Stairway to Heaven: Difference between revisions
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Famous jazz guitarist [[Stanley Jordan]] recorded an instrumental cover of Stairway to Heaven where he simultaneously played two independent parts on one guitar with no [[overdub]]s. |
Famous jazz guitarist [[Stanley Jordan]] recorded an instrumental cover of Stairway to Heaven where he simultaneously played two independent parts on one guitar with no [[overdub]]s. |
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The [[Foo Fighters]]'s lead singer Dave Grohl also recorded a funny version of the song on ''The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn'', when he forgot the lyrics, and the audience needed to jump in and help them out. After becoming frustrated, he simply skips ahead to the ending of the song, improvising the guitar solo vocally. |
The [[Foo Fighters]]'s lead singer [[Dave Grohl]] also recorded a funny version of the song on ''The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn'', when he forgot the lyrics, and the audience needed to jump in and help them out. After becoming frustrated, he simply skips ahead to the ending of the song, improvising the guitar solo vocally. |
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[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] singer [[Jana (Native American singer)|Jana]] recorded a [[techno]] cover of ''Stairway to Heaven'' which won the [[Native American Music Awards|Native American Music Award]] (Nammy) for Best Song in 2002. |
[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] singer [[Jana (Native American singer)|Jana]] recorded a [[techno]] cover of ''Stairway to Heaven'' which won the [[Native American Music Awards|Native American Music Award]] (Nammy) for Best Song in 2002. |
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Revision as of 05:21, 15 October 2006
| "Stairway to Heaven" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Song by Led Zeppelin | ||
| From the albumTemplate:Click-Inline | ||
| Album released | November 8 1971 | |
| Recorded | December 1970 | |
| Genres | Hard rock / folk rock | |
| Song Length | 8:02 | |
| Record label | Atlantic | |
| Producer | Jimmy Page | |
 Album Listing
| ||
| The Battle of Evermore Track 3) | Stairway to Heaven (Track 4) | Misty Mountain Hop (Track 5) |
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin released in December 1971 on their fourth studio album, —Led Zeppelin IV. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest rock songs of all time[1] and is often cited as the most played song on FM radio stations in the United States,[2] despite never being released as a single.
History
The music was written by Jimmy Page "over a long period, the first part coming at Bron-Yr-Aur one night"[3]. The recording of "Stairway to Heaven" started in December 1970 at the Basing Street Studios (Island Studios, London). The song was completed by the addition of lyrics by Robert Plant during the sessions for Led Zeppelin IV at Headley Grange, Hampshire, in 1971.
First played live at Belfast's Ulster Hall on March 5, 1971, "Stairway" was performed at virtually every subsequent Led Zeppelin concert up until 1980. "Stairway" was also played at Live Aid in 1985 and the 40th anniversary celebration of Atlantic Records in 1988, and by Jimmy Page as an instrumental version on his solo tours. Teasingly, the first few bars were played alone during Page and Plant tours, only to be morphed into another song.
"Stairway to Heaven" is one of the biggest-selling sheet music publications in rock history. Since 1971, it has sold more than 1.2 million copies, averaging about 15,000 copies per year.
It also continues to top radio lists of the greatest rock songs, as well as topping a recent Guitar World poll. Some radio stations that have listed the song as #1 include WNOR (Norfolk), WEBN (Cincinnati), WLVQ (Columbus), WGRX (Baltimore), WFXF (Indianapolis), KZOK (Seattle), KLSK (Albuquerque), WMYG (Pittsburgh), WMGK (Philadelphia), KLSX (Los Angeles), Virgin Radio (London), KRTH (Los Angeles), KGON (Portland), KSAN (San Francisco Bay Area), KGB (San Diego), CHOM (Montreal), WNCX (Cleveland), Q107 (CILQ Toronto), CFMI-FM (Vancouver) and WZLX (Boston).[2]
Not a single
The song's length precluded its release in full form as a single. Despite pressure from Atlantic Records the band would not authorize the editing of the song for single release, making "Stairway to Heaven" one of the most well-known and popular rock songs never to have been released as a single.
It did, however, appear as a promotional disc in the United States, on an Australian acoustic EP, and in the 1990s as a 20th anniversary promo issue.
Lyrics
There are many mythological references to a stairway to Heaven. The idea of an "ascension" by a ladder, tree, bridge or rope is widespread throughout world mythology. The title itself comes from the Bible's description of Jacob's Ladder: Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the Earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Genesis 28:12
The first attempt at lyrics, written by Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant next to an evening log fire at Headley Grange, were partly spontaneously improvised and Page claimed, "a huge percentage of the lyrics were written there and then".[4] Jimmy Page was strumming the chords and Robert Plant had a pencil and paper. Plant later said that suddenly, "my hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady is sure [sic], all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to Heaven'. I just sat there and looked at them and almost leapt out of my seat." Plant's own explanation of the lyrics was that it concerned "a woman getting everything she wanted without giving anything back". [3] The lyrical inspiration came to Plant by his search for spiritual perfection and a key influence was the book Magic Arts in Celtic Britain by Lewis Spence, which Plant had recently read; it contained references to May Queens, pipers, and "bustling hedgerows."
The many cryptic references in the song have inspired various proposals on possible allusions within Stairway to Heaven. One line, "In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees", could be a reference to William Wordsworth's poem Tintern Abbey: "...and wreaths of smoke / Sent up, in silence, from among the trees!" And the lines "There's a feeling I get when I look to the west / And my spirit is crying for leaving" may be a reference to the Elves in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, specifically to the departure of the Elves from Middle-earth for the immortal land in the West.[citation needed] All that glitters is gold is a reversal of the common saying All that glitters is not gold. In addition, the "All that glitters is gold" line could be another Tolkien reference - there is a poem about Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings with the line "All that is gold does not glitter." Also refering to this movie, the lyrics mention "a lady we all know /Who shines white light and wants to show", which could possibly be related to Galadriel as she possesed the "light"(earendil).
Music
The song is a multi-movement suite. A quiet introduction featuring acoustic guitar and a recorder [5](beginning-2:12) gradually moves into to a slow electric middle section (2:13-5:33), before the faster hard rock final section (5:35-end).
Written in the key of A minor and mainly in common time the song opens with an Am-Fmaj7 arpeggiated, finger-picked guitar chord progression with a chromatic descending bassline A-G#-G-F#-F. John Paul Jones contributed overdubbed wooden bass recorders in the opening section (he used a mellotron, and later, a Yamaha CP70B Grand Piano and Yamaha GX1 to synthesize this arrangement in live performances) and a Rhodes electric piano in the middle section.
The sections build with more guitar layers, each complementary to the intro with the drums entering at just over 4 minutes. The bridge to the solo changes into 2/2 time before dropping back into common time for the solo and ending.
The extended Jimmy Page guitar solo in the song's final section was played for the recording on a 1958 Fender Telecaster plugged into a Supro amplifier although in a Guitar World interview Page also claims, "It could have been a Marshall, but I can't remember"[4]. Three different solos were recorded with Page agonizing about deciding which to keep. The other guitar parts were played using a Harmony acoustic guitar and Fender Electric XII (12-string); both can be heard on the left and right recording channels respectively. For live versions, Page switched to using a Heritage Cherry Gibson EDS-1275 6/12 Doubleneck guitar.
The final progression is a I-VI-V progression (Am G F), a mainstay of rock music.
The opening chord progression in "Stairway to Heaven" is similar to that of the 1968 instrumental "Taurus" by the group Spirit. The group opened for Spirit on a 1968 tour. While nobody in the group has ever cited influence from the track, the band was known to cover the Spirit song Fresh Garbage during their early days, and Jimmy Page has said that his use of a theremin was inspired by seeing Randy California use one. It is also quite similar to a very slowed-down version of the opening to the Irish traditional song "The Irish Rover".
Cover versions
"Stairways to Heaven" video tape
(25 versions of the song includes the well-known version by Rolf Harris)
Although "Stairway to Heaven" is a popular set choice for cover bands throughout the world, the iconic status and unique structure of the song have precluded the recording of many cover versions by established artists. A few attempts at a straightforward cover have been made over the years, notably by glam metal band Great White. The supergroup Far Corporation was the first act to chart with a single release of the song, barely making the charts in the U.S., while becoming a top-10 hit in the UK in October 1985. Frank Zappa recorded an original version of the song during his 1988 world tour, and it appeared on the 1991 live album The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life. In 1993, the band Leningrad Cowboys collaborated with the Red Army Chorus to perform a cover of the song. [6]
The popularity of "Stairway to Heaven" has led to covers in many other genres. Singer Dolly Parton recorded a country-bluegrass version on her 2002 album Halos & Horns. Jazz singer and conservative Pat Boone chose it to close out his 1997 album of heavy metal covers In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy. A cover by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, which includes only the first three verses of the song, begins with a straightforward rendition, and then kicks into an energetic pop 'punk' style. This cover, while generally well recieved by fans, got them booed off stage while performing during a 2006 Pittsburgh Pirates game. [7] The London Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Peter Scholes, recorded an instrumental version of the song on the album Kashmir: The Symphonic Led Zeppelin.
A compilation album, Stairways to Heaven, was put out on the Atlantic label, featuring versions of the song by The Australian Doors Show, The Beatnix, John Paul Young, Kate Ceberano, Leonard Teale, Sandra Hahn and Michael Turkic (Grand Opera), The Ministry of Fun, Neil Pepper, Pardon Me Boys, Robyne Dunn, The Rock Lobsters, Rolf Harris, Vegimite Reggae and others.
Many other covers are ironic or humorous in intent, notably Dread Zeppelin's reggae/Elvis-inspired version, Pat Boone's and Richard Cheese's lounge takes, and Rolf Harris's didgeridoo-and-wobble board interpretation (which reached number 7 in the UK charts in 1993). Rolf Harris's version was one of 28 different versions of the song, which were performed live by guest stars on the early 1990s Australian chat show The Money or the Gun - each being a unique version of the song in the usually idiosyncratic style of performance of each guest star, following which the best 25 performances of the song were released on video tape for posterity (Rolf Harris' version would appear to be the only version that people are aware of). Dread Zeppelin, Kate Ceberano, and the Doug Anthony All Stars are also of some note. Harris is said to have received death threats from fans of the song for his version of this iconic rock anthem.
Famous jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan recorded an instrumental cover of Stairway to Heaven where he simultaneously played two independent parts on one guitar with no overdubs.
The Foo Fighters's lead singer Dave Grohl also recorded a funny version of the song on The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn, when he forgot the lyrics, and the audience needed to jump in and help them out. After becoming frustrated, he simply skips ahead to the ending of the song, improvising the guitar solo vocally.
Native American singer Jana recorded a techno cover of Stairway to Heaven which won the Native American Music Award (Nammy) for Best Song in 2002.
Rodrigo y Gabriela recently recorded an instrumental cover of Stairway to Heaven for their self-titled album in 2006. An instrumental version has also appeared on Hayseed Dixie album "Pickin' on Zeppelin: A Tribute".
Fake versions
One version of the song circulating on the Internet is a supposed "reggae remix" by Jimi Hendrix. In fact, Hendrix died a year before the song was released. The recording is of a performance by Frank Zappa at one of his last live shows. This track is also sometimes attributed to Sublime.
Another widely circulated cover version is credited to Pink Floyd. This is most likely the version released by the Frank Farian supergroup Far Corporation on their 1985 album Division One (9 minutes 33 seconds long). Another version can be found on their 1994 album Solitude (8 minutes 46 seconds long).
Satanic claims
Critics of rock and roll songs (and of Led Zeppelin in particular) have alleged[8] that a backward message is recorded into "Stairway to Heaven." The message, which allegedly occurs during the middle section of the song ("If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now..."), is purported to contain Satanic references:
Oh here's to my sweet Satan.
The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan.
He'll give those with him 666.
There was a little toolshed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.— Most popular version of the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven played backwards[8]
In 1982, a consumer protection committee of the California State Assembly held a hearing on the song. Several "experts" claimed that "Stairway to Heaven," when played backward, contains a similar message[2]:
I sing because I live with Satan.
The Lord turns me off -- there's no escaping it.
Here's to my sweet Satan, whose power is Satan.
He will give you 666. I live for Satan.— Alleged lyrics to Stairway to Heaven played backwards, from the 1982 California State Assembly hearing
The controversy originated from a prominent Baptist, who, in 1982, preached on the radio that "Stairway to Heaven" contained subliminal backward messages.[9] This theory was later primarily advanced by Michael Mills, Jacob Aranza, and Jeff Godwin, who offered detailed analyses of the hidden meanings of both the "backwards" and actual lyrics.
Led Zeppelin has for the most part ignored such claims; for years the only comment came from Swan Song Records which issued the statement: "Our turntables only play in one direction—forwards". Robert Plant expressed frustration with the accusations in an interview: "To me it's very sad, because 'Stairway To Heaven' was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that's not my idea of making music."[10]
Cultural references and spoofs
The tendency for many aspiring guitar players to learn to play the introduction to the song was spoofed in the 1992 Mike Myers movie Wayne's World, when a "No Stairway to Heaven" regulation is enforced at a music store visited by the title character. When the movie was later released on home video, the producers were unable to reach a licensing agreement with music publishers, so the intro was replaced with the ending riff of We Will Rock You, making the joke incomprehensible. Plant himself referenced the scene's "No Stairway? Denied!" line during a concert appearance with Page in 1995. This was likewise spoofed in Terry Pratchett's Soul Music, where the guitar store owner, after taking advantage of the new guitar craze, tells his assistant to hire a troll, instructing it to pull the head off of anyone who tries to play "Pathway to Paradise".
A novelty song featuring the music and arrangement of the song combined with the lyrics to the "Theme from Gilligan's Island" (which has a similar chord progression) was recorded by the San Francisco band Little Roger and the Goosebumps and often featured on the Dr. Demento radio program. Singer Plant has described this as his favorite cover "version" of the song. Also popular on Dr. Demento's program was likely one of many parodies incorporating 7-Eleven, "7-Eleven" by Led Slurpee, a one-time-only pseudonym of the duo Icemark composed of Rob "Iceman" Izenberg and former KZZP disk jockey Mark Jonathan Davis[1].
In 1991 an Albuquerque, New Mexico radio station stunted into its Classic Rock format by playing "Stairway to Heaven" for 24 hours straight.[citation needed]
During the South Park episode Professor Chaos (South Park episode), Towelie attempts to play Stairway to Heaven, in his usual high state.
In the "Mushroom Samba" episode of Cowboy Bebop, Spike Spiegel, after eating a psychedelic mushroom, hallucinates climbing an endless staircase, upon which is sitting a small frog who warns him that "This here is the stairway to heaven."
In Bad News Tour, Vim Fuego boasts "I could play Stairway To Heaven when I was twelve. Jimmy Page didn't actually write it until he was twenty-two [sic - Page started writing Stairway in 1970, when he was 26]. I think that says quite a lot."
References
- Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
- ^ CBC News, Arts and Entertainment. ""'Stairway to Heaven' voted best rock song"". Retrieved 2006-06-07.
- ^ a b c "" Stairway To Heaven: Is This the Greatest Song of All Time?"". Retrieved 2006-06-07.
- ^ a b Sutcliffe, Phil (Apr., 2000). "Bustle in the Hedgerow". MOJO, p.62
- ^ a b Tollinski, Brad and di Benedetto, Greg, (Jan. 1998). "Light and Shade: A historic look at the entire Led zepellin catalogue through the eyes of Guitarist/Producer/Mastermind Jimmy Page". Guitar World, p. 100.
- ^ Rolling Stone. "Stairway to Heaven". Retrieved 2006-06-07.
- ^ Leningrad Cowboys - Total Balalaika Show at amazon.com
- ^ Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Strike Out in Pittsburgh at punknews.org
- ^ a b Milner, Jeff. "Jeff Milner's Backmasking Site". Retrieved 2006-06-09.
- ^ Oates, David John. "Reverse Speech - Stairway to Where?". Retrieved 2006-06-21.
- ^ Considine, J.D. "Interviews". Retrieved 2006-06-07.
External links
- Stairway to Heaven songfacts, tabs, videos and audio, at the Stairway to Heaven website.
- The Straight Dope: What's the story behind Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven?"
- NPR Fresh Air audio interview with Robert Plant, who comments on various covers of the song, the lyrics and writing it.
- 101 cover versions of “Stairway to Heaven”
- Sold on Song, "Stairway To Heaven" at BBC Radio 2
- Performance on YouTube
- Jeff Milner, "Backwards Songs"