Black Dog (song)

"Black Dog"
Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin IV
B-side "Misty Mountain Hop"
Released

8 November 1971

2 December 1971 (7 inch single release date)
Format 7 inch 45 RPM
Recorded December 1970–March 1971
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 4:56
Label Atlantic Records
Writer(s) Page/Plant/Jones
Producer Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
"Immigrant Song" / "Hey Hey What Can I Do"
(1970)		 "Black Dog" / "Misty Mountain Hop"
(1971)		 "Rock and Roll" / "Four Sticks"
(1972)
Music sample
"Black Dog"
Zoso.svg (Led Zeppelin IV) track listing
"Black Dog"
(1)		 "Rock and Roll"
(2)

"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which is featured as the lead-off track of their fourth album, released in 1971. It was also released as a single in the United States and Australia with "Misty Mountain Hop" on the B-side, and reached #15 on Billboard and #11 in Australia.

In 2004 the song was ranked #294 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Music sociologist Deena Weinstein argues, "Black Dog" is "one of the most instantly recognisable [Led] Zeppelin tracks".[1]

Contents

Inspiration and recording

Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones, who is credited with writing the main riff,[2][3] wanted to write a song that people could not "groove" or dance to with its winding riff and complex rhythm changes.

In an interview, Jones explained the difficulties experienced by the band in writing the song:

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.[4]

The song's title is a reference to a nameless black Labrador retriever that wandered around the Headley Grange studios during recording.[4][5] The dog has nothing to do with the song lyrics, which are about desperate desire for a woman's love and the happiness resulting thereby. Regarding the lyrics to the song, Plant later said, "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."[6] Plant's vocals were recorded in two takes.[7]

Built around a call-and-response dynamic between vocalist and the band, the start and stop a cappella verses were inspired by Fleetwood Mac's 1969 song "Oh Well."[2] (Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes would later perform "Oh Well" on their 1999 tour and included it on the album Live at the Greek.)[8]

Despite the seeming simplicity of the drum pattern, the song features a complex, shifting time signature that the band has sometimes claimed was intended to thwart cover bands from playing the song. Jones originally wanted the song recorded in 3/16 time but realised it was too complex to reproduce live.[9] In live performances, Bonham eliminated the 5/4 variation so that Plant could perform his a cappella vocal interludes and then have the instruments return to together synchronised.[10] If the volume is turned up loud enough, Bonham can be heard tapping his sticks together before each riff. Page made reference to this in an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine in 1993:

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.[11]

Page also discussed how he achieved his guitar sound on the track:

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.[11]

Page's solo was constructed out of four overdubbed Gibson Les Paul fills.[2]

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.

During the outro-solo Robert Plant can be heard moaning and wailing in the background. [1] Around the 4-minute mark, he says, "Push me babe, push me babe." It was also during this part of the song that Robert Plant hits his highest note on any Led Zeppelin studio recording. He reaches it between the second and third repetition of the fade-out riff during the guitar solo (at the 3:49 mark in the song). Often known for hitting the high G during the band's early years, Plant seems to reach A5 here.

Live performances

"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".[2] 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.[2]

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 Robert 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. There is also a June 1972 live recording of "Black Dog" which can be heard on the album How the West Was Won, and another live version on Disc 2 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.

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 15 years. Robert 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. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss regularly covered "Black Dog" during their tour of USA and Europe in April and May 2008.[12] It also features on their appearance on the Country Music Television show CMT Crossroads, recorded in October 2007. CMT Episode Guide

Accolades

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Classic Rock United States "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time"[13] 1995 18
The Guitar United States "Riff of the Millenium"[14] 1999 7
Rolling Stone United States "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[15] 2003 294
Q United Kingdom "1010 Songs You Must Own!"[16] 2004 *
Blender United States "The Greatest Songs Ever!"[17] 2005 *
Bruce Pollock United States "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000"[18] 2005 *
Q United Kingdom "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks"[19] 2007 1
DigitalDreamDoor United States "The 100 Greatest Recordings From 1971"[20] 2007 20
DigitalDreamDoor United States "The 100 Greatest Rock Guitar Riffs"[21] 2007 32

(*) designates unordered lists.

Formats and tracklistings

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)

1971 7" radio edit (Japan: Warner Pioneer P-1001A)

1971 7" single (Poland: Atlantic X 87)

1971 7" single (Poland: Prasniewski N 677)

1973 7" single (Venezuela: Atlantic 5-011)

Chart positions

Chart (1972) Peak position
Japanese Singles Chart[22] 24
Dutch Singles Chart[23] 20
US Billboard Hot 100 Chart[24] 15
Canadian CHUM 30 Chart[25] 14
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles Chart[26] 9
US Record World 100 Top Pops[27] 10
Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[28] 11
German Singles Chart[29] 22
Australian Go-Set Top 40 Singles Chart[30] 9
New Zealand Top 50 Singles Chart[31] 10
French Singles Chart[32] 23
Chart (1973) Peak position
Swiss Singles Chart[33] 6

Single (Digital download)

Chart (2007) Peak position
UK Singles Chart[34] 119
US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart[35] 66
Canadian Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart[36] 59

Note: The official UK Singles Chart incorporated legal downloads as of 17 April 2005.

Personnel

Cover versions

Album versions

Ronnie James Dio covered the song with his band Elf in early 70s.

  • 1972: CCS (C.C.S. 2)
  • 1975: Eumir Deodato (First Cuckoo)
  • 1990: Dread Zeppelin (Un-Led-Ed)
  • 1992: Foley (7 Years Ago... Directions in Smart-Alec Music)
  • 1993: Paul Shaffer (The World's Most Dangerous Party)
  • 1995: Hampton String Quartet (Sympathy for the Devil)
  • 1997: John Farnham (Anthology 3: Rarities [recorded live 1996])
  • 1997: John Lee Sanders (World Blue)
  • 1999: Coalesce (There Is Nothing New Under the Sun EP)
  • 1999: Jizzy Pearl (The Song Remains Remixed: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
  • 1999: Johnny Favourite (Holiday Romance: Swing Collection)
  • 2001: Out of Phase (A Tribute to Led Zeppelin IV)
  • 2002: Tony Levin (Double Espresso)
  • 2002: Masterplan (The Music Remains the Same: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
  • 2002: Issa (The Electronic Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
  • 2003: Heart (Alive in Seattle [recorded live 2002])
  • 2003: Tracy Bonham (Bee EP)
  • 2004: Page and Plant (No Quarter: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant Unledded DVD)
  • 2004: Tracy G (Deviating from the List)
  • 2004: Tuba Guitarra & Bateria (TubaGuitarra&Bateria)
  • 2005: Hayseed Dixie (A Hot Piece of Grass)
  • 2005: Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, & Lenny White (Electric)[37]
  • 2005: James Ryan (Led Zeppelin Salute: Get the Led Out!)
  • 2005: Led Zepagain (A Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
  • 2006: Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation (Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation)
  • 2006: Zepparella (Live at 19 Broadway [recorded 28 October 2005])
  • 2006: Franck Tortiller & Orchestre National de Jazz (Close to Heaven: A Led Zeppelin Tribute)
  • 2006: Studio 99 (Led Zeppelin: A Tribute)
  • 2007: Spahn Ranch (The Many Faces of Led Zeppelin [remix])
  • 2007: Finn and the Sharks (Breakfast Special)
  • 2007: The Boys from County Nashville (Long Ago and Far Away: The Celtic Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
  • 2008: Ted Kooshian (Ted Kooshian's Standard Orbit Quartet)
  • 2008: Keith Emerson (Led Box: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute)
  • 2008: Mads Tolling Trio (Speed of Light)
  • 2008: Debbie Landry (Misty Mountain Hop: A Millennium Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
  • 2009: Momentary Prophets (Quickening)

Samples

Other versions

Sources

  1. ↑ Deena Weinstein (1991), "Listener's Guide to Heavy Metal" in Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology, New York: Lexington Books, ISBN 0-6692-1837-5, p. 278
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  3. ↑ Dave Schulps, Interview with Jimmy Page, Trouser Press, October 1977.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Liner notes by Cameron Crowe for The Complete Studio Recordings
  5. ↑ Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Triple J Music Specials - Led Zeppelin (first broadcast 12 July 2000)
  6. ↑ "Cameron Crowe interview Led Zeppelin". 18 March 1975. http://www.cameroncrowe.com/journalism/articles/crowe_eyesandears_journalism_led.html. Retrieved 7 November 2007. 
  7. ↑ "Led Zeppelin Database - Studio Sessions & Rehearsals". http://www.argenteumastrum.com/studio_sessions_and_rehearsals.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2007. 
  8. ↑ Black Dog Songfacts. Songfacts. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  9. ↑ 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
  10. ↑ 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
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Interview with Jimmy Page, Guitar World magazine, 1993
  12. ↑ Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at the Birmingham NIA
  13. ↑ ROCK SONGS "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time - 1995". Jacobs Media. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/50.html#CLASSIC ROCK SONGS. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  14. ↑ "Riff of the Millenium - December 1999". The Guitar. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/50.html#guitarriff. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  15. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - November 2003". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/500songs. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  16. ↑ "1010 Songs You Must Own! Celebrity Choices - September 2004". Q. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/q1010songs.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  17. ↑ "Standout Tracks from the 500 CDs You Must Own - January 2005". Blender. http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1407. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  18. ↑ "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 - 2005". Acclaimed Music. http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/Current/S4102.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  19. ↑ Greatest Guitar Tracks "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks - September 2007". Q. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#20 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  20. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Recordings From 1971 - 2007". DigitalDreamDoor. http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/bg_hits/bg_hits_71.html. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  21. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Rock Guitar Riffs - 2007". DigitalDreamDoor. http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/best_guitarriff.html. Retrieved 2009-02-10. 
  22. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 1 January 1972". Oricon. http://www.oricon.co.jp/. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  23. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 29 January 1972". dutchcharts.nl. http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=Black+Dog&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  24. ↑ "Hot 100 Singles - 12 February 1972". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070665&cdi=8848487&cid=02%2F12%2F1972. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  25. ↑ "CHUM Singles Chart - 12 February 1972". 1050chum.com. http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?chart=786. Retrieved 15 January 2009. 
  26. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 19 February 1972". Cash Box. http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19720219.html. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  27. ↑ "Top 40 for 1972 - February 1972". Record World. http://www.geocities.com/muggy59/1972.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  28. ↑ "RPM Singles Chart - 26 February 1972". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.7509&volume=17&issue=2&issue_dt=February%2026%201972&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=hrg50o22lgammqcogv27ve6d95. Retrieved 15 January 2009. 
  29. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 6 March 1972". musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/title/LED+ZEPPELIN/Black+Dog/single. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  30. ↑ "Top 40 Singles - 1 April 1972". Go Set. http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1972/19720401.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  31. ↑ Scapolo, Dean (2007). "Top 50 Singles - April 1972". The Complete New Zealand Music Charts (1st ed.). Wellington: Transpress. ISBN 1-877443-00-8. 
  32. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 1972". infodisc.fr. http://www.infodisc.fr/SongPts_70.php?debut=750. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
  33. ↑ "Top 100 Singles - 7 March 1973". hitparade.ch. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Led+Zeppelin&titel=Black+Dog&cat=s. Retrieved 15 January 2009. 
  34. ↑ "UK Top Singles - 18 November 2007". musicvf.com. http://www.musicvf.com/Led+Zeppelin.art. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  35. ↑ "Hot Digital Songs - 1 December 2007". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=395&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Digital+Songs&ci=3088348&cdi=9518569&cid=12%2F01%2F2007. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  36. ↑ "Hot Digital Singles - 1 December 2007". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=346&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Canadian+Digital+Singles&ci=3088339&cdi=9518226&cid=12%2F01%2F2007. Retrieved 17 January 2009. 
  37. ↑ "Electric overview". Allmusic.com. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dnfuxqysldfe. 
  38. ↑ http://www.hereinmyhead.com/collect/beesides/blackdog.html
  39. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k2ByWUns9k

References

Led Zeppelin
John Bonham · John Paul Jones · Jimmy Page · Robert Plant
Studio albums
Live albums
The Song Remains the Same · BBC Sessions · How the West Was Won
Compilations
Led Zeppelin · Profiled · Remasters · Boxed Set 2 · The Complete Studio Recordings · Best of Led Zeppelin · Mothership · Definitive Collection
Singles
"Good Times Bad Times" / "Communication Breakdown" · "Whole Lotta Love" / "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" · "Immigrant Song" / "Hey Hey What Can I Do" · "Black Dog" / "Misty Mountain Hop" · "Rock and Roll" / "Four Sticks" · "Over the Hills and Far Away" / "Dancing Days" · "D'yer Mak'er" / "The Crunge" · "Trampled Under Foot" / "Black Country Woman" · "Candy Store Rock" / "Royal Orleans" · "Fool in the Rain" / "Hot Dog"
Films
The Song Remains the Same · Led Zeppelin
Tours
Scandinavia 1968 · U.K. 1968 · North America 1968/1969 · U.K. & Scandinavia 1969 · North America Spring 1969 · U.K. Summer 1969 · North America Summer 1969 · Europe Autumn 1969 · North America Autumn 1969 · U.K. 1970 · Europe 1970 · North America Spring 1970 · Iceland, Bath & Germany 1970 · North America Summer 1970 · U.K. Spring 1971 · Europe 1971 · North America 1971 · Japan 1971 · U.K. Winter 1971 · Australasia 1972 · North America 1972 · Japan 1972 · U.K. 1972-1973 · Europe 1973 · North America 1973 · North America 1975 · Earls Court 1975 · North America 1977 · Knebworth 1979 · Over Europe 1980 · Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert 2007
Related
Articles
Discography (Bootlegs) · Swan Song · Bron-Yr-Aur · The Starship · Caesar's Chariot · Shark episode
Bands
The Yardbirds · XYZ · The Firm · Coverdale-Page · Page and Plant · Them Crooked Vultures · Strange Sensation
Books
Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga · Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored · When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin
People
Peter Grant · Richard Cole · Jason Bonham
Wikipedia book Book · Category Category · Portal Portal · WikiProject WikiProject
Led Zeppelin IV
"Black Dog" · "Rock and Roll" · "The Battle of Evermore" · "Stairway to Heaven" · "Misty Mountain Hop" · "Four Sticks" · "Going to California" · "When the Levee Breaks"