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John Paul Jones has re-recorded the 1971 Led Zeppelin classic “When The Levee Breaks” with help from 17 musicians from around the globe, including guitarist Derek Trucks, drummer Stephen Perkins, harmonica player Ben Lee, singer Susan Tedeschi, singer Elle Márjá Eira, slide guitarist Keith Secola, and vocalist Mihirangi.
Sebastian Robertson (who also plays guitar on the song) and Mark Johnson produced the video and new version as part of Playing for Change’s Song Around the World initiative. All funds generated from the song will benefit the charity partners of Peace Through Music, including Conservation International, American Rivers, WWF, Reverb and the Playing For Change Foundation.
“When the Levee Breaks” was written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie two years after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Led Zeppelin introduced the blues song to a new generation when they covered it on Led Zeppelin IV. When Playing For Change was looking for a follow-up to past videos that featured Robbie Robertson revisiting “The Weight” and Peter Gabriel updating “Biko,” the choice was obvious.
“Looking at ‘When The Levee Breaks’ through the lens of producing a song to raise awareness for key environmental organizations truly felt like a plea for climate justice,” says Sebastian Robertson. “The wailing guitars, harmonica, and vocals all in harmony for Mother Earth.”
“When The Levee Breaks” wasn’t a regular part of Led Zeppelin’s live repertoire. They only played it at a handful of January 1975 concerts and again at their 1995 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But John Paul Jones revived the song at many of his solo shows in the late 1990s and early 2000s. When Johnson and Robertson began sketching out their vision for the new rendition, they felt Jones would want to contribute.
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