Black Dog (song)
| "Black Dog" | ||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Led Zeppelin | ||||||||||||||||
| from the album Led Zeppelin IV | ||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Misty Mountain Hop" | |||||||||||||||
| Released | 8 November 1971 2 December 1971 (7" single release date) |
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| Format | 7 inch 45 RPM | |||||||||||||||
| Recorded | December 1970 - March 1971, Headley Grange, Headley, England | |||||||||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock | |||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:56 | |||||||||||||||
| Label | Atlantic | |||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Page/Robert Plant/John Paul Jones | |||||||||||||||
| Producer | Jimmy Page | |||||||||||||||
| Led Zeppelin singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||
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"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, the opening track on their fourth album (1971). It was released as a single in the U.S.A and in Australia with "Misty Mountain Hop" as the B-side, reaching #15 on Billboard and #11 in Australia.
In 2010, the song was ranked #300 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[1] Music sociologist Deena Weinstein calls "Black Dog" "one of the most instantly recognisable [Led] Zeppelin tracks".[2]
Contents |
Title [edit]
The song's title is a reference to a nameless, black Labrador retriever that wandered around the Headley Grange studios during recording.[3][4] The dog is unrelated to the song's lyrics (although the line "Eyes that shine burning red" is reminiscent of the Black dog legend), which are about desperate desire for a woman's love and the happiness it provides. Robert Plant has said of the lyrics, "Not all my stuff is meant to be scrutinized. Things like 'Black Dog' are blatant, let's-do-it-in-the-bath-type things, but they make their point just the same."[5] His vocals were recorded in two takes.[6]
Writing [edit]
John Paul Jones, who is credited with writing the main riff,[7][8] wanted to write a song with a winding riff and complex rhythm changes that people could not "groove" or dance to.
In an interview, he explained the difficulties experienced by the band in writing the song:
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I wanted to try an electric blues with a rolling bass part. But it couldn't be too simple. I wanted it to turn back on itself. I showed it to the guys, and we fell into it. We struggled with the turn-around, until [John] Bonham figured out that you just four-time as if there's no turn-around. That was the secret.[3]
Musical structure [edit]
Built around a call-and-response dynamic between the vocalist and band, ""Black Dog"'s start and stop a cappella verses were inspired by Fleetwood Mac's 1969 song "Oh Well."[7] (Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes performed "Oh Well" on their 1999 tour, and included it on the album Live at the Greek.)[9]
Although it has an apparently simple drum pattern, the song's complex, shifting time signature was intended to thwart cover bands from playing the song.[citation needed] Jones originally wanted the song recorded in 6/8 time but realised it was too complex to reproduce live.[10] In live performances, John Bonham eliminated the 5/4 variation so that Plant could perform his a cappella vocal interludes and then have the instruments return together synchronised.[11] If the volume is turned up loud enough, Bonham can be heard tapping his sticks together before each riff. Page explained this in an interview with Guitar World magazine in 1993:
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He did that to keep time and to signal the band. We tried to eliminate most of them, but muting was much more difficult in those days than it is now.[12]
Page also discussed how he achieved his guitar sound on the track:
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We put my Les Paul through a direct box, and from there into a mic channel. We used the mic amp of the mixing board to get distortion. Then we ran it through two Urei 1176 Universal compressors in series. Then each line was triple-tracked. Curiously, I was listening to that track when we were reviewing the tapes and the guitars almost sound like an analog synthesizer.[12]
Page's solo was constructed out of four overdubbed Gibson Les Paul fills.[7] The sounds at the beginning of the song are those of Page warming up his electric guitar. He called it "waking up the army of guitars" — which are multitrack recorded in unison with electric bass guitar to provide the song's signature.
Live performances [edit]
"Black Dog" became a staple and fan favourite of Led Zeppelin's live concert performances. It was first played live at Belfast's Ulster Hall on 5 March 1971, a concert which also featured the first ever live performance of "Stairway to Heaven".[7] It was retained for each subsequent concert tour until 1973. In 1975 it was used as an encore medley with "Whole Lotta Love", but was hardly used on the band's 1977 concert tour of the United States. It was recalled to the set for the Knebworth Festival 1979 and the 1980 Tour of Europe. For these final 1980 performances, Page introduced the song from stage.[7]
When played live, Led Zeppelin often played the first few bars of "Out on the Tiles" as the introduction for "Black Dog", except for the 1973 tour where the riff from "Bring It On Home" introduced the song. Also, the "ah-ah" refrains were sung in call-and-response between Plant and the audience.
Page's guitar playing prowess is well demonstrated in different recorded 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 Led Zeppelin DVD. The Song Remains the Same version had roughly two minutes cut from the song (from 5:48 to 3:54), going from the first "ah-ah" refrain to the guitar lead, cutting out the third and fourth verse and the second "ah-ah". This short version is also on the 2007 re-release of the soundtrack, but the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD has the full version.
There is also a June 1972 live recording which can be heard on the album How the West Was Won, and another live version on disc two of Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions.
"Black Dog" was performed at the Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on 10 December 2007. A cover version of the song with video was released in 1988 by Newcity Rockers on Critique/Atlantic Records in the US and Mercury Records in Europe. This is the only cover version to achieve US Billboard Hot 100 status peaking at #65. The song was put into immediate rotation on MTV. In an interview with MTV, Plant stated that he was dropping the song from his current live tour.
Plant sampled the song on his solo tracks "Tall Cool One" and "Your Ma Said She Cried in Her Sleep Last Night". Page and Plant performed an updated version of this song on their 1995 tour. "Black Dog" was the first song performed by Page and Plant at the American Music Awards, which kicked off their first tour together in almost fifteen years. Plant also played a version of the song during his solo tour in 2005, as is included on the DVD release Soundstage: Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation. Former Deep Purple-singer David Coverdale's band Whitesnake released the song "Still of the Night" in 1987 which has often been cited similar to "Black Dog"; later, when Coverdale toured with Page in 1993, they played both songs together. Plant and Alison Krauss regularly covered "Black Dog" during their tour of US and Europe in April and May 2008.[13] It also features on their appearance on the Country Music Television show CMT Crossroads, recorded in October 2007.[14] Plant recently performed Black Dog at the Sunflower River Blues Festival in Clarksdale, MS.
Accolades [edit]
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Rock | United States | "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time"[15] | 1995 | 18 |
| The Guitar | United States | "Riff of the Millenium"[16] | 1999 | 7 |
| Rolling Stone | United States | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[1] | 2010 | 300 |
| Q | United Kingdom | "1010 Songs You Must Own!"[17] | 2004 | * |
| Blender | United States | "The Greatest Songs Ever!"[18] | 2005 | * |
| Bruce Pollock | United States | "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000"[19] | 2005 | * |
| Q | United Kingdom | "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks"[20] | 2007 | 1 |
(*) designates unordered lists.
Formats and tracklistings [edit]
1971 7" single (US/Australia: Atlantic 45-2849, Angola/South Africa: Atlantic ATS 568, Argentina: Atlantic 2091175, Austria/Germany: Atlantic ATL 10103, Brazil: Atco 2091175, Canada: Atlantic AT 2849, Cape Verde: Atlantic ATL N 28-118, Ecuador: Atlantic 45-73502, France: Atlantic 10 103, Greece: Atlantic 2091 175, Holland: Atlantic ATL 2091 175, Italy: Atlantic K 10103, Japan: Warner Pioneer P-1101A, Mexico: Atlantic 2207-024, New Zealand: Atlantic ATL 88, Philippines: Atlantic ATR 0033, Portugal: Atlantic N 28118, Singapore: Stereophonic 10103, Spain: Atlantic HS 775, Sweden: Atlantic ATL 10.103, Turkey: Atlantic 72 500)
- A. "Black Dog" (John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) - 4:56
- B. "Misty Mountain Hop" (Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:38
1971 7" radio edit (Japan: Warner Pioneer P-1001A)
- A. "Black Dog" (Stereo) (Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:56
- B. "Black Dog" (Mono) (Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:56
1971 7" single (Poland: Atlantic X 87)
- A. "Black Dog" (Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:56
- B. "When the Levee Breaks" (John Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant, Memphis Minnie) - 7:08
1971 7" single (Poland: Prasniewski N 677)
- A. "Black Dog" (Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:56
- B. "Four Sticks" (Page, Plant) - 4:44
1973 7" single (Venezuela: Atlantic 5-011)
- A. "Black Dog" (Jones, Page, Plant) - 4:56
- B. "Rock and Roll" (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) - 3:40
Chart positions [edit]
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Singles Chart[21] | 24 |
| Dutch Singles Chart[22] | 20 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Chart[23] | 15 |
| Canadian CHUM 30 Chart[24] | 14 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles Chart[25] | 9 |
| US Record World 100 Top Pops[26] | 10 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[27] | 11 |
| German Singles Chart[28] | 22 |
| Australian Go-Set Top 40 Singles Chart[29] | 9 |
| New Zealand Top 50 Singles Chart[30] | 10 |
| French Singles Chart[31] | 23 |
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
| Swiss Singles Chart[32] | 6 |
Single (Digital download) [edit]
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[33] | 119 |
| US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart[34] | 66 |
| Canadian Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart[35] | 59 |
Note: The official UK Singles Chart incorporated legal downloads as of 17 April 2005.
Personnel [edit]
Cover versions [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - May 2010". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
- ^ Deena Weinstein (1991), "Listener's Guide to Heavy Metal" in Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology, New York: Lexington Books, ISBN 0-669-21837-5, p. 278
- ^ a b Liner notes by Cameron Crowe for The Complete Studio Recordings
- ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Triple J Music Specials - Led Zeppelin (first broadcast 12 July 2000)
- ^ "Cameron Crowe interview Led Zeppelin". 18 March 1975. Retrieved 7 November 2007.
- ^ "Led Zeppelin Database - Studio Sessions & Rehearsals". Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ^ Dave Schulps, Interview with Jimmy Page, Trouser Press, October 1977.
- ^ Black Dog Songfacts. Songfacts. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
- ^ Dave Lewis (1991), "The Making of Led Zep IV" in Led Zeppelin: A Celebration II, London: Omnibus Press, ISBN 1-84449-056-4, p. 22
- ^ Theodore Gracyk (2007), Listening to Popular Music, Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Led Zeppelin, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, ISBN 0-472-06983-7, p. 166
- ^ a b Interview with Jimmy Page, Guitar World magazine, 1993
- ^ Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at the Birmingham NIA[dead link]
- ^ "CMT Episode Guide". Cmt.com. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
- ^ ROCK SONGS "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time - 1995". Jacobs Media. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ "Riff of the Millenium - December 1999". The Guitar. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ "1010 Songs You Must Own! Celebrity Choices - September 2004". Q. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ "Standout Tracks from the 500 CDs You Must Own - January 2005". Blender. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 - 2005". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ Greatest Guitar Tracks "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks - September 2007". Q. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles - 1 January 1972". Oricon. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles - 29 January 1972". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Hot 100 Singles - 12 February 1972". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "CHUM Singles Chart - 12 February 1972". 1050chum.com. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles - 19 February 1972". Cash Box. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ^ [http://www.geocities.com/muggy59/1972.html[dead link] "Top 40 for 1972 - February 1972"]. Record World. Retrieved 2009-01-19.[dead link]
- ^ "RPM Singles Chart - 26 February 1972". RPM. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles - 6 March 1972". musicline.de. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Top 40 Singles - 1 April 1972". Go Set. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). "Top 50 Singles - April 1972". The Complete New Zealand Music Charts (1st ed.). Wellington: Transpress. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles - 1972". infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles - 7 March 1973". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
- ^ "UK Top Singles - 18 November 2007". musicvf.com. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ^ "Hot Digital Songs - 1 December 2007". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Hot Digital Singles - 1 December 2007". Billboard. Retrieved 17 January 2009.[dead link]
- Bibliography
- Lewis, Dave (2004) The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
- Welch, Chris (1998) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
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