Celebration Day
Encyclopedia
"Celebration Day" is the third track from English
rock
band Led Zeppelin
's 1970 album Led Zeppelin III
.
The track was almost left off the album, due to a studio oversight in which an engineer accidentally erased the first few bars of John Bonham
's drum track. To disguise it, the Moog synthesizer
from the end of the previous song on the album, "Friends
", was used to composite over the edit. This enabled the track to be salvaged and included on the album.
"Celebration Day" is made up of jangling Jimmy Page
guitar riffs and a hypnotic, trance-like mood. In an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine in 1993, Page discussed the construction of the song:
The lyrics of Robert Plant
refer to his impressions of the city of New York
. On Led Zeppelin's 1971 concert tour of the United States
, Robert Plant would sometimes introduce it as "The New York Song". "Celebration Day" was often played live in Led Zeppelin concerts
from 1971 through 1973, and was returned to the band's set list at Knebworth in 1979
(where Page unusually performed the song using his Gibson EDS-1275
double-necked guitar). A live version from the band's 1973 U.S. tour
was recorded and included on their concert soundtrack The Song Remains the Same
.
When released in 1976, the album's accompanying film
did not include this live cut of "Celebration Day," but when the DVD of the film was reissued in 2007, footage of the song was added to the second extras disc, and included on the reissue of the album. This reissued version is slightly different from the one that was originally included on the 1976 album, in particular featuring a different guitar solo
. Jimmy Page performed "Celebration Day" on his tour with The Black Crowes
in 1999, and another version performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek
. Record producer Rick Rubin
says, "It ["Celebration Day"] feels like a freight train, even though it's not one of their heavier songs. There's tremendous momentum in the way they play together. The bass playing is beyond incredible and the guitars interact really well—there's a heavy-riffing guitar, which is answered by a funky guitar."
1970 7" single (South Africa: Atlantic Teal MR 10)
Notes:
(*) B-side by Black Sabbath
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's 1970 album Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and July 1970 and released on 5 October 1970 by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's...
.
The track was almost left off the album, due to a studio oversight in which an engineer accidentally erased the first few bars of John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
's drum track. To disguise it, the Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
from the end of the previous song on the album, "Friends
Friends (Led Zeppelin song)
"Friends" is the second track from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III, the third studio album of English rock band Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur, a small cottage in Wales where they stayed after completing a grueling concert tour of the United...
", was used to composite over the edit. This enabled the track to be salvaged and included on the album.
"Celebration Day" is made up of jangling Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
guitar riffs and a hypnotic, trance-like mood. In an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine in 1993, Page discussed the construction of the song:
The lyrics of Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
refer to his impressions of the city of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. On Led Zeppelin's 1971 concert tour of the United States
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1971
Led Zeppelin's 1971 North American Tour was the seventh concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on August 7 and concluded on September 17, 1971. It included two warm-up shows in Montreux, Switzerland....
, Robert Plant would sometimes introduce it as "The New York Song". "Celebration Day" was often played live in Led Zeppelin concerts
Led Zeppelin concerts
From September 1968 through the summer of 1980, English rock group Led Zeppelin were one of the world's most popular live music attractions, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world.-History:...
from 1971 through 1973, and was returned to the band's set list at Knebworth in 1979
Knebworth Festival 1979
The Knebworth Festival 1979 consisted of two concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin and other artists at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1979.-History:...
(where Page unusually performed the song using his Gibson EDS-1275
Gibson EDS-1275
The Gibson EDS-1275 is a doubleneck Gibson electric guitar introduced in 1963 and still in production. Popularized by both rock and jazz musicians such as Jimmy Page and John McLaughlin, it was called "the coolest guitar in rock."-History:...
double-necked guitar). A live version from the band's 1973 U.S. tour
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1973
Led Zeppelin's 1973 North American Tour was the ninth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on May 4 and concluding on July 29, 1973...
was recorded and included on their concert soundtrack The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (album)
Upon its initial release in 1976, the album received some poor reviews, with some critics considering it to be over-produced and lumbering. Indeed, the band's members themselves have since expressed a lack of fondness for the recording...
.
When released in 1976, the album's accompanying film
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
did not include this live cut of "Celebration Day," but when the DVD of the film was reissued in 2007, footage of the song was added to the second extras disc, and included on the reissue of the album. This reissued version is slightly different from the one that was originally included on the 1976 album, in particular featuring a different guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
. Jimmy Page performed "Celebration Day" on his tour with The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
in 1999, and another version performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
. Record producer Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
says, "It ["Celebration Day"] feels like a freight train, even though it's not one of their heavier songs. There's tremendous momentum in the way they play together. The bass playing is beyond incredible and the guitars interact really well—there's a heavy-riffing guitar, which is answered by a funky guitar."
Formats and tracklistings
1970 7" single (Poland: Daszkowska N 037)- A. "Celebration Day" (Jones, Page, Plant) 3:29
- B. "Paranoid"* (Butler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward) 2:52
1970 7" single (South Africa: Atlantic Teal MR 10)
- A. "Celebration Day" (Jones, Page, Plant) 3:29
- B. "Immigrant Song" (Page, Plant) 2:25
Notes:
(*) B-side by Black Sabbath
Personnel
- Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Cover versions
- 2000: Jimmy Page & The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
(Live at the GreekLive at the GreekLive at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
) - 2000: Mob RulesMob RulesMob Rules is Black Sabbath's tenth studio album, released in November 1981. It peaked at number 29 on the U.S. charts.In the UK, it became the fourth Black Sabbath studio-album to attain Silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in February 1982.-Album...
(Temple of Two SunsTemple of Two SunsTemple of Two Suns is the second album by the German power metal band Mob Rules, released in 2000.The basic tracks for the album were recorded at Soundgarten Studio in Oldenburg, Germany, engineered by Andreas Schulz in June 2000...
) - 2001: TKOTKO (band)TKO was a hard rock/heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington. The group's leader and only consistent member was singer Brad Sinsel. TKO lasted from approximately 1977-2001....
(In Your Face [bonus tracks edition]) - 2007: Dread ZeppelinDread ZeppelinDread Zeppelin is an American band best known for performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style as sung by a 300 pound Vegas Elvis impersonator. Over the years they would also perform songs originally by Elvis Presley, Bob Marley and The Yardbirds. The group toured extensively around the...
(Bar Coda) - 2007: Spearfish (Back for the Future)
Sources
- Lewis, Dave (2004) The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
- Welch, Chris (1998) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, ISBN 1-56025-818-7