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I'm having an argument with my friend about this song. I say the whole song is acoustic, even the heavy crashing choruses. He says there is clean electric guitar in the chorus, possibly even distorted too.

What do you guys think? Is there any info on the net about what guitars were actually used on it, or the production techniques used or the making of any Led Zeppelin album

Thank you very much for your time and patience.

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Rader Ranch Mon, 06/02/2003 - 13:19

well, i should listen again before answering i'm sure, but if memory serves me, it's all acoustic but for one electric slide in the middle and the last chord of the song (which i always felt was a little over the top, or, at least, sounds a bit dated now)....but it's the fact that it's a freaking really heavy tune, yet only acoustic, that makes it so cool. i could swear the Who did a song or 2 like that also, but, as i'm hearing the 'Blue Danube' on hold right now i'm spacing... :d:

i don't know of any particular sites for info, though you'd think there'd have to be some somewhere.....plenty of folks interested in Led Zep sounds/Page's production style etc...

Pez Tue, 06/03/2003 - 12:16

I thought that no one had answered your question but I see now that Kurt changed his post after thinking you were asking about stairway. Kurt is correct the song is 90% acoustic but you can hear an electric do the old Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page ascending slide guitar lick about halfway through the tune. Those two played in a very similar style after their stint with the Yardbirds. Thanks for making me give this tune another listen. I really enjoyed it and it brought back a lot of memories. I listened to an mp3 and it really made me crave the vinyl. I think I'm about ready to break down and buy another turntable. There is also some acoustic 12 string as well as the 6 string. I've always enjoyed Page's engineering & mixing skills as well. Anyone who enjoys old Led Zepplin should also check out Jeff Beck's "Truth" LP with Rod Steward singing his ass off. This was well before Rod "dummied down" so to speak.

Pez Wed, 06/04/2003 - 05:52

Kurt, I've got "Truth" on CD. I used to have Beck o la on vinyl but I gave away all my vinyl records when I was in my 20's. A copy of Beck o la would be cool as I've forgotten what's on it. Do you remember the original "Shapes of Things" by the Yardbirds? That was the first time I had ever hear sustained distortion like that on guitar. It blew me away at the time. Not a big deal now LOL. I also remember spending hours at the turntable dropping the phono needle learning "Jeff's Boogie".

cjenrick Wed, 06/04/2003 - 21:15

Black Cat Moan, I think is off Beck, Bogart and Appice. My first concert at Winterland, for $3.50 admission. Man, that Univox blue cube was monster loud. Let's not forget Goin Down off the ahh.......ummm......well...it had cozy powell on it, you remember, right? Bob Trenchmouth on vocals...

Mooney on Becks Bolero...

KurtFoster Thu, 06/05/2003 - 00:14

I have both Truth and Beck Ola in front of me as I write this.

"Truth"
Shapes of Things, Let Me Love You, Morning Dew, You Shook Me, (remember what I said about Zep ripping off Beck?) Ol' Man River, Greensleeves, Rock My Plimsoul, Beck's Bolero, Blues De Luxe, I Ain't Superstitious.
Produced by Mickie Most
Arraigned by Jeff Beck
Engineer: Ken Scott.
Guitar: Jeff Beck
Vocals: Rod Stewart
Bass: Ron Wood
Drums: Mick Waller
Jeff Beck: Bass on Ol' Man River.
J.P. Jones: Hammond Organ on Ol' Man River. (The Zep thing again)
Timpani by: "You Know Who".
Niki Hopkins: Piano on , "Morning Dew" and "Blues De Luxe"

"Beck Ola"
All Shook Up, Spanish Boots, Girl From Mill Valley, Jailhouse Rock, Plynth (Water Down The Drain), The Hangman’s Knee, Rice Pudding

Vocals: Extraordaire Rod Stewart
Guitar Bass: Ron Wood
Piano: Niki Hopkins
Drums: Tony Newman
Guitar: Jeff Beck
Engineer: Martin Birch.
Produced by Mickie Most.

cjenrick Thu, 06/05/2003 - 17:12

This is a good site for vinyl/cd info, along with bios and stuff:

[="http://www.allmusic.com/"]AMG[/]="http://www.allmusic…"]AMG[/]

On the site:

[[url=http://="http://www.allmusic…"]Jeff Beck[/]="http://www.allmusic…"]Jeff Beck[/]

and, what might have been....

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.allmusic…"]Beck's Bolero[/]="http://www.allmusic…"]Beck's Bolero[/]