"The Rain Song" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's fifth album Houses of the Holy, released in 1973. It is a love ballad, over 7 minutes long, and is considered by Robert Plant to be his best overall vocal performance. It features a mellotron played by John Paul Jones to add to the orchestral effect.^[1] The working title for this track was 'Slush', a reference to its easy listening mock orchestral arrangement. Cover of Led Zeppelins Houses of the Holy album, copyright 1973 Atlantic Records. ... For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Houses of the Holy is an album by English rock band Led Zeppelin released by Atlantic Records on March 28, 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Hard Rock” redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... James Patrick Jimmy Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter, most famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, but also for his successful solo career. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... James Patrick Jimmy Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. ... Houses of the Holy is an album by English rock band Led Zeppelin released by Atlantic Records on March 28, 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... The Song Remains the Same is a song by the rock/blues group Led Zeppelin. ... Over the Hills and Far Away is the third track from English rock band Led Zeppelins 1973 album Houses of the Holy. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Houses of the Holy is an album by English rock band Led Zeppelin released by Atlantic Records on March 28, 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter, most famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, but also for his successful solo career. ... The Mellotron is an electromechanical polyphonic keyboard musical instrument originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ... John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin on January 3, 1946 in Sidcup, Kent) is an English multi-instrumentalist musician, and was known for being the bassist, the keyboardist and the mandolinist for rock band Led Zeppelin from its inception until the bands breakup following the death of John Bonham...

George Harrison was the inspiration for "The Rain Song", when he made a comment to Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, about the fact that the group never wrote any ballads. ^[2]

During Led Zeppelin concerts from late 1972 until 1975, the band played this song immediately following "The Song Remains the Same," presenting the songs in the same order as they appeared on the album. They organized their setlist in this manner because Page used a Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar for both songs: the top, 12-string portion for "The Song Remains the Same" and then switching to the bottom, 6-string portion for "The Rain Song". The song was dropped from the 1977 U.S. tour, but returned for Led Zeppelin's 1979 concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark and at the Knebworth Music Festival, as well as their European tour in 1980. In this incarnation, Page again utilized the double-neck, the only known time he used that guitar solely for the 6-string portion without using the 12-string portion on a preceding song. For all live versions of the song, the orchestral string sounds were played by Jones on either the mellotron (in 1973 to 1975) or a Yamaha synthesizer (1979 and 1980), as the band never utilised a string section on-stage. Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin was one of the worlds most popular live music attractions, smashing several attendance records. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Song Remains the Same is a song by the rock/blues group Led Zeppelin. ... The Gibson EDS-1275 is a doubleneck Gibson guitar introduced in 1958. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... This article needs cleanup. ... This article details all the concerts held to date in the grounds of Knebworth House in the village of Knebworth. ... Tour Over Europe 1980 was the last concert tour of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... Yamaha may refer to: Yamaha Corporation – A manufacturer of a diverse range of musical instruments and electronics. ... For other uses, see Synthesizer (disambiguation). ...

Jimmy Page used the 6-string neck of the EDS-1275 for "The Rain Song" as he could have two different tunings on the same guitar. The 12-string was tuned to Standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E) for his use on "The Song Remains the Same". The alternative tuning used for "The Rain Song" on the 6-string next was Asus4 (E-A-D-A-D-E) - a step higher than the album cut, which is D-G-C-G-C-D. This is quite an uncommon modal tuning and makes for a very rich sounding accompaniment, led by John Paul Jones.

"The Rain Song" was the only song from Houses of the Holy performed on the 1980 European tour. Houses of the Holy is an album by English rock band Led Zeppelin released by Atlantic Records on March 28, 1973 (see 1973 in music). ...

"The Rain Song" has appeared in two films: Almost Famous, directed by Cameron Crowe (who, as a teen reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, covered Led Zeppelin), and Led Zeppelin's own 1976 concert film, The Song Remains the Same (and accompanying soundtrack), as part of lead singer Robert Plant's fantasy sequence. Almost Famous is a 2000 film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and released in 2000. ... Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an Academy Award winning American writer and film director. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Song Remains the Same (also known as TSRTS) is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... This article is about the album. ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter, most famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, but also for his successful solo career. ...

Page and Plant 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. Page and Plant is the name that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, both formerly of Led Zeppelin, recorded and toured under in the mid-1990s. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A cover version of "The Rain Song" was recorded by Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, and released on his 1997 album In the Name of My Father - The Zepset Jason Bonham (born July 13, 1966) is an English drummer and son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. ... John Henry Bonzo Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980) was an English drummer and member of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... In the Name of My Father - The Zepset is a recorded album by Jason Bonham, released in 1997. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.planetmellotron.com/zeppelin.htm
2. ^ http://imagine109.tripod.com/allyouneedisbeatles/id65.html

Sources

• Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
• The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9

External links

• Review: All Music Guide

v • d • e Led Zeppelin
Jimmy Page · Robert Plant · John Paul Jones · John Bonham
Studio albums	Led Zeppelin · Led Zeppelin II · Led Zeppelin III · (Led Zeppelin IV) · Houses of the Holy · Physical Graffiti · Presence · In Through the Out Door
Live albums	The Song Remains the Same · BBC Sessions · How the West Was Won
Compilations	Coda · Box Set · Profiled · Remasters · Box Set 2 · Complete Studio Recordings · Early Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume One · Latter Days: Best of Led Zeppelin Volume Two · Mothership
Films	The Song Remains the Same · Led Zeppelin DVD
Related articles	Discography · Peter Grant · Richard Cole · Swan Song Records · The Yardbirds · XYZ · The Firm · Page and Plant · Strange Sensation · Bootlegs · Concerts · Songs