This Week in Music History: Kashmir

This week in music history — Nov. 19, 1973, rock band Led Zeppelin began recording the song originally titled “Driving to Kashmir,” which was eventually shortened to “Kashmir” when released as a track on the band’s sixth album, “Physical Graffiti.” Since the song’s release, it has been played at almost every concert performed by the group. Jimmy Page, the group’s lead guitarist, wrote the song while in southern Morocco and featured motifs from Moroccan, Indian and Middle Eastern music. Though not their most popular song, the track has been revered by the band members as one of their most distinct musical achievements, and has been regarded by music critics as the quintessential Led Zeppelin song. The song has also been featured on several top rock songs lists, including VH1’s Top 100 Rock Songs of All Time at No. 62. “Kashmir” was sampled by several artists and was later expanded into a longer version by Page and Robert Plant that was recorded with an Egyptian and Moroccan orchestra. At the time, Led Zeppelin was revered as one of the most well-known and influential rock bands in the world after reaching the pinnacle of their career with the well-known classic “Stairway to Heaven” on their untitled fourth album.