Presence

album

March 31, 1976

Jimmy Page

I did the promotion for Presence, because Robert couldn’t. It was a dark time for the band; we had an album with no idea if we would tour again. I was feeling somewhat unsure about the future, but very secure in the knowledge that we’d made a phenomenal album. There was no working title for the album. The record-jacket designer said ‘When I think of the group, I always think of power and force. There’s a definite presence there.’ That was it. He wanted to call it Obelisk. To me, it was more important what was behind the obelisk. The cover is very tongue-in-cheek, to be quite honest. Sort of a joke on 2001 A Space Odyssey. I think it’s quite amusing.

A

  1. 1Achilles Last Stand10:31
  2. 2For Your Life6:25
  3. 3Royal Orleans2:59

B

  1. 4Nobody's Fault But Mine6:15
  2. 5Candy Store Rock4:10
  3. 6Hots On For Nowhere4:42
  4. 7Tea For One9:27

Info

Recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich in 1975, following Robert Plant’s serious car accident in Rhodes that summer. Engineered by Keith Harwood and produced by JP. Released 31 March 1976 in the US and 5 April in the UK on Swan Song. The album was completed with Plant recording his vocals while still in a wheelchair. The background used in the cover photograph is of an artificial marina that was installed inside London’s Earl’s Court Arena for the annual Earl’s Court Boat Show.

Discography