LED ZEPPELIN 'HOUSES OF THE HOLY' 1977 SD-19130 PRESSING 'RL' PRC PRESSING GATEFOLD
LED ZEPPELIN "HOUSES OF THE HOLY"
LABEL: ATLANTIC SD 19130
ORIGINALLY RELEASED: MARCH 28, 1973
EDITION: 1977 U.S. PRESSING ~ SD 19130 CATALOG NUMBER
'RL' BOB LUDWIG LACQUERED AND MASTERED
PRESSING: PRC RECORD COMPANY ~ RICHMOND, IN ('RI' ON LABEL AND PRC IN MATRIX)
RECORDED AT STARGROVES w/ ROLLING STONES MOBILE UNIT MAY 1972
RECORDED: ISLAND STUDIOS DECEMBER 1971
RECORDED: OLYMPIC STUDIOS LONDON APRIL-MAY 1972
RECORDED: ELECTRIC LADYLAND STUDIOS NYC 1972
MASTERING/LACQUERS: 'RL' ROBERT LUDWIG AT STERLING SOUND
RECORD COMPANY: ATLANTIC RECORDING CORPORATION
'ROCKEFELLER' ADDRESS ON LABEL
ENGINEERS: EDDIE KRAMER & KEITH HARWOOD
MATRIX (SIDE A): ST-A-732783-DDD-1 -1111 AT STERLING RL D PRC
MATRIX (SIDE B): ST-A-732784-DD-1 AT STERLING RL PR
CONDITION: VINYL: VG++ JACKET: VG+ INNER: EX- to EX
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I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this rare original 1977 pressing of 'Houses of the Holy' that I've had in my collection for many years, purchasing it in the mid 70's as a teen.
This is an early 1977 repressing of 'Houses of the Holy.' It has the later Catalog number SD-19130, the early Matrix numbers, and the "75 Rockefeller Plaza" address on the label.
This is the rare, and best sounding, 'Sterling' stamped version, mastered by Robert Ludwig, complete with Bob Ludwig's "RL" in the matrix on both sides.
Zep-heads are constantly arguing over which version of 'Houses of the Holy' sounds best, they're all good, but the general consensus is that these early RL mastered 1977 re-pressing versions are the very best.
Ludwig was very familiar with Led Zeppelin, and he really knew how to enhance their sound on vinyl.
RL's mastering has powerful dynamics, lots of depth, warm detail and a full bodied soundstage. Great instrument separation with great vocal presence. Clear crisp guitars, great heavy bass, and thunderous punchy drums.
These early RL pressings sound absolutely amazing. When you crank it, the sound stays intact and it doesn’t lose anything.
Most Zeppelin fans also agree that these PRC pressings are generally considered to be the best-sounding pressings at the time. They have a more clear, vibrant, and punchy dynamic sound.
You just can't top a Bob Ludwig master of this classic Led Zeppelin album. It's really the only way to hear this album as the band intended.
This album has been repressed, re-released, and remastered over the years, but as a Led Zeppelin fan and Zeppelin vinyl collector, this is the copy you want; an early 1977 re-pressing, the SD-719130 catalog number, 'RL' Ludwig mastering, PRC pressing, and clean jacket, gatefold and inner sleeve.
If you like Led Zeppelin and collect their records, this is a fantastic original 1977 record to add to your collection.
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'Houses of the Holy' was Led Zeppelin's fifth studio album, released on March 28th 1973. It's considered the perfect Led Zeppelin album, and it's many people's favorite.
'Houses of the Holy' is one of the band's greatest albums, but also very much their forgotten album, buried in-between the first four undisputed classics, and 1975's 'Physical Graffiti'.
There was a lot of apprehension from fans about this album, coming in the aftermath of Led Zeppelin IV, and particularly in the wake of “Stairway to Heaven.”
How could they possibly top that album? That song?
At the time, there was a real sense that Led Zeppelin’s next album would be either a masterpiece or a disappointment. Fans expected another triumph.
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By the year 1972, when they started work on this album, Led Zeppelin were the kings on top of the rock 'n' roll mountain.
1971's “Led Zeppelin IV” took the band to new dizzying heights with its fantastic music and commercial success. Zeppelin had also become the world’s biggest live act; their 1972 tour was a massive sold-out affair, making them very popular and Rock Gods.
Since they were now ‘The Biggest Band in the World’, the band members were confident in their musical abilities, and with that confidence came the freedom to pursue their own musical interests, create different styles of music, experiment a bit, and have a little fun.
'House of the Holy' found them doing exactly that. The eight songs on 'Houses of the Holy' saw Zep stretching the boundaries of the Zeppelin sound beyond their heavy metal blues influences. As Robert Plant said, it was a chance for Zeppelin to show another side to their personality.
Led Zeppelin was confident that they could do anything they turned their minds to – and do it better than anybody else.
The album was a stylistic turning point for the band. After making some amazing rock albums, the band had nowhere else to go but to dive even deeper within themselves, creating something entirely unique.
'Houses of the Holy' came along at a time when the band was firing on all cylinders and could do no wrong, but what makes 'Houses of the Holy' one of Led Zeppelin’s best, if not, the best album, is how ‘un-Led Zeppelin’ it is.
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Led Zeppelin kicked off their fifth album with a track called "The Song Remains the Same," which suggested that this album would contain more of the hard, heavy, bluesy music featured on LZ IV and previous albums, but the song title was a lie.
'Houses of the Holy' was anything but the same as its predecessors. It was inventive, experimental and electrifying.
"There was a lot of imagination on that record," Robert Plant acknowledged. "I prefer it much more than the fourth album. I think it's much more varied..."
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'Houses of the Holy' was the first Led Zeppelin album to be given an official proper title. It's a term they used to describe the huge venues and stadiums where their fans partook in the Led Zeppelin sacrament and experience.
The record had an explicit title, but like the previous album, neither the band's name nor the album title was printed on the sleeve. Another totally 'blank' album jacket, letting the cover art and the music speak for itself.
It was their first album composed of entirely original material and was the first and only Led Zeppelin album that contained complete printed lyrics for each song.
This was also Led Zeppelin's final studio release on Atlantic Records before forming their own label, Swan Song Records, in 1974
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THE 'STARGROVE' RECORDING SESSIONS FOR 'HOUSES OF THE HOLY'
Led Zeppelin had set aside some time in the spring and summer of 1972 to work on their next album and, after touring Australia in April 1972, the group decided to get serious.
When they were looking to start the recording process for 'Houses of the Holy', Jimmy Page wanted the band to really immerse themselves in the process; to live together, play together, and record the music in their own environment, whenever the urge hit them.
For 'Houses', Jimmy didn't want the band going to a recording studio for a few hours, and then return home; he wanted the band to totally immerse themselves within the recording process itself.
This method of recording had worked well on LZ IV, taking over Headley Grange as both a home away from the distractions of the Rock and Roll lifestyle, and as a 24 hour a day recording studio.
By the time the band figured out their touring schedule and had some free time, their usual favorite choice of location, Headley Grange was already booked and not available.
Some early jamming took place in Dorset, England, but they still needed a place to live together, jam, play and record.
in the Spring of 1972, they chose Stargroves, Mick Jagger’s English manor house and country estate in Berkshire Hampshire.
Mick's mansion was conveniently empty, as the Stones had moved to France a year before to avoid Britain’s punitive new tax laws, and to work on making 'Exile On Main Street'.
Stargroves had already been used to record such classic albums as The Rolling Stones' 'Sticky Fingers' and The Who's 'Who’s Next'. It seemed to be the perfect option for Led Zeppelin.
The Rolling Stones mobile recording studio was brought in and work began on the 'Houses' album in April 1972.
The four members of Led Zeppelin moved in to Mick's place and got settled in. Most everybody brought new ideas and new energy to the sessions.
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By this point in their careers, both guitarist and producer Jimmy Page and bassist / keyboardist John Paul Jones had enough financial resources to design, build and install state-of-the-art recording studios in their homes.
This allowed them to write and develop more sophisticated songs and arrangements, and to expand their musical styles.
It also allowed them to bring more fully formed songs, complete compositions and arrangements with them to Stargroves to share with their bandmates.
Page had come to the sessions loaded with song ideas worked up beforehand at his home studio. He was able to present nearly finished arrangements of "The Rain Song' and "Over the Hills and Far Away", complete with multiple overdubbed guitar parts.
Meanwhile, Jones had developed a new arrangement of his masterpiece "No Quarter".
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Led Zeppelin approached the 'Houses' sessions with a fresh open mind.
Jimmy Page notes: "When we first went down there, we had no set ideas...We just recorded the ideas each one of us had at that particular time. It was simply a matter of getting together and letting it come out." “You can hear the fun we were having...you can also hear the dedication and commitment.”
On their prior records, Jimmy Page did the bulk of the writing and assumed full control over the music. Starting with Led Zep III, he let Robert Plant have more artistic control over the vocals, but Page still controlled the 'sound' of the band.
On this album, Page allows keyboardist John Paul Jones to open up and have much more freedom. Page realized that Jones' sense of composition, arrangement, and overall technical proficiency was amazing, and he let Jones 'do his thing' on this album, which led to such classics as 'No Quarter'.
Page also let powerhouse drummer John Bonham be more of a loose cannon and rock out, leading to classics like 'The Crunge'.
With all 4 members unbound and unleashed, there was a real unity of spirit and a unity of purpose. There was also a newly found chemistry of writing together, and a newfound sense of cohesiveness that was missing on their earlier albums.
On this album, the band were really able to stretch out and experiment.
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Everyone brought something to the table at Stargroves and it was some of the most varied styles and types of music ever considered for a Led Zeppelin release.
That combination of preparedness, fresh ideas, cohesiveness, and energy made the Stragroves sessions magical, and they got right down to business.
They immediately set about playing jam sessions together, which yielded even more new ideas and new compositions.
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For Recording Engineer at Stargroves, the band decided to use the talented American Eddie Kramer, who they had worked with in the past.
Kramer got the call to fly to England and join the band at Stargroves. When he arrived, the band were in a buoyant playful mood, seemingly having the time of their lives.
Kramer showed up at Stargroves along with an American girlfriend, but “Robert Plant bagged her straight away”. Meanwhile, Page had bagged Jagger’s bedroom, one of the few furnished rooms in the house, and set up his command center.
Working with Kramer, the band began laying down new music, stretching out stylistically, and creating new music out of extended nightly jam sessions.
Eventually, Kramer assisted Zeppelin to record eight new tracks at Stargroves, four of which ended up on the album.
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Like Headley Grange, the Stargroves mansion itself played a significant role in how 'Houses of the Holy' would sound and develop.
Both the band and sound Engineer Kramer loved the ambient sounds in the mansion, so they utilized every aspect of the house and the grounds they could.
Different rooms were used to capture different sounds. Some songs were even recorded outdoors in the gardens.
Bonham’s kit was set up in a large, conservatory-style space downstairs to capture his large booming sound.
The other instruments were set up wherever they sounded best.
For one track, Kramer famously recorded Jimmy's amp in an empty fireplace, running the microphone down the chimney to get a unique sound.
Kramer recalled “It sounded wonderful because you could get this amazing variable acoustic in each room...the ability to be able to change the sound without going anywhere.”
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The Stargroves sessions were basically wrapped up by May 1972.
In mid May, some further sessions and recording took place at London’s Island and Olympic studios, with engineers Keith Harwood, Andy Johns and George Chkiantz.
In June, Led Zeppelin went back on the road for their 1972 North American tour. During breaks on the tour, additional recording sessions and finishing touches were conducted at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios in New York with engineer Eddie Kramer once again.
The final album was mixed by Jimmy Page and Eddie Kramer at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
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'Houses of the Holy' was essentially finished by August of 1972 and scheduled for a January 1973 release.
It had to be mastered, plated and pressed, and the 'simple' matter of creating an album jacket need to be figured out.
But, that would all need to wait until the band had more free time. For now, they were due back on the road.
In June, the band started their 1972 North American tour and the band toured thru much of 1972 and into the new year.
Many of the songs on this album were previewed live on that 1972 tour.
Jimmy Page has often claimed that the late '72 period was the height of the band. During this time, the band were on fire, and performed some of the most amazing rock and roll shows of the era.
Constant touring had turned them into Rock Gods and Superstars. They had finally become the greatest Rock band in the World.
By the time 'Houses of the Holy' was released in March 1973, Led Zeppelin was at the top of their game. They were finally getting the critical acclaim and respect that had been denied them for so long. Zeppelin finally owned the post-Woodstock crowd.
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THE COVER ART FOR 'HOUSES OF THE HOLY'
The band wanted their next album to have a cover that was as creative and visually impactful as the picture of the old stick man on the cover of their previous album, the classic LZ IV.
Page felt that “something large, strong, powerful, awesome and mythic was clearly called for…”
The band commissioned the renowned London graphic artist and designer collective, 'Hipgnosis' to create the cover.
One initial idea involved recreating one of LZ IV's ‘four symbols’ at the Nazca Lines in Peru. This was costly and prohibitive, but the creative idea did show up later on the cover to the booklet for the first Led Zeppelin box set.
Another idea, which Jimmy Page quickly rejected, featured a Tennis court and some tennis equipment, suggesting that Led Zeppelin's music was a "Racket."
Then Aubrey Powell developed an idea inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s 1953 novel 'Childhood’s End'. At the conclusion of the book, all the children in the world gather together, to unite into a single column, and depart from the Earth.
Initial ideas were to have a naked family, completely covered with silver and gold make-up, swarming towards some special central location, from which they would depart en masse in a burst of spiritual or mental energy.
The remote, mystical, volcanic rock columns and rock formations of Giant’s Causeway, on the Northern coast of Ireland, was chosen as the site.
The album cover project started in November 1972. The initial photo shoot featured 3 adults and two children, 5 year old Stefan and 7 year old Samantha Gates. Stefan and his sister Samantha were already well-established child models.
The plan was to photograph the models, while also capturing the special light effects, at dawn and dusk, in November, on the rough Irish coast.
The models, family and crew spent 10 days there, but the weather was horrible and stormy, and they were forced to deal with dark overcast skies and poor light.
At 4:00 AM, the three adults and two children were covered with silver and gold make-up, then taken out to the shore in search of a glorious sunrise, which never came.
After several days, they ran out of make-up and had to resort to using Automobile spray paint purchased locally. Everybody was getting annoyed, cold, bored and fed up with the project.
Eventually artist Aubrey Powell realized that his original vision for the album cover was impossible. He changed his plan to using just the 2 children.
He photographed the children separately, carefully positioned and composed on the volcanic rocks, using black and white film.
He could then piece all the photos together, making a composite collage, to create the cover art. He cleverly combined multiple images of the 2 children to create the effect of 11 different children climbing the rocks.
When reviewing his photos, Powell realized that the gold and silver colors of the bodies lost their luster and appeared 'washed out' against the dark Irish sky, so any 'color' would have to be added afterwards.
Artist Philip Crennel was chosen to painstaking retouch all the images by hand, using many layers of water-soluble dyes to create the vivid images.
Due to unexpected 'blending' of the water-based dyes, Crennel's technique accidentally gave the children a purple tinge. They almost scrapped the project, but soon came to realize that the purple skin added to the otherworldly aura of the image.
The whole process took 2 months, forcing the band to push the album’s release date back from January to March in order to finish the album's cover.
The final iconic cover art was powerful and shocking, but also mystical and beautiful.
The children all face away, inexplicably lifting their arms to the sky in an unexplained gesture. They are anonymous, faceless, expressionless, which adds to the odd mystery of where they are, and what their purpose is.
The inner gatefold image is even stranger. It depicts young, 5-year old Stefan being raised up by a naked man, as if in sacrifice.
The photograph was taken at Dunluce Castle in Ireland, in County Antrim, nearby the Giant's Causeway.
It's a haunting, mystical, disturbing and sinister image.
The 'Houses of the Holy' album cover caused a lot of controversy when it was released in the Spring of 1973.
It opened up a big argument about art, nudity, sexism and the true intentions behind imagery. Page fought back stating “Children are houses of the holy; we’re all houses of the holy – I don’t see how that’s naughty.”
After some backlash, Peter Grant allowed Atlantic Records to add a narrow, white, wrap-around paper sleeve, with the band's name and album title, to U.S. pressings of the album, in order to cover up the children’s naked buttocks.
This album does NOT have it's white sleeve.
Despite the controversy, in 1974, the iconic album cover was nominated for the 'Best Recording Package' Grammy award.
This also wasn't the last time young Samantha Gates would appear on a Led Zppelin album cover. She also appears on the back cover of the their 1976 album 'Presence'.
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'Houses of the Holy' was finally released on March 28, 1973, just as the band was achieving great fame and flying higher than ever.
Although intended for release in January 1973, delays in producing the album cover meant that it was not released until March, when the band was in the middle of its 1973 European tour.
Since many of the album's songs were recorded almost a year previously, many of the songs on the album were being played live by the band in concert, which helped increase demand for the new album.
Once released, the album introduced a whole new side, and new sound, of Led Zeppelin. It was a very different album to what anybody was expecting at the time, especially being the follow-up to the great Led Zeppelin IV.
Critical response was mixed. Many people were initially shocked and stunned by how 'different' it was to LZ IV.
On first listen, 'Houses of the Holy' disappointed some of the band's hard-rockin’ fans and critics who felt it wasn’t heavy enough.
Many in the musical press were also quick to dismiss it.
Rolling Stone, a magazine many trusted for their hip attitude and honest reviews back then, called it a "limp blimp" and “one of the dullest and most confusing albums I’ve heard this year.”
Yes, it was different than what came before it, but once fans and critics really listened to it, they realized that the band didn't abandon their earlier heavier rock sound, they just refined it.
Led Zeppelin combined all their best previous elements: blues, heavy rock, great guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, mysticism, fantasy, and general other-worldliness into a fantastic new record that redefined their sound and abilities.
When first released in March, it sold well, but wasn't initially seen as the heavy rock monster that people thought it would be.
It took several months for people to absorb it, appreciate it and realize how great it was. Slowly, more and more people came to appreciate it.
By May 1972, 2 months after release, it was #1 in the charts, the 3rd Led Zeppelin album to capture that spot, and stayed there until it was toppled in June by the Beatles' anthology 1967-1970, the famous 'Blue' album.
Over time, it continued to sell well and became a huge commercial success, eventually selling over 10-million copies and earning the rare "Diamond" RIAA status.
The album consistently ranks high on Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list.
At the time, 'Houses Of The Holy' was the sound of Led Zeppelin at the top of their game and it has gone on to become one of the definitive classic albums in the Led Zeppelin cannon.
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Six weeks after the release of this album, the band went out on their 1973 North American tour and totally conquered America.
Seeing the band live, performing songs from the new album, really helped boost record sales.
The tour was so large and chaotic that they were inspired to make use of a private jet, "The Starship," a former United Airlines Boeing 720 passenger jet, that they turned into a flying booze, groupie, and drug filled 'Party' to get from one sold-out stadium date to the next.
Their shows were legendary and raised them to the iconic Rock'n'Roll band status that they still hold today.
The soundtrack to it all was this great album 'Houses of the Holy'
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The 8 songs on this classic Led Zeppelin album include:
The Song Remains The Same / The Rain Song
Over The Hills And Far Away / The Crunge
Dancing Days / D'yer Mak'er
No Quarter / The Ocean
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"THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME"
The album's opening track, "The Song Remains The Same" was the band's latest in a long history of fantastic classic Zeppelin album openers.
Prior to the Stargroves album sessions, this instrumental song was rehearsed with the working title 'Worcester And Plumpton Races', a reference to Page and Plant’s respective homes.
By the time of the sessions, Page had re-worked and composed this instrumental piece in his home studio, intending it to be the majestic, sweeping, grand opening of their next album. He simply called it 'The Overture.'
Plant then started scribbling out some early lyrics and verses for it that referred to the group's globetrotting experiences of being on the road and on tour, and it was given the working title of "The Campaign".
Plant’s ‘sweet Calcutta rain’ lyrics reference a trip to India that he and Page had made before starting the album.
The song has many layers of Jimmy's fantastic sounding electric guitars; his stinging 6-string Fender Telecaster, and his jangling 12-string Rickenbacker, making it sound like an orchestral guitar army attack.
His guitar mastery is propelled by the dependable, solid, rhythmic groove of Jones' keyboards and Bonzo's drums. Plant's vocals fly majestically over the top.
To perform the complex twin-guitar sounds of "The Song Remains The Same" live in concert, Jimmy would have to use his famed red Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck, that he also used for "Stairway to Heaven."
‘The Song Remains the Same” totally lives up to it's original title of “The Overture”. It's a great opener, and introduces the 'feel,' style and attitude of the rest of the album. It has a cinematic, larger-than-life feel, and the band sound like they're having the time of their lives.
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"THE RAIN SONG"
This well-loved, classic song is considered by fans to be Led Zeppelin’s first real ballad.
They had recorded some softer blues numbers and some folky songs before, but this was in a class of it's own.
This is beautiful, soft, yet powerful, song about a failed & broken romance. It's nearly 8 minutes in length, melodic, orchestral, otherworldly, and is the most Prog-leaning song the band has ever recorded. Very different than anything the band had done in the past.
It was originally intended to have been an instrumental extension of the album's opening 'Overture', but that all changed when Plant first heard it at Stargroves and was inspired to add some lyrics.
Jimmy Page wrote this song in response to a conversation the band had with George Harrison, in which the former Beatle asked why Led Zep never did any ballads.
“George was talking to Bonzo one evening and said, ‘The problem with you guys is that you never do ballads,’” Jimmy Page remarked. “I said, ‘I’ll give him a ballad,’ and I wrote ‘Rain Song’...In fact, you'll notice I even quote 'Something' in the song's first two chords."
Jimmy composed and arranged the song at his home studio in Plumpton and gave it the working title "Slush." During the sessions at Stargroves, the other band members developed the song further.
John Paul Jones created the song’s mournful violin and cello sounds, using a Mellotron, a primitive synthesizer, which lifted the track to another emotional level.
He also added delicate piano notes in places, which the band thought sounded like teardrops, or raindrops, thus 'Slush' being renamed 'The Rain Song'.
Page added layers of both acoustic guitar and his old Danelectro electric guitar, played in unusual tunings, to add to the song's sonic richness.
On top of all of that, Robert Plant lays down his beautiful, sensitive lyrics, creating one of his very best vocal performances ever.
Over the years, Plant has called his singing on 'Rain Song' one of his finest vocal performances.
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"OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY"
This is another tune that the band had previewed in their live set, months before recording began, so they already had the song and arrangement down solid.
It's another classic Led Zeppelin staple that was included on 'Houses of the Holy'.
The song was known as "Many, Many Times" for a while, before being changed to "Over the Hills and Far Away," a nod to the wandering adventures in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'.
Robert Plant was impressed by the nomadic hippie lifestyles he saw taking place in America during Zeppelin's early tours there. He blended inspirations from those hippie lifestyles, romantic ideas of the "open road", and adventures from 'Lord Of The Rings' to come up with the lyrics to this undisputed classic Zeppelin song.
The song was written and developed in two halves. It starts with a quiet, folky, acoustic section, leading into a livelier, heavy, electric-guitar fueled ending.
It opens with Jimmy playing folky six-string acoustic guitar, moves on to more complex 12-string guitar, then explodes with the full band kicking in after the first verse.
it really shows off the Zeppelin preoccupation with light and shade, acoustic and electric.
The first part of the song has it's roots in "White Summer," an acoustic guitar solo Page played in the New Yardbirds.
"Over the Hills and Far Away" was the band's first single released from 'Houses of the Holy', but only reached # 51 on the US charts.
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THE CRUNGE"
"The Crunge" developed and evolved out of a late-night jam session at Stargroves.
The basic track was written by drummer John Bonham, who created an upbeat, funky 'dance' pattern, but purposely stepped on and off the beat, making it a dance song that was impossible to dance to. Classic Bonzo.
Bonham's crazy beat inspired Page to play some spontaneous funky riffs. Bonham and Page played as if they were reading each other’s minds, and the rest of the band just joined in on the fun.
John Paul Jones really locks in with Bonzo on this funky jam, playing his brand new EMS VCS3 synthesizer, one of the first pioneering synthesizers on the market, which gives the song a new, modern feel, at least for 1973.
Jones would later comment: "'The Crunge’ is brilliant...very tight...it’s one of my favorites.”
Jimmy's guitar riffs are just fantastic. He purposely used a Fender Stratocaster "to get that tight James Brown feel".
The song's funky 5/4 time signature and off-beat rhythms got lead singer Robert Plant thinking about James Brown. Plant just throws out some great spontaneous lyrics parodying Brown's "Take it to the Bridge" vocal style.
Plant improvised all that James Brown stuff, including the talk of 'taking it to the bridge'. Of course, the in-joke between the band during the sessions is that the song has no bridge, hence the funny ad-lib ending: ‘Where’s that confounded bridge?’”
Plant latter added the line "Ain’t' gonna call me Mr. Pitiful / No, I don't need no respect from anybody" as a nod to the great Otis Redding.
"The Crunge" is one of those spontaneous, in the moment, magical grooves, that Led Zeppelin pulled off so well. Page later called the song "a giggle", just the band having fun.
If you listen closely, at the beginning of the song, there's some studio chat between Page and engineer George Chikianz, just as Bonham comes in on the intro.
When 'Houses of the Holy' was released, although the song was tucked away at the end of side one, "The Crunge" was one of the most polarizing tracks on the album. Some loved the new sound, others accused the band of going 'disco'.
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"DANCING DAYS"
"Dancing Days" kicks off side 2 of the album with a fantastic riff that is classic, pure unadulterated Led Zeppelin. It's one of the great overlooked Zeppelin rockers.
The song is about the band having a blast while recording and putting the new album together. Both the music and the lyrics reflect the enjoyable recording sessions at Stargroves. It's the brightest-sounding song on the album.
The roots and seeds of this track go back to a visit Page and Plant had made to India the year before. Jimmy had arranged to work with some local master musicians in Bombay, to record versions of 'Friends' and 'Four Sticks', and while they were there, they were introduced to all sorts of Indian music.
The main riff of "Dancing Days" was inspired by a raga that they heard at a wedding in India. Page fondly remembered the raga and recreated it's glorious groove for this song.
Some of Plant's lyrics, such as the strange ‘I saw a lion he was standing alone with a tadpole in a jar’, are also recollections from that trip to India.
The band felt that "Dancing Days" was a good representation of their new sound and the new album, so promotional copies of the track were sent out by Atlantic to select DJ's for radio play in March 1973.
Radio stations premiered 'Dancing Days' on the air a week before the album was released. It was the first song that the public heard from the new, long awaited, album.
Most fans loved it and it helped push pre-release sales of the record.
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"D'YER MAK'ER"
‘Dy’er Mak'er’ saw the band make a very strange foray into Reggae. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant both adored Reggae, even taking Bob Marley tapes with them as they vacationed together.
The song originated with John Bonham trying to have some fun and come up with a rhythm that combined reggae with 1950s doo-wop. Plant's superb vocals are clearly more based on 50s doo-wop than on any Reggae style. Even Jimmy Page insisted that 'D’Yer Mak’er' was “more a 50s thing” than anything else.
Despite it's intentions and roots, the song emerged as a Single in the summer of 1973, and was Led Zeppelin's attempt at a Reggae infused song. At the time, and still today, it remains a real love it or hate it track. It caused a lot of controversy when people first heard it, but some fans, who never listened to Led Zeppelin, loved it.
Despite the controversy, the song hit #20 on the Billboard Hot 100, only the third track ever to make the charts by this notoriously singles-averse band.
The title comes from an old British joke – "My wife's gone on holiday?" "D'Yer Mak'er?" (which when pronounced quickly sounds like "Jamaica" based on the island nation's distinct pronunciation) "No, she went of her own accord."
The song was heavily promoted by Atlantic, who even distributed promo copies to DJs for radio play – but not everyone was so keen on it and it deeply divided Led Zeppelin fans.
The band knew it wasn't a LZ crowd favorite, and never played the song live in concert.
Musically, the song is excellent. Bonzo's huge drums kick in at the start and Jones' bass takes the reggae rhythm to a whole different place.
On the inner sleeve of Original pressings, like this one, after the lyrics to 'D’yer Mak’er,' there's a question printed; “Whatever happened to Rosie And The Originals?”, a reference to a 50s doo-wop ensemble and Doo-Wop in general.
This song was just the band having some fun. After all, they made this album to enjoy themselves and have a laugh as well.
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"NO QUARTER"
This great song provided a showcase for John Paul Jones' fantastic piano playing, both on the album, and especially live in concert.
"No Quarter" quickly became a live favorite, and was featured at every show from 1973 through 1979, providing Jones with a long, extended solo showcase.
The song was written and composed by Jones at his home studio. An early, slightly faster, version was explored at Headley Grange for the band's fourth album, but shelved.
Jones continued working on it at his home studio, slowing it down, adding acoustic and electric piano, and adding some eerie sounds from his new synthesizer toys.
Jones then brought it along to Stargroves, where it now fit in well with the band's new free experimental approach to songwriting. The group soon found an arrangement that gelled.
“No Quarter” is lengthy, moody and atmospheric piece, steeped in mystery and misty suspense, with lots of heavy synth and keyboards.
Jones plays some fantastic grand piano, bass and synthesizer over Page’s eerie-sounding guitar, Plant’s spooky, treated vocals and a restrained John Bonham on drums.
The song is really John Paul Jones’s personal showcase.
Page commented: “This was the album where Jonesy really came into his own, and this is the track that proves it.”
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"THE OCEAN"
The raucous 'The Ocean' is one of the great songs from this album that has become a classic Led Zeppelin staple over the years.
The song had already been part of the band’s encores during their 1972 live shows, and the band had the song well rehearsed and down tight before recording it for 'Houses of the Holy.'
Despite having the arrangement down solid, it took several takes to capture it just right. Drummer John Bonham kicks off the album’s powerful closer by shouting "We've done four already but now we're steady and then they went, one, two, three, four," referring to the number of takes they had already recorded.
Led Zeppelin lore, back at the time, thought Bonzo was referring to the number of Mandrax pills he had taken to steady his nerves.
It's a stomping blues-rock song, with a great riff, written about the vast 'ocean' of devoted fans flocking to see the band play live in packed arenas.
“Singing to an ocean, I can hear the ocean’s roar / Play for free, play for me and play a whole lot more, more!”
Listening to the lyrics, you can also hear Plant refer to his three-year-old daughter, Carmen, as "the girl who won my heart," in the song's last line.
Also, listening closely, you can hear the studio telephone ringing in the background at around the 1:37 mark.
Bonzo’s drums just sound amazing on this Led Zeppelin classic.
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OUTTAKES
The fruitful extended sessions at Stargroves also produced several excellent songs that didn't make the final cut for the album and were temporarily shelved.
The album's title track, 'Houses of the Holy', an upbeat, bouncy rock song, recorded at Olympic and mixed at Electric Lady, 'Black Country Women', an Acoustic song recorded in the outdoor garden, and 'The Rover', with a great grinding guitar riff and terrific lyrics, would all appear on Led Zeppelin's next album, 1975's "Physical Graffiti"
The delightful 'Walter’s Walk', eventually surfaced on the posthumous collection 'Coda', released in 1982.
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CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, gatefold, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
I purchased this copy back in the late 70's, over 45 years ago, during one of my regular vinyl digs as a teen in the great record shops of Greenwich Village, and have taken good care of it since.
VINYL: The vinyl does have some small hairlines and minor playwear, but looks terrific. No major scratches or 'dings.'
It's not 'perfect' but looks very nice and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
I tried to show some close-up pictures of the vinyl in my photos.
I haven't messed with it or cleaned it, other than my trusty 'DiscWasher' brush, in 45 years, since Gerald Ford was in office. It could use a good deep cleaning to help make it even better looking and better sounding than it already is.
The Deadwax has the early 1977 pressing marks, the Sterling 'RL' stamp and the 'PRC' Pressing mark. See the full Matrix above.
LABELS: This is pressed with the 'classic' 70's green and orange Atlantic labels, with the 'Rockefeller' address.
It has the SD-19130 catalog number, the 1973 date, and the 'RI' suffix for PRC's Richmond Plant.
The labels are clean and bright. No marks or damage. The spindle holes are still sharp and clean, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this still looks very nice for a 45 year old OG copy. This jacket is in very nice condition, but has a small 'ding' on the spine, which I showed details of. Not bad, but should be pointed out.
This thick jacket is notorious for showing ringwear, dirt, scuffs and damage, especially in the 'orange' area, but this copy is still quite nice. Minimal wear.
The edges and corners are relatively sharp, and the cover art is still bright and sharp. A beautiful, clean, bright, jacket with beautiful colors. Later pressings lose something in the cover art colors and feel. A nice survivor.
The inner gatefold is clean and crisp. A nice survivor.
INNER SLEEVE: This comes with its original inner sleeve with lyrics and production information. The sleeve has the 'Rockefeller' address. The sleeve is still quite nice, bright and clean.
Overall, I'll call the whole record VG+. The jacket and sleeve are beautiful, with a small 'ding' on the spine. The vinyl is very clean, but does have tiny hairlines and mild evidence of play.
This record has been sleeved and stored properly for decades, and still quite nice for an original 1977 US pressing.
You can see from my pictures it's still acceptable. This 1977 copy is all original, complete, rare and a real gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
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** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". Note the vinyl has some hairlines and play wear. It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it as a rare early Led Zeppelin collectible.
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A very cool, original, US, Robert Ludwig, PRC pressing that I thought someone would like for their collection, despite some minor 'flaws' on the vinyl.
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I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
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