Led Zeppelin III - A Double Album

It's a well known fact (I think) among Led Zeppelin fans that Jimmy Page had 17 recordings at his disposal when he sat down to create Led Zeppelin III in 1970. What if he made a double album out of them? That's what this thread is for: making good double albums. It won't be no Physical Graffiti but, at least to me, it's a fun idea.

Here are the songs that have had an official release. I'm barely a bootlegger so it's all I'm listing here...
- Immigrant Song (2:26)
- Friends/Celebration Day (7:24)
- Since I've Been Loving You (7:24)
- Out On The Tiles (4:05)
- Gallows Pole (4:58)
- Tangerine (3:11)
- That's The Way (5:37)
- St. Tristan's Sword (5:41) [Instrumental]
- Hey Hey What Can I Do (3:53)
- Poor Tom (3:02)
Versions of Bron-Yr-Aur:
- Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (4:17)
- Bron-Yr-Aur (2:05) [Instrumental]
- Jennings Farm Blues (5:54) [Instrumental]
From the Blues Reel:
- Hats Off To (Roy) Harper (3:42)
- Key To The Highway/Trouble In Mind (4:06)
That makes 67 minutes of music. There are a few other outtakes though...
- Sugar Mama (2:50)
- Baby Come On Home (4:30)
- La La (4:10) [Instrumental]
Which round it out to a very respectable 79 minutes.

Now, Immigrant Song has got to be the album opener. But after that... ?

Edit: This is not at all serious, it's just a fun little thing I thought up. The original classic will always be the best version and this isn't trying to replace it!

 

Jimmy made the right choice in 1970.

 

Without a doubt.

 

Just because there was enough material didn't mean it should have been released.

 

This is how great albums are made, or used to be: Record a bunch of tracks and choose the best 2/3 for release. That's why that era is known for great, concise records. Now continue to have fun.

 

I doubt that "Jennings Farm Blues" was part of the 17 tracks referenced by Page (since it was re-written as "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"), and I also tend to doubt that Page would have considered "Sugar Mama," "Baby Come On Home" or "La La" (since they were leftovers from the earlier albums). Therefore, my best guess on the 7 remaining tracks would be:

1. Hey Hey What Can I Do
2. Bron-yr-aur
3. Poor Tom
4. Blues Medley (Feel So Bad/etc.)
5. Key To The Highway/Trouble In Mind
6. "all piano piece" (mentioned by Page in an interview)
7. ???? (maybe "St. Tristan's Sword," maybe an early attempt at "Down By The Seaside")

 

The outtakes are barely finished tracks and are definitely not worth considering for the final LZ3 album. The B Side is the only track I would consider worthy of the album.

 

What about Poor Tom, Bron Yr-Aur and Key To The Highway/Trouble In Mind? Jennings Farm Blues is a finished track, even if it doesn't sound like it.

 

Mate
I'm referring to the original LZ3 sessions. Those tracks you mentioned were re-worked/remixed or had new vocals etc added well after 1970.

 

Poor Tom was remixed, but the final Bron-Yr-Aur mix is from 1970, and I doubt KTTH/TIM could even be remixed as it's a two-track recording. The JFB mix is from late 1969, I think.

 

The only track really missing from LZ III is Hey Hey What Can I Do. That one belonged on the original album IMO.

 

Yeah, I'm very partial to "Hey Hey What Can I Do," it's one of my favorites. I like hidden gems and Easter eggs in the modern age of easy access, but I might have been frustrated had I been around back in the days.

 

I think Jimmy thought it was too poppy for an album track, which is why it's a b-side. It would fit pretty well in a few spots though, but as side 2 is so incredibly loaded, it would go best as track 2 on side 1 (Funny enough, right after the a-side). The issue with the remasters is that they fade out the song way too early. There's an acoustic bit at the end that you can only hear a tiny bit of if you don't have the original single. Here's a recording of it. I think that would segue very very well into the studio-chattery beginning of Friends.

My version of the album I've spent the last while putting together is just getting full listen-through to make sure it's alright. I know you are all on your toes waiting for this, so it won't be too long now.

 

Thanks, I knew about that but forgot along the way

 

Poor Tom & Hey Hey What Can I Do could definitely have fit on the album, if they could cram them in there time-wise!

 

If it would have been a double album, we would have lost the gorgeous spinning wheel art work... Now that idea is unbearable

 

Definitely missing Hey Hey What Can I Do.

 

Well, after a full listen through, it's not terrible. Here's my double album. All the sides are perfect for vinyl. Give it a try if you want, and make your own if you want to.

LED ZEPPELIN III II (79 minutes)

Side 1
1. Immigrant Song
2. Friends
3. Celebration Day
4. Sugar Mama
5. Since I've Been Loving You

Side 2
1. Poor Tom
2. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
3. St. Tristan's Sword
4. Baby Come On Home
5. Bron-Yr-Aur [Hidden Track]

Side 3
1. La La
2. Hey Hey What Can I Do
3. Gallows Pole
4. That's The Way

Side 4
1. Out On The Tiles
2. Tangerine
3. Jennings Farm Blues
4. Hats Off To (Roy) Harper
5. Key To The Highway/Trouble In Mind

 

With emphasis on “concise”...

Think of how much better many albums in the last 30 years would be if the CD was constrained to 45 min instead of 80 min.

 

Many of these tracks made the deluxe Coda great, and the most essential of the Zep remasters...

 

Definitely missing ' Hey Hey What Can I Do '
They should have replaced the always dreary " Since I Been Loving You ' with it.
"Since......I........been............loving.........you"

 

Whoa....those are fighting words.

 

Side 1
Immigrant Song
Poor Tom
Out on the Tiles
Jennings Farm Blues

Side 2
Friends
Celebration Day
St Tristan’s Sword
Sugar Mama
Hey Hey What Can I Do

Side 3
Key To The Highway
Since I’ve Been Loving You
Hats Off

Side 4
Gallows Pole
Tangerine
Bron Y Aur Stomp
That’s The Way

 

Are you sure?

 

Side question, and it never dawned on me to ask until now. But was there ever a LZ III LP reissue that didn't have the little spinny wheel?