Battle of Evermore, Performed at Firestorm Cafe, Asheville NC for 2012 Imbolc

The Battle of Evermore, was originally composed by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Sandy Denny was the only performer to ever perform on a Led Zeppelin Album.  She sang in this duet.

The arrangement in this video, is not the same as Led Zeppelin’s. For one, we only have one singer, Linda Go.  Second the original was recorded a step lower.  The main chord pattern I use is Am to G, then Am to D.  The chorus is still D.  The third part, is C to G, and then G7 to C.  The original version is a bit different.   You can find the mandolin tab for the original on the tab section of this blog.  And right here…

The Battle of Evermore

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Led Zeppelin – Why I Play Mandolin

Led Zeppelin - John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham

My first introduction to mandolin came through Led Zeppelin 4, namely the tracks Going to California and The Battle of Evermore. Then I discovered many more mandolin tunes peppered throughout the Led Zeppelin catalog.  I picked up the mandolin from time to time through out high school and college, namely to play those Zeppelin tunes, but never really got hooked on it until I gave my playing over to Celtic from Rock.  However, I owe a great deal to Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones, for turning me on to this lovely instrument.

One of my favorite guitar instrumentals to play was Bron Yr Aur, from the second disc of Physical Graffiti.  I always thought that it would make a great mandolin arrangement.  After fiddling (mandolining?) with the key, I came up with (what I think is) a lovely arrangement of the tune on mandolin.  This one is for you, Mr. Page, and your three friends that inspired me in many ways throughout my young adult life.

(Here’s the tab with standard notation.  Bron Yr Aur Mandolin Arrangement Tab and Standard Notation. It sounds great on an octave mandolin too.)  (as of, 2/4/2012, The Battle of Evermore tab is also now available on the tab section of this site.)