Led Zeppelin played together for the first time during August 1968. The four musicians met at a small basement room located on Gerrard Street near London's Soho district. They needed to practice before starting their September tour across Scandinavian countries. John Paul Jones remembers amplifiers filled the entire space except for the door opening. The band started playing Train Kept A-Rollin and the room exploded with sound.
The group recorded their first album without having a record contract signed with any company. Jimmy Page paid recording costs out of his pocket but gained complete creative control over the music. The entire album took just 36 hours of studio time spread across several weeks. Page remembers paying exactly 1,782 pounds for the studio invoice. Engineer Glyn Johns worked alongside Page to produce the record.
Johns accidentally discovered a new drum recording technique during the sessions. He placed microphones around John Bonham's drum kit and mistakenly directed one toward the left stereo channel. The other drums played from the center position creating a massive stereo sound. Johns felt excited about the band's powerful music and tried sharing the album with Mick Jagger and George Harrison. Neither musician showed interest despite Johns believing the record would become hugely successful.
The group recorded their first album without having a record contract signed with any company. Jimmy Page paid recording costs out of his pocket but gained complete creative control over the music. The entire album took just 36 hours of studio time spread across several weeks. Page remembers paying exactly 1,782 pounds for the studio invoice. Engineer Glyn Johns worked alongside Page to produce the record.
Johns accidentally discovered a new drum recording technique during the sessions. He placed microphones around John Bonham's drum kit and mistakenly directed one toward the left stereo channel. The other drums played from the center position creating a massive stereo sound. Johns felt excited about the band's powerful music and tried sharing the album with Mick Jagger and George Harrison. Neither musician showed interest despite Johns believing the record would become hugely successful.
