"White Summer" is a guitar instrumental by English rock guitarist Jimmy Page, that incorporates Indian and

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musical influences. Page initially recorded and performed it with

the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...

and later included it in many

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 ...

concerts. According to biographer Keith Shadwick, it is based on an old Irish folk song, "specifically derived from ' She Moved Through the Fair' in the 1963 version by avy Graham, which he in turn credited to

Padraic Colum Padraic Colum (8 December 1881 – 11 January 1972) was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival. Early life Col ...

". The later Led Zeppelin song " Over the Hills and Far Away" was "spun off" from "White Summer" as well as an unreleased 20-minute instrumental recorded in early 1974 at Headley Grange.

Yardbirds song

"White Summer" was recorded 28–29 April 1967 at

De Lane Lea Studios Warner Bros. De Lane Lea Studios is a recording studio, based in Dean Street, Soho, London. Although the studios have mainly been used for dubbing feature films and television programmes, major artists such as the Animals, the Beatles, Soft M ...

in London. Jimmy Page was the only band member to perform on the recording and was accompanied by

Chris Karan Chris Karan (born Chrisostomos Karanikis, 14 October 1939) is a Britain-based Australian jazz drummer and percussionist of Greek descent. Life and career Karan was born in 1939 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Karan played in The Three Out t ...

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

and an unidentified

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

player doubling the melody line. The song combines elements of traditional Eastern as well as Western music. In a 1977 interview, Page commented, "I used a special tuning for he song the low string down to D, then A, D, G, A and D. It’s like a modal tuning, a

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...

tuning, in fact". He added that he called this tuning "'C.I.A.' tuning—Celtic-Indian-Arabic—because that's what it was ... D–A–D–G–A–D was something going around the folk scene during the 1960s" and was used by Davy Graham for his "She Moved Through the Fair". "White Summer" was released on the Yardbirds' last album, '' Little Games''. An alternate take/mix without the accompaniment was included on the 1992 Yardbirds compilation '' Cumular Limit''. It was a staple of live Yardbird performances with

Jim McCarty James Stanley McCarty (born 25 July 1943) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Yardbirds and Renaissance. Following Chris Dreja's departure from the Yardbirds in 2013, McCarty became the only member of the band to featu ...

usually providing a drum part and appears on the albums '' Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page'' and ''Glimpses 1963–1968''. When playing the song live with the Yardbirds, Page used a 1961

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 ...

3021 guitar.

Led Zeppelin renditions

Led Zeppelin frequently performed "White Summer" as part of a medley with " Black Mountain Side" during their 1968–70 tours and again on the 1977 US,

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and 1980 Europe tours. A live performance during the band's U.K. Tour of Summer 1969Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, . was recorded by the

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...

Yardbirds song

Led Zeppelin renditions

References