THE BATTLE OF EVERMORE

"'The Battle of Evermore'" is an acoustic guitar and mandolin song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured on their fourth album, ''Led Zeppelin IV'', released in 1971. The tune for this was written by guitarist Jimmy Page at Headley Grange while he was experimenting on the mandolin owned by bassist John Paul Jones. The song heavily references Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Plant felt he needed another voice to tell the story, and for the recording of this song folk singer Sandy Denny was invited to duet with Plant. Denny was a member of British folk group Fairport Convention, whom Led Zeppelin had shared a bill with in 1970. Plant played the role of the narrator and Denny represented the town crier. To thank her for her involvement, Denny was given the symbol on the album sleeve of three pyramids (the four members of Led Zeppelin each designed their own symbols for the album). This is the only song Led Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist.
"The Battle of Evermore" was played live at Led Zeppelin concerts during the band's 1977 concert tour of the United States. For these live performances, Jones sang Denny's vocals with Plant and played acoustic guitar whilst Page played mandolin.

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Other versions

Sources

Other versions

Other bands have covered Led Zeppelin's song or played it live:

★ Page and Plant would also record a version of the song in 1994, released on their album ''. Singer Najma Akhtar sang Sandy Denny's vocal part.

★ The song was also covered by Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, credited as "The Lovemongers", on the soundtrack to the 1992 film ''Singles''.

Sources

★ ''Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song'', by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7

★ ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9