"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English hard rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, having sold one million copies.[4] As with other Led Zeppelin songs, no single was released in the United Kingdom, but singles were released in Germany (where it reached number one), the Netherlands (where it reached number four), Belgium and France.
In 2004, the song was ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Whole Lotta Love" at number three in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. It was placed 11 on a similar list by Rolling Stone. In 2009 it was named the third greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.[1] Already part of their live repertoire, "Whole Lotta Love" saw its first official release on the LP Led Zeppelin II on 22 October 1969 (Atlantic LP #8236). In 2014, listeners to BBC Radio 2 voted "Whole Lotta Love" as the greatest guitar riff of all time.[5]
Contents[]
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- 1 Song construction
- 2 Release
- 3 Controversy
- 4 Chart success and live history
- 5 Accolades
- 6 Formats and track listings
- 7 Charts
- 7.1 Original release
- 7.2 Single (Digital download)
- 7.3 Year-end charts
- 8 Certifications
- 9 Personnel
- 10 Cultural influence
- 11 Sources
- 12 References
- 13 External links
Song construction[edit][]
The song is in compound AABA form.[6] Page played the loose blues riff for the intro, on a Sunburst 1958 Les Paul Standard guitar[7] through a Vox Super Beatle,[citation needed] which ascends into the first chorus. Then, beginning at 1:24 (and lasting until 3:02) the song dissolves to a free jazz-like break involving a thereminsolo and a drum solo and the orgasmic moans of Robert Plant. As audio engineer Eddie Kramer has explained: "The famous Whole Lotta Love mix, where everything is going bananas, is a combination of Jimmy and myself just flying around on a small console twiddling every knob known to man." Kramer is also quoted as saying:
Led Zeppelin's bass player John Paul Jones has stated that Page's famous riff probably emerged from a stage improvisation during the band's playing of "Dazed and Confused".[9]
Alternatively, Jimmy Page has vehemently denied that the song originated onstage:
In a separate interview, Page explained:
For this track, Page employed the backwards echo production technique.[12]
Release[edit][]
Upon release of the LP, radio stations looked for a track that would fit their on-air formats from the quickly successful LP with the pulsing lead track "Whole Lotta Love" being the prime contender. However, because many radio stations saw the freeform middle section as unfit to air they simply created their own edited versions. Atlantic Records was quick to respond and in addition to the release of the regular single in the US (coupled with "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" from the same LP as the B-side) released a 3:10 version of the track with the freeform section cut and an earlier fade-out on 7 November 1969. Both versions were released as Atlantic #45-2690. The edited version was intended for radio station promotional release but some copies were apparently released commercially in the US and are a collector's item for fans. The song was released as a single in the US, France, Germany (as No 1), Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia (where it was also issued as an EP) and Japan (countries where the band had less control). The edited version was withdrawn.
In the United Kingdom, Atlantic Records had expected to issue the edited version themselves, and pressed initial copies for release on 5 December 1969. However, band manager Peter Grant was adamant that the band maintain a "no-singles" approach to marketing their recorded music in the UK, and he halted the release. An official statement from the band added that they had written a special number which they intended to be their first British single. This never materialised, and despite much record company pressure, they declined to issue official singles in the UK throughout their career.[12]
Several years later, Atlantic Records reissued "Whole Lotta Love" (with its original B-side "Living Loving Maid") on its Oldies Series label (OS-13116) with a slight error. The edited 3:10 version was used for the reissue, but the labels were printed with the unedited running time of 5:33.
In 1997 Atlantic Records released a CD-single edited (to 4:50 this time) from the original 1969 recording of the song. This version charted in the UK where the band had maintained control over single releases during their existence.
Controversy[edit][]
In 1962, Muddy Waters recorded "You Need Love", written for him by peer Willie Dixon. In 1966 British mod band the Small Faces recorded the song as "You Need Loving" for their eponymous début Decca LP. Some of the lyrics of Led Zeppelin's version were copied from the Willie Dixon song, a favourite of Plant's. Plant's phrasing is particularly similar to that of Steve Marriott's in the Small Faces' version. Similarities with "You Need Love" would lead to a lawsuit against Led Zeppelin in 1985, settled out of court in favour of Dixon.[12] The Small Faces were never sued by Dixon, even though "You Need Loving" still only credits Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott.
Robert Plant, a huge fan of blues and soul singers, regularly quoted other artists' songs, especially live.
Chart success and live history[edit][]
The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on 22 November 1969. It remained on the chart for 15 weeks, peaking at no. 4 and becoming the band's only top 10 single in the US.[14] Live, the song debuted 26 April 1969.[15] When performed live, "Whole Lotta Love" also occasionally included segments of other Led Zeppelin songs such as "I Can't Quit You Baby", "You Shook Me", "How Many More Times", "Your Time Is Gonna Come", "Good Times Bad Times", "The Lemon Song", "The Crunge", "D'yer Mak'er", "Black Dog", "Out on the Tiles" and "Ramble On". A famous show closer at Led Zeppelin concerts, it was since mid-1970 performed as a medley of blues and rhythm and blues interpolations favoured by the band. Many of these included classics by Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley and John Lee Hooker.
Live versions of "Whole Lotta Love" were released officially on the following titles:
- The Song Remains the Same; 2xLP (28 September 1976; Swan Song #SS2-201; from a 1973 concert and movie soundtrack)
- Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions; 2xCD (11 November 1997; Atlantic #83061; from a 1971 concert)
- How the West Was Won; 3xCD (27 May 2003; Atlantic #83587; from a 1972 concert)
- Led Zeppelin DVD; 2xDVD (2003; from a 1979 and a 1970 concert)
"Whole Lotta Love" was the last song Led Zeppelin ever played live. It was however performed again at the band's reunions at Live Aid in 1985 (with drummers Phil Collins and Tony Thompson), at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988, and at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at the O2 Arena, London, on 10 December 2007 (both with drummer Jason Bonham).
Accolades[edit][]
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank | Spin | United States | "100 Greatest Singles of All Time"[16] | 1989 | 39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | United States | "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll"[17] | 1994 | * | |||||
| Classic Rock | United Kingdom | "Ten of the Best Songs Ever!.. (Bubbling under)"[18] | 1999 | 30 | |||||
| VH1 | United States | "100 Greatest Rock Songs"[19] | 2009 | 46 | |||||
| Rolling Stone | United States | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[20] | 2003 | 75 | |||||
| Q | United Kingdom | "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever"[21] | 2005 | 3 | |||||
| Toby Creswell | Australia | "1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time"[22] | 2005 | * | |||||
| Grammy Awards | United States | "Grammy Hall of Fame Award"[23] | 2007 | * | |||||
| Rolling Stone | United States | "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time"[24] | 2008 | 11 | |||||
| VH1 | United States | "VH1 Greatest Hard Rock Songs"[1] | 2009 | 3 | |||||
| BBC Radio 2 | United Kingdom | "Radio 2's Top 100 Greatest Guitar Riffs"[5] | 2014 | 1 |
(*) designates unordered lists.
Formats and track listings[edit][]
1969 7" single (US: Atlantic 45-2690, Angola: Atlantic ATS 485, Australia/New Zealand: Atlantic AK 3412, Belgium: Atlantic BE 650186, Bolivia: Polydor 508007, Canada: Atlantic Oldies Series OS 13116, Chile: Atlantic 2164 002, France: Atlantic 650 186, Germany: Atlantic 70409, Greece: Atlantic 255 017, Holland: Atlantic ATL 2690, Italy: Atlantic ATL NP 03145, Japan: Warner Pioneer P-2550A, Mexico: Atlantic AT 45-52, Philippines: Atlantic ATR 0046, Sweden: Atlantic ATL 70409, Uruguay: Atlantic 2164002)
1969 7" radio edit (UK*/Lebanon: Atlantic 584309, Canada: Atlantic AT 2690, South Africa: Atlantic ATS 485)
1969 7" radio edit (Brazil: Atlantic 205.025, Peru: Atlantic ALT 7035)
1969 7" single (Japan: Nihon Gramophone DT-1139)
1970 7" single (Costa Rica: Atlantic 70.020, Portugal: Atlantic ATL 10058, Spain: Atlantic H 523)
1970 7" single (Turkey: Atlantic 70501)
1970 7" EP (Bolivia: Atlantic AX 11695)
1970 7" EP (Holland: Atlantic ATL 2091 208)
1970 7" EP (Mexico: Atlantic Gamma GX07 762)
|
1970 7" EP (Mexico: Atlantic 2207 002)
1970 7" EP (Australia/New Zealand: Atlantic EPA 200)
1970 7" EP (Australia: AX 11695 (MX 34022))
1970 7" single (France: Atlantic 10236, Germany: Atlantic Oldies Series ATL 10236)
1997 CD single (UK: Atlantic AT 0013 CD (7567 84014 6), Australia: Atlantic 7567 84014 2, Brazil: Atlantic LZ 1997, Germany: Atlantic A 4014 CD, Japan: Atlantic AMCY 2403, Korea: Atlantic 84014 2, South Africa: Atlantic 7567 84014)
|
Notes:
(*) Withdrawn
Charts[edit][]
| Preceded by "Venus" by Shocking Blue |
Australian Go-Set National Top 40 number-one single 4 April 1970 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse |
| Australian Kent Music Report number-one single 23 March 1970 – 30 March 1970 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Let It Be" by The Beatles | |
| Preceded by "Dein schönstes Geschenk" by Roy Black |
German number-one single 23 February 1970 – 20 April 1970 (9 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Mademoiselle Ninette" by the Soulful Dynamics |
Certifications[edit][]
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments | Italy (FIMI)[58] | Gold | 25,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[59] | Gold | 1,000,000^ | |||
| *sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
Personnel[edit][]
- Robert Plant – vocals
- Jimmy Page – rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals, theremin
- John Paul Jones – bass guitar
- John Bonham – drums
Cultural influence[edit][]
See also: List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs
The song has been widely covered by many artists. It was famous in the United Kingdom for having been the theme music for the long-running television programme Top of the Pops first during the 1970s and 1980s, and then again in the 1990s and 2000s. The first version used was based on a recording by the Collective Consciousness Society (or C.C.S.), a band led by blues guitarist Alexis Korner. The C.C.S. version reached #13 on the British charts in autumn 1970. The song returned as the theme in 1998, this time using a reworked version of the original Led Zeppelin guitar riff.[60]
A rewritten version of the song featured in the "London 2012" presentation during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on 24 August 2008, with Jimmy Page on guitar and Leona Lewisproviding the vocals. Both Lewis and the organisers requested that some of the lyrics be changed, notably "I'm gonna give you every inch of my love". Lewis felt that the line made little sense coming from a female singer.[61]
The main riff of the song was used in a Frank Zappa live performance excerpted on the Läther album, (originally intended for release in 1977, but not officially released until 1996), as "Duck Duck Goose". A more complete erotic version was issued as a bonus track titled "Leather Goods". (The latter also contains an excerpt from "Dazed and Confused").[citation needed]
In the 1980s, Detroit television station WXON used the instrumental bridge from the song as intro music for its weekly horror film program Thriller Double Feature.
On 29 May 1997, Jeff Buckley waded into the Mississippi River while singing the chorus to "Whole Lotta Love" and drowned shortly after.
In 2008, the song was featured on "Led Zeppelin - The Ride" at the Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Also in 2008 Foreigner released their album "No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner", which contains a live version of "Juke Box Hero" which crosses into Whole Lotta Love at one point.[62]
Christina Aguilera performed it during the 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.