Editing Led Zeppelin IV (section)

==Songs==
===Side one===
"[[Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)|Black Dog]]" was named after a dog that hung around Headley Grange during recording. The riff was written by Page and Jones, while the a cappella section was influenced by Fleetwood Mac's "[[Oh Well (song)|Oh Well]]". Singer [[Robert Plant]] wrote the lyrics, and later sang portions of the song during solo concerts.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=51}} The guitar solos on the outro were recorded directly into the desk, without using an amplifier.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=79}}

"[[Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)|Rock and Roll]]" was a collaboration with Stewart that came out of a [[jam session|jam]] early in the recording sessions at Headley Grange. Drummer [[John Bonham]] created the introduction, which came from jamming around the intro to [[Little Richard]]'s "[[Keep A-Knockin']]".{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=74}} The track became a live favourite in concert and was performed as the opening number or as an encore.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=51}} It was released as a promotional single in the US, with stereo and mono mixes on either side of the disc.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=96}}

"[[The Battle of Evermore]]" was written by Page on the [[mandolin]], borrowed from Jones. Plant added lyrics inspired by a book he was reading about the [[Scottish Independence Wars]]. The track featured a duet between Plant and [[Fairport Convention]]'s [[Sandy Denny]],{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}}{{efn|Plant knew Denny via a mutual friend, the Fairport Convention bassist [[Dave Pegg]]. Pegg, Plant and Bonham had played together on the 1960s Birmingham club circuit in the group the Way of Life.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=76}}}} who provided the only female voice to be heard on a Led Zeppelin recording.<ref>33 1/3 book</ref> Plant played the role of narrator in the song, describing events, while Denny sang the part of the town crier representing the people.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=76}}

[[File:Jimmy Page's double-neck Gibson guitar, Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood.JPG|thumb|upright|A [[Gibson EDS-1275]] similar to this was used for live performances of "[[Stairway to Heaven]]". The stop bars on the actual guitar were farther from the bridges.]]
"[[Stairway to Heaven]]" was mostly written by Page and most of the chord sequence was already worked out when recording started at Basing Street Studios. The lyrics were written by Plant at Headley Grange, about a woman who "took everything without giving anything back".{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=87}} The final take of the song was recorded at Island Studios after the Headley Grange session. The basic backing track featured Bonham on drums, Jones on [[electric piano]] and Page on acoustic guitar.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=87}} The whole group contributed to the arrangement, such as Jones playing recorders on the introduction and Bonham's distinctive drum entry halfway through the piece.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}} Page played the guitar solo using a [[Fender Telecaster]] he had received from [[Jeff Beck]]. It had been his main guitar on the group's first album and early live shows. He put down three different takes of the solo and picked the best to put on the album.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=89}}

The song was considered the standout track on the album and was played on [[FM radio]] stations frequently, but the group resisted all suggestions to release it as a single. It became the centrepiece of the group's live set from 1971 onwards. In order to replicate the changes between acoustic, electric and twelve-string guitar on the studio recording, Page played a [[Gibson EDS-1275]] double-neck guitar during the song.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}}

===Side two===
"[[Misty Mountain Hop]]" was written at Headley Grange and featured Jones playing electric piano.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}} Plant wrote the lyrics about dealing with the clash between students and police over drug possession. The title came from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Hobbit]]''.{{sfn|Shadwick|2005|p=162}} Plant later performed the track on solo tours.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}}

"[[Four Sticks]]" took its title from Bonham playing the drum pattern that runs throughout the song with four drum sticks, and Jones played analog synth. The track was more difficult to record than the other material on the album, requiring numerous takes.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}} It was played live occasionally in early 1971.<ref>{{Cite web |title=K. B. Hallen – May 3, 1971 |url=https://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/k-b-hallen-may-3-1971 |access-date=19 May 2023 |website=Led Zeppelin.com |date=21 September 2007 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 October 2022 |title=Led Zeppelin – Live In Odense 1971 (Graf Zeppelin LZSC-504A/B) – Collectors Music Reviews |url=https://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/led-zeppelin/led-zeppelin-live-in-odense-1971-graf-zeppelin-lzsc-504a-b/ |access-date=19 May 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519142224/https://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/led-zeppelin/led-zeppelin-live-in-odense-1971-graf-zeppelin-lzsc-504a-b/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The song was also re-recorded with the Bombay Symphony Orchestra in 1972.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=86}} This version appeared on the deluxe edition reissue of the group's 1982 album ''[[Coda (Led Zeppelin album)|Coda]]''. The song was also reworked for Page and Plant's 1994 album ''[[No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-quarter-mw0000169788|title=No Quarter|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=4 July 2018|archive-date=21 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621144041/https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-quarter-mw0000169788|url-status=live}}</ref>

"[[Going to California]]" was a quiet acoustic number. It was written by Page and Plant about Californian earthquakes, and trying to find the perfect woman. The music was inspired by [[Joni Mitchell]], of whom both Plant and Page were fans. The track was originally titled "Guide To California"; the final title came from the trip to Los Angeles to mix the album.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}}{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=78}}

"[[When the Levee Breaks#Led Zeppelin version|When the Levee Breaks]]" came from a blues song recorded by [[Memphis Minnie]] and [[Kansas Joe McCoy]] in 1929. The track opened with Bonham's heavy unaccompanied drumming, which was recorded in the lobby of Headley Grange using two [[Beyerdynamic]] M 160 microphones suspended above a flight of stairs; output from these were passed to a [[limiter]]. A [[Binson|Binson Echorec]], a [[Delay (audio effect)|delay]] [[effects unit]], was also used.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/andy-johns-on-the-secrets-behind-the-led-zeppelin-iv-sessions-586533 | title =Andy Johns on the secrets behind the Led Zeppelin IV sessions | last =Welch | first =Chris | date =31 October 2013 | website =MusicRadar | publisher =Future Publishing | access-date =28 October 2018 | archive-date =4 November 2018 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20181104074323/https://www.musicradar.com/news/drums/andy-johns-on-the-secrets-behind-the-led-zeppelin-iv-sessions-586533 | url-status =live }}</ref> Page recalled he had tried to record the track at early sessions but it had sounded flat. The unusual locations around the lobby gave the ideal ambience for the drum sound.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=84}} This [[Break (music)|introduction]] was later extensively sampled in [[hip hop]] music during the 1980s.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}} Page and Plant played the song on their 1995 tour promoting ''[[No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded]]''.{{sfn|Lewis|2010|p=103}}

===Other songs===
Three other songs from the sessions, "[[Down by the Seaside]]", "[[Night Flight (song)|Night Flight]]" and "[[Boogie with Stu]]" (featuring Stewart on piano), were included four years later on the double album ''[[Physical Graffiti]]''. An early version of "[[No Quarter (song)|No Quarter]]" was also recorded at the sessions.{{sfn|Lewis|1990|p=52}}