Will Led Zep Release a DVD of their Reunion Show at London's 02 Arena Last December?
Led Zeppelin has no plans at the moment to release either a CD or DVD of its reunion concert from last December, according to the Mirror.co.uk. Guitarist Jimmy Page said that the show was recorded, but added, "We didn't go in with the express purpose of making a DVD to come out at Christmas, or whatever." Page, however, did not completely rule out a release "at some distant point."
Late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's son Jason, who was behind the kit for the December 10th performance at London's O2 Arena, told us he'd be eager to own some sort of document of the event: "I know it probably was recorded, I mean there was cameras there and everything, but I'm not too sure of what the process is there. Me personally, I'd love to get a, you know, a version of it that I could -- you know, stay with me forever. It'll be there forever in my mind, but to get a chance to watch it back is sometimes only when you realize what you've done."
The group's acclaimed set, at a benefit concert in memory of Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, led to speculation about a full world tour.
Vocalist Robert Plant said last week that the legendary British band could perform together again "for another really, really good reason," although he is reportedly not as interested in a full-blown tour as the other members. (The above information in this web post was obtained from: http://www.kbsradio.ca/news/music/87/691789)
Exhibition of Led Zeppelin Memorabilia Celebrating their 40th Anniversary
A new exhibition of Led Zeppelin memorabilia celebrating the band's 40th anniversary is set to take place at the historic venue of Knebworth House this August.
The Zep exhibition 'Memories In Music 1968-2008' will feature everything from the band's badges to bathrobes, including programmes, signed photographs and instruments.
The exhibition will take place in Knebworth House's Edward Bulwer Lytton family library from August 1 to September 3, and is included within the normal Knebworth House entrance ticket pice.
A raffle/ donations raised from the 'Memories' show will go the ABC Trust, Action For Brazil's Children.
Exhibition organisers are also looking for any Zep-related paraphenalia that you might own, and wish to loan to the display.
For more Led Zeppelin -- Check out new and exclusive interviews with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones in the latest May 2008 issue of UNCUT magazine. (The above information in this web post was obtained from: http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/led_zeppelin/news/11267)
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has hinted that the rock legends' reunion gig at London's O2 Arena last December may be released sometime soon as a DVD.
Speaking to Uncut magazine, Page revealed that the one-off performance was filmed with future projects in mind.
He told the magazine: "It was recorded, but we didn't go in with the express purpose of making a DVD.
"We haven't seen the images or investigated the multi-tracks. It's feasible that it might come out at some distant point, but it'll be a massive job to embark on."
In the same interview, the band's other surviving members, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones hint at other future Led Zeppelin projects, including the possibility of a new album and live shows.
Speaking about the prospect of recording again, bassist Jones said: "I'd have to think about that.
"We spoke after [the O2 show] and we thought the same - it felt like the first night of a tour. You think, 'oh, I could do that a bit better, or change something in that song'. And we didn't get a chance to do any more."
Plant added: "Hopefully, one day, we could do it again for another really, really good reason. Because there's unfinished business, definitely."
Such was demand to see the legendary rockers, it was estimated that more than a million fans worldwide applied for one of the 20,000 tickets to the show.
(The above information in this web post was obtained from: Yahoo Music News -http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/080328/340/hwequ.html&e=l_news_dm)
The band's December 10th performance was part of a tribute to former Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun who died in 2006. Here they are performing “For Your Life” at the December 2007 reunion show. It was the first time they ever performed this song live:
Lyrics to For Your Life:
You said I was the only, oh, oh
With my lemon in your hand
Exhibition is your habit
Emotions second hand, oh, oh
Had to pull away to save me
Maybe next time around
And she said, don't you wannit?
Don't you want c-c-c-cocaine?
Hadn't planned to, could not stand to
Try it, friend, yeah, na, na, yeah
Whoo ooh ooh ooh
Heard a cry for mercy
In the city of the damned
Oh oh babe, damned
Impossible to go lower
The next stop's on the ground
Oh, low on the ground
You want to know is it quite over
To fame and tears and losing hair
And I said didn't mean to... did not mean to f-fail
You didn't plan it, you overran it...yeeeeeeah!
You wanna do it, you wanna
You wanna do it when you wanna
You wanna do it, do it when you wanna
When you blow it, babe
You got to blow it right
Oh baby, if you fake it, mama
Baby, fake with all your might
When you fake it, mama
Please fake it right
For yourself, babe, will you fake it?
You're fakin' it for your life
For your life
For your life
For your life
Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it
Do it when you wanna
Do it, do it, do it
Do it when you wanna
Oh, I can have you, baby
But I don't know what to do, yeah
Sometime, baby, nothin' I could do
Wanna find myself a crystal
Payin' through the nose
And when they couldn't resist you
I said "Just go with the flow"
And now your stage is empty
and now the curtain, baby please.
Fold up your show
Hadn't planned to
Could not stand to
(fryin!)
Hadn't planned it
I over ran in
(fryin!)
For your life
For your life
Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant has said that there is a chance of more one-off live perfomances from the band, if the reasoning was right.
Speaking in the new May 2008 edition of UNCUT magazine, the Led Zeppelin singer, commenting on the huge success of their December reunion show at London's O2 Arena, said: "Hopefully, one day, we could do it again. Our profit is - it's metaphysical."
The group's bassist John Paul Jones added: "We (Jones and Page) spoke afterwards, and we both thought the same - it felt like the first night of a tour. You think, 'Oh, I could do that a bit better, or change something in that song.' And we didn't get a chance to do any more."
Plant also says the December 2007 reunion gig was very different to previous gigs in their heyday. He says he: "sang his nuts off" and says it was weird that the "personality of the audience has changed from those days when everybody was in the same condition as the band. Now it was more like the 68th wonder of the world rather than a gig. So I felt a bit embarrassed."
See the latest issue (MAY 2008) of Uncut for Plant, Page and Paul Jones' first in-depth interviews since their reunion for the Ahmet Ertegun reunion at London's O2 Arena last December.
(The above information in this web post was obtained from: http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/led_zeppelin/news/11294)
More Led Zeppelin news: John Paul Jones says new studio album is a possibility…
Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones has hinted that the band may record a new studio album, following their reunion show on December 10 last year at London's O2 Arena.
Speaking in the May 2008 issue of “Uncut”, the bassist said he was uncertain about the future of the band but would not rule out heading into the studio to work on a new album with his bandmates.
"I'd have to think about that," he said, when asked if he'd like to make another Led Zeppelin album. When asked specifically about the possibility of a new album, he said, "I'm not sure. I'm not too certain about anything right at the moment. I've got no idea what's going to happen. But I'd certainly like to play with Jimmy (Page) again."
(The above information in this web post was obtained from: http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/35482)
Enjoy this video compilation of every song performed by Led Zeppelin, song by song, from the Reunion Show in London at the 02 Arena, December 12, 2007
Set list included: Good Times, Bad Times
Ramble On
Black Dog
In My Time of Dying
For Your Life
Trampled Udder Foot
Nobody’s Fault But Mine
No Quarter
Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You
Dazed and Confused
Stairway To Heaven
The Song Remains the Same
Misty Mountain Hop
Kashmir
Encore: Whole Lotta Love
Rock and Roll
Great rendition of “The Lemon Song” By Page with the Black Crows:
The Lemon Song featured on Led Zeppelin’s 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It was recorded at Mystic Studios in Hollywood when the band was on their second concert tour of the United States. "The Lemon Song" is filled with sexual innuendo, and features some of Led Zeppelin's most blues-influenced playing. It was recorded virtually live in the studio, and no electronic devices were used to create the echo on Robert Plant's vocal. It was made solely by Plant's voice and the acoustics in Mystic Studios, which was a 16 x 16 foot room with wooden walls. Another notable aspect of this song is John Paul Jones' complex bass performance, which is heavily funk influenced. It has been said by John Paul Jones himself that he had improvised during the entire song. It is considered by many to be his best bass performance to date. The song borrows significantly from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor", which was a song Led Zeppelin often incorporated into their live set list during their first concert tour of the United States. For the second and third North American tours the song evolved into "The Lemon Song", with Plant often improvising lyrics onstage. However, despite Howlin' Wolf's influence on the arrangement, the album sleeve of Led Zeppelin II initially credited only the four members of Led Zeppelin. The band was later sued for copyright infringement, and Howlin' Wolf's name was added to the credits. Other lyrics within the song can also be linked to songs by other artists, notably "squeeze my lemon 'til the juice runs down my leg," which can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues". It is most likely that Johnson borrowed this lyric himself, from a song recorded in the same year (1937) called "She Squeezed My Lemon" by Arthur McKay. Robert Johnson's name has never been added to the credits for "The Lemon Song". "The Lemon Song" was performed live on Led Zeppelin's first three concert tours of the United States and on the first tour it was called "Killing Floor", before being dropped from their live set in late 1969. However, the 'squeeze my lemon' sequence continued to be inserted into the "Whole Lotta Love" medley and ad-libbed elsewhere. Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999 (as seen in the above video). A version of "The Lemon Song" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.
Lyrics to The Lemon Song:
I should have quit you long time ago
Yeah, long time ago
Oh yeah, long time ago
I wouldn't be here, my children
down on this killin' floor
I should have listened, baby, to my second mind
Everytime I go away and leave you, darling
You send me the blues way down the line
Babe, treat me right, baby, oh my my my
People tellin' me baby can't be satisfied
They try to worry me baby
But they never hurt you in my eyes
Said, people worry I can't keep you satisfied
Let me tell you baby
You ain't nothin but a two-bit, no-good jive
Went to sleep last night, worked as hard as I can
Bring home my money, you take my money, give it to another man
I should have quit you, baby, such a long time ago
I wouldn't be here with all my troubles
Down on this killing floor
Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg
Oh! Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg
The way you squeeze my lemon
I..I'm gonna fall right out of bed, Yeah
Hey! (conversation between Robert Plant & guitar)
Baby baby baby...
I'm gonna leave my children down on this killin floor
"Thank You" is a song Led Zeppelin’s 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It signaled a deeper involvement in songwriting by singer Robert Plant, being the first Led Zeppelin song that he wrote all the lyrics for. According to various Led Zeppelin biographies, this is also the song that made Jimmy Page realize that Plant could now handle writing the majority of the lyrics going forward. The original studio version of the song features some delicate Hammond organ playing by John Paul Jones, and ends with the organ fading into near-silence before coming back about 10 seconds later. This has created a problem for radio stations wishing to play the track because the stations would have to decide whether to accept the dead air or cut it off. Some stations typically run edited versions with the silence eliminated, whilst others play "Thank You" together with "The Lemon Song", because there's no pause between them on the original LP album. For the recording of this song, Page played on a Vox 12-string guitar. "Thank You" was a popular song when played live at Led Zeppelin concerts, and became something of a showcase for Jones' keyboard work, as he often incorporated an extended keyboard solo. An example of this can be heard on the Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions album, which captures a version performed at the Paris Theatre in London in 1971. Page and Plant revived the song in 1994 on their Unledded tour Which contained a few extended guitar solo’s. For most of their shows from 1995 through 1998 the song was included in the set list as either an opening number or an encore.
Lyrics to Thank You:
*If the sun refused to shine,
I would still be loving you.
When mountains crumble to the sea,
There will still be you and me.
Kind woman, I give you my all
Kind woman, nothing more
Little drops of rain whisper of the pain
Tears of loves lost in the days gone by
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong
Together we shall go until we die.
My, my, my, An inspiration is what you are to me
Inspiration, look see…
And so today, my world it smiles
Your hand in mine, we walk the miles
Thanks to you it will be done
For you to me are the only one
Led Zeppelin performs "Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You", Masidon Square Garden, 1973, as seen in the film “The Song Remains the Same”:
Since I’ve been Lovin’ You is one of Led Zeppelin’s master pieces. The song was recorded live in the studio with very little overdubbing. John Paul Jones played Hammond Organ on the song, using the bass pedals for the bass-line. It was the only track from Led Zeppelin's 3rd albumthat the band had played live prior to the recording sessions. One story mentions Jimmy Page taking a break following a series of failed attempts to track the solo. Seemingly unable to get the tone he was craving, he set about a walk around the studio to clear his mind. Sitting outside of the recording area was an unplugged amplifier, which he promptly appropriated, and recorded the solo we hear today on the next take. Audio engineer Terry Manning called it "The best rock guitar solo of all time." The verse portion is heavily influenced by the Moby Grape song "Never" from their album that was released ub 1968 Wow/Grape Jam. Moby Grape was one of Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant's favorite bands. Also, the song's introduction is identical to that of "New York City Blues", a song by Page's previous band The Yardbirds. The song was originally Intended to be included on Led Zeppelin II, but was bumped for "Whole Lotta Love." This is one of a few songs in which one can hear the squeak of John Bonham's bass drum pedal in the studio (The others being "The Ocean" and "The Rain Song" from 1973's Houses of the Holy, "Ten Years Gone" from 1975's Physical Graffiti, and "Bonzo's Montreux" from 1982's Coda). In an interview from 1993, Page made a comment of this while discussing the remastering of Led Zeppelin tracks: “The only real problem I can remember encountering was when we were putting the first boxed set together. There was an awfully squeaky bass drum pedal on "Since I've Been Loving You". It sounds louder and louder every time I hear it! [laughs]. That was something that was obviously sadly overlooked at the time”. As an improvisational showcase for all four group members, and especially for Jimmy Page's electric blues guitar solos, "Since I've Been Loving You" became a staple and fan favorite of Led Zeppelin's live concert performances from 1970 until the end of their ninth American tour in summer 1973. In live performances of the song from 1977 onwards, Page would sometimes blend some of the guitar solo into the song "Tea for One", a track from the band's 1976 album Presence. Page's guitar expertise is well demonstrated in different performances of the song from Madison Square Garden in July 1973, as seen in the group's concert films The Song Remains the Same, and the Led Zeppelin DVD. There is also a June 1972 live recording of "Since I've Been Loving You" which can be heard on the album How the West was Won, and another live version on Disc 2 of Led Zeppelin The BBC Sessions. Plant also used a sample from this on his solo track "White, Clean, and Neat". Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, also recorded a cover version of "Since I've Been Lovin' You" and released it on his 1997 album In the Name of my Father - The Zepset. Page and Plant recorded a version of the song in 1994, released on their album No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded.
Page and Plant performs "Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You", 1994, from the album “No Quarter”:
"Since I've Been Loving You" was also performed recently at the reunion show in London on December 10, 2007:
Lyrics to Since I’ve Been Lovin’ You:
Working seven to eleven every night,
It really makes my life a drag,
I don't think that's right.
I've really, really been the best of fools,
I did what I could,
'Cause I love you, baby,
How I love you, darling,
How I love you, baby,
How I love you, girl, little girl.
But baby, Since I've Been Loving You, yeah,
I'm about to lose my worried mind, oh, yeah.
Everybody trying to tell me
That you didn't mean me no good.
I've been trying, Lord, let me tell you,
Let me tell you I really did the best I could.
I've been working seven to eleven every night,
It kinda makes my life a drag.
Lord, you know it ain't right.
Since I've Been Loving You,
I'm about to lose my worried mind.
Said I've been crying,
My tears they fell like rain,
Don't you hear,
Don't you hear them falling,
Don't you hear,
Don't you hear them falling.
Do you remember, mama, when I knocked upon your door?
I said you had the nerve to tell me
You didn't want me no more,
I open my front door hearing my back door slam,
You must have one of them new fangled,
New fangled back door man,
I've been working from seven, seven, seven,
To eleven every night,
It kinda makes my life a drag, a drag, drag,
Ah, yeah, it makes a drag.
Baby, Since I've Been Loving You,
I'm about to lose,
I'm about to lose, lose my worried mind.
Led Zeppelin performs “Going to California”, Earls Court, 1975:
Going to California" is an acoustic folk song on Led Zeppelin's 4th album, released in 1971. It consists of Robert Plant’s soft poetic lead vocals, Jimmy Page on acoustic guitar and features mandolin by John Paul Jones. It contrasts with the heavy electric-amplified rock on several of the album's other tracks. The song is supposedly about singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, With whom Plant and Page were both infatuated. At Led Zeppelin concerts the band performed this song during their acoustic sets. One live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Earls Court in 1975, is featured on disc 2 of the Led Zeppelin DVD. It was also performed on Plant's solo tours during 1988/1989 and at the Knebworth Silver Clef show in 1990. He played it again on his "Mighty ReArranger" tour, with additions of a double bass and a synthesiser.
Lyrics to Going to California:
Spent my days with a woman unkind,
Smoked my stuff and drank all my wine.
Made up my mind to make a new start,
Going To California with an aching in my heart.
Someone told me there's a girl out there
With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.
Took my chances on a big jet plane,
Never let them tell you that they're all the same.
The sea was red and the sky was grey,
Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today.
The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake
As the children of the sun began to awake.
Seems that the wrath of the Gods
Got a punch on the nose and it started to flow;
I think I might be sinking.
Throw me a line if I reach it in time
I'll meet you up there where the path
Runs straight and high.
To find a queen without a king;
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings.
La la la la
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin' to find a woman who's never, never, never been born.
Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams,
Telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.
Led Zeppelin performs "In My Time of Dying", Earls Court, 5/24, 1975:
"In My Time of Dying" is a blues song that has been covered by several rock musicians since the early 1960s. The original recording was a traditional gospel song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson, the title was "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed". Bob Dylan also did a rendition of the song (along with several other songs referring to the subject of death) on his 1962 debut album. Led Zeppelin’s "In My Time of Dying" is the longest studio track on any of Led Zeppelin's albums and closes Side 1 of the original double-LP edition of Physical Graffiti, the studio versoion lasts for 11:08 on the LP edition. Jimmy Page's guitar tuning for this song is an open A chord. This was also one of the few instances where Page played slide guitar, and was also one of the few live songs where he switched to his black and white Danelectro guitar. He also used this guitar for "White Summer" and "Kashmir” primarily because those songs required special tunnings. "In My Time of Dying" was played during Led Zeppelin's 1975 and some of their 1977 concert tours. One of the live versions can be seen on Led Zeppelin's performance at Earls Court on May 24 1975, featured on disc 2 of the Led Zeppelin DVD. The band never had a rehearsed ending for the song, because of its improvisational nature, and Page liked this approach, making the band sound like "a working group". The studio version ends with: "I'm going to make it my dyin', dyin', dyin'..." and at this point a member of the band or recording crew (possibly John Bonham) can be heard coughing. Plant humorously adds "cough" as a final word for the song. Bonham can be heard exclaiming, "That's gonna be the one, isn't it?", referring to that particular take. A recording engineer then says through the talk-back mic "Come have a listen, then." Bonham then closes his hi-hat and says rather sheepishly "Oh, yes. Thank you."
A version of "In My Time of Dying" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.
Here is a video of Page performing In My Time of Dying on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999:
In My Time of Dying was part of the set list at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on December 10, 2007:
Lyrics to In My Time of Dying:
In my time of dyin', want nobody to moan
All I want them to do is take my body home
*Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus, got to make you, shiver
Jesus, gonna make you
Jesus, gonna make you my dyin' bed
Meet me, Jesus, meet me
Ooh, meet me in the middle of the air
If my wings should fail me. lord
Oh, please meet me with another pair
(* Repeat)
Jesus, gonna make you, somebody, somebody
Oh, Jesus, gonna make you
Jesus gonna make you my dyin' bed
Oh, Saint Peter, I can make amends
Won't you let me in
I never did no wrong, I never did no wrong
Oh, oh Gabriel, let me blow your horn
Let me blow your horn
I never did no wrong, did no wrong
I only can be young once
I never thought I'd do anybody no wrong
No not once
Oh, I did somebody so good
Somebody some good, yeah
Oh, did somebody some good, yeah
I must have did somebody some good, yeah
Oh, I believe I did, I seen the smilin' faces
I know I must have left some traces
And I seen them in the streets
And I seen them in the theater
And I even felt my feet
And I never tried to be real
Oh, lord, deliver me all the wrongs I've done
Oh, you can deliver me, lord
I only wanted to have some fun
Oh, keep the angels marchin', marchin'
Keep them marchin', keep them marchin', marchin'
Oh, my Jesus (Repeat)
That's got to be my Jesus
It's got to be, it's got to be my Jesus
It's got to be, oh it's got to be my Jesus
Oh, gonna take me home
Come on, come on
I can hear the angels singin', oh
Here they come, here they come, here they come
Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, bye bye, bye bye
Oh, it's pretty good up here, pretty good up here
I'll touch Jesus (Repeat)
Oh, oh yeah, I seen him, yeah, come on
Oh, don't you make it my dyin', dyin', dyin', cough
(That's gonna be the one, isn’t it. Come have a listen then.)
(Oh yes, thank you.)
Led Zeppelin performing "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, 1975:
Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp is a song on Led Zeppelin’s 3rd album, Led Zeppelin III- it was released in 1970. Similar to the song Black Mountain Side Zeppelin’s Debut Album, the music of "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" came to Jimmy Page through guitarist and folk singer Bert Jansch. Though the lyrics of Bron-Y-Aur Stomp are original to Led Zeppelin, the song is taken from "The Waggoner's Lad," an old English folk song. Led Zeppelin also recorded the song as an electric instrumental, "Jennings Farm Blues", which later surfaced as a studio out-take on a number of Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings. 'The stomp' was originally recorded at Headley Grange in 1970, using a mobile studio belonging to the Rolling Stones. It was finished off at Island, London and Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee. The song is named after Bron-Yr-Aur, a house in Gwynedd, Wales, where the members of Led Zeppelin retreated in 1970 to write much of Led Zeppelin III after having completed a grueling concert tour of the United States. The cottage had no electricity or running water, but the change of scenery provided inspiration for many of the songs on the album, including "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp”. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", is a country music-inflected hoedown, singer Robert Plant refrences lyrics about walking in the woods with his blue-eyed Merle dog. Plant reportedly named his dog Stryder after Aragorn from J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, since one of the aliases of this character is "Strider". References to Tolkien’s work also exists in some Led Zeppelin songs, such as "Ramble On", "Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Battle of Evermore." There are no explicit references to Tolkien works in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". When performing the song drummer John Bonham played spoons and castanets on the recording. Bassist John Paul Jones played an acoustic five-string fretless bass. Jimmy Page's guitar for this song had an open tuning. When the band performed the song live at Led Zeppelin Concerts, John Paul Jones played an upright bass and Bonham displayed a rather under-rated talent in singing harmony vocals with Plant. This can be seen in the footage from the Earls Court concerts in May 1975, (See video above) featured on the Led Zeppelin DVD.
Lyrics to Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp:
That's the way it should be,
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine.
Ah all the good times we had,
I sang love songs so glad
Always smiling, never sad, so fine.
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling Mother Nature 'bout you and me.
Well if the sunshines so bright,
Or on our way it's darkest night
The road we choose is always right, so fine.
Ah can your love be so strong
When so many loves go wrong
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?
As we walk down a country lane,
I'll be singing a song,
Hear me calling your name.
Hear the whisper in the trees,
Telling Mother Nature 'bout you and me.
My, my la de la come on now it ain't too far,
Tell your friends all around the world,
Ain't no companion like a blue eyed merle.
Come on now well let me tell you,
What you're missing, missing, 'round them brick walls.
So of one thing I am sure,
It's a friendship so pure,
Angels singing all around my door so fine.
Yeah, ain't but one thing to do
Spend my nat'ral life with you,
You're the finest dog I knew, so fine.
When you're old and your eyes are dim,
There ain't no old Shep gonna happen again,
We'll still go walking down country lanes,
I'll sing the same old songs,
Hear me call your name.
Led Zeppelin performing “The Rain Song” live at Knebworth, 1979:
The Rain Song
The Rain Song It is a ballad lasting over 7 minutes in length and is considered by singer Robert Plant to be one of his best overall vocal performances. It is from Led Zeppelin’s 5th album, Houses of the Holy.It features a mellotron played by John Paul Jones which adds the orchestral effect. The song was inspired by a comment that George Harrisonmade to Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, about the fact that the group never wrote any ballads. During Led Zeppelin concerts from late 1972 until 1975, the band played this song immediately following the song "The Song Remains the Same", presenting the songs in the same order as they appeared on the album. They organized their setlist in this manner because Page used a Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar for both songs: the top, 12-string portion for "The Song Remains the Same" and then switching to the bottom, 6-string portion for "The Rain Song". The song was dropped from the 1977 U.S. tour, but returned for Led Zeppelin's 1979 concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark and at the Knebworth Music Festival, as well as their European tour in 1980. "The Rain Song" was the only song from Houses of the Holyperformed on the 1980 European tour. Page again used his Gibson double-neck, however it was the only instance known that he used that guitar solely for the 6-string portion without using the 12-string portion on a preceding song. For all live versions of the song, the orchestral string sounds were played by Jones on either the mellotron (1972-1975) or a Yamaha synthesizer (1979-1980), as the band never utilised a string section on-stage. The reason Page used used the 6-string neck of the EDS-1275 for "The Rain Song" is because he could have two different tunings on the same guitar. The 12-string was tuned to Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) for his use on "The Song Remains the Same". However, the Rain Song utilizes an exotic tuning style, and the 6-string was tuned to Asus4 (E-A-D-A-D-E). However that is a step higher than the album cut, which is D-G-C-G-C-D. For those with a trained musical ear, you can drastically notice the key differences between the studio version and the live version. This is quite an uncommon modal tuning and makes for a very rich sounding accompaniment, led by John Paul Jones.
Lyrics to The Rain Song:
It is the springtime of my loving
the second season I am to know
You are the sunlight in my growing-
so little warmth I felt before.
It isn't hard to feel me glowing
I watched the fire that grew so low.
It is the summer of my smiles
flee from me Keepers of the Gloom.
Speak to me only with your eyes
it is to you I give this tune.
It isn't hard to recognize
these things are clear to all from
time to time.
I felt the coldness of my winter
I never thought it would ever go
I cursed the gloom that set upon us
but I know that I love you so
These are the seasons of emotion
And like the winds they rise and fall
This is the wonder of devotion
I see the torch we all must hold.
This is the mystery of the quotient
Upon us all a little rain must fall.
memorabilia celebrating the band's 40th anniversary is set to take place at the historic venue of Knebworth House this August.