The Led Zeppelin Track They Hesitated to Release: “Everybody laughed”
via Led Zeppelin Rarities / YouTube
Led Zeppelin’s Rise in the Mid-70s
In 1975, Led Zeppelin was one of the biggest bands in the world. With Robert Plant’s strong voice and Jimmy Page’s impressive guitar skills, the group had reached a level of success few others could match. Their style was very different from The Beatles, but they carried rock music forward in their own way.
By the middle of the decade, they had already released five albums that were well received. One of their most famous records, Led Zeppelin IV, came out in 1971 and featured “Stairway to Heaven,” which many fans consider their greatest song.
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Changing Sounds and Unused Tracks
At that time, Led Zeppelin didn’t stick to one style. Songs like “Friends” and “What Is and What Should Never Be” showed that they were not afraid to try new ideas. They didn’t want to keep putting out the same kind of blues-rock songs.
During the sessions for Led Zeppelin IV, they recorded several tracks that didn’t end up on the album. These songs—“Boogie with Stu,” “Night Flight,” and “Down By The Seaside”—were later released on Physical Graffiti in 1975. In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Jimmy Page explained why the songs were left off earlier, saying, “If you think about it, you couldn’t have substituted anything off the fourth album with any of those leftover tracks, quite rightly so.”
A Track Almost Lost Forever
Of the three songs recorded in 1971 but released in 1975, “Down By The Seaside” almost didn’t make it onto Physical Graffiti. Robert Plant had to push hard for it to be included because the rest of the band wasn’t interested in releasing it.
Plant said the song was inspired by Neil Young’s “Down By The River.” The track talks about the pressure of life in busy cities. Lyrics like “Down in the city streets, see all the folk go racin’, racin’, no time left, to pass the time of day” highlight how people are always in a rush and never slow down.
“Everybody Laughed”
Even though the song is now liked by many fans, it was nearly forgotten. Robert Plant once shared how the band reacted when he suggested it, saying, “Everybody laughed when I suggested to include ‘Down By The Seaside’ on Physical Graffiti.”
Although the song made it to the album, it never got much support from the rest of the band. Led Zeppelin never played “Down By The Seaside” at any of their live shows. This might still bother Robert Plant today. Of course, maybe it doesn’t. He had a long and successful career. Still, some fans might wonder what it would’ve been like to hear the song performed live just once… or maybe he wonders too?
