Out on the Tiles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Out on the Tiles" | ||
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| Song by Led Zeppelin | ||
| from the album Led Zeppelin III | ||
| Released | October 5, 1970 | |
| Recorded | May - August 1970 | |
| Genre | Hard rock | |
| Length | 4:07 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page | |
| Led Zeppelin III track listing | ||
| "Since I've Been Loving You" (4) |
"Out on the Tiles" (5) |
"Gallows Pole" (6) |
"Out on the Tiles" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III. It was born out of a little ditty that Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham used to sing when the band was going out to play. It goes "I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles. We're going down the rubbers and were going to pull some scrubbers because we're out on the tiles." Guitarist Jimmy Page turned the tune into a riff that the song was based around, though Bonham's lyrics were replaced with something a little more tame for general audiences.
The title of the song is derived from the British phrase for going out for a night on the town. Drummer John Bonham would often talk about going "Out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars. He is credited with writing the song, along with Page and Robert Plant.
At approximately the 1:23 mark in the track, someone in the recording studio is heard saying "stop". It is widely believed that it was Page who said it, although this has never been confirmed. As the song has unique rhythm and syncopation, it is assumed that whoever yelled "stop" was trying to act as a verbal conductor. Before that, at about 0:11 in the song, someone (possibly Page) says "Alright".
In Japan this track was mistakenly placed on the B-side of the "Immigrant Song" single, rather than "Hey Hey What Can I Do". Those copies are now rare collector's items.
"Out on the Tiles" was played live in its entirety just a few times at Led Zeppelin concerts, most notably on September 4, 1970 in Los Angeles, as is preserved on the famous bootleg recording Live On Blueberry Hill. However, the beginning of the song was much more often used as an introduction to live performances of "Black Dog", as heard on How the West Was Won. It was also used as an introduction to John Bonham's drum solo "Over the Top" (a.k.a. "Moby Dick") on the 1977 concert tour of North America.
Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999. A version of "Out On The Tiles" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.
The song was featured on the VH1 series SuperGroup, in which it was performed as part of the group's set at the concert in series finale, and Jason Bonham dedicated it to his late father John.
Missouri metalcore band Coalesce recorded a version of "Out on the Tiles" for their album There is Nothing New Under the Sun, an album entirely composed of Led Zeppelin covers. Megadeth also covered this song on their 2007 album United Abominations.
[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 |
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| 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 |
