Led Zeppelin’s sound wouldn’t have been the same without John Bonham. His piledriving drum beats were arguably the band’s signature element, alongside Robert Plant’s rasping howls. So it was only natural that Zeppelin disbanded following Bonham’s sudden and tragic death.
The details of his demise have been covered extensively, as unfortunate and difficult to comprehend as they might be. And his final performance behind the kit two and a half months before is widely celebrated. His vital signs were as animated as ever as he tore through the kaleidoscope of rhythms in his part on ‘Whole Lotta Love’ one last time to the rapturous delight of a Berlin ice rink.
However, less is known about Bonham’s final appearance in the studio with Zeppelin. That came almost two years before he died in Polar Studios, the groundbreaking musical hub Abba had just opened in Stockholm, Sweden. Led Zeppelin decided to make full use of the bespoke technical equipment Benny Andersson had installed in Polar. They braved the Swedish capital’s sub-zero temperatures to record In Through the Out Door, their final album released in Bonham’s lifetime, across three weeks in November and December 1978.
In late November, they recorded 11 tracks in rough form within the space of just eight days. Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Robert Plant then spent the following fortnight perfecting the seven songs that ended up on the album with various overdubs. As was so often the case throughout the band’s decade recording together, Bonham’s inimitable drum parts drove the songs. His contributions from the rough cuts stayed pretty much untouched in the final mixes.
So, what was the last one recorded?
November 23rd, 1978, was the final day that all four members of Led Zeppelin recorded together in the same room. They laid down the basic tracks for two songs, which at the time were dubbed ‘The Epic’ and ‘Blot’. These tracks evolved into ‘Carouselambra’ and ‘I’m Gonna Crawl’ from the second side of In Through the Out Door during the weeks of overdubbing and mixing that followed.
The latter track was the final one Bonham recorded. ‘I’m Gonna Crawl’ is a menacing creeper of a song reminiscent of something Pink Floyd might have cut in the mid-1970s. Contrary to the drumming style that made him famous, Bonham shows remarkable restraint on the track, offering up just what’s needed while still coming up with original and creative embellishments at unexpected moments.
Plant’s scream mid-way through its coda is possibly the most blood-curdling he ever emitted on a Zeppelin record, which, in retrospect, adds to the sense of foreboding on the record. The band might not have known it’d be their last, but the song’s atmosphere suggests they damn near felt it.