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Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)

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"Black Dog"
Picture sleeve for French vinyl single
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin IV
B-side"Misty Mountain Hop"
Released2 December 1971 (1971-12-02) (US)
RecordedJanuary 1971; December 1970, February 1971[1]
StudioRolling Stones Mobile Studio, Headley Grange, Hampshire; Island Studios, London[1]
Genre
Length4:55
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
"Immigrant Song"
(1970) 		"Black Dog"
(1971) 		"Rock and Roll"
(1972)

"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the first track on the band's untitled fourth album (1971), which has become one of the best-selling albums of all time.[6] The song was released as a single and reached the charts in many countries. It is "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks", and was included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (US), and ranked No. 1 in Q magazine's (UK) "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks". The lyrics contain typical bluesman themes of lust, eroticism and betrayal.[1]

Composition

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"Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin
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The title is a reference to a nameless black Labrador Retriever the band used to see wandering the Headley Grange studio grounds.[7] The dog would disappear in the evening and return exhausted in the early morning, before resting all day and repeating his evening sojourns.[1] Robert Plant believed the lab was spending nights with his "old lady" (dog). Likewise the lyrics are narrated by a man obsessed with a woman, "got a flaming heart can't get my fill", he "can't keep away" from her "honey drip";[nb 1][nb 2] she reveals her true intention, spending his money, taking his car, "telling her friends she's gonna be a star", at which point the deception becomes clear and he turns cold, saying "a big-legged woman ain't got no soul".[1] The story of lust, eroticism, and ultimately betrayal echoes the traditional reputation of the blues as being the music of the devil, alluded to in the lyric "eyes that shine a burning red".[1][nb 3]

The song opens with muted sounds of guitars warming up in the background, an idea by Jimmy Page, who also made curious opening sounds in "Immigrant Song" and "Friends", he was fond of starting songs in an unexpected way. The sounds are actually recordings of various guitar track openings played simultaneously, creating a "sonic collage" in which the tape can be heard spinning up to speed. Robert Plant then begins singing in a high strong voice, "hey, hey, mama" unaccompanied by music (a cappella). This sets the structure of the song, around a call and response dynamic, between the vocalist and the band, back and forth. It was Jimmy Page's idea to start and stop the music, and he was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's 1969 song "Oh Well".[10]

Bassist John Paul Jones, who is credited with writing the main riff, said he was inspired by Muddy Waters' 1968 album Electric Mud. However he retracted this, in 2007, saying that he was confused, and that his main inspiration was actually The Howlin' Wolf Album by Howlin' Wolf, particularly the repeating riff in "Smokestack Lightning", which Jones and Page sped up.[11]

Jones added complex rhythm changes,[7] that biographer Keith Shadwick describes as a "clever pattern that turns back on itself more than once, crossing between time signatures as it does."[12] The group had a difficult time with the turnaround, but drummer John Bonham's solution was to play it straight through as if there was no turnaround.[7] As Jean-Michel Guesdon notes, the recording contains rhythmic coordination errors, such as between 0:41 and 0:47, when the guitars are not in sync with the drums. He says it was part of the band's "genius" to discount these "errors" as "curiosities" ie. characteristic signatures of the song.[13] In live performances, Bonham eliminated the 5
4 variation so that Robert Plant could perform his a cappella vocal interludes and then have the instruments return at the proper time.[14]

For his guitar parts, Jimmy Page used a Gibson Les Paul and made a complicated series of overdubs through various compressors and other equipment. There was so much distortion, Page later said it sounded like an analog synthesizer.[15]

Recordings and releases

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The initial backing tracks of "Black Dog" were recorded on 5 December 1970 at Island Studios on Basing Street in London, with recording engineer Andy Johns.[16] It was the band's first recording at Island Studios.[17] Further tracks were made at Headley Grange (January 1971), and again at Island Studios (February 1971).[1]

Although played at live concerts since March 1971, its first commercial release was on 8 November 1971, as track #1 side one of the album Led Zeppelin IV, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time.[6]

The single followed about a month later, on 2 December 1971 in continental Europe, the United States (via Europe), and Australia. As was their practice, the United Kingdom did not receive the single.[11] "Misty Mountain Hop" is on the B-side.[11]

Personnel

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Source:[1]

Live performances

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"Black Dog" became a staple 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".[18] 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 US concert tour. 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.[18] "Black Dog" was performed for the final time at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in 2007, during Led Zeppelin's headline set.

Reception

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In 2004, the song appeared on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list at number 294.[19] In 2010, it was demoted to number 300.[20] Music sociologist Deena Weinstein calls "Black Dog" "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks".[21] In 2007, Q magazine polled an "all-star panel", who ranked Black Dog as number one in a list of the "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks".[22]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Classic Rock United States "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time"[23] 1995 18
The Guitar United States "Riff of the Millennium"[24] 1999 7
Q United Kingdom "1010 Songs You Must Own!"[25] 2004 *
Rolling Stone United States "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[19] 2004 294
Blender United States "The Greatest Songs Ever!"[26] 2005 *
Bruce Pollock United States "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944–2000"[citation needed] 2005 *
Q United Kingdom "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks"[22] 2007 1
Rolling Stone United States "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[20] 2010 300

* designates unordered lists.

Charts and certifications

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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Notes

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Notes

  1. ^ The term "honeydripper" is black slang for the vagina or a female lover; it can also mean a male lover who says ("drips") sweet things to his female lover.[8]
  2. ^ The lyric, "Watch your honey drip, can't keep away", may have influenced Plant in naming his 1980s band, The Honeydrippers; there are other theories, see that article for details.
  3. ^ The close association of the blues with the devil was well known between the 1920s and 1960s, but has largely faded from popular memory since then. See Gussow 2017, p. 2[9]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 244.
  2. ^ Fast 2001, p. 33: "'Black Dog' ... represents a defining moment in the genre of hard rock."
  3. ^ "Led Zeppelin Biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2014. Black Dog" was a piledriving hard-rock number cut from the same cloth as "Whole Lotta Love.
  4. ^ Schuman 2009, p. 49: "The fourth album also has its share of hard rock tracks. Three that received a lot of radio airplay are 'Black Dog,' 'Misty Mountain Hop,' and the appropriately named 'Rock and Roll.'"
  5. ^ Bream 2010, p. 110: "[Led Zeppelin IV] balances the blues-rock grind of 'Black Dog' against the sun-dappled utopianism of 'Going to California'".
  6. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (29 July 2014). "Led Zeppelin IV: is this the greatest rock album ever made?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Crowe 1993, p. 13.
  8. ^ Green, Jonathon (2023) [2010]. "Bumblebee n. (2)". Green's Dictionary of Slang.
  9. ^ Gussow 2017, p. 2.
  10. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 246-247.
  11. ^ a b c Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 246.
  12. ^ Shadwick 2005, p. 157.
  13. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 248.
  14. ^ Gracyk 2007, p. 166.
  15. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 247-248.
  16. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 236.
  17. ^ Welch, Chris. "Classic Interview: Engineer Andy Johns on the secrets behind Led Zeppelin IV". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  18. ^ a b Lewis 1994.
  19. ^ a b "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006.
  20. ^ a b "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Led Zeppelin, 'Black Dog'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  21. ^ Weinstein 1991, p. 278.
  22. ^ a b "Q: The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks – September 2007". Q. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  23. ^ "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time – 1995". Classic Rock. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  24. ^ "Riff of the Millennium – December 1999". The Guitar. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  25. ^ "1010 Songs You Must Own! – Celebrity Choices – September 2004". Q. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  26. ^ "The Greatest Songs Ever! Black Dog". Blender. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.
  27. ^ "Go-Set National Top 40". Go-Set. 1 April 1972. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  28. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  29. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7509." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  30. ^ "Black Dog – Led Zeppelin". Danske Hitlister. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  31. ^ "Led Zeppelin – Black Dog" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  32. ^ Okamoto, Satoshi (2011). Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 978-4-87131-088-8.
  33. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1972" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  34. ^ "Led Zeppelin – Black Dog" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  35. ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). "Top 50 Singles – April 1972". The Complete New Zealand Music Charts (1st ed.). Wellington: Transpress. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
  36. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  37. ^ "Led Zeppelin – Black Dog". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  38. ^ "Led Zeppelin IV – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  39. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 19, 1972". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
  40. ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 26 February 1972. p. 29. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  41. ^ "Canadian Digital Song Singles". Billboard. 1 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  42. ^ "Led Zeppelin Songs – Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  43. ^ "December 1, 2007 – Rdio". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  44. ^ "British single certifications – Led Zeppelin – Black Dog". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 October 2021.

References

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