Jimmy Page shares previously unreleased instrumental arrangement that became ‘The Rain Song’

Jimmy Page has recently unleashed a previously unreleased Led Zeppelin instrumental arrangement, named The Seasons, that later became The Rain Song.

Featured on their 1973 album Houses of the Holy, The Rain Song is a slow-tempo ballad which showcases the band’s softer side and their ability to create beautiful, atmospheric music. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, with the lyrics focused on the power and beauty of nature, particularly rain.

The song begins with a gentle acoustic guitar intro, which is then joined by lush, orchestral arrangements and Plant’s soaring vocals. The song builds gradually, with each verse and chorus adding layers of instrumentation and intensity, until it reaches its climactic final section.

On March 28, however, Led Zeppelin and fans celebrated the 50th anniversary of the band’s fifth studio album, Houses Of The Holy. In celebration of the album, Jimmy Page released a previously unreleased Led Zeppelin song that later became The Rain Song. It was named The Seasons.

After sharing the song, Jimmy Page wrote a letter to inform Led Zeppelin fans about the song. He first explained the song.

“My original idea for the opening tracks for ‘Houses Of The Holy’ was that a short overture would be a rousing instrumental introduction with layered electric guitars that would segue in to ‘The Seasons’, later to be titled ‘The Rain Song’,” Page says. Again there would be a contrasting acoustic guitar instrumental movement with melotron that could lead to the first vocal of the album and the first verse of the song.

“‘The Seasons’ was a memo to myself as a reminder of the sequence of the song and various ideas I’d had for it in its embryonic stage. I’d worked on it over one evening at home. During the routining of the overture now titled ‘The Plumpton And Worcester Races’, the half time section was born and the overture shaped in to the song, ‘The Song Remains The Same’. These rehearsals were done in Puddle Town on the River Piddle in Dorset, UK.”

Jimmy Page then revealed where Led Zeppelin recorded the song. According to him, they headed into the Olympic Studios.

“The first set of recordings were done at Olympic Studios with George Chkiantz,” he reveals. “We then came to record at Stargroves, Sir Mick Jagger’s country home, and, like Headley Grange, with The Rolling Stones recording truck.”

He then concluded: “‘The Song Remains The Same’ was played on a Fender 12 string, the same one used on Becks Bolero, with my trusty Les Paul number 1 on overdubs in a standard turning. ‘The Rain Song’ was an unorthodox tuning on acoustic and electric guitars. On live shows, it became a work-out feature for the double neck.”

In the near past, Jimmy Page confirmed he was working on new projects that would make his fans happy. He also admitted that he had turned down working on Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne‘s latest album, Patient Number 9.