"The Rain Song" 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 ...
. It was released in March 1973 as the second track on their fifth album, ''
Houses of the Holy
''Houses of the Holy'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released on 28 March 1973 by Atlantic Records.
The album benefited from two band members installing studios at home, which allowed them to develop mor ...
''.
Recording
"The Rain Song" is a
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
of over seven minutes in length. Guitarist
Jimmy Page originally constructed the melody of this song at his home in
Plumpton, England, where he had recently installed a studio
mixing console
A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...
. A new Vista model, it was partly made up from the Pye Mobile Studio which had been used to record the group's 1970
Royal Albert Hall performance and
the Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
's ''
Live at Leeds
''Live at Leeds'' is the first live album by English rock band The Who. It was recorded at the University of Leeds Refectory on 14 February 1970, and is their only live album that was released while the group were still actively recording and p ...
'' album.
[Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, .]
With a working title of "Slush", a reference to its easy listening simulated
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
l arrangement,
Page was able to bring in a completed arrangement of the melody, for which singer
Robert Plant wrote the words. Plant ranks his vocal performance on the track as one of his best.
Austin Scaggs
Austin Scaggs is an American music critic and a contributing editor for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. He's also written for ''Men's Journal''. His father is musician Boz Scaggs.
Early life
Scaggs was born to Boz and Carmella Scaggs. Jann Wenner ( ...
Q&A: Robert Plant
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', May 5, 2005. The song also features a
Mellotron played by
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 ( ...
to add to the orchestral effect, while Page plays a
Danelectro
Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories, founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro company was ...
guitar.
Page wrote "The Rain Song" in response to
George Harrison complaining to Led Zeppelin drummer
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 ...
that the group were unable to write ballads.
In ''Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page'', biographer
Brad Tolinski Brad Tolinski (born 1958) was the editor-in-chief of '' Guitar World Magazine'' for 25 years (1989–2015). He also served as editorial director of NewBay Media's music division, which also includes ''Guitar Aficionado'' and '' Revolver'' magazines. ...
quotes Page's recollection:
However, there is some disagreement about exactly what was said by whom.
Live history
During
Led Zeppelin concerts
From September 1968 until the summer of 1980, English rock band Led Zeppelin were the world's most popular live music attraction, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world.
History
Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Led Zeppeli ...
from late 1972 until 1975, the band played "The Rain Song" immediately following "
The Song Remains the Same", presenting the songs in the same order as they appeared on the album. They organised their set list in this manner because Page used a
Gibson EDS-1275
The Gibson EDS-1275 is a doubleneck Gibson electric guitar introduced in 1963 and still in production. Popularized and raised to iconic status by musicians such as John McLaughlin and Jimmy Page, it was called "the coolest guitar in rock."
H ...
double-necked guitar for both songs: the top, 12-string neck for "The Song Remains the Same" and then switching to the bottom, 6-string neck for "The Rain Song". The song was dropped from the
1977 US tour, but returned for Led Zeppelin's
1979 concerts in
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
and at the
Knebworth Music Festival, as well as their
European tour in 1980.
Reception
In a contemporary review for ''Houses of the Holy'', Gordon Fletcher of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' gave "The Rain Song" a negative review, pairing it with "
No Quarter
The phrase no quarter was generally used during military conflict to imply combatants would not be taken prisoner, but killed.
According to some modern American dictionaries, a person who is given no quarter is "not treated kindly" or "treated ...
" as "nothing more than drawn-out vehicles for the further display of Jones' unknowledgeable use of mellotron and synthesizer".
Writing for the same publication in 2003, Gavin Edwards said that Page and Plant "rose to the challenge" presented by Harrison's comment, and the band created "seven minutes of exquisite heartache".
In his review of the 2014 ''
Houses of the Holy (Deluxe Edition)'', Kristofer Lenz of ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'' described "The Rain Song" as "one of the most sentimental tracks in Led Zeppelin's catalog" and called it "patient and beautifully arranged".
Lenz also wrote that Plant's lyrics and vocals "infuse a sense of humanity, loss, and transcendence – a touch of emotional maturity".
Record producer
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records.
Rubin helped popula ...
has said of "The Rain Song": "I don't even know what kind of music this is. It defies classification. There's such tasteful, beautiful detail in the guitar, and a triumphant feel when the drums come in – it's sad and moody and strong, all at the same time. I could listen to this song all day. That would be a good day."
The Playlist Special: Fifty Artists Pick Their Personal Top 10s
. ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
Other versions
A different version of this song is featured on the second disc of the remastered 2CD deluxe edition of ''Houses of the Holy''. Titled "The Rain Song (Mix Minus Piano)", it was recorded on 18 May 1972 at the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio (also known as the RSM) is a mobile recording studio inside a DAF F1600 Turbo truck, once owned by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using the RSM, including ...
at Stargroves with engineer Eddie Kramer and mix engineer Keith Harwood. 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 version of the song in 1994 but it was not originally released on their album '' No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded''. It was, however, released on the special tenth anniversary reissue of that album in 2004.
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 the ...
"The Rain Song" entries
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rain Song, The
1973 songs
Led Zeppelin songs
British progressive rock songs
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Page
Songs written by Jimmy Page
Songs written by Robert Plant