In the Evening
| "In the Evening" | |
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| Song |
"In the Evening" is the first track on Led Zeppelin's 1979 album In Through the Out Door. The track has a synthesizer-driven sound backed by a gargantuan guitar repetition.
Contents
Overview
The track features an extended droning introductory section led by Jimmy Page on guitar, which also includes low sustaining bass pedals played by John Paul Jones and also featured John Bonham playing a tympano; doing long extended single stroke rolls and random single hits, while he changed the pitch of the drum using the foot pedal. Page used a Gizmotron to create the droning effects and sliding solo at the beginning of the song,[2] (Page would play a very similar section to the intro of "In the Evening" during "Dazed and Confused" using a violin bow, as can be heard on bootleg recordings of Led Zeppelin's concert at Tampa Stadium in 1973).
"In the Evening" was also one of the few songs that Page performed on his 1964 Fender Stratocaster. The Stratocaster's whammy bar was used, giving the riff a distinctive diving sound. The 'slamming door' effect heard at the onset of the guitar solo is a noise from the strings of the guitar being pulled off the magnets of the pickups due to the guitar's tremolo bridge slackening the stings so much the strings were initially magnetized to the pickup's pole pieces.
The creation of this song can be traced largely to Led Zeppelin bassist and keyboardist, John Paul Jones. When the band was recording this album, Page and drummer John Bonham would usually show up at the studio very late and work through the night. In their absence, "In the Evening" started out with just drums and keyboards created by Jones, who had a new drum machine to work with.
Live performances
The song was performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts during 1979 and 1980. During the 1979 performances, it would be played directly after Page's guitar distortion and violin bow solo, which incorporated a laser strobe to add to the visual effects.[3] One such live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Knebworth in 1979, can be seen on the Led Zeppelin DVD. Performances on the Tour Over Europe 1980 could last more than eight minutes.
Plant revived "In the Evening" on his Now and Zen solo tour in 1988.
The song was also played on some concerts in 1995 and 1996 during Page and Plant's tour.
Personnel
- Robert Plant - vocals
- Jimmy Page - guitars
- John Paul Jones - bass guitar, keyboards
- John Bonham - drums
Cover versions
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Appearances in Other Media
"In the Evening" was the name of an episode of True Blood called "In the Evening" (Season 6, episode 7).[4] The song was also used for the closing credits.
Sources
- Lewis, Dave (2004) The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
- Welch, Chris (1998) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
References
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- ↑ Brad Tolinski and Greg Di Bendetto, "Light and Shade", Guitar World, January 1998.
- ↑ Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2821664//
