Led Zeppelin Follow Spotify Rollout With Remastered Albums In 2014
Talk of bonus discs with unreleased material, as Spotify founder rubs hands with glee. “I’ve done my bit,” Jimmy Page tells MOJO.
The appearance of the existing Led Zeppelin albums on Spotify is not this week’s only exciting Led Zep news, as MOJO can announce the forthcoming emergence of the entire catalogue in newly remastered form at some point in 2014. Along with The Beatles and AC/DC, Led Zeppelin are one of the major acts who have so far refused to make their music available on streaming services. That has now changed, with Spotify founder Daniel Ek delighted to announce the rollout of the rock giants’ seismic albums with immediate effect.
With Led Zeppelin I-IV already online, the rollout will continue in the following manner during the course of this week:
Today – Houses Of The Holy (released 1973) and Physical Graffiti (1975)
Saturday, December 14 – Presence (1976) and In Through The Out Door (1979)
Sunday, December 15 – The Song Remains The Same (1976), Coda (1982), BBC Sessions (1997), How The West Was Won (2003), Mothership (2007), and Celebration Day (2012)
“You can hear the difference in these new versions. They’re quite something.”
Jimmy Page
This streaming deal, however, is only part of a prolonged period of activity that will see the band reissue their entire catalogue, remastered by guitarist and producer Jimmy Page.
“I’ve done my bit,” confirmed Page, who last remastered Zep’s catalogue in 1990 to replace the band’s initial poorly executed transfers on to CD in the ‘80s. “Technology has moved on since the last set of remasters and you can hear the difference in these new versions. They’re quite something.”
As teased in MOJO magazine over a year ago, Page has also found additional material to create a second companion disc to accompany the remastered versions of each studio album.
“Obviously there’s not that much material that we could add from the first two albums, but from Led Zeppelin III there is,” says Page, referring to the material generated by the band while on tour from 1969 onwards.
While Page remained reluctant to confirm the release date for the reissues, he told MOJO that he was keen for the albums to emerge in chronological order to allow listeners to appreciate the band’s musical development.
As we await further developments on the Zep catalogue, we invite you to enjoy this suitably festive tune by doo wop outfit The Youngsters which Jimmy posted on his SoundCloud page on Christmas Day 2012.