Led Zeppelin Preview ‘IV’ Reissue With Teaser of Unreleased ‘Black Dog’
Led Zeppelin have previewed their upcoming reissues with a teaser of a previously unreleased version of Led Zeppelin IV‘s lead track, “Black Dog.” It will appear on deluxe editions of the release. Billed as the basic track with guitar overdubs, the song remains mostly the same, save for some noticeably different vocal harmonies. When the crushing blues number arrives at the “oh-oh-oh” part after the verses, Robert Plant‘s voice takes some new routes, ticking upward on a few of the overdubs.
With the reissues of Led Zeppelin, II and III having been runaway successes earlier this year, the group is releasing newly remastered editions of 1971’s IV and 1973’s Houses of the Holy on October 28th. Guitarist and producer Jimmy Page oversaw the production of each new edition. As with the prior reissues, both will be available in a variety of configurations including standard editions, deluxe editions, each with an album’s worth of alternate versions, working mixes and other rarities, as well as super deluxe box sets that contain CDs, vinyl, a download card and an 80-page, hardcover book.
Since the June release of the first round of reissues, Plant has reinforced his stance that he had no interest in performing with his fellow Led Zeppelin bandmates in the foreseeable future, saying that their 2007 one-off concert at London’s O2 was good enough. “A tour would have been an absolute menagerie of vested interests and the very essence of everything that’s shitty about big-time stadium rock,” he told Rolling Stone. “We were surrounded by a circus of people that would have had our souls on the fire. I’m not part of a jukebox!” That comment eventually prompted Page to say that he was “fed up” with Plant’s comments about Led Zeppelin.
Now, Plant, who is promoting his solo album, Lullaby…and the Ceaseless Roar, due out September 9th, has replied in the press again, urging Page to make some new music of his own. “He should get on and do something,” the singer told The Telegraph. “He’s a superb talent. That’s the sad thing for Jimmy, he knows that I’m his guy, I’m his pal, but the warmth that he needs to actually enjoy the world, it’s all there. Come on and give it to us.”