"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock 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 ...

. Included on their sixth album ''

Physical Graffiti ''Physical Graffiti'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a double album on 24 February 1975 by the group's new record label, Swan Song Records. The band wrote and recorded eight new songs for the ...

'' (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 th ...

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 ...

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 of D–A–D–G–A–D, which he had used for the instrumentals " White Summer" 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 Mou ...

". The song combines different rhythmic meters: the guitar riff is in triple meter, 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 ti ...

. 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 secon ...

in 1972; they worked there with various Indian musicians, gaining production ideas during the re-recordings of " Four Sticks" 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, Li ...

". 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. ...

. 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
Rock Magic: Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, and a Search for the Elusive Stairway to Heaven
'' Crawdaddy!'', 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 A ...

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'' (2003). The surviving members performed the song at the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert in 1988. Page and Plant 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 ...

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 a ...

'' in 2012 – was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance 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)'', 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 ...

'' 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, prim ...

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 ''Smoke Some Kill'' is the third album by rapper Schoolly D. The album was released in 1988 for Jive Records and was produced by Schoolly D. Release Though the album was not as successful as ''Saturday Night! – The Album'', it did manage to mak ...

", which samples "Kashmir", was the target of lawsuits following its use in the 1992 film '' Bad Lieutenant''. 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 b ...

to have the song removed from televised showings of the filmJeffrey, 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, ...

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), ...

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