On January 12, 1969 Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album was released in the US.
Sometimes referred to as Led Zeppelin I, it was recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London in September and October 1968. It took only about 36 hours of studio time to complete at a cost of just £1,782, which was paid for by Jimmy Page and Peter Grant as the group had yet to secure a recording contract.
Page, a onetime member of The Yardbirds, was the group’s founder, leader and guitarist and Grant was their manager. The rest of the band consisted of Robert Plant (lead vocals and harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass and keyboards) and John Bonham (drums).
The name came about when Keith Moon of The Who told Page that such a project would probably go down like a lead balloon.
The album consisted of original material worked out at first rehearsals, and remakes and rearrangements of contemporary and blues songs, and most of the tracks were recorded ‘live’ in the studio with very few overdubs.
Despite minimal popular radio play, exposure on album-oriented rock (AOR) stations, along with advertising in selected music papers, led to the album becoming recognised as a classic, albeit the initial reaction was lukewarm at best.
It is now seen as a turning point in the evolution of hard rock and heavy metal and you can hear all the music of this seminal band on our dedicated radio station.
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