The Battle of Evermore - wikipedia The Battle of Evermore `` The Battle of Evermore '' Song by Led Zeppelin from the album Led Zeppelin IV Released 8 November 1971 ( 1971 - 11 - 08 ) Recorded Headley Grange, Headley, England, 1971 Genre Folk Celtic folk Length 5 : 38 Label Atlantic Songwriter ( s ) Jimmy Page Robert Plant Producer ( s ) Jimmy Page `` The Battle of Evermore '' is a folk duet sung by Robert Plant and Sandy Denny, featured on Led Zeppelin 's untitled 1971 album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV. The song 's instrumentation features acoustic guitar and mandolin playing. Contents 1 Writing and production 2 Live performances 3 Other versions 4 Accolades 5 Personnel 5.1 Studio version 5.2 Live performances 5.3 Page and Plant version 6 Cover versions 7 References 8 External links Writing and production The song was written by Jimmy Page at Headley Grange while he was experimenting on the mandolin owned by John Paul Jones. Page explained in 1977 that ' `` Battle of Evermore '' was made up on the spot by Robert ( Plant ) and myself. I just picked up John Paul Jones 's mandolin, never having played a mandolin before, and just wrote up the chords and the whole thing in one sitting. `` ' Sandy Denny 's symbol. The song, like some others by the group, makes references to The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Plant felt he needed another voice to tell the story, and for the recording of the song, folk singer Sandy Denny was invited to duet with Plant. Denny was a former member of British folk group Fairport Convention, with whom Led Zeppelin had shared a bill in 1970 at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. Plant played the role of the narrator and Denny represented the town crier. Page elaborated that `` ( The song ) sounded like an old English instrumental first off. Then it became a vocal and Robert did his bit. Finally we figured we 'd bring Sandy by and do a question - and - answer - type thing. '' 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 chose their own symbols for the album ). This is the only song Led Zeppelin ever recorded with a guest vocalist. In an interview he gave in 1995 to Uncut magazine, Plant stated that ' ( F ) or me to sing with Sandy Denny was great. We were always good friends with that period of Fairport Convention. Richard Thompson is a superlative guitarist. Sandy and I were friends, and it was the most obvious thing to ask her to sing on `` The Battle of Evermore ''. If it suffered from naivete and tweeness -- I was only 23 -- it makes up for it in the cohesion of the voices and the playing. ' Live performances `` The Battle of Evermore '' was played live at Led Zeppelin concerts during the band 's 1977 North American Tour. For these live performances, Jones sang Denny 's vocals and played acoustic guitar whilst Page played mandolin. Sometimes John Bonham sang Denny 's vocals along with Jones. Page and Plant also recorded a version of the song in 1994, released on their album No Quarter : Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded. Singer Najma Akhtar sang Denny 's vocal part. Fairport Convention performed `` The Battle of Evermore '' with guest vocalists Plant and Kristina Donahue at Fairport 's Cropredy Convention on 9 August 2008. Plant and Alison Krauss regularly performed `` The Battle of Evermore '' on their tour of US and Europe in spring and summer 2008 in promotion of their 2007 collaboration album Raising Sand. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant perform `` The Battle of Evermore '' at Denver 's Red Rocks, 21 June 2008 Other versions An instrumental version of the song is featured on the companion audio CD on the remastered deluxe 2CD version of Led Zeppelin IV, titled The Battle Of Evermore ( Mandolin / Guitar Mix From Headley Grange ), recorded on 29 January 1971, at the Rolling Stones Mobile at Headley Grange with engineer Andy Johns. It is much shorter than the original, with a running time of 4 : 13 rather than 5 : 51. Accolades Year Publication Country Accolade Rank 2003 Blender United States `` The 1001 Greatest Songs to Download Right Now ! '' * Q United Kingdom `` 150 Greatest Rock Lists Ever '' ( 10 Songs Based On Novels ) `` 1010 Songs You Must Own ! '' * ( * ) designates unordered lists. Personnel Studio version Robert Plant, Sandy Denny -- vocals Jimmy Page -- mandolin John Paul Jones -- acoustic guitar John Bonham -- percussion Live performances Robert Plant -- lead vocals Jimmy Page -- mandolin, backing vocals John Paul Jones -- acoustic guitar, co-lead vocals John Bonham -- tambourine with a mallet, co-lead vocals, backing vocals Page and Plant version Robert Plant -- vocals Jimmy Page -- mandolin, acoustic guitar Najma Akhtar -- vocals Porl Thompson -- acoustic guitar Michael Lee -- percussion Nigel Eaton -- hurdy - gurdy Jim Sutherland -- bodhrán Cover versions Main article : List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs References Jump up ^ Carruthers, Bob ( 2011 ). Led Zeppelin -- Uncensored on the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 978 - 1 - 9085 - 3846 - 8. High points included the twisty complexity of ' Black Dog ', the folk whimsy of ' The Battle Of Evermore ' and the career best of ' Stairway To Heaven ' Jump up ^ Clarke, Donald ( 1998 ). The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Penguin Books. p. 737. ISBN 978 - 0 - 1405 - 1370 - 7. folk direction pursued with The Battle Of Evermore ' ( Plant 's duet with Sandy Denny ) Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Led Zeppelin -- Led Zeppelin IV ''. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 13 March 2014. Jump up ^ Ramirez, AJ ( 31 October 2011 ). `` Led Zeppelin -- `` The Battle of Evermore '' ``. PopMatters. Retrieved 25 August 2015. Jump up ^ Lewis, Dave ( 1994 ). The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 3528 - 9. Jump up ^ Rosen, Steven ( July 1977 ). 1977 Jimmy Page Interview ( Audio / Text ) at the Wayback Machine ( archived 28 May 2007 ). Guitar Player. Modern Guitars. ^ Jump up to : Schulps, Dave ( October 1977 ). `` Interview with Jimmy Page ''. Trouser Press. Iem.ac.ru. Retrieved 13 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Good Times... Bad Times ''. Uncut : 57. May 2005. ISSN 1368 - 0722. Jump up ^ `` Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at the Birmingham NIA ''. Birmingham Post. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Standout Tracks from the 500 CDs You Must Own -- 2003 ''. Blender. Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 10 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` 150 Greatest Rock Lists Ever -- Book of Rock -- July 2004 ''. Q. Rocklist.net. Retrieved 10 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` 1010 Songs You Must Own ! -- Q50 -- # 3 : Duets -- September 2004 ''. Q. Rocklist.net. Retrieved 10 February 2009. External links Led Zeppelin IV track listing Songs Side one `` Black Dog '' `` Rock and Roll '' `` The Battle of Evermore '' `` Stairway to Heaven '' Side two `` Misty Mountain Hop '' `` Four Sticks '' `` Going to California '' `` When the Levee Breaks '' Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin III Led Zeppelin IV Houses of the Holy Physical Graffiti Presence In Through the Out Door Coda Led Zeppelin John Bonham John Paul Jones Jimmy Page Robert Plant Studio albums Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin III Led Zeppelin IV Houses of the Holy Physical Graffiti Presence In Through the Out Door Coda Live albums The Song Remains the Same BBC Sessions How the West Was Won Celebration Day Compilations Profiled The Best of Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions Mothership Led Zeppelin Deluxe Edition Boxed sets Led Zeppelin Remasters Boxed Set 2 The Complete Studio Recordings Definitive Collection Singles `` Good Times Bad Times '' / `` Communication Breakdown '' `` Whole Lotta Love '' / `` Living Loving Maid ( She 's Just a Woman ) '' `` Immigrant Song '' / `` Hey, Hey, What Can I Do '' `` Black Dog '' / `` Misty Mountain Hop '' `` Rock and Roll '' / `` Four Sticks '' `` Over the Hills and Far Away '' / `` Dancing Days '' `` D'yer Mak'er '' / `` The Crunge '' `` Trampled Under Foot '' / `` Black Country Woman '' `` Candy Store Rock '' / `` Royal Orleans '' `` Fool in the Rain '' / `` Hot Dog '' `` Travelling Riverside Blues '' `` Baby Come On Home '' `` The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair '' Films The Song Remains the Same Led Zeppelin DVD Celebration Day Tours Scandinavia 1968 U.K. 1968 North America 1968 -- 1969 U.K. & Scandinavia 1969 North America Spring 1969 U.K. Summer 1969 North America Summer 1969 Europe Autumn 1969 North America Autumn 1969 U.K. 1970 Europe 1970 North America Spring 1970 Iceland, Bath & Germany 1970 North America Summer 1970 U.K. Spring 1971 Europe 1971 North America 1971 Japan 1971 U.K. Winter 1971 Australasia 1972 North America 1972 Japan 1972 U.K. 1972 -- 1973 Europe 1973 North America 1973 North America 1975 Earls Court 1975 North America 1977 Knebworth 1979 Over Europe 1980 Reunions Live Aid ( 1985 ) Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary ( 1988 ) Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert ( 2007 ) Lists Discography Songs Awards and nominations Bootlegs Cover versions by others Led Zeppelin songs written or inspired by others Related Articles Swan Song Records Three Week Hero `` Beck 's Bolero '' Bron - Yr - Aur The Starship Caesar 's Chariot Shark episode Planned tour -- The 1980s, Part One Covers and tributes That ' 70s Show ( season 5 ) Bands The Yardbirds Band of Joy XYZ The Honeydrippers The Firm Coverdale Page Page and Plant Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes Them Crooked Vultures Strange Sensation Books Hammer of the Gods : The Led Zeppelin Saga Stairway to Heaven : Led Zeppelin Uncensored When Giants Walked the Earth People Jason Bonham Peter Grant Richard Cole Book Portal Sandy Denny Solo albums The North Star Grassman and the Ravens Sandy Like an Old Fashioned Waltz Rendezvous Gold Dust Live albums Gold Dust 19 Rupert St Compilations It 's Sandy Denny Who Knows Where the Time Goes ? The Best of Sandy Denny The Attic Tracks 1972 -- 1984 The BBC Sessions 1971 -- 1973 Listen Listen - An Introduction to Sandy Denny No More Sad Refrains : The Anthology The Best of Sandy Denny ( 20th Century Masters : The Millennium Collection ) The Collection A Boxful of Treasures Where The Time Goes - Sandy ' 67 Live at the BBC The Best of the BBC Recordings The Music Weaver : Sandy Denny Remembered Sandy Denny The Notes and the Word : A Collection of Demos and Rarities Albums with the Strawbs All Our Own Work Sandy Denny and the Strawbs All Our Own Work : The Complete Sessions Remastered Albums with Fairport Convention What We Did on Our Holidays Unhalfbricking Liege & Lief Fairport Live Convention Rising for the Moon Heyday : the BBC Radio Sessions 1968 -- 69 Albums with Fotheringay Fotheringay Fotheringay 2 Albums with The Bunch Rock On Collaborations Alex Campbell and His Friends Sandy and Johnny ( split album with Johnny Silvo ) Do n't Stop Singing ( Thea Gilmore ) Guest appearances Led Zeppelin : `` The Battle of Evermore '' The Who : Tommy The Young Tradition : Galleries Stefan Grossman : Ragtime Cowboy Jew Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Battle_of_Evermore&oldid=793146379 '' Categories : 1971 songs British folk songs Led Zeppelin songs Middle - earth music Sandy Denny songs Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page Songs written by Jimmy Page Songs written by Robert Plant Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use British English from April 2012 Use dmy dates from April 2012 Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Español Français Italiano Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 30 July 2017, at 23 : 07. 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Question: who sings with robert plant on the battle of evermore
Answer: Sandy Denny