'Seems that the wrath of the Gods got a punch on the nose'
After the summer of love and the legends of San Francisco and Los Angeles grew, a trail of troubadours made their way to the Californian sunshine with heads full of an idyllic life and pleasure, a simple life of ideals, love and peace. Joining the likes of David Crosby and Graham Nash, Canadian born songstress Joni Mitchell hooked up with the crowd and began a solo career that lifts and excites to this day.
Led Zeppelin conquered and fell in love with California, the lifestyle and the aura. As they began writing material for the Untitled 4th elpee, this simple and evocative acoustic number came into being. Built around a simple picking Page guitar motif, John Paul Jones adds beautiful mandolin before Robert weaves his tale of a wonderful, simple life smoking his stuff and drinking his wine.
There's even a mention of the frequent tremors and earthquakes they experienced out there, about the wrath of God and those mountains of dreams. And how it's not so hard...
Rehearsed and recorded at Headley Grange, it was recorded on January 29th - the same day as The Battle Of Evermore and Misty Mountain Hop. Certainly a productive day, there's a feelgood factor running through as well as much creativity too.
It was performed from the off at Belfast Ulster Hall on March 5th 1971 where it was the sole acoustic number but was to be joined by That's The Way by the time they reached the BBC Paris Studios(the first song Zeppelin performed acoustically live the previous summer) and added a perfect change of pace and mood to the set. Sometimes hampered by PA problems and boisterous crowds, GTC sounds personal and beguiling from day one. A love song for a generation and a dream.
I've always loved the BBC Paris Studios version, gentle and fragile right down to the lone tambourine coda, previewed on the air some 7 months and 7 days before the official release of the 4th album. There are only 5 (so far) recorded live versions from Europe in the spring and summer of 1971, but the 7th North American Tour is better documented and we have 8 versions from the 21 date trek. The LA Forum show on August 21st - It's debut IN California - is suitably light and winsome, but my favourite is the performance at Berkeley on September 14th, made famous by the legendary vinyl bootleg aptly named Going To California.
It starred again in Japan where Tangerine was added to the lengthening acoustic interlude, and would remain right through to the finale of the 8th North American Tour in Tuscon on June 28th 1972, although it's missing from that bootleg making the Long Beach show the previous night the last recorded '72 performance. Throughout this period it was played deftly and faithfully, Robert's vocal ad libs and Jonesy's wonderful Mandolin figures transforming it into a set highlight on many occasions.
The decision to cut back on the acoustic set after that tour meant it was almost 35 months before it was played onstage again, at the Earls' Court 'summer season' shows. By then it was a celebration of itself, a retrospective look at a lost time, and Robert's introductions alone showed how much affection he had for the song and what it represents.
Following the success of the acoustic interlude at Earls' Court and the usual metamorphosis of the live set, GTC was revived for the 1977 shows where it once again shone despite some nights fighting against the combined disturbances of huge, usually restless crowds and bursts of firecrackers.
After that it was gone. Sadly, no acoustic set at Knebworth with ten Years Gone and The Rain Song chosen as the mood lightening numbers.
A lovely, simple tune, it highlights both Robert's confident and heartfelt vocal style and Jonesy's underrated mandolin figures. Always a crowd pleaser, always a pleasure.
It's certainly a 'Robert' song, and one he always loved singing. His vocal style and range changed over the years, and by 1977 his inflections and nuances gave a simple 'around the oak tree' ballad even more poignancy.
Apart from the myriad of official audio releases - IV, the alternate companion disc mix, HTWWW, BBC Sessions - there are 82 bootleg versions out there. We're also lucky to have some footage too. there's the wonderful cine clip from Chicago 5-9-71 plus the final 2 Earls' Court nights and of course Seattle 17-7-77, all 3 of them pro-shot.
Not a single, it appears on the rare Acoustically Australian 7" EP and on the flip of a rare South African 7" of Rock And Roll.
Post Zeppelin both John Paul and Robert, the two real stars of the song, have played it. I love the above clip from the Mike bullard Show in 2000 filmed in Toronto in the same building that was previously the Rockpile!
Robert has played it, like Jonesy with a myriad of line ups, including Pearl Jam at the Hurricane Katrina benefit show. It was also played on the Unledded 1996 shows and the 1998 Clarkesdale Tour.
There's even a mention of the frequent tremors and earthquakes they experienced out there, about the wrath of God and those mountains of dreams. And how it's not so hard...
Rehearsed and recorded at Headley Grange, it was recorded on January 29th - the same day as The Battle Of Evermore and Misty Mountain Hop. Certainly a productive day, there's a feelgood factor running through as well as much creativity too.
It was performed from the off at Belfast Ulster Hall on March 5th 1971 where it was the sole acoustic number but was to be joined by That's The Way by the time they reached the BBC Paris Studios(the first song Zeppelin performed acoustically live the previous summer) and added a perfect change of pace and mood to the set. Sometimes hampered by PA problems and boisterous crowds, GTC sounds personal and beguiling from day one. A love song for a generation and a dream.
I've always loved the BBC Paris Studios version, gentle and fragile right down to the lone tambourine coda, previewed on the air some 7 months and 7 days before the official release of the 4th album. There are only 5 (so far) recorded live versions from Europe in the spring and summer of 1971, but the 7th North American Tour is better documented and we have 8 versions from the 21 date trek. The LA Forum show on August 21st - It's debut IN California - is suitably light and winsome, but my favourite is the performance at Berkeley on September 14th, made famous by the legendary vinyl bootleg aptly named Going To California.
It starred again in Japan where Tangerine was added to the lengthening acoustic interlude, and would remain right through to the finale of the 8th North American Tour in Tuscon on June 28th 1972, although it's missing from that bootleg making the Long Beach show the previous night the last recorded '72 performance. Throughout this period it was played deftly and faithfully, Robert's vocal ad libs and Jonesy's wonderful Mandolin figures transforming it into a set highlight on many occasions.
The decision to cut back on the acoustic set after that tour meant it was almost 35 months before it was played onstage again, at the Earls' Court 'summer season' shows. By then it was a celebration of itself, a retrospective look at a lost time, and Robert's introductions alone showed how much affection he had for the song and what it represents.
Following the success of the acoustic interlude at Earls' Court and the usual metamorphosis of the live set, GTC was revived for the 1977 shows where it once again shone despite some nights fighting against the combined disturbances of huge, usually restless crowds and bursts of firecrackers.
After that it was gone. Sadly, no acoustic set at Knebworth with ten Years Gone and The Rain Song chosen as the mood lightening numbers.
A lovely, simple tune, it highlights both Robert's confident and heartfelt vocal style and Jonesy's underrated mandolin figures. Always a crowd pleaser, always a pleasure.
It's certainly a 'Robert' song, and one he always loved singing. His vocal style and range changed over the years, and by 1977 his inflections and nuances gave a simple 'around the oak tree' ballad even more poignancy.
Apart from the myriad of official audio releases - IV, the alternate companion disc mix, HTWWW, BBC Sessions - there are 82 bootleg versions out there. We're also lucky to have some footage too. there's the wonderful cine clip from Chicago 5-9-71 plus the final 2 Earls' Court nights and of course Seattle 17-7-77, all 3 of them pro-shot.
Not a single, it appears on the rare Acoustically Australian 7" EP and on the flip of a rare South African 7" of Rock And Roll.
One of my favorite songs, both studio and acoustic. In studio it's perfection, live the ad libs make them memorable. Thank God for the ethereal Robert Plant, and the acoustic JimmyPage, and mandolin Jonesy
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna blaspheme here...My Zep faves ebb and flow but GTC stays near the bottom as does the 4th album... I'm burnr out on Rock and Roll, STH & MMH...GTC always felt cheesy to me... still luv 4 stix, BOE, Black Dog and Levee...
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