Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have dropped their cover of “When the Levee Breaks” to celebrate the launch of their summer tour. Originally by Memphis Minnie and popularized by Led Zeppelin on their fourth album, this release marks the duo’s first single since “Raise the Roof” in 2021.
Joining Plant and Krauss in the recording are guitarist JD McPherson, drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Dennis Crouch, violinist Stuart Duncan (who delivers a captivating solo), and multi-instrumentalist Viktor Krauss.
Performed live frequently, “When the Levee Breaks” is a highlight in Plant and Krauss’s setlist, which kicked off on June 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The duo also includes Led Zeppelin classics like “The Battle of Evermore,” “Rock and Roll,” and a medley featuring “Gallows Pole.”
Despite Robert Plant recently ending a 16-year hiatus from performing “Stairway to Heaven,” it’s unlikely to appear in their setlist. In a February interview with Rolling Stone, Plant commented, “I don’t think I’ll do it, but you never know. Who can say? Something might change. Spirit and heart might come back to the soul. It’s a long song. Who can remember all those words?”
The Plant and Krauss summer tour runs until September 1, wrapping up in Vail, Colorado.