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.[21] The album's launch was preceded by the release of "Most High" as the album's first single on 30 March 1998. "Most High" debuted at No. 10 on Billboard's
Mainstream Rock chart.[22]
Atlantic Records promoted the album extensively, with advertising on major U.S. cable channels and national print publications like
Rolling Stone, interviews booked on nearly every major talk show, and a "substantial radio buy" in the top 20 radio markets. In addition to more traditional promotional channels, Atlantic signed a deal with
Ticketmaster – a first for the label – to upsell the album directly to customers who ordered tickets to the 1998 tour.[22]
The album cover, designed by Martin Callomon, features photography by
Anton Corbijn, best known for his work with
U2 and
Depeche Mode.[24]
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".