Ten Years Gone
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| “Ten Years Gone” | |||||
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| Song by Led Zeppelin | |||||
| Album | Physical Graffiti | ||||
| Released | February 24, 1975 | ||||
| Recorded | 1974 | ||||
| Genre | Hard rock | ||||
| Length | 6:31 | ||||
| Label | Swan Song Records | ||||
| Writer | Page/Plant | ||||
| Physical Graffiti track listing | |||||
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"Ten Years Gone" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Originally intended to be an instrumental piece, Jimmy Page used some 14 guitar tracks to overdub the harmony section.[1] Robert Plant later added lyrics, which are dedicated to an old girlfriend who, ten years earlier, had made him choose either her or his music. Plant explained in an interview in 1975:
| “ | Let me tell you a little story behind the song '"Ten Years Gone" on our new album. I was working my ass off before joining Zeppelin. A lady I really dearly loved said, "Right. It's me or your fans." Not that I had fans, but I said, "I can't stop, I've got to keep going." She's quite content these days, I imagine. She's got a washing machine that works by itself and a little sports- car. We wouldn't have anything to say anymore. I could probably relate to her, but she couldn't relate to me. I'd be smiling too much. Ten years gone, I'm afraid. Anyway, there's a gamble for you.[2] | ” |
Some have speculated that this song was a variation of the never-released Led Zeppelin track "Swan Song", the name they chose for their own record label.[1]
This is one of the few Led Zeppelin songs in which it is possible to hear the squeak of John Bonham's bass drum pedal in the recording studio, the others being "Since I've Been Loving You" from 1970's Led Zeppelin III, "The Ocean" from 1973's Houses of the Holy, "Houses of the Holy" from 1975's Physical Graffiti, and "Bonzo's Montreux" from 1982's Coda.
Live versions of this song were performed on Led Zeppelin's 1977 concert tour of the United States. John Paul Jones originally played the melody on an acoustic guitar but then introduced an unusual triple-necked guitar that included a six-string, twelve string, a mandolin and bass pedals.[1] The band again played the song on the first date of the concerts at Knebworth on August 4, 1979 which was also their last time playing it in concert. They cut it from their set on their second and final Knebworth appearance on August 11, due to problems with the sound system.
Page and Plant performed this song once on their Japanese tour at Osaka on February 15, 1996. Jimmy Page also performed this song on his tour with The Black Crowes in 1999. A version of "Ten Years Gone" performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.
A cover version of "Ten Years Gone" was recorded by Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, and released on his 1997 album In the Name of My Father - The Zepset
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ^ Interview with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, January 1975
[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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