The Rain Song
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "The Rain Song" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Led Zeppelin | ||
| from the album 'Houses of the Holy' | ||
| Released | 28 March 1973 | |
| Recorded | 1972 | |
| Genre | Hard rock | |
| Length | 7:39 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Writer(s) | Page/Plant | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page | |
| 'Houses of the Holy' track listing | ||
| "The Song Remains the Same" (1) |
"The Rain Song" (2) |
"Over the Hills and Far Away" (3) |
"The Rain Song" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's fifth album Houses of the Holy, released in 1973. It is a love ballad, over 7 minutes long, and is considered by Robert Plant to be his best overall vocal performance. It features a mellotron played by John Paul Jones to add to the orchestral effect.[1] The working title for this track was 'Slush', a reference to its easy listening mock orchestral arrangement.
During Led Zeppelin concerts from late 1972 until 1975, they played this song immediately following "The Song Remains the Same," presenting the songs in the same order as they appeared on the album. The band organized their setlist this way 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. In this incarnation, Page again utilized the double-neck, the only known time 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 the mellotron, as the band never utilised a string section on-stage.
Jimmy Page used the 6-string neck for "The Rain Song" as he could have two different tunings on the the same guitar. The 12-string was tuned in standard tune (E-A-D-G-B-E) for his use on The Song Remains the Same. The alternative tuning used for the Rain Song was D-G-C-G-C-D. This is a quite uncommon tuning and makes for a very rich sounding accompaniment, led by John Paul Jones.
[edit] Trivia
- "The Rain Song" was the only song from Houses of the Holy performed on the 1980 European tour.
- "The Rain Song" has appeared in two films: Almost Famous, directed by Cameron Crowe (who, as a teen reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, covered Led Zeppelin), and Zeppelin's own 1976 concert film, The Song Remains the Same (and accompanying soundtrack), as part of lead singer Robert Plant's fantasy sequence.
[edit] External links
- Review: All Music Guide
[edit] Sources
- Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
| Led Zeppelin |
|---|
| Jimmy Page • Robert Plant • John Paul Jones • John Bonham
Studio albums: Led Zeppelin • Led Zeppelin II • Led Zeppelin III • Live albums: The Song Remains the Same • BBC Sessions • How the West Was Won Compilations: Box Set • Profiled • Remasters • Box Set 2 • Complete Studio Recordings • Early Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume One • Latter Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume Two • Coda The Song Remains the Same • Led Zeppelin DVD Peter Grant • Richard Cole • Swan Song Records • The Yardbirds • XYZ • The Firm • Page and Plant • Strange Sensation • Bootlegs • Concerts • Songs |
