The Honeydrippers: Volume One
Encyclopedia
The Honeydrippers: Volume One is an EP
released on 24 September 1984, by a band led by rock singer Robert Plant
. The project originated when Atlantic Records
president Ahmet Ertegün
wanted to record an album of his favourite songs from the 1950s. Plant was chosen because Ertegün had seen his pick-up band the Honeydrippers
performing 1950s standards. Included in the band were Chic
front man Nile Rodgers
, and former Yardbirds
guitar
ists Jeff Beck
and Jimmy Page
—the latter was also Plant's former band mate in Led Zeppelin
.
To Plant's horror, "Sea of Love
" became Plant's biggest-selling single. According to Plant, the original single was "Rockin' at Midnight," with "Sea of Love" as the "B" side. The single was eventually "flipped" because radio stations were playing "Sea of Love" far more than Rockin' at Midnight. Plant feared his career would be ruined by this, and that people would think of him now as a "crooner", instead of the rock and roll singer he'd always been. As a result, when he would be asked about The Honeydrippers in years to come, Plant would refer to The Honeydrippers as having been "put to sleep." "Rockin at Midnight" is a remake of the 1949 recording by Roy Brown, the song's author, who wrote it as an answer record to his 1947 composition and recording, "Good Rockin' Tonight".
The album was re-released in a remastered edition in 2007 as part of a Robert Plant remaster
series, with the live version of "Rockin' at Midnight" [previously released on the 12-inch single version of the studio recording] included as a bonus track. Plant and Ertegün discussed the possibility of doing another Honeydrippers album, but with the latter’s death in December 2006, the plan was shelved permanently.
1984 Compact disc edition
Same track listing and order as the vinyl release.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
released on 24 September 1984, by a band led by rock singer 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...
. The project originated when Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
president Ahmet Ertegün
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
wanted to record an album of his favourite songs from the 1950s. Plant was chosen because Ertegün had seen his pick-up band the Honeydrippers
The Honeydrippers
The Honeydrippers was a rock band of the 1980s. Former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant formed the group in 1981 to satisfy his long-time goal in having a rock band with a heavy R&B basis. Formed originally in Worcestershire, the band went on to record an EP in the US...
performing 1950s standards. Included in the band were Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
front man Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, and former Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
guitar
Guitar
The 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...
ists Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
and 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...
—the latter was also Plant's former band mate in 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...
.
To Plant's horror, "Sea of Love
Sea of Love (song)
"Sea of Love" is a song written by John Phillip Baptiste and George Khoury. Phillips' 1959 recording of the song peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, Marty Wilde covered the song, and Phillips' version failed to chart there...
" became Plant's biggest-selling single. According to Plant, the original single was "Rockin' at Midnight," with "Sea of Love" as the "B" side. The single was eventually "flipped" because radio stations were playing "Sea of Love" far more than Rockin' at Midnight. Plant feared his career would be ruined by this, and that people would think of him now as a "crooner", instead of the rock and roll singer he'd always been. As a result, when he would be asked about The Honeydrippers in years to come, Plant would refer to The Honeydrippers as having been "put to sleep." "Rockin at Midnight" is a remake of the 1949 recording by Roy Brown, the song's author, who wrote it as an answer record to his 1947 composition and recording, "Good Rockin' Tonight".
The album was re-released in a remastered edition in 2007 as part of a Robert Plant remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
series, with the live version of "Rockin' at Midnight" [previously released on the 12-inch single version of the studio recording] included as a bonus track. Plant and Ertegün discussed the possibility of doing another Honeydrippers album, but with the latter’s death in December 2006, the plan was shelved permanently.
Track listing
2007 remaster bonus tracks
- "Rockin' at Midnight" (live) – 4:14
1984 Compact disc edition
Same track listing and order as the vinyl release.
Album
| Chart (1984) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 44 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
56 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart | 1 |
| US Billboard Top R&B Albums | 67 |
| German Albums Chart | 40 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Rockin' at Midnight" | US Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 8 |
| 1985 | "Rockin' at Midnight" | US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
25 |
| 1985 | "Rockin' at Midnight" | US Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 28 |
| 1985 | "Rockin' at Midnight" | Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart | 18 |
| 1985 | "Rockin' at Midnight" | US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 24 |
| 1984 | "Sea of Love" | US Billboard Top Rock Tracks Chart | 11 |
| 1984 | "Sea of Love" | US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
1 |
| 1984 | "Sea of Love" | Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart | 1 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Chart | 1 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | US Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 3 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | Dutch Singles Chart | 25 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | Irish Singles Chart | 29 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | German Singles Chart | 48 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
56 |
| 1985 | "Sea of Love" | Swiss Singles Chart | 25 |
Sales certifications
| Country | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) | 1,000,000+ | Platinum |
| Canada (CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... ) |
300,000+ | 3x Platinum |
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... - Jeff BeckJeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
- guitars ( "I Got a Woman," and "Rockin' at Midnight") - 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...
- guitar solos ( "Sea of Love" and "I Get a Thrill" ) - Wayne Pedziwiatr - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
- guitar, co-producer - Paul ShafferPaul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Dave WecklDave WecklDave Weckl is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer. Weckl attended Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, MO and graduated in 1978. He majored in jazz studies at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut...
- 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 ....
Production
- Producers: Nugetre (ErtegunAhmet ErtegunAhmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
spelled backwards), the Fabulous Brill Brothers (Page, Plant and Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
)