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unusual facts about When the Levee Breaks


Kansas Joe McCoy

Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant took his and Memphis Minnie's recording of "When the Levee Breaks," which was in his personal collection, and presented it to guitarist Jimmy Page, who revamped it and slightly altered it lyrically, and helped record it on Led Zeppelin's 1971 album, Led Zeppelin IV.


Now and Zen

In response to the Beastie Boys' unauthorized sampling of some Led Zeppelin songs on their 1986 album Licensed to Ill, Plant also used samples from Led Zeppelin songs ("Whole Lotta Love", "Dazed and Confused", "Black Dog", "Custard Pie", and "The Ocean") on "Tall Cool One", additionally singing words from "When the Levee Breaks".

She's the Sun

The drumloop in "She's The Sun" is sampled from the introduction of Led Zeppelin's version of "When the Levee Breaks", taken from the 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV.


see also