A request that this article title be changed to Dazed and Confused (Jake Holmes song) is under discussion . Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
"Dazed and Confused" | |
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Song by Jake Holmes | |
from the album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes | |
Released | July 10, 1967 |
Recorded | Early 1967 |
Genre | Folk rock [1] |
Length | 3:46 |
Label | Tower |
Songwriter(s) | Jake Holmes |
Audio sample | |
"Dazed and Confused" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jake Holmes in 1967. Performed in a folk rock-style, he recorded it for his debut album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes . Although some concluded that it was about a bad acid trip, Holmes insists the lyrics refer to the effects of a girl's indecision on ending a relationship.
After hearing Holmes perform the song in August 1967, English rock group the Yardbirds reworked it with a new arrangement. It soon became a centerpiece of their tours, several recordings of which have been released, including on Yardbirds '68 , produced by guitarist Jimmy Page.
In 1968 "Dazed and Confused", with new lyrics and vocal line, was recorded by Page's new group for their debut album, Led Zeppelin . It became a signature song and concert staple for much of the group's career. Holmes attempted to contact Page in the 1980s regarding the songwriting credit, but received no response. In 2010, Holmes filed a lawsuit and the matter was settled out of court, with the credit on Led Zeppelin releases being changed to "Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes".
Jake Holmes began his music career in the early 1960s, and recorded and performed with several different groups. [2] He was influenced by psychedelic rock and groups such as the Byrds and the Blues Project, and wrote "Dazed and Confused" in a similar style with a blues influence. [3] In early 1967, he recorded the song for his debut solo album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes , as a trio of acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and bass. [1] On July 10, it was released on the Tower Records label. [2]
The arrangement is a modular dirge in the key of E minor [4] built on a descending chromatic bass line alternating between the 3rd (E-G-F#-F-E) and the 7th (E-D-C#-C-B). [5] Holmes' singing has been described as "pained", [1] and the lyrics ("you're out to get me/you're on the right track") and ("I'm being abused/I'm better off dead"), coupled with the arrangement led some people to think the song was about a bad acid trip. [3] However, Holmes said it was a song about a girl. [6]
In August 1967, Holmes opened for the Yardbirds at a Greenwich Village gig in New York. [7] According to Holmes, "That was the infamous moment of my life when 'Dazed and Confused' fell into the loving arms and hands of Jimmy Page." [8] He was aware of the song appearing on Led Zeppelin's eponymous debut album less than two years later, but did not take any action at the time. In the early 1980s, he wrote to the group and asked for a co-credit, but received no reply. [3]
In June 2010, Holmes sued Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page for copyright infringement, claiming to be the author of "Dazed and Confused" In court documents, he cited a 1967 copyright registration for the song, which was renewed in 1995. [7] On January 17, 2012, the case was "dismissed with prejudice" [lower-alpha 1] after the parties reached an undisclosed settlement out of court. [9]
By late 1966, English rock group the Yardbirds had moved away from recording hit singles towards regular touring. In July 1967, they began their second tour of the US as a quartet, with Jimmy Page as the sole guitarist. [10] The group performed at more countercultural venues, such as the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. [11] Their sets became more varied with extended medleys [12] and featured guitar instrumentals by Page, such as "White Summer" and "Glimpses". [13]
On August 25, 1967, the group headlined at the Village Theater in New York City, with opening acts the Youngbloods and Jake Holmes. [14] Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty was the only Yardbird to catch Holmes' performance. [6] [lower-alpha 2] He liked "Dazed and Confused" and bought the album the next day, subsequently playing it to the rest of the band. They reworked the song, focusing the arrangements based on the descending bass line. Page added additional guitar riffs in the middle of the song. [18] [6]
The Yardbirds began to develop a new arrangement for "Dazed and Confused" while still on tour in the U.S. [19] Holmes' brooding atmosphere and descending bass line were retained, as well as most of the lyrics. [19] Page doubled the bass line, echoing Holmes' live performances with two acoustic guitarists. [6] However, propelled by drums and an overdriven Fender Telecaster, [11] the song quickly took on a new, distinctly non-folk sound. [15]
Singer Keith Relf initially followed Holmes' verses, but later often changed the order or mixed lines from different verses. [20] Led Zeppelin biographer Mick Wall feels that Relf only "slightly altered" the lyrics, [18] while Page biographer Martin Power credits Relf with "writing new lyrics". [11] Yardbirds chronicler Greg Russo describes that gradually the song "moved from Holmes' original lyrics to an alternate set of lyrics that combined words from Jake Holmes and Keith Relf." [6]
The Yardbirds' major innovations were the instrumental breaks and an extended instrumental middle section. [21] Writer-educator Susan Fast describes the breaks, appearing between the verses and after Page's solo, as "a detail that contributes significantly to the drama of the piece, creating enormous tension at the end of each verse before moving on to the next. [21]
It begins with a bowed electric guitar phrasings by Page, answered by vocal and harmonica interjections by Relf. Page attributed the idea of using a violin bow on the guitar to a suggestion from violinist David McCallum, Sr., whom he met in his pre-Yardbirds days as a session musician. [22] The bowed section gives way to Page's riff-laden guitar solo, propelled by a bass ostinato and fast driving 4/4-meter. [23] The song returns to the slow tempo 12/8 verse structure before the coda. [24] The Yardbirds' new arrangement, contributed by the four members, soon amounted to a major reworking of Holmes' original piece. [11] Bassist Chris Dreja later said, "We found it, arranged it and played it. In a way, it was a great epitaph, because we were feeling very dazed and confused about what the hell was going on!" [6]
"Dazed and Confused" was a regular part of the Yardbirds' performances during their final tours in 1967 and 1968. [18] [6] [19] [15] The song debuted during their short US tour in late 1967, which included a date at the Village Theater. [25] When they returned to England, the group performed a nine-minute version in January 1968, around the time the full quartet recorded their last single, "Think About It". [26] [lower-alpha 3] On March 5–6, the Yardbirds performed "Dazed and Confused" for BBC Radio. [27] In his Led Zeppelin biography When Giants Walked the Earth , Wall notes that the relatively concise 5:48 version "sounds almost identical musically to the number Page would take credit for on the first Zeppelin album". [18] (Led Zeppelin's studio version lasts 6:28.) Another short (5:46) performance was filmed by French television on March 9 for Bouton Rouge. [26] AllMusic critic Bruce Eder notes it "comes off much better than the official[ sic ] Anderson Theater version from later the same month." [28]
On March 28, 1968, the Yardbirds returned to New York to begin their final US tour. [29] Before their March 30 concert at the Anderson Theater, representatives from Epic Records, the group's American label, informed them that it was going to be recorded for a live album. [30] The group felt that it was not sufficiently prepared, but proceeded, with "Dazed and Confused" as their third number. [31] Disappointed with the playbacks, the Yardbirds rejected any idea of releasing the recordings as a live album. [30] However, after Page's rise to fame in Led Zeppelin, Epic released the album in 1971, with "Dazed and Confused" retitled "I'm Confused" (with no composer credit or performance rights organization). [32] (Within a week, Page responded with an injunction, which prevented further sales of the album. [33] ) Although the recording and the group's performance is a bit rough, in a review Eder singled out the song as "something new, a slow blues as dark, forbidding, and intense as anything that the band ever cut – it showed where Page, if not his band, was heading." [34] In 2017, Page remixed the Anderson Theater recordings and the song (with the correct title) was issued on Yardbirds '68 . [35]
The Yardbirds never attempted to record the piece in the studio. [19] However, Page used an abbreviated version of his guitar solo from "Dazed and Confused" for the middle-section guitar solo of "Think About It". [15]
Several live recordings of "Dazed and Confused" are in release. If the song was introduced, it was announced as "Dazed and Confused" – it is unknown why Epic re-titled it "I'm Confused". [36]
"Dazed and Confused" | |
---|---|
Song by Led Zeppelin | |
from the album Led Zeppelin | |
Released | January 12, 1969 |
Recorded | October 3, 1968 [38] |
Studio | Olympic, London [38] |
Genre | |
Length | 6:27 |
Label | Atlantic |
Songwriter(s) | Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes [lower-alpha 4] |
Producer(s) | Jimmy Page |
Official audio | |
"Dazed and Confused " on YouTube |
When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page planned to record the song in the studio with the successor group he had assembled that summer. [44] According to Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the first time he heard the song was at the band's first rehearsal session at Gerrard Street in London, in 1968: "Jimmy played us the riffs at the first rehearsal and said, 'This is a number I want us to do'." [45] The future Led Zeppelin recorded their version in October 1968 at Olympic Studios, London, and the song was included on their debut album Led Zeppelin (1969). [46] "Dazed and Confused" was the second song recorded at the Olympic sessions. [47]
The group recorded the song in two takes. Page played a Telecaster and violin bow as he had performed it with the Yardbirds. [48] [lower-alpha 5] Singer Robert Plant wrote a new set of bluesier lyrics, according to Page, [3] though Plant is not credited on the album, due to contractual obligations to Chrysalis Records. Plant's vocal is raw and powerful, delivered with "unrelenting passion". [49] Other than the lyrics and vocal, the song remained very similar to that performed by the Yardbirds earlier that year. [1] [50] [51]
As of 2002, the 1969 promotional EP using "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" as the A-side track and "Dazed and Confused" as B-side had been one of top ten Led Zeppelin music collectibles. [52] A collector Rick Barrett, dedicated to his Led Zeppelin memorabilia, sold several copies of the promo EP for US$ 300–500 each, "depending on the condition of the sleeve and of the record itself," said Barrett. [53]
In June 2010, Holmes filed a lawsuit in US federal court, alleging copyright infringement and naming Page as a co-defendant. [54] The suit was "dismissed with prejudice" on January 17, 2012, [lower-alpha 1] after an undisclosed settlement between Page and Holmes was reached out of court in the fall of 2011. [9] Subsequent Led Zeppelin albums, such as Celebration Day (2012) and the remastered and deluxe editions of the group's debut album (2014), expanded the songwriter's credit for "Dazed and Confused" to "By Page – Inspired by Jake Holmes." [48]
"Dazed and Confused" was the most regularly performed song by Led Zeppelin, appearing at over 400 concerts. [47] It was played on every tour up to and including their 1975 shows at Earls Court. It was greatly expanded to include more improvisation, including short portions of other songs, and live performances could exceed 30 minutes. It was subsequently removed from their live set, although Page continued to perform parts of the bowed guitar segment during solo spots on subsequent tours, as preludes to "Achilles Last Stand" (1977 tour) and "In the Evening" (Knebworth 1979 and Tour Over Europe 1980). [55] It was part of the group's set at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert on December 10, 2007. [56]
A live version of "Dazed and Confused" recorded July 1973 at New York's Madison Square Garden was featured in the 1976 Led Zeppelin concert film The Song Remains the Same . [57] Other live recordings are found on the following official releases:
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | US | "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" [62] | 1994 | * |
Pause & Play | US | "Time Capsule Inductions – Songs" [63] | 1998 | * |
NME | UK | "117 Songs to soundtrack your summer" [64] | 2003 | * |
Toby Creswell | Australia | "1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time" [65] | 2005 | * |
Pitchfork Media | US | "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s" [66] | 2006 | 11 |
Q | UK | "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks" [67] | 2007 | 2 |
Q | UK | "21 Albums That Changed Music – Key Track" [68] | 2007 | 6 |
(*) designates unordered lists
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin: [38]
Footnotes
Citations
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)'Dazed and Confused' is the name of an extremely popular hard rock song by Led Zeppelin on their debut album.
References
Led Zeppelin is the debut studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released on 13 January 1969 in the United States and on 31 March 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records.
Little Games is the fourth American album by the English rock band the Yardbirds. Recorded and released in 1967, it was their first album recorded after becoming a quartet with Jimmy Page as the sole guitarist and Chris Dreja switching to bass. It was also the only Yardbirds album produced by Mickie Most.
William Keith Relf was an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and harmonica player for rock band the Yardbirds. He then formed the band Renaissance with his sister Jane Relf, the Yardbirds ex-drummer Jim McCarty and ex-The Nashville Teens keyboardist John Hawken.
"Beck's Bolero" is a rock instrumental recorded by English guitarist Jeff Beck in 1966. It is Beck's first solo recording and has been described as "one of the great rock instrumentals, epic in scope, harmonically and rhythmically ambitious yet infused with primal energy". "Beck's Bolero" features a prominent melody with multiple guitar parts propelled by a rhythm inspired by Ravel's Boléro.
Five Live Yardbirds is the live debut album by the English rock band the Yardbirds. It features the group's interpretations of ten American blues and rhythm and blues songs, including their most popular live number, Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning". The album contains some of the earliest recordings with guitarist Eric Clapton.
Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds, or simply Having a Rave Up, is the second American album by the English rock group the Yardbirds. It was released in November 1965, eight months after Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton on guitar. It includes songs with both guitarists and reflects the group's blues rock roots and their early experimentations with psychedelic and hard rock. The title refers to the driving "rave up" arrangement the band used in several of their songs.
"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is a song by the English rock group the Yardbirds. Written and recorded in 1966, it is considered one of their most progressive works. The song was the group's first to feature the dual-lead guitar line-up of Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. The two contribute an array of guitar parts during the instrumental sections, described as "a full-on six-string apocalypse". Lyrically, it deals with notions of past life and déjà vu.
"Over Under Sideways Down" is a 1966 song by English rock group the Yardbirds. A composition credited to all members of the group, it combines elements of blues rock and psychedelic rock. It was first released as a single in May 1966 as a follow-up to "Shapes of Things" and in July was included on group's self-titled UK album.
"Shapes of Things" is a song by the English rock group the Yardbirds. With its Eastern-sounding, feedback-laden guitar solo and environmentalist, anti-war lyrics, several music writers have identified it as the first popular psychedelic rock song. It is built on musical elements contributed by several group members in three different recording studios in the US, and was the first Yardbirds composition to become a record chart hit; when released as a single on 25 February 1966, the song reached number three in the UK and number eleven in the US.
Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page is a live album by English rock group the Yardbirds. It was recorded at the Anderson Theatre in New York City on 30 March 1968. At the time, the Yardbirds had been performing as a quartet with Jimmy Page on lead guitar since October 1966.
"Tangerine" is a folk rock song by the English band Led Zeppelin. Recorded in 1970, it is included on the second, more acoustic-oriented side of Led Zeppelin III (1970). The plaintive ballad reflects on lost love and features strummed acoustic guitar rhythm with pedal steel guitar.
Jake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s.
"Train Kept A-Rollin'" is a song first recorded by American jazz and rhythm and blues musician Tiny Bradshaw in 1951. Originally performed in the style of a jump blues, Bradshaw borrowed lyrics from an earlier song and set them to an upbeat shuffle arrangement that inspired other musicians to perform and record it. Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio made an important contribution in 1956 – they reworked it as a guitar riff-driven song, which features an early use of intentionally distorted guitar in rock music.
Ultimate! is a comprehensive career retrospective album by English rock group the Yardbirds. The 52-song two–compact disc compilation was released in 2001 by Rhino Records. The tracks span the period from the group's first demo recordings in 1963 to the last singles in 1968. They include all 17 of the group's singles, both A-side and B-sides, supplemented with more than a dozen album tracks, their performance for the film Blow-Up, and three early solo numbers by singer Keith Relf.
"Heart Full of Soul" is a song recorded by the English rock group the Yardbirds in 1965. Written by Graham Gouldman, it was the Yardbirds' first single after Jeff Beck replaced Eric Clapton as lead guitarist. Released only three months after "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul" reached the Top 10 on the singles charts in the UK, US, and several other countries.
"The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes is the debut album of American singer songwriter Jake Holmes, released in June 1967 on Tower Records. The album consists of songs played on bass and two electric guitars with no drummer. Both this record and Holmes' subsequent record, A Letter to Katherine December, were not well received and neither made the charts. Holmes played guitar. Tim Irwin also played guitar with Rick Randle on bass.
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists. The band's other members during 1963–1968 were vocalist/harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, and bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, with Dreja switching to bass when Samwell-Smith departed in 1966. The band had a string of hits throughout the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Shapes of Things", and "Over Under Sideways Down".
Golden Eggs is an unlicensed compilation of previously released recordings by English rock group the Yardbirds. The LP record album was originally issued in 1975 by Trademark of Quality (TMQ), a Los Angeles–based enterprise that specialised in bootleg recordings.
"Ha! Ha! Said the Clown" is a song written by Tony Hazzard, first recorded by British pop group Manfred Mann. Hazzard claims the song "came out of the blue" though he did not demo it for weeks. Following recording a demo, he approached manager Gerry Bron, who liked it enough to want one of his groups, Manfred Mann, to record it. Manfred Mann recorded their version of the single on 10 February 1967 at Philips Studio in Marble Arch, London, together with producer Shel Talmy. It was the second of three singles Manfred Mann recorded to feature the Mellotron.
Yardbirds '68 is a compilation album by English rock group the Yardbirds. Recorded in 1968 in New York City when the group was a quartet with guitarist Jimmy Page, it includes live performances and demos. Page produced the album, which was released in November 2017 on his own record label. It was released as a double CD and LP record.