"Celebration Day" is a song by English rock band

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

, and the third track from their 1970 album '' Led Zeppelin III''. The band's last concert film and album, released on 19 November 2012, took their name from this song.

Composition and recording

The song starts with guitar chords played over a monotonic drone created by a synthesiser. This connects the song musically with the preceding track on the album, "

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", which ends with the same drone. Originally, one of

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...

's drum tracks was to be used in the intro of "Celebration Day", but an engineer accidentally erased the recording. Unable or unwilling to re-record it, they used the synthesizer drone from the end of "Friends" to fill up the gap.Interview with Jimmy Page
, '' Guitar World'' magazine, 1993 The recording took place at Headley Grange, England, with the Rolling Stones' mobile recording studio.

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

's lyrics were inspired by his initial impressions of New York City. On Zeppelin's 1971 concert tour of the United States, he would sometimes introduce it as "The New York Song". "Celebration Day" was often played live in Led Zeppelin concerts from 1971 to 1973, and was returned to the band's setlist at the Knebworth Festival in 1979, where Page performed the song using his Gibson EDS-1275 double-necked guitar.Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, . Record producer

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has said of the song: " Celebration Day"feels like a freight train, even though it's not one of their heavier songs. There's tremendous momentum in the way they play together. The bass playing is beyond incredible and the guitars interact really well—there's a heavy-riffing guitar, which is answered by a funky guitar."

Other versions

A live version of the song from the band's 1973 U.S. tour was recorded and included on their concert soundtrack '' The Song Remains the Same''. The album's accompanying film of the same name, released in 1976, did not include a live video of "Celebration Day". However, when the album and the film were reissued in 2007 (the latter in DVD format), both featured the song. This reissued version is slightly different from the one that was included on the 1976 album, in particular featuring a different guitar solo. Page performed "Celebration Day" on his tour with the Black Crowes in 1999, and another version performed by them can be found on the album '' Live at the Greek''.

Reception

In a contemporary review of ''Led Zeppelin III'', Lester Bangs of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' described "Celebration Day", along with " Out on the Tiles", as "production-line Zep churners that no fan could fault and no one else could even hear without an effort."

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin: *

– vocals *

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...

– guitars *

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

– bass * John Bohnam – drums

References

Bibliography