The Garden Tapes

A study of the Led Zeppelin film and album The Song Remains The Same
by Eddie Edwards

The Garden Tapes » The Song Remains The Same » Misty Mountain Hop


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Misty Mountain Hop

Another number that never made it past the censor in 1976, Misty Mountain Hop was a welcome inclusion in the Madison Square Garden 1973 portion of Led Zeppelin DVD in 2003. You might expect that the version created for that release would be perfectly serviceable for recycling on the new Song Remains The Same releases, and in this particular instance you'd be absolutely right. The new DVD and CD feature exactly the same version that was on Led Zeppelin DVD.

Most of the song does not match up with the recordings from the 28th or 29th, so it has to be assumed that it's taken from the 27th. There is a 90 second section in the middle, though, that is definitely from the 28th.

The first part of the song, almost to the end of the third verse, is from the 27th. It changes to the 28th just as Robert starts to sing "I really don't care..." (at 02:24 on the CD) and stays there through the guitar solo and the last verse. The return journey comes as the "...spirits fly" (03:54) and is accompanied by a peculiar 'bleep' which seems to be the result of catching the last moment of a sustained guitar harmonic at the point of switching back to the 27th.

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