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The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

Led Zeppelin is a boxed set by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was the first compilation of songs by the band (not counting Coda, which some sources list as a studio album) and the selection and remastering of the tracks were supervised by Jimmy Page. Atlantic Records released it on 23 October 1990 in the United States and on 29 October in the United Kingdom on several formats: four compact discs, six vinyl records, or four cassette tapes. A 36-page booklet was also included with the release.

Debuting at number 40 on the Billboard 200, the box set was described by Los Angeles Times journalist Dennis Hunt as "one of the most expensive albums ever to reach the Top 40", noting its retail price of $65 on CD and $55 on cassette.

Background

This set contains two previously unreleased tracks and one new mix. "Travelling Riverside Blues" was recorded on 23 June 1969 at the BBC Maida Vale Studio. "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" was recorded at the Playhouse Theatre, London on 27 June 1969. The "Moby Dick/Bonzo's Montreux" mix took place at the Atlantic Synclavier Suite in New York, in May 1990. It also includes the band's only non-album B-side, "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" of the 1970 single "Immigrant Song", previously unavailable on compact disc.

The set was released the same month as Remasters, a two-disc set containing selections from this one, plus a remastered version of "Good Times Bad Times." To differentiate between the two sets, in some markets the larger set is listed under the title The Complete Collection. To further the confusion, in both cases this is different from The Complete Studio Recordings box set released three years later, which includes all nine of the band's studio albums on ten discs, with the three extra tracks appended to Coda, along with the 1969 recording "Baby Come On Home", first released on the two-disc Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2. The "Moby Dick/Bonzo's Montreux" mix is also included in the promotional interview album Profiled (1990). Also three years after this release, the remaining Led Zeppelin tracks not appearing on this box set were issued on Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2.

Track listing

All tracks produced by Jimmy Page except for "Travelling Riverside Blues" produced by John Walters and "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" produced by Jeff Griffin.

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)OriginLength
1."Whole Lotta Love"John BonhamWillie DixonJohn Paul JonesJimmy PageRobert PlantLed Zeppelin II, 19695:34
2."Heartbreaker"BonhamJonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin II4:14
3."Communication Breakdown"BonhamJonesPageLed Zeppelin, 19692:29
4."Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"Anne BredonPagePlantLed Zeppelin6:42
5."What Is and What Should Never Be"PagePlantLed Zeppelin II4:47
6."Thank You"PagePlantLed Zeppelin II4:50
7."I Can't Quit You Baby" (Live at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England, 9 January 1970)DixonCoda, 19824:15
8."Dazed and Confused"Page (inspired by Jake Holmes)Led Zeppelin6:27
9."Your Time Is Gonna Come" (Early fade-out)JonesPageLed Zeppelin4:14
10."Ramble On"PagePlantLed Zeppelin II4:23
11."Travelling Riverside Blues" (Live at the BBC 23 June 1969)Robert JohnsonPagePlantPreviously unreleased, 19695:11
12."Friends"PagePlantLed Zeppelin III, 19703:55
13."Celebration Day"JonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin III3:29
14."Hey, Hey, What Can I Do"BonhamJonesPagePlant"Immigrant Song" single, 19703:55
15."White Summer/Black Mountain Side" (Live at the BBC 27 June 1969)PagePreviously unreleased, 19698:01
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)OriginLength
1."Black Dog"JonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin IV, 19714:55
2."Over the Hills and Far Away"PagePlantHouses of the Holy, 19734:50
3."Immigrant Song"PagePlantLed Zeppelin III2:27
4."The Battle of Evermore"PagePlantLed Zeppelin IV5:52
5."Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"JonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin III4:20
6."Tangerine"PageLed Zeppelin III2:57
7."Going to California"PagePlantLed Zeppelin IV3:31
8."Since I've Been Loving You"JonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin III7:24
9."D'yer Mak'er"BonhamJonesPagePlantHouses of the Holy4:23
10."Gallows Pole"traditional, arranged by PagePlantLed Zeppelin III4:58
11."Custard Pie"PagePlantPhysical Graffiti, 19754:13
12."Misty Mountain Hop"JonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin IV4:38
13."Rock and Roll"BonhamJonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin IV3:41
14."The Rain Song"PagePlantHouses of the Holy7:39
15."Stairway to Heaven"PagePlantLed Zeppelin IV8:02
Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)OriginLength
1."Kashmir"BonhamPagePlantPhysical Graffiti8:33
2."Trampled Under Foot"JonesPagePlantPhysical Graffiti5:37
3."For Your Life"PagePlantPresence, 19766:24
4."No Quarter"JonesPagePlantHouses of the Holy7:00
5."Dancing Days"PagePlantHouses of the Holy3:43
6."When the Levee Breaks"BonhamMemphis MinnieJonesPagePlantLed Zeppelin IV7:07
7."Achilles Last Stand"PagePlantPresence10:25
8."The Song Remains the Same"PagePlantHouses of the Holy5:32
9."Ten Years Gone"PagePlantPhysical Graffiti6:32
10."In My Time of Dying"BonhamJonesPagePlantPhysical Graffiti11:05
Disc four
No.TitleWriter(s)OriginLength
1."In the Evening"JonesPagePlantIn Through the Out Door, 19796:49
2."Candy Store Rock"PagePlantPresence4:11
3."The Ocean"BonhamJonesPagePlantHouses of the Holy4:31
4."Ozone Baby"PagePlantCoda3:35
5."Houses of the Holy"PagePlantPhysical Graffiti4:02
6."Wearing and Tearing"PagePlantCoda5:31
7."Poor Tom"PagePlantCoda3:03
8."Nobody's Fault but Mine"PagePlantPresence6:27
9."Fool in the Rain"JonesPagePlantIn Through the Out Door6:12
10."In the Light"JonesPagePlantPhysical Graffiti8:46
11."The Wanton Song"PagePlantPhysical Graffiti4:07
12."Moby Dick/Bonzo's Montreux"BonhamJonesPagePreviously unreleased remix of both recordings, 19903:50
13."I'm Gonna Crawl"JonesPagePlantIn Through the Out Door5:30
14."All My Love"JonesPlantIn Through the Out Door5:51

Personnel

  • John Bonham – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • John Paul Jones – bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Jimmy Page – guitars, backing vocals, production, digital remastering
  • Robert Plant – vocals, harmonica
  • Sandy Denny – vocals on "The Battle of Evermore"
  • Ian Stewart – piano on "Rock and Roll"
  • Yves Beauvais – producer
  • Bruce Buchanan – engineering
  • Peter Grant – executive producer
  • Jeff Griffin – producer
  • Chris Houston – engineering
  • John Mahoney – Programming and engineering on "Moby Dick"/"Bonzo's Montreux"
  • George Marino – remastering and digital remastering
  • Tony Wilson – engineering on "Travelling Riverside Blues" and "White Summer"
  • Bob Alford – photography
  • Richard Creamer – photography
  • Cameron Crowe – liner notes
  • Jim Cummins – photography
  • Chris Dreja – photography
  • Robert Ellis – photography
  • Larry Fremantle – design
  • Neil Jones – photography
  • John Kubick – digital transfers
  • Kurt Loder – liner notes
  • Janet Macoska – photography
  • Richard "Hutch" Hutchison – design co-ordinator
  • Jennifer Moore – photography and imaging
  • Terry O'Neil – photography
  • Robert Palmer – liner notes
  • Barry Plummer – photography
  • Neal Preston – photography
  • Michael Putland – photography
  • Rhonda Schoen – digital editing and transfers
  • Peter Simon – photography
  • Pennie Smith – photography
  • Jay Thompson – photography
  • Chris Walter – photography
  • Bob Gruen – photography
  • Chris Wroe – photography and imaging
  • Neil Zlozower – photography

Charts

1990 weekly chart performance for Led Zeppelin Boxed Set
Chart (1990)Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)46
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)16
Japanese Albums (Oricon)17
UK Albums (OCC)48
US Billboard 20018
2011 weekly chart performance for Led Zeppelin Boxed Set
Chart (2011)Peak position
Italian Albums (FIMI)36

Certifications

Certifications for Led Zeppelin Boxed Set
RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) 2001 releaseSilver60,000^
United States (RIAA)Diamond2,500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release formats for Led Zeppelin Boxed Set
RegionDateLabelFormatCatalog #
United StatesOctober 1990Atlantic Records6LP (33 rpm)82144-1
4 Compact disc82144-2
4 Cassette82144-4
United Kingdom4 Compact disc7567-82144-2
France
Germany
JapanAMCY-170/3
Germany1990East West Records7567-80566-2

See also

Notes