Well? Could it ever happen again? Could Led Zeppelin, the greatest Rock & Roll band in history, reunite for what would definitely be one of the most epic reunion concerts in the history of rock. They were the biggest band of the 70s, and they graced our ears with their epic music for 12 years between 1968 and 1980, until the death of the band’s immensely talented drummer, John “Bonjo” Bonham.
Rumors of another reunion concert have been circulating for the past few years, and the last time Led Zeppelin played together was in 2007 at the O2 arena in London, with Jason Bonham taking his father’s place on the drums. They had set a new world record for the “Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert,” with as many as 20 million applying for a ticket. In an interview with Rolling Stone,Jason Bonham said that he believed the bandwould play together again.
“In my heart of hearts… I do believe we will play together again. It remains to be seen if it will be in public or privately, but I do think we will play again.”
However, the band’s singer Robert Plant has previously slammed the idea of a reunion tour in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
“You’re going back to the same old sh*t. A tour would have been an absolute menagerie of vested interests and the very essence of everything that’s sh*tty about big-time stadium rock. We were surrounded by a circus of people that would have had our souls on the fire. I’m not part of a jukebox!”
Lead Guitarist Jimmy Page was also asked the same question in an interview with the Daily Beastin 2015 and said that he didn’t seethe band doing anymore reunion concerts or releasing any new materials in the foreseeable future.
“We tried it a few times. It always seemed to be done in a hurry and it never worked. That’s why the O2 show was done with such intent. We rehearsed loads so that Jason—John’s son—felt like he was part of the band and not just some novelty. We all needed it to be that way. But I can’t foresee doing it again, because we all have to agree and agree for the right reasons.”
But hey, with the upcoming release of a collection of previously unreleased tracks entitled The Complete BBC Sessions, one can only hope that it will lead the band into doing one more concert. The new collection will include eight previously unreleased Led Zeppelin songs made for the BBC, including a lost session titled “Sunshine Woman” from 1969. The track has surfaced on the internet and judging by it, the remaster could very well go onto becoming another epic Zep song.
You can listen to the un-remastered version of “Sunshine Woman” below.
The songs are set to be released in an expanded and remastered reissue of Led Zeppelin’s 1997 double-platinum release BBC Sessions . The Complete BBC Sessions will be released on September 16.
Formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds, the group consisted of singer Robert Plant, lead guitarist Jimmy Page, keyboardist/bassist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. After changing their name to Led Zeppelin, the band signed with Atlantic Records. Most critics agree that one of the primary driving forces behind Led Zeppelin’s massive success was the artistic freedom given to them by their record label.
Although not quite as successful in the U.K. in their early days, the band quickly found a loyal fan base in the United States. Following the release of their fourth album in 1971, which featured the band’s most popular and influential track “Stairway to Heaven,” the band went on to become one of the biggest bands both in the U.K. and the U.S. A total of nine albums were released throughout their career: Led Zeppelin (1969), Led Zeppelin II (1969), Led Zeppelin III (1970), Led Zeppelin IV (1971), Houses of the Holy (1973), Physical Graffiti (1975), Presence (1976), In Through the Out Door (1979) and Coda (1982). With an estimated record sales at 200-300 million units worldwide, they are one of the best-selling artists in history. The band’s heavy guitar-driven music, influenced by Psychedelia, Folk and the Blues, gave them a very unique sound that went on to inspire a whole new generation of music.
[Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images]