Four Sticks

1972 single by Led Zeppelin

"Four Sticks"

German single picture sleeve

Single by Led Zeppelin
from the album  Led Zeppelin IV
A-side| "Rock and Roll"
Released| 21 February 1972 (1972-02-21) (US)
Recorded| 1971
Studio| Island, London
Genre|

* Hard rock[1]
* raga rock[2]

Length| 4:46
Label| Atlantic
Songwriter(s)|

* Jimmy Page
* Robert Plant

Producer(s)| Jimmy Page
Led Zeppelin singles chronology
| "Black Dog"
(1971)  | "Four Sticks"
(1972)  | "Over the Hills and Far Away"
(1973)

|
|

Audio sample

* file
* help

"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.[3]

The song was difficult to record, and required more takes than usual.[3] John Paul Jones played a VCS3 synthesizer on the track.[3] The song has an unusual time signature, featuring riffs in a mixture of 5
8 and 6

## Personnel

[edit]

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:[4]

* Robert Plant – vocals
* Jimmy Page – acoustic guitar, electric guitars (six-string and twelve-string)
* John Paul Jones – bass, synthesiser
* John Bonham – drums

## Four Hands

[edit]

The song was re-recorded by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant with the Bombay Symphony Orchestra in 1972, during their trip to India, along with another song, "Friends" from Led Zeppelin III.[5] This version featured tabla drums and sitars. The recording, titled "Four Hands" was released officially on the 2015 remastering of Coda.

## See also

[edit]

* List of cover versions of Led Zeppelin songs § Four Sticks

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Christman, Ed (January 9, 2019). "Led Zeppelin At 50: Every Zep Song, Ranked By Revenue Generated". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
2. ^ RAMIREZ, AJ (21 November 2011). "Led Zeppelin - "Four Sticks"". PopMatters.
3. ^ a b c Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
4. ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 278.
5. ^ Liner notes to Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2 by David Fricke

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (2018). Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-316-448-67-3.

* 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"
* "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|

| 1960s|

* "Good Times Bad Times" / "Communication Breakdown"
* "Whole Lotta Love" / "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)"

|

1970s|

* "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"

Post-breakup|

* "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|

| 1960s|

* Scandinavia 1968
* U.K. 1968
* North America 1968–1969
* North America Spring 1969
* U.K. Summer 1969
* North America Summer 1969

|

1970s|

* 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
* North America 1972
* Japan 1972
* Europe 1973
* North America 1973
* North America 1975
* Earls Court 1975
* North America 1977
* Knebworth 1979

1980s|

* 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|

* XYZ
* Page and Plant

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