The day Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980 was a sad one for many reasons. One can’t help but wonder what else they would have done musically if they stayed together through the 1980s. Drummer John Bonham’s death was particularly tragic. Least of all, fans didn’t get to hear a few songs from the band’s past albums live, and never will. And there are some great songs from Led Zeppelin’s discography that the band never performed live. Let’s look at a few examples!
It’s worth noting that some of these songs got live performances from individual band members after Led Zeppelin were no more, but they were never performed by the original lineup of the band when they were together.
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1. “Down By The Seaside”
“Down By The Seaside” comes from Led Zeppelin’s 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Out of all the songs that Led Zeppelin never performed live, this fan favorite is surprising. However, it was never intended to be part of the band’s live sets. It is quite an obscure little piece of work that likely wouldn’t have translated well to a live performance, so the band opted for more energetic “hit” songs for their setlists instead.
2. “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman)”
“Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman)” is one of many stellar tracks from the 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. The reason this track never made it to Led Zeppelin’s live setlist comes down to Jimmy Page. Allegedly, according to a biography by Dave Lewis, Page didn’t like the song and never wanted to perform it in concert. It’s a shame, considering the song charted pretty well on the Hot 100 where it peaked at no. 65.
3. “Boogie With Stu”
“Boogie With Stu” is another track from Physical Graffiti that never got a proper performance. This song was never performed live for a pretty good reason. The track itself was recorded during an improvisational boogie jam session with The Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart. The song would be virtually impossible to replicate on stage, especially without Stewart in tow.
4. “Fool In The Rain”
“Fool In The Rain” comes from Led Zeppelin’s 1979 album In Through The Out Door. This song was never performed live because of the tragedy that struck the band, leading to its ultimate demise. It was the band’s final single before they disbanded in the wake of John Bonham’s death. Robert Plant did perform “Fool In The Rain” live with Pearl Jam in 2005 for a benefit concert, but it was never performed by Led Zeppelin.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives
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