Led Zeppelin III
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| Led Zeppelin III | ||
| ||
| Studio album by Led Zeppelin | ||
| Released | October 5 1970 | |
| Recorded | May-August 1970 at Ardent Studios, Memphis Headley Grange, Hampshire, with Rolling Stones Mobile Studio Island Studios, London Olympic Studios, London Mixed at Island Studios, London Electric Lady Studios, New York | |
| Genre | Hard rock Heavy metal | |
| Length | 43:04 | |
| Label | Atlantic Records | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin chronology | ||
| Led Zeppelin II (1969) | Led Zeppelin III (1970) |
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Led Zeppelin III, the third album by English rock band Led Zeppelin, was released October 5, 1970 by Atlantic Records (see 1970 in music). This album added acoustic and folk rock elements to the band's established rock and blues repertoire, which also helped endear the band to progressive rock fans. However, some detractors attacked the heavier tracks as being mindless noise, whilst the acoustic material was criticised by others for imitating the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Although these negative reviews had a slight effect on sales at the time, Led Zeppelin III was still a trans-Atlantic #1 hit and, with the passage of time, its reputation has recovered considerably.
The album contains two of Zeppelin's most well-known songs: "Immigrant Song" and "Since I've Been Loving You". "Immigrant Song", written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, is about the Norse invasions of England (an ironic interpretation of immigration) and was inspired by the band's recent performances in Iceland. "Since I've Been Loving You" is a classic blues song featuring heartfelt interplay by all four group members and would become a performance staple of Led Zeppelin concerts, especially from 1971 through 1973. Other fan favourites from the album were "Celebration Day", "Out on the Tiles", and "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". The song "Gallows Pole" is actually an arrangement of a traditional folk song by that name, also recorded by Leadbelly some thirty years earlier.
Led Zeppelin III's original vinyl edition was packaged in a gatefold sleeve with a novelty cover. The cover and interior gatefold art consisted of a surreal collection of seemingly random images on a white background, many of them connected with flight or aviation (as in "Zeppelin"). Behind the front cover was a rotatable paper disc covered with more images, including photos of the band members, which showed through holes in the cover. Moving an image into place behind one hole would usually bring one or two others into place behind other holes. This could not be replicated on a conventional cassette or CD cover, but there have been Japanese and British CDs packaged in miniature versions of the original sleeve. In France this album was released with a different album cover, simply showing a photo of the four band members.
The first pressings of the album included the phrases "Do What Thou Wilt" and "So Mote Be It", inscribed on the record itself. This phrase is derived from an important tenet of Aleister Crowley's philosphy of Thelema: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will." Led Zeppelin's guitarist Jimmy Page was interested in Crowley's work and even bought one of his residences.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Immigrant Song" (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 2:25
- "Friends" (Page, Plant) – 3:54
- "Celebration Day" (Page, Plant, John Paul Jones) – 3:29
- "Since I've Been Loving You" (Page, Plant, Jones) – 7:23
- "Out on the Tiles" (Page, Plant, John Bonham) – 4:07
- "Gallows Pole" (trad. arr. Page, Plant) – 4:56
- "Tangerine" (Page) – 3:10
- "That's the Way" (Page, Plant) – 5:37
- "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" (Page, Plant, Jones) – 4:16
- "Hats off to (Roy) Harper" (trad.) – 3:42
[edit] Personnel
- Jimmy Page - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals
- Robert Plant - vocals, harmonica
- John Paul Jones - bass, organ, synths, mandolin, backing vocals
- John Bonham - drums, percussion, backing vocals, banjo
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Billboard Black Albums | 30 |
| 1970 | Billboard Pop Albums | 1 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "Immigrant Song/Hey Hey What Can I Do" | Billboard Pop Singles | 16 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | October 8 1970 |
| RIAA – USA | Platinum | December 11 1990 |
| RIAA – USA | 2x Platinum | December 11 1990 |
| RIAA – USA | 3x Platinum | August 20 1992 |
| RIAA – USA | 4x Platinum | November 25 1997 |
| RIAA – USA | 6x Platinum | May 3 1999 |
[edit] External links
| Led Zeppelin |
|---|
| Jimmy Page · Robert Plant · John Paul Jones · John Bonham |
| Discography - (Category) |
| Studio albums: Led Zeppelin · Led Zeppelin II · Led Zeppelin III · Image:Zoso.svg (Led Zeppelin IV) · Houses of the Holy · Physical Graffiti · Presence · In Through the Out Door Live albums: The Song Remains the Same · BBC Sessions · How the West Was Won |
| Films |
| The Song Remains the Same · Led Zeppelin DVD |
| Other |
| Peter Grant · Richard Cole · Swan Song Records · The Yardbirds · XYZ · The Firm · Page and Plant · Strange Sensation · Bootlegs ∙ Concerts ∙ Songs |
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