My original idea for the opening tracks of ‘Houses of the Holy’ was that ‘The Song Remains the Same’ (originally called ‘The Overture’) would be a rousing instrumental introduction with layered electric guitars that would then segue into the next one, later to be titled ‘The Rain Song’.
Again there would be a contrasting acoustic instrumental movement that led to the first vocal of the album and the first verse of the song. During the routining of ‘The Song Remains the Same’, (then titled ‘The Plumpton and Worcester Races’), the half time vocal section was born and ‘The Overture’ shaped into a song. These rehearsals were done in Puddletown, on the River Piddle in Dorset.
When we came to record this on 18th May 1972 on The Rolling Stones’ mobile truck at Stargroves, the backing track of ‘The Song Remains the Same’ was played on a Fender electric 12-string, with Les Paul overdubs and standard tuning. ‘The Rain Song’ was in an unorthodox tuning on the six-string. On live shows it became a workout feature for the double neck.
ON THIS DAY… 28 MAR 1973
‘HOUSES OF THE HOLY’ BY LED ZEPPELIN WAS RELEASED
My original idea for the opening tracks of ‘Houses of the Holy’ was that ‘The Song Remains the Same’ (originally called ‘The Overture’) would be a rousing instrumental introduction with layered electric guitars that would then segue into the next one, later to be titled ‘The Rain Song’.
Again there would be a contrasting acoustic instrumental movement that led to the first vocal of the album and the first verse of the song. During the routining of ‘The Song Remains the Same’, (then titled ‘The Plumpton and Worcester Races’), the half time vocal section was born and ‘The Overture’ shaped into a song. These rehearsals were done in Puddletown, on the River Piddle in Dorset.
When we came to record this on 18th May 1972 on The Rolling Stones’ mobile truck at Stargroves, the backing track of ‘The Song Remains the Same’ was played on a Fender electric 12-string, with Les Paul overdubs and standard tuning. ‘The Rain Song’ was in an unorthodox tuning on the six-string. On live shows it became a workout feature for the double neck.
28 March 1973
16 JAN 1973
I PLAYED KINGS HALL IN ABERYSTWYTH WITH LED ZEPPELIN
The audience were seated at Aberystwyth Kings Hall, I almost had the feeling that they couldn’t believe that we were there and it was as though the first number shocked them to the point of apoplexy and they didn’t seem to recover until well into the last numbers.
LED ZEPPELIN PLAY THE LAST NIGHT OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
This was the final night of our American tour and here at Madison Square Garden recording and filming the concert. I was informed as we were on the side stage just before going on to perform that there had been a robbery at the Drake Hotel where the safety deposit box had been relieved of cash the previous night. Somehow all this manifested in even more passion in that night’s performance.
LED ZEPPELIN PLAY THE LAST NIGHT OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
This was the final night of our American tour and here at Madison Square Garden recording and filming the concert. I was informed as we were on the side stage just before going on to perform that there had been a robbery at the Drake Hotel where the safety deposit box had been relieved of cash the previous night. Somehow all this manifested in even more passion in that night’s performance.
27 JUL 1973
I PLAYED MADISON SQUARE GARDEN WITH LED ZEPPELIN
On the 27th July 1973, we began the recording process for what was to become ‘The Song Remains the Same’. The film director for the project was Joe Massot who, with his film crew, had been to Baltimore and Pittsburgh two dates before New York and I hoped that they had become familiar with our shows rather than experience a baptism by fire at the run of shows at this wonderful concert arena. The sound recording was done with a mobile recording studio, courtesy of Bearsville Sound and Eddie Kramer handled the engineering on this and subsequent evenings. I knew this was going to be an epic over the next few days.
27 July 1973
5TH MAY ‘73
The second date of the ‘73 US Summer tour took us to Tampa, Florida where we managed to achieve a record of 56,800 people in the stadium, producing great media excitement as we had apparently broken the attendance record set by The Beatles at Shea Stadium. However, it was a further illustration of the phenomena the band was generating.
LED ZEPPELIN BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORD AS WELL AS AN OLD BARRIER OF SILENCE
By MARY CAMPBELL
Record-break tour audiences and grosses have been claimed by a lot of rock groups — Beatles, Rolling Stones, Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad. Now Led Zeppelin is claiming one — biggest audience for one act ever in the United States.
This was May 5 at the Tampa Stadium, the night after the British group started the U.S. tour in Atlanta. Attendance in Tampa was 56,800, with a $309,000 gross.
Led Zeppelin is on a 33-concert, 30-city tour during May and July, with June off for vacation, expiating a total gross of $3 million. The quarter performs without an opening act or intermission, for two and a half hours.
The group has been popular ever since it started in 1968, largely because lead guitarist Jimmy Page was especially well known already from being in the Yardbirds until that group folded.
5 May 1973
04 MAY 1973
I PLAYED ATLANTA STADIUM WITH LED ZEPPELIN
We opened up the ‘73 US Summer tour in Atlanta at the Fulton County Stadium. It was an open air concert and we had something in the region of 50,000 people. It was truly apparent how the reputation of the group had spread by word of mouth and receptive ears! But what a welcome back to the States this was.
