Going to California

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	To oppose or discuss a nomination, please go to CZ:Proposed for deletion and follow the instructions. For the monthly nomination lists, see Category:Articles for deletion. Going to California Appears on Led Zeppelin IV Published by Superhype Music Registration ASCAP 370102326 Release date 8 November 1971 Recorded January 1971 at Headley Grange, Hampshire with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio .Mixed at Olympic Studios, London. Genre Folk rock, Rock music Language English Length 3 minutes 36 seconds Composer Jimmy Page, Robert Plant Label Atlantic Records Producer Jimmy Page Engineer Andy Johns 'Going to California' is the penultimate song performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin on their Led Zeppelin IV|fourth album, released in 1971. Overview The song's wistful folk music|folk-style sound, with Robert Plant on lead vocals, acoustic guitar by Jimmy Page and mandolin by John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones, contrasts with the heavy electric-amplified rock on several of the album's other tracks. The song is reportedly about singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, with whom Plant and Page were both infatuated. In live performances of the song, Plant would often say the name 'Joni' after this stanza (which is thought to have referenced Mitchell's 1967 composition 'I Had a King'): ‘ To find a Queen without a King, They say she plays guitar and cries, and sings ’ In an interview he gave to Spin magazine|Spin magazine in 2002, Plant stated that the song 'might be a bit embarrassing at times lyrically, but it did sum up a period of my life when I was 22.' This song started out as a song about Californian earthquakes and when Jimmy Page, audio engineer Andy Johns and band manager Peter Grant travelled to Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles to mix the album, they ironically experienced a minor earthquake. At this point it was known as 'Guide to California'. Live performances At Led Zeppelin concerts the band performed this song during their acoustic sets, first playing it on their Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour Spring 1971|Spring 1971 tour of the United Kingdom. One live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Earl's Court 1975|Earls Court in 1975, is featured on disc two of the Led Zeppelin (DVD)|Led Zeppelin DVD. It was performed on Plant's solo tours during 1988/1989 and at the Knebworth Silver Clef show in 1990. He played it again on his Mighty ReArranger tour, with additions of a double bass and a synthesizer. Credits Personnel Musicians: Jimmy Page – acoustic guitar, producer, remastering, digital remastering Robert Plant – vocals John Paul Jones – mandolin, acoustic bass John Bonham - tambourine, percussion Production: Peter Grant – executive producer Andy Johns - engineer, mixing Joe Sidore - original CD mastering engineer (mid-1980s) George Marino - remastered CD engineer (1990) References