How Led Zeppelin recorded "Sunshine Woman," whose tracks were lost for decades
Being a fan Led ZeppelinYou may think that you've been familiar with all the songs of your favorite British rockers for a long time! But every now and then fate throws us all pleasant surprisesfor example - lost tracks that have never been released before.
Such a fascinating story happened with the song "Sunshine Womanwhich was lost to the BBC in 1969, and only came out today, thanks to a devoted fan. And here's how it was...
The story of the disappearance of the mysterious "Sunny Woman
In 12 years of successful collaboration, the band released eight studio albums (the ninth was released in 1982, after the death of John Bonham and the actual disintegration of Zeppelin). Each record is unique and rich in its own way: listening to the discs from the first to the last, we can appreciate the whole The Zeppelin Revolutionhow they grew from a young band into the rock giants of their era...
Most likely, devoted fans have listened to these masterpieces more than once, as well as compilations and other extras. It may seem that we've enjoyed the "full picture" for a long time. But no: there is a track whose existence even the most devoted fans have never didn't suspect.
About shortly after graduation. BBC Sessions in 1997 Jimmy Page came across an amazing counterfeit version of a song he hadn't heard in almost 30 years! It was a Zeppelin song, but where could it have come from? The band had never recorded it for an album, and there is no such track among the studio recordings at all! Having gathered his thoughts and thought about it, Paige realized, not without surprise, that it was a Led Zeppelin session for the BBC 1969 of the year!
"Sunshine Woman - definitely a worthy composition that could have easily graced any Zeppelin album! However, soon after the band's session for BBC its traces were lost. According to the official statement, the BBC lost (or damaged, the versions differ a bit) the tape of that day. To you and me, this could mean that we'll never get to know Sunny Woman. But thanks to the devotion of one fan, the story of the horrible disappearance has found a very positive ending!
A devoted fan and magic in the studio
Commenting on this situation, Page noted:
"This track was literally born on the spot! We didn't even rehearse it. It started with a guitar riff, and then the song went by itself... It was more like fun than the responsible process of making the track. We're playing very seriously here, though!"
Zeppelin recorded "Sunshine Woman together with "I Can't Quit You Baby" and "You Shook Me.", and later these tracks were broadcast on the BBC World Service. Unfortunately, the record was soon lost. Without the backup, it seemed that traces of "Sunshine Woman" disappeared forever... But apparently, fate loves Led Zeppelin and their fans very much. Thanks to one passionate fan, Page managed to reveal to the world the forgotten "Sunshine Woman"!
"As far as I know, it was re-recorded from the radio by someone from Eastern Europe."
After a little studio magic, the remaining members managed to release a lost track as part of the 2016 reissue of BBC Sessions. For fans, this was unexpected, and very nice gift. Many have noted the talent Robert Plante - And it's not just about the vocals:
"It seems to me that Robert Plante has remained unappreciated. He will never get the credit he deserves for what a great harmonica player he was (and still is)! This could be listened to forever..."
And indeed, Plante's mastery here is beyond praise! But if everything is clear with the harmonica, the audience is interested in another question: who plays on the piano During the session? We have John Bonham on drums, Robert Plant on vocals and harmonica, Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass. However, when it comes to the pianist, we are completely in the dark.
Here the versions diverge: some are inclined to to the imposition of (although the piano part seems too intertwined to be added in another take), while others have attached to the story Ian Stewart! However, it's little mysteries like this that add charm and value to any work...
