Over the Hills and Far Away: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Single | {{Infobox Single | ||
|name = Over the Hills and Far Away | |name = Over the Hills and Far Away | ||
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|engineer = Eddie Kramer | |engineer = Eddie Kramer | ||
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''''Over the Hills and Far Away'''' is the third track from [[England|English]] [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Led Zeppelin]]'s 1973 album ''[[Houses of the Holy]]''. | |||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
[[Jimmy Page]] and [[Robert Plant]] originally constructed the song in 1970 at [[Bron-Yr-Aur]], a small cottage in [[Wales]] where they stayed after completing a gruelling [[concert tour]] of the [[United States]].<ref>Phil Sutcliffe, | [[Jimmy Page]] and [[Robert Plant]] originally constructed the song in 1970 at [[Bron-Yr-Aur]], a small cottage in [[Wales]] where they stayed after completing a gruelling [[concert tour]] of the [[United States]].<ref>Phil Sutcliffe, 'Back to Nature', ''Q Magazine'' Special Led Zeppelin edition, 2003, p. 34.</ref> | ||
Page plays a six-string [[Steel-string guitar|acoustic]] guitar introduction with a melody reminiscent of | Page plays a six-string [[Steel-string guitar|acoustic]] guitar introduction with a melody reminiscent of '[[White Summer]]'. Page repeats the theme with 12-string acoustic guitar in unison. In an interview published in ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine's November 1993 issue, Page commented on the construction of the song: {{Quote|GW: There’s an acoustic guitar running throughout the song. Did you play a main acoustic and then overdub an electric? | ||
{{ | |||
Page: No, we played it through entirely as you know it, but I was playing electric. | Page: No, we played it through entirely as you know it, but I was playing electric. | ||
| Line 33: | Line 31: | ||
Page: Yeah, that’s right. “Presumably”. It sounds that way. It sounds like the acoustic is going straight through.}} | Page: Yeah, that’s right. “Presumably”. It sounds that way. It sounds like the acoustic is going straight through.}} | ||
Plant's vocals enter on the next repetition. He tenderly offers himself to the | Plant's vocals enter on the next repetition. He tenderly offers himself to the 'lady' who's 'got the love [he] need[s].' The acoustic guitars build in a crescendo toward the abrupt infusion of Page's [[electric guitar]]s along with drummer [[John Bonham]]'s and bass guitarist [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]]' rhythm accompaniment. | ||
Through the pre-verse interludes and instrumental bridge, | Through the pre-verse interludes and instrumental bridge, 'Over the Hills and Far Away' stands out as an example of Jones and Bonham's tight interplay. Following the final verse, the rhythm section fades out, gradually replaced by the echo returns from Page's electric guitar and a few chords played by Jones on [[harpsichord]].<ref>Tolinski, Brad and di Benedetto, Greg (January 1998). 'Light and Shade: A Historic Look at the Entire Led Zeppelin Catalogue Through the Eyes of Guitarist/Producer/Mastermind Jimmy Page'. Guitar World</ref> In the final 8 bars, Page executes a linearly descending/ascending sequence and then concludes with the idiomatic V-I tag on [[pedal steel guitar]]. | ||
The song was released as ''Houses of the Holy's'' first U.S. single, reaching #51 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] chart, later becoming a staple of the [[Classic rock]] radio format. | The song was released as ''Houses of the Holy's'' first U.S. single, reaching #51 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]] chart, later becoming a staple of the [[Classic rock]] radio format. | ||
Set lists from [[Led Zeppelin concerts]] frequently contained | Set lists from [[Led Zeppelin concerts]] frequently contained 'Over the Hills and Far Away', the song being one that the band introduced on stage well ahead of its studio release.<ref>Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.</ref> The group first played it during their [[Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1972|1972 concert tour of the United States]] and retained it consistently through 1979, before omitting it from their final [[Tour Over Europe 1980|tour of Europe in 1980]]. In singing the song live, Plant commonly followed the words 'pocket-full of gold' with '[[Acapulco gold]]', as can be heard on the live album ''[[How the West Was Won (album)|How the West Was Won]].'' Also, at concerts guitarist Jimmy Page performed an extended guitar solo, which essentially consisted of the rhythm and lead guitar parts of the album version split into two separate pieces. This extended solo made the live renditions last almost or more than seven minutes. | ||
Archive footage of this track being performed live at [[Seattle]] in 1977 and at [[Knebworth Festival 1979|Knebworth in 1979]] was used for an officially distributed video of the song, used to promote the 1990 ''[[Remasters (Led Zeppelin album)|Remasters]]'' release.<ref>Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.</ref>. The video accompanied a CD single which was released following the successful '[[Travelling Riverside Blues]]' release.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lewis|first=Dave|year=2003|title=Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight but Loose' Files: Celebration II|edition=1st|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|page=62|isbn=1-84449-056-4}}</ref> | |||
The song was first called 'Many, Many Times', as shown on a picture of the original master on the Led Zeppelin website. Among blogging and forum-attending Led Zeppelin fans, the song has gained the [[abbreviation]] ''OTHAFA''. The title of this song (as well as many others by Led Zeppelin and other artists) was the name of an episode of ''[[That 70's Show]]''. It was also the name of an episode of [[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]. | |||
The | ==Tolkien influence== | ||
'Over the Hills and Far Away', which refers to ''The Hobbit''. [[Bilbo Baggins]], [[Gandalf]], and the band of dwarves go over the hills (the [[Misty Mountains]]) and far away. The last set of lyrics alludes to Bilbo at the [[Gate of Moria]], with Gandalf trying to puzzle out the entrance phrase 'Speak friend.... The other is the guessing game, or more properly known as the [[Riddle Game]]. | |||
== Chart positions == | ==Chart positions== | ||
=== Single === | ===Single=== | ||
{|class= | {|class='wikitable sortable' | ||
!Chart (1973) | !Chart (1973) | ||
!align= | !align='center'|Peak position | ||
|- | |- | ||
| US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Singles Chart<ref name= | |US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Singles Chart<ref name='US singles chart'>{{Cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070741&cdi=8856198&cid=07%2F28%2F1973| title=Hot 100 Singles - 28 July 1973|publisher=''Billboard''|accessdate=2009-01-17}}</ref> | ||
|align= | |align='center'|51 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| US ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Singles Chart<ref name= | |US ''Cash Box'' Top 100 Singles Chart<ref name='US cashbox singles chart'>{{Cite web|url= http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19730804.html|title=Top 100 Singles - 4 August 1973|publisher=''Cash Box''|accessdate=2009-01-17}}</ref> | ||
|align= | |align='center'|28 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| US ''Record World'' 100 Top Pop Chart<ref>{{ | |US ''Record World'' 100 Top Pop Chart<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.geocities.com/muggy59/1973.html|title= Top 40 for 1973 - August 1973| publisher=''Record World''|accessdate=2009-01-19}}</ref> | ||
|align= | |align='center'|31 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Canadian ''RPM'' Top 100 Chart<ref name= | |Canadian ''RPM'' Top 100 Chart<ref name='Canadian rpm chart'>{{Cite web|url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4898&volume=19&issue=25&issue_dt=August%2004%201973&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=hrg50o22lgammqcogv27ve6d95|title=RPM Singles Chart - 4 August 1973|publisher=''RPM''|accessdate=2009-01-19}}</ref> | ||
|align= | |align='center'|63 | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
=== Single (Digital download) === | ===Single (Digital download)=== | ||
{|class= | {|class='wikitable sortable' | ||
!Chart (2007) | !Chart (2007) | ||
!align= | !align='center'|Peak position | ||
|- | |- | ||
| US ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Songs Chart<ref name= | | US ''Billboard'' Hot Digital Songs Chart<ref name='US digital songs chart'>{{Cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=395&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Digital+Songs&ci=3088348&cdi=9518566&cid=12%2F01%2F2007|title=Hot 100 Digital Songs - 1 December 2007|publisher=''Billboard''|accessdate=2009-01-19}}</ref> | ||
|align= | |align='center'|63 | ||
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
{| class= | ==Credits== | ||
|colspan= | {|class='wikitable' | ||
|colspan='2' style='background:lightgreen'|<center>'''Personnel'''</center> | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | | ||
| Line 93: | Line 95: | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
Revision as of 08:55, 16 October 2009
| Over the Hills and Far Away | |
|---|---|
 1973 Dutch single | |
| Appears on | Houses of the Holy |
| Published by | Superhype Music |
| Registration | ASCAP 450101201 |
| Release date | 24 May 1973 |
| Recorded | May 1972 at Stargroves with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Mixed at Electric Lady, New York. |
| Genre | Rock, folk rock |
| Language | English |
| Length | 4 min 42 sec |
| Composer | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant |
| Label | Atlantic Records |
| Producer | Jimmy Page |
| Engineer | Eddie Kramer |
'Over the Hills and Far Away' is the third track from English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1973 album Houses of the Holy.
Overview
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant originally constructed the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur, a small cottage in Wales where they stayed after completing a gruelling concert tour of the United States.[1]
Page plays a six-string acoustic guitar introduction with a melody reminiscent of 'White Summer'. Page repeats the theme with 12-string acoustic guitar in unison. In an interview published in Guitar World magazine's November 1993 issue, Page commented on the construction of the song:
| ‘ | GW: There’s an acoustic guitar running throughout the song. Did you play a main acoustic and then overdub an electric?
Page: No, we played it through entirely as you know it, but I was playing electric. GW: So you simply edited out of the beginning? Page: Yeah, that’s right. “Presumably”. It sounds that way. It sounds like the acoustic is going straight through. |
’ |
Plant's vocals enter on the next repetition. He tenderly offers himself to the 'lady' who's 'got the love [he] need[s].' The acoustic guitars build in a crescendo toward the abrupt infusion of Page's electric guitars along with drummer John Bonham's and bass guitarist John Paul Jones' rhythm accompaniment.
Through the pre-verse interludes and instrumental bridge, 'Over the Hills and Far Away' stands out as an example of Jones and Bonham's tight interplay. Following the final verse, the rhythm section fades out, gradually replaced by the echo returns from Page's electric guitar and a few chords played by Jones on harpsichord.[2] In the final 8 bars, Page executes a linearly descending/ascending sequence and then concludes with the idiomatic V-I tag on pedal steel guitar.
The song was released as Houses of the Holy's first U.S. single, reaching #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, later becoming a staple of the Classic rock radio format.
Set lists from Led Zeppelin concerts frequently contained 'Over the Hills and Far Away', the song being one that the band introduced on stage well ahead of its studio release.[3] The group first played it during their 1972 concert tour of the United States and retained it consistently through 1979, before omitting it from their final tour of Europe in 1980. In singing the song live, Plant commonly followed the words 'pocket-full of gold' with 'Acapulco gold', as can be heard on the live album How the West Was Won. Also, at concerts guitarist Jimmy Page performed an extended guitar solo, which essentially consisted of the rhythm and lead guitar parts of the album version split into two separate pieces. This extended solo made the live renditions last almost or more than seven minutes.
Archive footage of this track being performed live at Seattle in 1977 and at Knebworth in 1979 was used for an officially distributed video of the song, used to promote the 1990 Remasters release.[4]. The video accompanied a CD single which was released following the successful 'Travelling Riverside Blues' release.[5]
The song was first called 'Many, Many Times', as shown on a picture of the original master on the Led Zeppelin website. Among blogging and forum-attending Led Zeppelin fans, the song has gained the abbreviation OTHAFA. The title of this song (as well as many others by Led Zeppelin and other artists) was the name of an episode of That 70's Show. It was also the name of an episode of One Tree Hill.
Tolkien influence
'Over the Hills and Far Away', which refers to The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the band of dwarves go over the hills (the Misty Mountains) and far away. The last set of lyrics alludes to Bilbo at the Gate of Moria, with Gandalf trying to puzzle out the entrance phrase 'Speak friend.... The other is the guessing game, or more properly known as the Riddle Game.
Chart positions
Single
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart[6] | 51 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles Chart[7] | 28 |
| US Record World 100 Top Pop Chart[8] | 31 |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Chart[9] | 63 |
Single (Digital download)
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart[10] | 63 |
Credits
| |
Notes
- ↑ Phil Sutcliffe, 'Back to Nature', Q Magazine Special Led Zeppelin edition, 2003, p. 34.
- ↑ Tolinski, Brad and di Benedetto, Greg (January 1998). 'Light and Shade: A Historic Look at the Entire Led Zeppelin Catalogue Through the Eyes of Guitarist/Producer/Mastermind Jimmy Page'. Guitar World
- ↑ Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ↑ Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ↑ Lewis, Dave (2003). Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight but Loose' Files: Celebration II, 1st. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-056-4.
- ↑ Hot 100 Singles - 28 July 1973. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
- ↑ Top 100 Singles - 4 August 1973. Cash Box. Retrieved on 2009-01-17.
- ↑ Top 40 for 1973 - August 1973. Record World. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
- ↑ RPM Singles Chart - 4 August 1973. RPM. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.
- ↑ Hot 100 Digital Songs - 1 December 2007. Billboard. Retrieved on 2009-01-19.