Coda cover art

  Compilation · No. 1

Coda Songwriting Credits by Led Zeppelin

1982 Swan Song Records 8 tracks 33 min

Produced by Jimmy Page  ·  Engineered by Stuart Epps, Andy Johns, Eddie Kramer, Vic Maile

Swan Song Records Hard RockBlues RockRock
75%
Authorship
Songwriter

Holds writing credit on 6 of 8 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 6 / 8 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether Led Zeppelin carries a lyricist or composer credit.

75%
6 trackswritten by Led Zeppelin 2 tracksoutside writers
Led Zeppelin's roles on this album

Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist75%
Composer75%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

8
Tracks
7
Lyricists
1
Producers
1 million
US Copies Sold
1982
Released
Data Insight

Coda is not a set of fresh songs but a collection of leftover outtakes and live tracks pulled from across the band's career, released after John Bonham's 1980 death. Two tracks are blues covers rather than Led Zeppelin originals: 'We're Gonna Groove,' written by James Bethea and Ben E. King, and 'I Can't Quit You Baby,' written by Willie Dixon, both live recordings from January 1970. 'Bonzo's Montreux' is a John Bonham drum showcase and his only solo writing credit on the album. The originals carry the usual Page and Plant credits, with the In Through the Out Door era tracks adding Jones and Bonham.

Coda is the 1982 ninth and final studio album by Led Zeppelin, a rock compilation of outtakes and live recordings released nearly two years after drummer John Bonham's death. The tracks were drawn from sessions spanning 1968 to 1981, including a January 1970 Royal Albert Hall concert with audience sounds removed and studio overdubs added, along with material from the Led Zeppelin III, Houses of the Holy, and In Through the Out Door sessions. Robert Plant sang vocals and harmonica while Jimmy Page played guitar and produced, John Paul Jones added bass and keyboards, and Bonham played drums, on tracks such as "Wearing and Tearing", "Bonzo's Montreux", and the Willie Dixon cover "I Can't Quit You Baby". The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 on the UK Albums Chart, and it was certified platinum in the United States. It fulfilled the band's contractual obligations to Atlantic Records while collecting material that had circulated among fans on bootlegs.

Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
We're Gonna Groove
James BetheaBen E. King James BetheaBenjamin Earl Nelson Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
2
Poor Tom
Jimmy PageRobert Plant Jimmy PageRobert Plant Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
3
I Can't Quit You Baby
Willie Dixon Willie Dixon Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
4
Walter's Walk
Jimmy PageRobert Plant Jimmy PageRobert Plant Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
5
Ozone Baby
Jimmy PageRobert PlantJohn Paul JonesJohn Bonham Jimmy PageRobert PlantJohn BaldwinJohn Bonham Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
6
Darlene
Jimmy PageRobert PlantJohn Paul JonesJohn Bonham Jimmy PageRobert PlantJohn BaldwinJohn Bonham Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
7
Bonzo's Montreux
John Bonham John Bonham Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)
8
Wearing and Tearing
Jimmy PageRobert Plant Jimmy PageRobert Plant Jimmy Page Robert Plant (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 9 contributors

JP
Jimmy Page
Writer · Producer
On this album5 written
RP
Robert Plant
Writer · Vocals
On this album5 written
JB
John Bonham
Writer
On this album3 written
JB
John Baldwin
Writer
On this album2 written
JP
John Paul Jones
Writer
On this album2 written
BE
Ben E. King
Writer
On this album1 written
BE
Benjamin Earl Nelson
Writer
On this album1 written
JB
James Bethea
Writer
On this album1 written
WD
Willie Dixon
Writer
On this album1 written

More from Led Zeppelin

1969 78%
Led Zeppelin
Atlantic Records
9 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1969 100%
Led Zeppelin II
Atlantic Records
9 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1970 80%
Led Zeppelin III
Atlantic Records
10 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1971 100%
Led Zeppelin IV
Atlantic Records
8 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1973 100%
Houses of the Holy
Atlantic Records
8 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1975 100%
Physical Graffiti
Swan Song Records
15 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1976 100%
Presence
Swan Song Records
7 tracksProd. Jimmy Page
1979 100%
In Through the Out Door
Swan Song Records
7 tracksProd. Jimmy Page

Frequently Asked Questions Coda

What kind of album is Led Zeppelin's Coda?
Coda is Led Zeppelin's first compilation album, a collection of rejected studio outtakes and live tracks spanning the band's career. It was released posthumously after John Bonham's death and the band's breakup. The title refers to a concluding passage of music, a fitting farewell.
When was Coda released and why?
Coda was released on November 26, 1982 on Swan Song Records. It was assembled to fulfill contractual commitments to Atlantic Records and to address tax obligations, roughly two years after Led Zeppelin disbanded. No new material was recorded for it.
Are the songs on Coda all Led Zeppelin originals?
No. Two tracks are blues covers: 'We're Gonna Groove,' written by James Bethea and Ben E. King, and 'I Can't Quit You Baby,' written by Willie Dixon. Both are live recordings from the January 9, 1970 Royal Albert Hall concert with the crowd noise edited out.
What is Bonzo's Montreux on Coda?
'Bonzo's Montreux' is a John Bonham drum showcase recorded in September 1976 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. It is Bonham's only solo writing credit on the album. Jimmy Page added electronic harmonizer effects to the drum track.
Where did the original songs on Coda come from?
The originals are outtakes from several eras: 'Poor Tom' from the Led Zeppelin III sessions, 'Walter's Walk' from the Houses of the Holy sessions, and 'Ozone Baby,' 'Darlene,' and 'Wearing and Tearing' from the 1978 In Through the Out Door sessions. They were left off their original albums and gathered here. This spread is why Coda functions as a career retrospective of leftovers.
Did Coda have any singles?
No singles were released from the original album, so it has no Billboard Hot 100 chart entries. The album itself peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the UK Albums Chart. It charted on catalog and fan demand rather than radio hits.
How did Coda sell?
Coda was certified Platinum by the RIAA on February 7, 1983 for 1 million US units. In the UK it reached Silver, representing 60,000 units. It performed solidly for a posthumous compilation of outtakes.

Sources

Wikipedia: Coda Official Charts: Led Zeppelin MusicBrainz release group Cover Art Archive front cover Cover Art Archive: Coda by Led Zeppelin