Drum Teacher Reacts: John Bonham "When The Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin

[highplainsdem]

[ProfessorGAC]

1. Fun Watch

The only thing that surprised me was when he said he never heard the actual tune before.
I figured every drummer knew this song by heart!

[highplainsdem]

2. You'd think...and there were some skeptics on YT posting that they didn't believe him. Piecing his comments

there together, he apparently had heard of the song but instead of listening to it had heard other drummers try to play that intro, and of course they didn't sound like Bonham so he wasn't that impressed. Till he heard the real thing.

He's in his late 30s, I think. Graduated from college in 2009, the Auckland University Jazz Program. Apparently didn't listen to much classic rock growing up.

I've posted a lot here about Silveroller and how their lead singer, Jonnie Hodson, who's in his early 30s, was influenced by Paul Rodgers and by older blues singers. But Jonnie was unaware of Paul Rodgers until he saw Paul doing a concert with Queen 20 years ago, and was blown away by how good Paul was. Jonnie worked backward from there, learned about Bad Company and Free. He says now that Muddy Waters is God, but he learned about Muddy Waters and other blues greats first from Paul's album Muddy Water Blues.

So these are younger musicians finding out about music recorded decades before they were born.

[George McGovern]

3. IMO some of the very best drumming ever. Inspired.

The distinctive drum sound in "When the Levee Breaks" is achieved through a combination of factors, including a unique recording environment, the use of echo, and John Bonham's playing style. The drums were recorded in the stairwell of Headley Grange, a historical building in Hampshire, England, which provided a spacious, reverberant sound. Additionally, an echo effect was applied, particularly on the bass drum and snare drum, further enhancing the song's signature sound.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Recording Environment:
The drum kit was placed at the bottom of a stone-walled stairwell in the lobby of Headley Grange. This stairwell created a natural echo and added a sense of spaciousness to the drums.
Echo Effect:
An echo unit was used to create the "ga-gack" sound, particularly on the bass drum and snare drum. This echo is a key element in the song's distinctive sound.
John Bonham's Playing Style:
Bonham's playing is characterized by a strong groove, contrasting backbeat, and subtle ghost notes. He also uses a specific drum beat with eighth-note hi-hats, a snare on beats 2 and 4, and a kick drum on beat 1.
Specific Techniques:
Bonham also employs techniques like a delayed kick drum on the first beat of the bar, and snare ghost notes after the snare hits on counts 2 and 4. These details contribute to the song's unique groove.

[highplainsdem]

5. While trying to find more on that, I ran across an old Reddit thread

Last edited Fri May 23, 2025, 01:47 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.reddit.com/r/ledzeppelin/comments/9gmr6u/the_drums_echo_in_when_the_levee_breaks_was

that had this old Rick Beato video about the recording:

[George McGovern]

6. When the Levee Breaks additional info

"If it keeps on raining, the levee's going to break. When the levee breaks, have no place to stay." Song lyric. Drum intro by John Bonham.

Led Zeppelin's version is a rework of the 1929 song “When the Levee Breaks,” a blues tune by the couple Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie. It was written about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive river flooding in United States history.
The song was recorded in the Headley Grange, a historical building in Hampshire, England that is rumored to be haunted. In addition, the instrumental was slowed down to give it a heavy effect, so vocalist Robert Plant is the only person performing in normal speed.
The drum intro happened quite by accident...one of the engineers set up a second drum kit in that hallway, having it ready for when John wanted it. He happened to play it where it was, and the rest is history as they say. Bonham used a big oversized ludwig kit, and a very nice sounding room to create one of the most commonly sampled drum beats of all time.