Jimmy Page's reissues of Led Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy are due in one month, October 28th. Like the reissues of the band’s first three studio albums, both records were remastered by Page and come accompanied by a second disc of unreleased music.
Last week, the band shared an unreleased alternate version of “Black Dog,” which you can hear now on The Loop. Today, they unveil an alternate mix of “The Rain Song” from Houses of The Holy, with the song’s piano part stripped out entirely. Without the piano, the song sounds a bit grittier.
In a statement, Page said, “The Rain Song is the sort of piece of music that Led Zeppelin could approach and do so successfully and so masterfully. This whole genre of the sensitivity, where it can sort of caress you, it’s something that I’ve always been very proud of. The companion disc version is really a good blend of everything that’s actually being played.”
The Led Zeppelin IV deluxe edition includes unreleased versions of every song appearing on the original album, including alternate mixes of “Misty Mountain Hop”, “Four Sticks”, “The Battle Of Evermore”, and “Stairway To Heaven”. Meanwhile, the companion disc for Houses Of The Holy includes rough and working mixes for “The Ocean” and “Dancing Days”, a guitar mix backing track for “Over The Hills And Far Away”, and a version of “The Rain Song” without piano.
Both reissues will be available in a variety of configurations, including as a single-disc and double-disc CD, a single and double-edition vinyl LP, and a super deluxe box set. The contents will also be released digitally.
-Spencer