Friends (Led Zeppelin song)
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| “Friends” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Led Zeppelin | |||||
| Album | Led Zeppelin III | ||||
| Released | October 5, 1970 | ||||
| Recorded | May - August 1970 | ||||
| Genre | Hard rock | ||||
| Length | 3:54 | ||||
| Label | Atlantic Records | ||||
| Writer | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant | ||||
| Producer | Jimmy Page | ||||
| Led Zeppelin III track listing | |||||
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"Friends" is the second track from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III, the third studio album of English rock band Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur, a small cottage in Wales where they stayed after completing a gruelling concert tour of the United States.[1]
The song starts out with a little noodling and studio chatter before the guitars of Jimmy Page kick in. The guitar tuning for the song is an open-C6 chord (C-A-C-G-C-E). The same tuning was used by Page on the track "Bron-Yr-Aur" (which was recorded during these same sessions), as well as the song "Poor Tom".[2] Page used an Altair Tube Limiter to enhance the acoustic quality of his Harmony guitar, a device recommended to him by an acoustic guitarist named Dick Rosemenie.[2] This same device was later used by Page on "All My Love", which was included on Led Zeppelin's In Through the Out Door album.[2]
"Friends" is one of a few Led Zeppelin songs that included strings. Bass player John Paul Jones did the string arrangement, which exhibits some distinctive Eastern influences. Some commentators have expressed surprise at the fact that Jones received no writing credit for this song, given that he was entirely responsible for its compelling string arrangement.[2]
The outro to the song includes a Moog synthesizer, which provides a link to the next track on the album, "Celebration Day".
The lyrics say that when someone is lonely or sad, that you should "Give them a smile." Or in other words, make them feel better.
The only known live performance of the song by Led Zeppelin was on 29 September 1971 in Osaka, during the band's Japanese concert tour, as is exhibited on a number of Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings of the show. If listened to closely, Page can be heard asking Plant if he wanted to perform the song when John Bonham had returned from unknown activities backstage.
Influenced by Neil Young, similarities have been noticed between "Friends" and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Carry On", with the first part of the songs being almost identical.[who?].
The song was re-recorded by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant with the Bombay Symphony Orchestra in 1972, during their trip to India, along with another track, "Four Sticks" from Led Zeppelin IV.[3] This version featured tabla drums and sitars. The recordings have never been released officially and are only available on Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings. The project is said to have run into problems because Page complained that the orchestra didn't keep time in the Western style and some of them drank rather a lot.[4]
"Friends" was also recorded by Page and Plant on their 1994 release No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, accompanied by a Middle-Eastern orchestra.
[edit] References
- ^ Phil Sutcliffe, "Back to Nature", Q Magazine Special Led Zeppelin edition, 2003, p. 34.
- ^ a b c d Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ^ Liner notes to Led Zeppelin Box Set, Vol. 2 by David Fricke
- ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Triple J Music Specials - Led Zeppelin (first broadcast 2000-07-12)
[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
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