"Kashmir" is a song by the English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
. Included on their sixth album ''
Physical Graffiti'' (1975), it was written by
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
and
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...
with contributions from
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove,J ...
over a period of three years with lyrics dating to 1973.
The song became a concert staple, performed by the band at almost every concert after its release. It has been described as one of Led Zeppelin's two most overtly
progressive epics (the other being "
Stairway to Heaven
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...
").
Composition
Page uses a
guitar tuning
Guitar tunings are the assignment of pitches to the open strings of guitars, including acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and classical guitars. Tunings are described by the particular pitches that are made by notes in Western music. By ...
of
D–A–D–G–A–D, which he had used for the instrumentals "
White Summer
"White Summer" is a guitar instrumental by English rock guitarist Jimmy Page, that incorporates Indian and Arabic musical influences. Page initially recorded and performed it with the Yardbirds and later included it in many Led Zeppelin concer ...
" and "
Black Mountain Side
"Black Mountain Side" is an instrumental by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios in London, and is included on the group's 1969 debut album ''Led Zeppelin''.
Composition and recording
"Black Mo ...
". The song
combines different rhythmic meters: the guitar riff is in
triple meter
Triple metre (or Am. triple meter, also known as triple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 3 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 3 (simple) or 9 (compound) in the upper figure of the time signature, with , , ...
, while the vocal is in
quadruple meter
Duple metre (or Am. duple meter, also known as duple time) is a musical metre characterized by a ''primary'' division of 2 beats to the bar, usually indicated by 2 and multiples (simple) or 6 and multiples (compound) in the upper figure of the tim ...
. Plant felt that the drumming was an important component of the song and that Bonham did not overplay his part.
Page recorded a
demo version with drummer Bonham late in 1973, when
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
was late for the recording sessions. Plant later added lyrics and a middle section; in early 1974, Jones added orchestration. Page and Plant had previously travelled to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
in 1972; they worked there with various Indian musicians, gaining production ideas during the re-recordings of "
Four Sticks
"Four Sticks" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their untitled fourth album. The title reflects drummer John Bonham's performance with two sets of two drumsticks, totaling four.Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Mu ...
" and "
Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
". Session players were brought in for the string and horn sections for "Kashmir" and Jones added a
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
.
The lyrics were written by Plant in 1973 immediately after Led Zeppelin's
1973 US tour. None of the group members had visited
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
.
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...
Rock Magic: Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, and a Search for the Elusive Stairway to Heaven
''Crawdaddy!
''Crawdaddy'' was an American rock music magazine launched in 1966. It was created by Paul Williams, a Swarthmore College student at the time, in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music. The magazine ...
'', June 1975. Instead, Plant was inspired during a drive through a desolate desert area of southern
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
.
Live performances
"Kashmir" was played live at almost every
Led Zeppelin concert after its debut in 1975. A version from
Knebworth in 1979 appears on the ''
Led Zeppelin DVD
''Led Zeppelin DVD'' is a double DVD set by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2003, and the United States on 27 May 2003. It contains live concert footage of the band spanning the years 1969 to 1979. The D ...
'' (2003). The surviving members performed the song at the
Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary
On May 14, 1988, the Atlantic Records label held its 40th Anniversary Celebration by staging a non-stop concert lasting almost 13 hours starting at noon and ending just shortly before 1am the following morning at Madison Square Garden, New York. Th ...
concert in 1988.
Page and Plant
Page and Plant (also known as Jimmy Page & Robert Plant) was an English rock band active between 1994 and 1998. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant (both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin), accompanied ...
recorded a longer, live version, with an Egyptian/Moroccan orchestra for ''
No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded'' (1994) and performed the song with an orchestra on their 1995 tour.
Led Zeppelin, with John Bonham's son
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
on drums, performed "Kashmir" at
Led Zeppelin's reunion show at
The O2, London on 10 December 2007. That rendition – released on ''
Celebration Day
"Celebration Day" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, and the third track from their 1970 album ''Led Zeppelin III''. The band's last concert film and album, released on 19 November 2012, took their name from this song.
Composition and ...
'' in 2012 – was nominated in 2014 for the
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
at the
56th Grammys. Kashmir' actually isn't that difficult", Page remarked during rehearsals for the show. "But it helps to have a drummer who understands the part and a bass player who can play bass with his feet. Sometimes it sounds like John's got three feet. It's intense."
Reception
All four members of Led Zeppelin have agreed that "Kashmir" is one of their best musical achievements. John Paul Jones suggested that it showcases all of the elements that made up the Led Zeppelin sound. Led Zeppelin archivist Dave Lewis comments:
In a retrospective review of ''Physical Graffiti (
Deluxe Edition
The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...
)'', Brice Ezell of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' described "Kashmir" as ''Physical Graffiti''s "quintessential track".
Ezell called "Kashmir"'s "doomy
ostinato
In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...
riff and rapturous post-chorus brass/mellotron section" as "inimitable moments in the legacy of
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
".
Accolades
The song is listed highly in a number of professional music rankings:
(*) designates unordered lists
Charts and certifications
Certifications
Copyright issue
The 1988
Schoolly D
Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Career
Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...
song "
Signifying Rapper", which samples "Kashmir", was the target of lawsuits following its use in the 1992 film ''
Bad Lieutenant
''Bad Lieutenant'' is a 1992 American neo-noir crime film directed by Abel Ferrara. The film stars Harvey Keitel as the titular "bad lieutenant" as well as Victor Argo and Paul Calderón. The screenplay was co-written by Ferrara with actress-mod ...
''.
In 1994, Page and Plant successfully sued
Home Box Office
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
to have the song removed from televised showings of the film
[Jeffrey, Don.]
Plant, Page Oust Song From Film
, ''Billboard'', 5 March 1994: 12 and Live Home Video and distributor Aries Film Releasing were ordered to destroy any unsold copies of ''Bad Lieutenant'' as part of a
copyright infringement
Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...
ruling.
[Sandler, Adam (14 December 1994). Live Must Destroy 'Bad' Vids Sez Judge. '']Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''
See also
*
List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band whose career spanned twelve years from 1968 to 1980. They are considered one of the most successful, innovative, and influential rock groups in history. During the band's tenure and in the years since they ...
"Kashmir" entries
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
External links
"Kashmir" at LedZeppelin.com*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kashmir (Song)
1975 songs
Led Zeppelin songs
British progressive rock songs
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page
Songs written by Jimmy Page
Songs written by John Bonham
Songs written by Robert Plant