The mastermind behind John Bonham’s iconic “When the Levee Breaks” drum sound
traditional melody almost entirely, opting to instead make it entirely his own.
The most striking change to the track arrives within the beat’s abyssal depths, where John Bonham’s drums pulse. It sounds less like a mechanical construct and more like the world’s largest thunderstorm passing by.
The murky, echoing drum sound that dominates When the Levee Breaks is synonymous with the song itself. The track opens with Bonham unleashing a wall of sound, instantly pulling the listener in with its hypnotic, hip-hop-like pulse. This was no accident. According to Page, the drumming was, in fact, engineered rather than played.“One night Zeppelin were all going down the boozer and I said, ‘You guys bugger off but Bonzo, you stay behind because I’ve got an idea’,” he told Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page.327986/page-3″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer data-type=”URL” data-id=”https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/jimmypage_light_and_shade_conversations_with_jimmy_page.html”>Conversations with Jimmy Page.Bonham’s kit was sent down a narrow hallway at the Headley Grange studio’s bottom floor, creating a cavernous effect as each drumbeat reverberated through the corridors. Two Beyerdynamic M160 microphones were positioned above the drums to capture the sound that resulted from having to record the drums from a distance. No trickery, just a loud and clear sound that became the cornerstone of the track.
While much sought after by engineers around the world, the legendary Bonham drum sound remains unique to the studio and the man himself. The uncompromisingly natural ambience of Headley Grange allowed Bonham’s kit to project perfectly in all its glory, turning the recording of When the Levee Breaks into a masterclass of how a drum kit can become the heartbeat of a track.
But Bonham’s uncontrollable abundance of energy came at a price. Multiple takes were attempted in various locations throughout the house, but none could match the drum sound that was achieved in that remote hallway. Exiting engineer Flo Eddie Kramer suggested “…take the kit back to the hallway and step back – way back.”
At the song’s on-air debut on WCFL Chicago, announcers were inundated with calls from listeners wondering, “Who’s that unknown band with the incredible drums?” And that’s the thing – today’s drummers can try to replicate the beat, but that’s not enough. Bonham’s masterful playing, Page’s creative mixing, and the remarkable recording space aligned perfectly to produce not just a track, but an enduring musical phenomenon.