Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III (1970)

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - Released Year 1970


Tracklist front / back album covers

Side one

1. "Immigrant Song"   2:26
2. "Friends"   3:55
3. "Celebration Day"  3:29
4. "Since I've Been Loving You"    7:25
5. "Out on the Tiles"  4:04

Side two

1. "Gallows Pole" Traditional, arr..  4:58
2. "Tangerine" 3:12
3. "That's the Way" 5:38
4. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" 4:20

5. "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" Traditional, arr.. 3:41

Led Zeppelin III is the eponymous third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in October 1970. It showed a progression from straightforward rock towards folk and acoustic music.

While hard rock influences were still present, such as on "Immigrant Song", acoustic-based songs such as "Gallows Pole" and "That's the Way" showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully. The band wrote most of the material themselves, but as with prior records, included two songs that were re-interpretations of earlier works: "Gallows Pole", based on a traditional English folk song, by way of American singer Fred Gerlach; and "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", a reworking of a blues song by Bukka White.

The acoustic material developed from a songwriting session between band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales, which influenced the musical direction. The songs were recorded in three locations. Much of the work was done at Headley Grange, a country house, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Additional sessions were held in more traditional recording studios, such as Island Studios and Olympic Studios in London. As with the prior album, the band eschewed the use of guest musicians, with all music performed by band members Page (guitars), Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The range of instruments played by the band was greatly enhanced on this album, with Jones especially emerging as a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of keyboard and stringed instruments, including various synthesizers, mandolin and double bass, in addition to his usual bass guitar. As with prior albums, Page served as producer on the album, with mixing done by Andy Johns and Terry Manning.