Swan Song (1976)

Biography
Led Zeppelin formed out of the ashes of The Yardbirds.  Jimmy Page had joined the band in its final days, playing a pivotal role on the group’s final album, 1967’s Little Games, which also featured string arrangements from John Paul Jones.  During 1967, the Yardbirds were fairly inactive.  Whilst the band members decided the group’s future, Page returned to session work in 1967. In the spring of 1968, he played on Jones’ arrangement of Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” During the sessions, Jones requested to be part of any future project Page would develop. Page would have to assemble a band sooner than he had planned. In the summer of 1968, the Yardbirds’ Keith Relf and Jim McCarty left, leaving Page and bassist Chris Dreja with the rights to the name, as well as the obligation of fulfilling an upcoming fall tour. Page set out to find a replacement vocalist and drummer. Initially, he wanted to enlist singer Terry Reid and Procol Harum’s drummer B.J. Wilson, but neither musician was able to join the group. Reid suggested that Page contact Robert Plant, who was singing with a band called Hobbstweedle. Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Album & Cover
The Song Remains the Same is the live soundtrack album of the concert film of the same name by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The album was originally released in October 1976. The recording of the album and the film took place during three nights of concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden, during the band’s 1973 North American tour. All songs were recorded by Eddie Kramer using the Wally Heider Mobile Studio truck, and later mixed at Electric Lady Studios in New York and Trident Studios in London. Upon its initial release in 1976, the album received some poor reviews, with a number of critics considering it to be over-produced and lumbering. Indeed, the band’s members themselves have since expressed a lack of fondness for the recording. Page has admitted that the end product was hardly the best representation of Led Zeppelin as a live band: “Obviously we were committed to putting this album out, although it wasn’t necessarily the best live stuff we have. I don’t look upon it as a live album…it’s essentially a soundtrack”.

The sleeve design depicted a dilapidated movie house located on Old Street film studios in London, which was used by the group for rehearsals prior to their 1973 tour.

Cover Location: Old Street Film Studios, London, UK
Who Did What: Cover Design – Hipgnosis/G. Hardie. Illustration – G. Hardie
Label: Swan Song SS2-201(US), Swan Song SSK89402(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Engineer – Eddie Kramer
Executive-Producer – Peter Grant
Producer – Jimmy Page

Notes
Gatefold sleeve with an attached 8 page colour booklet inside.
Plain black inners.
The Poster for the movie consists of a line drawing of Zeppelin’s plane, Jimmy Page, the arena, and other elements of the film on a black background