Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Needed Just 2 Takes to Record an Underrated ‘Led Zeppelin III’ Song
Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin pushed out their first two albums in less than a year. Their first record earned them the biggest advance handed out by Atlantic Records. The second, which came out a little over 10 months later in October 1969, knocked The Beatles out of No. 1 on the charts. Led Zeppelin III landed with mixed reviews, but careful listeners heard a collection that included an underrated song Page and singer Robert Plant needed just two takes to make.
‘Led Zeppelin III’ saw the band reveal more of their influences
Led Zeppelin III kicks off with Page’s famous riff on the thunderous “Immigrant Song.” The tune demonstrates Zep’s mastery of the heavy rock they nearly perfected on their first two albums. It’s so immediately recognizable and sonically evocative that Zeppelin earned a $2 million paycheck for it nearly 50 years after it came out. “Celebration Day” and “Out on the Tiles” on side one bring more of the hard rock fans loved.
Everyone knew Led Zeppelin found inspiration from early rock ‘n’ roll, but they revealed the extent of their influences elsewhere on III. Folk, country, and acoustic blues are all over the album. If the first two albums were a warning shot to the rock world, Led Zeppelin III was a statement about Zep’s mastery of multiple styles.
Led Zeppelin had a reputation for working quickly in the studio, and they proved it again with their third album. Page and Plant needed just a few minutes to make one underrated track from III that leaned in a different direction from the band’s previous work.
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant needed just two takes to finish ‘Hats Off to (Roy) Harper’
Led Zeppelin III might be a little light on the fleet-fingered solos Page laid down on the first two albums. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s not a showcase for the band’s founder.
The folksy “Gallows Pole” proved that Page’s skills extended beyond the guitar. He mixed slide guitar and ringing chords on “Celebration Day” (and had excellent support from Plant, bassist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham). Side two of Led Zeppelin III also included one of the rare cases of Page laying down a bass track.
Still, “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” might be Page’s most impressive display on the album because of how he plays and how quickly the song came together.
English folk singer Roy Harper inspired the title, but it might be the closest Led Zeppelin came to back-porch blues. Page plays a pronounced and whiplash-inducing acoustic slide guitar. His riff sounds even more authentic since he leaves his (relatively few) mistakes in the final cut.
Meanwhile, Plant’s primal vocals happened almost accidentally when he plugged his mic into a different output on the amp. Led Zeppelin’s love for rugged blues was never more pronounced than on “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper,” and Page and Plant needed only two chances to nail the take we hear on the album.
“One day, Robert plugged his mic into the amp’s tremolo channel, and I started playing, and he started singing,” Page said, per Centennial Media’s Legends of Music Spotlight: Led Zeppelin. “And what you hear on the album is essentially an edit of our first two takes.”
‘Led Zeppelin III’ confused fans and critics, but history has been kind to the album
Led Zeppelin III’s cover was a departure from the first two albums (where are the burning blimps!?!). So was its sound. Fans and critics weren’t ready for the litany of acoustic songs. After two loud and heavy albums, the record confused many listeners.
The lukewarm reception didn’t matter, just as Plant knew it wouldn’t. Led Zeppelin showcased their impressive musical talents beyond hard rock, and the album still achieved chart success just as their previous albums did.
Led Zeppelin III spent 59 weeks on the Billboard album charts and sat at No. 1 for four weeks in the United States. Only Led Zeppelin II, Physical Graffiti, and In Through the Out Door spent more time at No. 1. It was nearly as successful in England, where the Official Charts Company reports it spent four of its 44 weeks on the charts at No. 1.
The Recording Industry Association of America certified III gold within three days, and “Immigrant Song” was one of Led Zeppelin’s few singles to climb into the top 20 on the Billboard charts.
“Hats Off to (Roy) Harper” might have been overlooked as Led Zeppelin III’s final track. Still, it’s an underrated track that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant needed just two takes to create.
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