2000s Song From a Led Zeppelin Legend Heads to Streaming for First Time Ever
Long before streaming playlists, John Paul Jones recorded one of the rarest songs of his post-Led Zeppelin career. Nearly two decades later, fans will finally hear it on major streaming platforms for the first time ever.
"Blooming Youth," a haunting piece of traditional American roots music from Jones and old-time fiddler/singer-songwriter Rayna Gellert, was originally available only on CD. On July 31, it will enter the digital era and finally be available on streaming platforms.
Jones, who remained a core member of Led Zeppelin from its formation in 1968 to its official disbanding in 1980 following the tragic death of drummer John Bonham, is a highly versatile multi-instrumentalist who has spent decades exploring everything from avant-garde and jazz to folk and traditional American roots music.
Released in October 2008, "Blooming Youth" appeared on Awake, My Soul / Help Me to Sing, a companion record to Awake, My Soul, a documentary about Sacred Harp hymns. Gellert and Jones were invited to record their own interpretation of the traditional Sacred Harp hymns dating back to the 19th century.
The result was a hauntingly beautiful folk song rooted in Appalachian and early American hymnody.
"A tribute album by default, Help Me to Sing opens and closes with the otherworldly, sinner-in-crisis drone of ‘Blooming Youth, 176b,' by Rayna Gellert and John Paul Jones," Pitchfork wrote in its review of the "excellent" album at the time.
According to Led Zeppelin News, a "little-noticed copy" of the song has been circulating on YouTube for quite a while (see above), and the streaming release of both the companion and soundtrack albums coincides with the film's update and re-release.
Per the official synopsis, Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp "is the first feature documentary to explore the history, music, and traditions of Sacred Harp singing, the oldest distinctively American form of music. This haunting music has survived over 200 years tucked away from sight in the rural deep South and occurs mostly at community singing events, which typically include anywhere from a dozen to a couple of hundred singers."
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 6:50 PM.