Dazed and Confused (song)
"Dazed and Confused" is a song by Jake Holmes, which was covered by The Yardbirds, and later reworked by Led Zeppelin who hold a separate copyright on the song.[1]
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Jake Holmes
| "Dazed and Confused" | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Jake Holmes from the album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes | |||||||||
| Released | 1967 | ||||||||
| Genre | Folk rock | ||||||||
| Length | 3:50 | ||||||||
| Label | Tower | ||||||||
| Writer | Jake Holmes | ||||||||
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Folk singer Jake Holmes wrote and recorded "Dazed and Confused" for his debut solo album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes, released in June 1967. Like the other tracks on the album, the song does not include any drums. It was recorded entirely with the trio of Holmes on guitar, keyboard and vocals, Ted Irwin on guitar and Lee Underwood on bass.[2] The song has been incorrectly labelled as a tale about a bad acid trip. Holmes himself has confirmed that this is not the case. In 2001 he gave an interview to Shindig! magazine and said this about "Dazed and Confused":
I never took acid. I smoked grass and tripped on it, but I never took acid. I was afraid to take it. The song's about a girl who hasn't decided whether she wants to stay with me or not. It's pretty much one of those love songs.[3]
Jake Holmes is now suing Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page for alleged copyright infringement, claiming to have written and recorded “Dazed And Confused” two years before it appeared on Led Zeppelin's debut album. In court documents filed in June 2010, Holmes cited a 1967 copyright registration for his own “Dazed And Confused,” according to London’s Guardian newspaper which says Holmes renewed the copyright in 1995.[4]
The Yardbirds
During a 1967 tour of the United States by English rock group The Yardbirds, Jake Holmes performed as the opener at the Village Theater in Greenwich Village on August 25, 1967.[5] The Yardbirds were inspired by his performance and decided to work up their own arrangement for a new song. Their version featured long instrumental passages of bowed guitar courtesy of Jimmy Page, and dynamic instrumental flourishes. Page has stated that he obtained the idea of using a violin bow on his guitar from a violinist named David McCallum, Sr., during his session days before joining the Yardbirds in 1966.[6] At that time, it even had a little eastern influence, as can be heard on some French television appearances. It quickly became a staple of The Yardbirds' live act during their final year of their existence.
The song was never recorded by the band, although a live version is included on the album Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page under the alternate title "I'm Confused". Another live version of the song, recorded on the French TV series "Bouton Rouge" on 9 March 1968, was included on the CD Cumular Limit in 2000 and was credited "by Jake Holmes arr. Yardbirds."[7]
Led Zeppelin studio recording
| "Dazed and Confused" | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Led Zeppelin from the album Led Zeppelin | |||||||||
| Released | 12 January 1969 | ||||||||
| Recorded | October 1968 | ||||||||
| Genre | Hard rock, psychedelic rock, blues-rock, heavy metal | ||||||||
| Length | 6:26 | ||||||||
| Label | Atlantic | ||||||||
| Writer | Jimmy Page | ||||||||
| Producer | Jimmy Page | ||||||||
| Led Zeppelin track listing | |||||||||
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When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, the song "Dazed and Confused" was re-worked by Page yet again, this time while as a member of Led Zeppelin. According to Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the first time he heard the song was at the band's very first rehearsal session at Gerrard Street in London in 1968: "Jimmy played us the riffs a the first rehearsal and said, This is a number I want us to do."[8] Led Zeppelin recorded their version in October 1968 at Olympic Studios, London, and the song was included on their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin.
The Led Zeppelin version was not credited to Holmes, and a different ASCAP code was assigned to it.[9] Page took the title, came up with a new set of lyrics, and changed enough of the melody to escape a plagiarism lawsuit from Jake Holmes.[10][2][11] While Holmes took no action at the time, he did later contact Page in regards to the matter. Page had not replied as of 2001.[12] In June 2010 Holmes filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, alleging copyright infringement and naming Page as a co-defendant.[13]
Led Zeppelin's interpretation of the song begins with a slow-tempo bluesy rhythm, propelled by John Paul Jones' descending bass line. It then changes to a faster tempo during the darkest part of the song, again featuring bowed guitar by Page, followed by a furious guitar solo (similar to Page's solo from the Yardbirds' "Think About It"), before finally returning to the initial rhythm. John Bonham's sporadic, explosive drumming throughout helped define the song's power and intensity.
This was one of three Led Zeppelin songs on which Page used a bow on his guitar, the others being "How Many More Times" and "In The Light". The intro of the song "In the Evening" utilised the Gizmotron rubber wheel string exciter to achieve the violin-like effects. Many often mistake this for his use of the bow.
Led Zeppelin live performances
"Dazed and Confused" was widely popularised by, and is still heavily identified with, Led Zeppelin's version. It became the centrepiece for the group at Led Zeppelin concerts, at least through the release of "Whole Lotta Love" from their second album. When performed live, it was (except for the fast middle section) played at a slower overall tempo, and gradually extended in duration (up to 45 minutes by 1975) as a multi-section improvised jam. Although initially performed in a manner similar to the studio version, some noticeable differences were gradually developed in live performances. By June 1969, in the section where Page plays guitar with a violin bow, the rest of the band dropped out completely, allowing him to perform a lengthier free-form improvisation, though by January 1970, the main structure of the section was already formed. By 1972, another improvised section had been added between the verses and this. The fast section was extended to allow changes in dynamics and volume, as well as changing the beat, sometimes seguing in and out of another song altogether. There was a short jam at the end of the song after the final verse.
Over time, the improvisational suite incorporated more and more material. In 1972, the song incorporated riffs from the Led Zeppelin songs "The Crunge", and "Walter's Walk", as can be heard on the live album How the West Was Won. By 1973, the song featured an extended transition before the violin bow solo, which incorporated a melody that would later be used in 1976's "Achilles Last Stand". Plant sang lyrics from either Scott McKenzie's "San Francisco" or Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" during this transition. Also during this time, the violin solo would incorporate "Mars" from Gustav Holst's suite The Planets, accompanied by Plant's vocalisations.
In his 1997 publication Led Zeppelin Live: An Illustrated Exploration of Underground Tapes, Luis Rey dissects the pattern of the song (as it was in 1975) into twelve sections, in order to demonstrate its gradual state of evolution when played live:
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- Stage 1: Bass intro and wah-wah interludes
- Stage 2: Main vocal theme
- Stage 3: Fast instrumental and 'oriental' riffs
- Stage 4: "San Francisco" or "Woodstock"
- Stage 5: Violin bow episode including echo-slapping from the guitar; interlude with Plant's 'instrumental voice'; Gustav Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War and return of the rhythm section
- Stage 6: Fast guitar solo and battle with Plant
- Stage 7: Slower tempo solo and 'funky' moods
- Stage 8: Violent breaks and call and response interlude
- Stage 9: Faster solo in crescendos and occasional break-up tempo
- Stage 10: New arrangement of Mars, the Bringer of War (slow and fast versions) and final frenzy
- Stage 11: Return to main theme
- Stage 12: Coda. Final instrumental and vocal battle inside syncopated rhythms, drum-solo and final explosion.[14]
A live version of "Dazed and Confused" was featured in Led Zeppelin's 1976 concert film, The Song Remains the Same (and accompanying soundtrack), as part of Page's fantasy sequence. Other live recordings are also found on the official releases Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions (featuring two different versions), How the West Was Won, and the Led Zeppelin DVD.
"Dazed and Confused" was performed on every Led Zeppelin concert tour up to and including their 1975 shows at Earls Court.[15] It was then removed from their live set, although Page continued to perform parts of the bowed guitar segment during solo spots in 1977 and 1979 (as preludes to "Achilles Last Stand" and "In the Evening", respectively). It was performed once again at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on December 10, 2007.
Cultural influence
The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
The song was also used as the basis for the title of the 1993 film Dazed and Confused, which chronicled the lives of various American youths on their last day of high school in 1976. However, it is not found on the film's soundtrack. The film's director Richard Linklater appealed to Led Zeppelin band members to use some of their songs in the movie but, although Page agreed, Robert Plant refused.[16][17]
The song is featured in the drama series Shabatot VeHagim, 2003 episode "Air Guitar"[18] In the television show The Simpsons, an episode of Itchy & Scratchy (1993 "The Front") has the title "Dazed and Contused", an obvious pun on the song. It was also used again as a pun ("abraised and contused") in the 2006 episode "Bart Has Two Mommies" where Ned Flanders addresses himself as Ned Zeppelin. Chad Smith and various others can be heard listening to it in the Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary Funky Monks.
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | United States | "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll"[19] | 1994 | * |
| Pause & Play | United States | "Time Capsule Inductions - Songs"[20] | 1998 | * |
| NME | United Kingdom | "117 Songs to soundtrack your summer"[21] | 2003 | * |
| Toby Creswell | Australia | "1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time"[22] | 2005 | * |
| Pitchfork Media | United States | "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s"[23] | 2006 | 11 |
| Q | United Kingdom | "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks"[24] | 2007 | 2 |
| Q | United Kingdom | "21 Albums That Changed Music - Key Track"[25] | 2007 | 6 |
(*) designates unordered lists.
Personnel
Cover versions
With credit Page
Album versions
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Live versions
- 1988-1989: Jimmy Page
References
- ↑ Fast, Susan. In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music (2001): 21
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Review of The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfqxq95ldfe~T0.
- ↑ Shade, Will. "A Tune's Twisted Tale" (PDF). http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/itsaboutmusic/jakeholmes.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
- ↑ Michaels, Sean. "Led Zeppelin sued for alleged plagiarism of Dazed and Confused". http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/30/led-zeppelin-sued-dazed-and-confused.
- ↑ Kaufman, Michael. "Yardbirds Complete 6th Mission to Expand Young Minds in U.S." The New York Times August 28, 1967: 36
- ↑ Welch, Chris (ed.) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused, the Stories Behind Every Song. (Page 23) Thunder's Mouth Press, 1998 ISBN 1-56025-188-3
- ↑ Cumular Limit CD booklet, Burning Airlines 2000
- ↑ Mat Snow, “Apocalypse Then”, Q magazine, December 1990, p. 77.
- ↑ Ryan, John (1985). The Production of Culture in the Music Industry: the ASCAP-BMI Controversy (1st ed.). Lanham: University Press of America. p. 113. ISBN 0819147427.
- ↑ Hodgkinson, Will (2008). Song Man: A Melodic Adventure, Or, My Single-Minded Approach to Songwriting. pp. 129.
- ↑ Schinder, Scott. Icons of Rock. pp. 385. http://books.google.com/books?id=CzWE_J3ZZfoC.
- ↑ Cochrane, Robert (September 17, 2008). "Theft As Ownership". hippy.com. http://www.culturecatch.com/music/jake-holmes-dangerous-times. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
- ↑ Led Zeppelin sued by folk singer for alleged plagiarism. New York Post
- ↑ Luis Rey (1997) Led Zeppelin Live: An Illustrated Exploration of Underground Tapes, Ontario: The Hot Wacks Press, p. 253.
- ↑ Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ↑ http://nsfc.zap2it.com/nsfc/cda/index.jsp?p_state=8&DvdId=100068&ts=1173833040623
- ↑ Led-Zeppelin.org. "Led Zeppelin Assorted Info". http://www.led-zeppelin.org/reference/index.php?m=assorted3.
- ↑ Shabatot VeHagim's "Air Guitar"
- ↑ "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll - December 1994". Jacobs Media. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/halloffame.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ↑ "Time Capsule Inductions: Songs - July 1998". Pause & Play. http://www.pauseandplay.com/vaultsongs.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ↑ Songs to soundtrack your summer "117 Songs to soundtrack your summer - May 2003". NME. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nme_writers.htm#117 Songs to soundtrack your summer. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ↑ Creswell, Toby (2005). "Dazed and Confused". 1001 Songs: the Great Songs of All Time (1st ed.). Prahran: Hardie Grant Books. p. 745. ISBN 9781740664585.
- ↑ "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s - August 2006". Pitchfork. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/6405-the-200-greatest-songs-of-the-1960s/. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ↑ Greatest Guitar Tracks "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks - September 2007". Q. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#20 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
- ↑ Albums That Changed Music "21 Albums That Changed Music: Key Track - November 2007". Q. http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#21 Albums That Changed Music. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
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
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