Following their successful No Quarter tour and subsequent live album release, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant began writing Walking into Clarksdale. For the new record, Page and Plant pursued a more stripped-down sound, eschewing the heavy orchestration of their live performances in favor of a more traditional four-piece band.[13] The initial demos for the album were written by Page on a Harmony H1260 Sovereign guitar, first used during the recording of Led Zeppelin III.[13]
The band met at RAK Studios in August 1997 where they recorded "Burning Up" and "Shining in the Light".[14][15] Shortly after, the band left RAK for Abbey Road's EMI Number Two Studio, where they recorded the rest of the album over the course of 35 days in August and September.[16][17] Page characterized the band's approach as "minimalistic", stating that the band wanted to avoid "embellishments for the sake of it" and that "every note was played in its place to mean something."[18]
The album was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini, known for producing Nirvana's final album In Utero.[19] Plant reported he had long admired Albini's music and recording techniques.[20] Each song was recorded in a single take, with the full band live in the studio, with the exception of guitar layering on the title track and string and keyboard overdubs on "Upon a Golden Horse" and "Most High".[14]
Release
Walking Into Clarksdale was released internationally on 20 April 1998 and in North America on 21 April to widespread critical acclaim. The album received significant promotion from Atlantic Records, which mounted an extensive marketing campaign. This included advertising on major U.S. cable channels, placements in prominent national print outlets such as Rolling Stone, and numerous interviews on major talk shows. A "substantial radio buy" in the top 20 radio markets further bolstered its visibility.[21]
In a novel move, Atlantic Records partnered with Ticketmaster to promote the album directly to fans purchasing tickets for the 1998 tour—a first for the label. These efforts contributed to strong sales, earning the album gold certification in the United States.[21][22]
The album’s lead single, "Most High," was released on 30 March 1998. It debuted at No. 10 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and quickly climbed to No. 1.[21] A second single, "Shining in the Light," followed on 30 May 1998.[23]
The album's cover, designed by Martin Callomon, features photography by Anton Corbijn, renowned for his work with U2 and Depeche Mode.[24]Walking Into Clarksdale was later named 1998 Album of the Year by Entertainment Weekly.[22]
Tour
To promote Walking into Clarksdale, Page and Plant kicked off 1998's "Walking into Everywhere" Tour. The tour, consisting of three tours of Eastern Europe, North America, and Western Europe, consisted of 97 tour dates and featured a mix of both new material and Led Zeppelin classics.[25][26] The band's concert in Bucharest, Romania was professionally filmed for a cancelled home video release, and parts of the concert were broadcast live on the MTV special “Live from the 10 Spot” to promote the album.[27]
Three additional tour legs in Japan, Australia, and South America were planned for 1999. However, following a final appearance in Paris on 10 December 1998 at the Amnesty International “The Struggle Continues…” concert, Robert Plant dissolved the partnership and the planned 1999 tour was cancelled.[28]
"Most High" and "Shining in the Light" were released as singles, with a music video for the former. "Most High" was also featured as a CD single with the B-side "The Window".
