Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)

1971 single by Led Zeppelin

"Black Dog"

French picture sleeve

Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album  Led Zeppelin IV
B-side| "Misty Mountain Hop"
Released| 2 December 1971 (1971-12-02) (US)
Recorded| December 1970 – February 1971[1]
Studio|

* Rolling Stones Mobile, Headley Grange, Hampshire
* Island, London[1]

Genre|

* Hard rock[2][3][4]
* blues rock[5]

Length| 4:55
Label| Atlantic
Songwriter(s)|

* John Paul Jones
* Jimmy Page
* Robert Plant

Producer(s)| Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
| "Immigrant Song"
(1970)  | "Black Dog"
(1971)  | "Rock and Roll"
(1972)

|
|

"Black Dog" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is the first track on the band's untitled fourth album (1971), which has become one of the best-selling albums of all time.[6] The song was released as a single and reached the charts in many countries. It is "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks", and was included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (US), and ranked No. 1 in Q magazine's (UK) "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks". The lyrics contain typical bluesman themes of lust, eroticism and betrayal.[1]

## Composition

[edit]

"Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

### Themes

[edit]

The title is a reference to a nameless black Labrador Retriever the band used to see wandering the Headley Grange studio grounds.[7] The dog would disappear in the evening and return exhausted in the early morning, before resting all day and repeating his evening sojourns.[1] Robert Plant believed the lab was spending nights with his "old lady" (dog). Likewise the lyrics are narrated by a man obsessed with a woman, "got a flaming heart can't get my fill", he "can't keep away" from her "honey drip";[nb 1][nb 2] she reveals her true intention, spending his money, taking his car, "telling her friends she's gonna be a star", at which point the deception becomes clear and he turns cold, saying "a big-legged woman ain't got no soul".[1] The story of lust, eroticism, and ultimately betrayal echoes the traditional reputation of the blues as being the music of the devil, alluded to in the lyric "eyes that shine a burning red".[1][nb 3]

### Music

[edit]

The song opens with muted sounds of guitars warming up in the background, an idea by Jimmy Page, who also made curious opening sounds in "Immigrant Song" and "Friends", he was fond of starting songs in an unexpected way. The sounds are actually recordings of various guitar track openings played simultaneously, creating a "sonic collage" in which the tape can be heard spinning up to speed. Robert Plant then begins singing in a high strong voice, "hey, hey, mama" unaccompanied by music (a cappella). This sets the structure of the song, around a call and response dynamic, between the vocalist and the band, back and forth. It was Jimmy Page's idea to start and stop the music, and he was inspired by Fleetwood Mac's 1969 song "Oh Well".[10]

Bassist John Paul Jones, who is credited with writing the main riff, said he was inspired by Muddy Waters' 1968 album Electric Mud. However he retracted this, in 2007, saying that he was confused, and that his main inspiration was actually The Howlin' Wolf Album by Howlin' Wolf, particularly the repeating riff in "Smokestack Lightning", which Jones and Page sped up.[11]

Jones added complex rhythm changes,[7] that biographer Keith Shadwick describes as a "clever pattern that turns back on itself more than once, crossing between time signatures as it does."[12] The group had a difficult time with the turnaround, but drummer John Bonham's solution was to play it straight through as if there was no turnaround.[7] As Jean-Michel Guesdon notes, the recording contains rhythmic coordination errors, such as between 0:41 and 0:47, when the guitars are not in sync with the drums. He says it was part of the band's "genius" to discount these "errors" as "curiosities" ie. characteristic signatures of the song.[13] In live performances, Bonham eliminated the 5
4 variation so that Robert Plant could perform his a cappella vocal interludes and then have the instruments return at the proper time.[14]

For his guitar parts, Jimmy Page used a Gibson Les Paul and made a complicated series of overdubs through various compressors and other equipment. There was so much distortion, Page later said it sounded like an analog synthesizer.[15]

## Recordings and releases

[edit]

The initial backing tracks of "Black Dog" were recorded on 5 December 1970 at Island Studios on Basing Street in London, with recording engineer Andy Johns.[16] It was the band's first recording at Island Studios.[17] Further tracks were made at Headley Grange (January 1971), and again at Island Studios (February 1971).[1]

Although played at live concerts since March 1971, its first commercial release was on 8 November 1971, as track #1 side one of the album Led Zeppelin IV, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time.[6]

The single followed about a month later, on 2 December 1971 in continental Europe, the United States (via Europe), and Australia. As was their practice, the United Kingdom did not receive the single.[11] "Misty Mountain Hop" is on the B-side.[11]

## Live performances

[edit]

"Black Dog" became a staple of Led Zeppelin's live concert performances. It was first played live at Belfast's Ulster Hall on 5 March 1971, a concert which also featured the first ever live performance of "Stairway to Heaven".[18] It was retained for each subsequent concert tour until 1973. In 1975 it was used as an encore medley with "Whole Lotta Love", but was hardly used on the band's 1977 US concert tour. It was recalled to the set for the Knebworth Festival 1979 and the 1980 Tour of Europe. For these final 1980 performances, Page introduced the song from stage.[18] "Black Dog" was last performed at the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in 2007, during Led Zeppelin's headline set.

## Reception

[edit]

In 2004, the song appeared on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list at number 294.[19] In 2010, it was demoted to number 300.[20] Music sociologist Deena Weinstein calls "Black Dog" "one of the most instantly recognisable Zeppelin tracks".[21] In 2007, Q magazine polled an "all-star panel", who ranked Black Dog as number one in a list of the "20 Greatest Guitar Tracks".[22]

Publication  | Country  | Accolade  | Year  | Rank

|
|
|
|

Classic Rock | United States  | "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time"[23] | 1995  | 18
The Guitar | United States  | "Riff of the Millennium"[24] | 1999  | 7
Q | United Kingdom  | "1010 Songs You Must Own!"[25] | 2004  | *
Rolling Stone | United States  | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[19] | 2004  | 294
Blender | United States  | "The Greatest Songs Ever!"[26] | 2005  | *
Bruce Pollock  | United States  | "The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944–2000"[citation needed] | 2005  | *
Q | United Kingdom  | "The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks"[22] | 2007  | 1
Rolling Stone | United States  | "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[20] | 2010  | 300

* designates unordered lists.

## Charts and certifications

[edit]

### Original release

[edit]

| Chart (1971–1972)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[27] | 9
Australia (Kent Music Report)[28] | 10
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[29] | 11
Danish Singles Chart[30] | 5
Germany (GfK)[31] | 22
Japan (Oricon)[32] | 24
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[33] | 22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34] | 20
New Zealand (RIANZ)[35] | 10
Spanish Singles Chart[36] | 25
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] | 6
US Billboard Hot 100[38] | 15
US Cash Box[39] | 9
US Record World[40] | 10

### Digital download

[edit]

| Chart (2007)  | Peak
position

|

Canadian (Canadian Digital Song Singles)[41] | 59
UK Singles (OCC)[42] | 119
US Billboard Hot Digital Songs[43] | 64

Note: The official UK Singles Chart incorporated legal downloads as of 17 April 2005.

### Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[44] | Silver  | 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Personnel

[edit]

Source:[1]

* Robert Plant – vocals
* Jimmy Page – guitars
* John Paul Jones – bass
* John Bonham – drums

## See also

[edit]

* List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs
* List of Led Zeppelin songs written or inspired by others

## Notes

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ The term "honeydripper" is black slang for the vagina or a female lover; it can also mean a male lover who says ("drips") sweet things to his female lover.[8]
2. ^ The lyric, "Watch your honey drip, can't keep away", may have influenced Plant in naming his 1980s band, The Honeydrippers; there are other theories, see that article for details.
3. ^ The close association of the blues with the devil was well known between the 1920s and 1960s, but has largely faded from popular memory since then. See Gussow 2017, p. 2[9]

Citations

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 244.
2. ^ Fast 2001, p. 33: "'Black Dog' ... represents a defining moment in the genre of hard rock."
3. ^ "Led Zeppelin Biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2014. "Black Dog" was a piledriving hard-rock number cut from the same cloth as "Whole Lotta Love."
4. ^ Schuman 2009, p. 49: "The fourth album also has its share of hard rock tracks. Three that received a lot of radio airplay are 'Black Dog,' 'Misty Mountain Hop,' and the appropriately named 'Rock and Roll.'"
5. ^ Bream 2010, p. 110: "[Led Zeppelin IV] balances the blues-rock grind of 'Black Dog' against the sun-dappled utopianism of 'Going to California'".
6. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (29 July 2014). "Led Zeppelin IV: is this the greatest rock album ever made?". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
7. ^ a b c Crowe 1993, p. 13.
8. ^ Green, Jonathon (2023) [2010]. "Bumblebee n. (2)". Green's Dictionary of Slang.
9. ^ Gussow 2017, p. 2.
10. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 246-247.
11. ^ a b c Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 246.
12. ^ Shadwick 2005, p. 157.
13. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 248.
14. ^ Gracyk 2007, p. 166.
15. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 247-248.
16. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 236.
17. ^ Welch, Chris. "Classic Interview: Engineer Andy Johns on the secrets behind Led Zeppelin IV". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
18. ^ a b Lewis 1994.
19. ^ a b "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500)". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006.
20. ^ a b "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Led Zeppelin, 'Black Dog'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
21. ^ Weinstein 1991, p. 278.
22. ^ a b "Q: The 20 Greatest Guitar Tracks – September 2007". Q. Archived from the original on 24 February 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
23. ^ "The Top Fifty Classic Rock Songs of All Time – 1995". Classic Rock. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
24. ^ "Riff of the Millennium – December 1999". The Guitar. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
25. ^ "1010 Songs You Must Own! – Celebrity Choices – September 2004". Q. Archived from the original on 21 June 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
26. ^ "The Greatest Songs Ever! Black Dog". Blender. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.
27. ^ "Go-Set National Top 40". Go-Set. 1 April 1972. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
28. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
29. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7509." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
30. ^ "Black Dog – Led Zeppelin". Danske Hitlister. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
31. ^ "Led Zeppelin – Black Dog" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
32. ^ Okamoto, Satoshi (2011). Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 978-4-87131-088-8.
33. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1972" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
34. ^ "Led Zeppelin – Black Dog" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
35. ^ Scapolo, Dean (2007). "Top 50 Singles – April 1972". The Complete New Zealand Music Charts (1st ed.). Wellington: Transpress. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
36. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
37. ^ "Led Zeppelin – Black Dog". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
38. ^ "Led Zeppelin IV – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
39. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 19, 1972". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
40. ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 26 February 1972. p. 29\. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
41. ^ "Canadian Digital Song Singles". Billboard. 1 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
42. ^ "Led Zeppelin Songs – Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
43. ^ "December 1, 2007 – Rdio". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
44. ^ "British single certifications – Led Zeppelin – Black Dog". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 October 2021.

References

* Bream, Jon (2010) [2008]. Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3955-8.
* Crowe, Cameron (1993). The Complete Studio Recordings (Boxed set booklet). Led Zeppelin. New York City: Atlantic Records. OCLC 29660775. 82526-2.
* Fast, Susan (2001). In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-511756-1.
* Gracyk, Theodore (2007). Listening to Popular Music, Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Led Zeppelin. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-06983-5.
* Guesdon, Jean-Michael; Margotin, Philippe (2018). Led Zeppelin, All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers.
* Gussow, Adam (2017). Beyond the Crossroads: The Devil and the Blues Tradition. The University of North Carolina Press.
* Lewis, Dave (1994). Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide to Their Music. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
* Shadwick, Keith (2005). Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968–1980 (1st ed.). San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-871-0.
* Schuman, Michael A. (2009). Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band. Enslow Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7660-3026-8.
* Weinstein, Deena (1991). "Listener's Guide to Heavy Metal". Heavy Metal: A Cultural Sociology. New York City: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-669-21837-5.

## External links

[edit]

* "Black Dog" (Remastered audio) on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Led Zeppelin songs

Discography

Led Zeppelin|

* "Good Times Bad Times"
* "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"
* "You Shook Me"
* "Dazed and Confused"
* "Black Mountain Side"
* "Communication Breakdown"
* "I Can't Quit You Baby"
* "How Many More Times"

Led Zeppelin II|

* "Whole Lotta Love"
* "What Is and What Should Never Be"
* "The Lemon Song"
* "Thank You"
* "Heartbreaker"
* "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)"
* "Ramble On"
* "Moby Dick"
* "Bring It on Home"

Led Zeppelin III|

* "Immigrant Song"
* "Celebration Day"
* "Since I've Been Loving You"
* "Gallows Pole"
* "Tangerine"
* "That's the Way"
* "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"

Untitled
(Led Zeppelin IV)|

* "Black Dog"
* "Rock and Roll"
* "The Battle of Evermore"
* "Stairway to Heaven"
* "Misty Mountain Hop"
* "Four Sticks"
* "Going to California"
* "When the Levee Breaks"

Houses of the Holy|

* "The Song Remains the Same"
* "The Rain Song"
* "Over the Hills and Far Away"
* "The Crunge"
* "Dancing Days"
* "D'yer Mak'er"
* "No Quarter"
* "The Ocean"

Physical Graffiti|

* "The Rover"
* "In My Time of Dying"
* "Houses of the Holy"
* "Trampled Under Foot"
* "Kashmir"
* "In the Light"
* "Ten Years Gone"
* "The Wanton Song"
* "Sick Again"

Presence|

* "Achilles Last Stand"
* "For Your Life"
* "Nobody's Fault but Mine"
* "Candy Store Rock"

In Through
the Out Door|

* "In the Evening"
* "Fool in the Rain"
* "Carouselambra"
* "All My Love"

Coda|

* "We're Gonna Groove"
* "I Can't Quit You Baby"
* "Bonzo's Montreux"
* "Wearing and Tearing"

Other songs|

* "Baby Come On Home"
* "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do"
* "Travelling Riverside Blues"
* "White Summer"
* "The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair"
* "Somethin' Else"

* v
* t
* e

Led Zeppelin

* John Bonham
* John Paul Jones
* Jimmy Page
* Robert Plant

Studio albums|

* Led Zeppelin
* Led Zeppelin II
* Led Zeppelin III
* Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV)
* Houses of the Holy
* Physical Graffiti
* Presence
* In Through the Out Door
* Coda

Live albums|

* The Song Remains the Same
* BBC Sessions
* How the West Was Won
* Celebration Day

Compilations|

* Coda
* The Best of Led Zeppelin
* Mothership
* Led Zeppelin Deluxe Edition

Box sets|

* Boxed Set
* Remasters
* Boxed Set 2
* The Complete Studio Recordings
* Definitive Collection

Singles|

* "Good Times Bad Times" / "Communication Breakdown"
* "Whole Lotta Love" / "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)"
* "Immigrant Song" / "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do"
* "Black Dog" / "Misty Mountain Hop"
* "Rock and Roll" / "Four Sticks"
* "Over the Hills and Far Away" / "Dancing Days"
* "D'yer Mak'er" / "The Crunge"
* "The Ocean" / "Over the Hills and Far Away" / "Dancing Days"
* "Trampled Under Foot" / "Black Country Woman"
* "Candy Store Rock" / "Royal Orleans"
* "Fool in the Rain" / "Hot Dog"
* "Travelling Riverside Blues"
* "Baby Come On Home"
* "Whole Lotta Love"
* "The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair"
* "Kashmir"
* "Rock and Roll" (Sunset Sound Mix) / "Friends" (Olympic Studio Mix)

Films|

* The Song Remains the Same
* Led Zeppelin DVD
* Celebration Day
* Becoming Led Zeppelin

Tours|

* Scandinavia 1968
* U.K. 1968
* North America 1968–1969
* Scandinavia 1969
* North America Spring 1969
* U.K. Summer 1969
* North America Summer 1969
* Europe Autumn 1969
* North American Autumn 1969
* U.K. 1970
* Europe 1970
* North America Spring 1970
* Iceland, Bath & Germany 1970
* North America Summer 1970
* U.K. & Ireland Spring 1971
* Europe 1971
* North America 1971
* Japan 1971
* U.K. Winter 1971
* Australasia 1972
* North America 1972
* Japan 1972
* Europe 1973
* North America 1973
* North America 1975
* Earls Court 1975
* North America 1977
* Knebworth 1979
* Over Europe 1980
* The 1980s, Part One (cancelled)

Reunions|

* Live Aid (1985)
* Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary (1988)
* Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert (2007)

Bootlegs|

* Live on Blueberry Hill
* Destroyer
* Listen to This, Eddie
* For Badgeholders Only
* Burn Like a Candle

Lists|

* Discography
* Songs
* Awards and nominations
* Cover versions by others
* Led Zeppelin songs written or inspired by others

Related|

| Articles|

* Swan Song Records
* Three Week Hero
* "Beck's Bolero"
* Bron-Yr-Aur
* The Starship
* Caesar's Chariot
* Led Zeppelin Played Here
* Out Through the In Door

|

Bands|

* The Yardbirds
* Band of Joy
* XYZ
* Page and Plant
* Them Crooked Vultures

Books|

* Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga
* Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored
* When Giants Walked the Earth
* Led Zeppelin: The Biography

People|

* Jason Bonham
* Peter Grant
* Richard Cole

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template