]

On 5/5/2020 at 11:31 AM, Zep Hed said:

Mind if I revive this thread?

Anything from September 1968 would be fascinating. What could the set list have been? This pre-dated recording the debut album, of course. How much of that material did they have worked out? Possibly none. The set list must have resembled latter day Yardbirds even moreso than what we've heard from Spokane forward. Probably opened with Train. Played Dazed and White Summer. What would they have done for blues tunes? Did they yet have As Long As I Have You? Was Bonzo doing Pat's Delight? Who knows. The sets may have been on the short side (30-40 mins?) based on their Scandinavian appearances in March 69.

I believe one day we'll hear a live recording that pre-dates Spokane. Probably not from England; I don't get the sense that recording shows from the audience was a thing there as early as 68. But the New Yardbirds in Scandinavia? A distinct possibility.

 

On 5/5/2020 at 1:55 PM, 76229 said:

My guess at a Sept '68 setlist would be something like

Train Kept a Rollin

Dazed

one of You Shook Me or ICYB, more likely the latter due to the (money-saving) lack or organ on the tour

Smokestack Lightning (possibly jamming into How Many More Times later in tour?)

Communication Breakdown (again later in tour, supposedly developed on this tour out of onstage jamming on "Train")

White Summer / Black Mountain Side

with improvs, band intros etc, about a 40 minute set is my speculation.

 

By November '68, As Long as I Have You would be in too, plus the drum solo, extending it to around 55 mins / an hour.

I'd say out of any Zeppelin tapes I'd be happiest to see something from the New Yardbirds tour surface. As far as what the setlist would have been for the first show, here's my two cents:

1. Train Kept a Rollin

2. Can't Quit You

3. Dazed & Confused

4. White Summer

5. You Shook Me

6. Flames

7. For Your Love

8. HMMT

I based the order of the songs on what we know the band tended to do in early shows, as evidenced by recordings of the first US tour. We pretty much know for certain as well that they would have played "Train Kept a Rollin", Dazed & Confused", and "White Summer", especially since we have photographic evidence of the latter being played (Page with his Danelectro and Bonham using mallets). The overwhelming majority of the time in this era they opened up with "Train" and went straight into "Can't Quit You" afterwards, so I would assume this is what they did here too.

In recordings of early shows "White Summer" usually comes right after "Dazed & Confused", hence its placement as the fourth song of the set. Likewise "You Shook Me" is generally played later in early sets, so I had it come after. We also see Plant and his harmonica in the Gladsaxe photos, so perhaps he had a harmonica solo on there just like on the record. I would argue that they played "Flames" by Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera instead of "ALAIHY". Page even stated on his website that they played "Flames" on the first tour, and the probable setlist on the official Zeppelin website makes no mention of "ALAIHY" either. I believe "ALAIHY" came later in the tour, perhaps they would have played it in Stockholm. I have heard rumors that they supposedly recorded a version of it in the studio that didn't make it onto the first record, but I haven't seen any evidence to support this.

"For Your Love" likely came towards the end of the show, using its appearances on tape in January '69 as reference. From there "HMMT" would have been the closer, since we see this in almost all early performances, as well as on the record itself. It is also to my belief that by the start of the tour, "HMMT" would have already been fleshed out for the most part. Zeppelin is rumored to have played "Smokestack Lightning" at their first rehearsal, so in the three week span until the tour started they probably had "HMMT" in much of the same form as on the record. Like "ALAIHY", "Communication Breakdown" would have likely appeared later in the tour, I would suspect that they had it partially fleshed out by the time they left for Scandinavia and then played it during the last few shows.

One question I do have about the first tour is if they actually played additional dates past the show in Gothenburg on 15th September. Wikipedia says that they played a few dates in Norway, and Plant supposedly remembers playing in Bergen as well.

 

[Strider]

Since Led Zeppelin were white-hot on the 1970 and 1971 tours, it is essential that any unheard tapes from those years be released. Particularly the UK and European dates in 1971. I am curious if "Four Sticks" or any other rarities made appearances before or after that wild May 3 Copenhagen gig.

For 1969 the Irvine and Pasadena shows May 1-3 are high on my list, along with the Pop Proms Royal Albert Hall, Bath Festival, and Carnegie Hall gigs from 1969.

Any 1968 show we don't have is next, although I have a feeling the setlists won't be as solid as they became later on in 1969. But any show where you get to hear Jimmy's Dragon Telecaster through his Rickenbacker rig would be a treat.

Once we get to the later years, it gets simpler.

1973 - The first show of the U.S. Tour in Atlanta is the only one I really care about hearing. We know from the existing tapes that July was the best month for the 1973 U.S. tour...Detroit, Seattle, Providence, Boston, Pittsburgh, New York.

1975 - The unheard shows of the January leg of the tour, when Wanton Song, Levee, HMMT were in the setlist is atop my wishlist. Followed by the Houston gig that was sandwiched by two killer shows, Baton Rouge and Ft. Worth.

1977 - All of the missing shows from April and May.

[hercoflex]

Baton Rouge '77 for me.

[MKuznetsov]

I'd also love to hear a tape of the show in Athens, OH in 1969, supposedly they blew Jose Feliciano off the stage. I went to Ohio University and I used to frequently walk by the venue on the way to class or to the gym. A full recording of Iceland '70 wouldn't be bad either, but the absolute holy grail for me is any show from the '68 New Yardbirds tour.