Since I've Been Loving You

"Since I've Been Loving You"
Song by Led Zeppelin
from the album Led Zeppelin III
Released5 October 1970 (1970-10-05)
RecordedMay–June 1970 (?); 1969 December (?); 5 June 1970; July 1970 (?); August 1970[1]
StudioRolling Stones Mobile Studio, Headley Grange, Hampshire; Olympic Sound Studios, London; Island Studios, London; Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee[1]
Genre
Length7:25
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jimmy Page
Audio sample

"Since I've Been Loving You" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in 1970 on the album Led Zeppelin III.

Overview

"Since I've Been Loving You" was one of the first songs prepared for the Led Zeppelin III album.[4] The song was recorded live in the studio with very little overdubbing. It was reportedly the hardest to record.[5]

John Paul Jones played Hammond organ on the song, using the bass pedals instead of a bass guitar.[6] John Bonham's preferred drum pedal, the Ludwig Speed King model 201, squeaks during the recording, and has been called the "Squeak King".[7][8]

The opening and closing lyrics of "Since I've Been Loving You" are nearly identical to the 1968 Moby Grape song "Never".[9] The song is a slow blues in the key of C minor.[10]

Personnel

According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:[1]

Reception and accolades

In a contemporary review of Led Zeppelin III, Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone wrote that the track "represents the obligatory slow and lethally dull seven-minute blues jam."[11] Robert Christgau was more enthusiastic in Newsday; "with John Paul Jones providing a great thick wall of organ behind Plant and Page", he regarded it as "the ultimate power blues".[12]

Years later, guitarist Joe Satriani enthused: "'Since I've Been Loving You' was a perfect example of taking a blues structure but striking out on your own. They were breaking ground, not copying. I love that Page would always just go for it. Some other guitarist might have better technique, but what Page did would always trump it because the spirit was so overwhelming. Whatever he did would turn into a technique."[13] Audio engineer Terry Manning called it "The best rock guitar solo of all time."[14]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Sounds Germany "The Top 30 Songs of All Time"[15] 1992 16
Mojo United Kingdom "100 Great Voices"[16] 1994 *
Guitarist United Kingdom "Top 100 Guitar Solos of All-time"[17] 1998 8
Guitar World United States "100 Greatest Solos of All-time"[18] 1998 53
Q United Kingdom "1010 Songs You Must Own!"[19] 2004 *
(*) designates unordered lists.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 180.
  2. ^ "Since I've Been Loving You" at AllMusic
  3. ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (Revised and Updated ed.). Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
  4. ^ Lewis, Dave (2004). Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide to Their Music. p. 24. ISBN 1-84449-141-2.
  5. ^ Brad Tolinski and Greg Di Bendetto, "Light and Shade", Guitar World, January 1998.
  6. ^ Chris Welch (1994) Led Zeppelin, London: Orion Books. ISBN 1-85797-930-3, p. 53.
  7. ^ "Ludwig Speedking Pictures". Johnbonham.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  8. ^ "John Bonham >> Bass Drum Pedal". Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  9. ^ Lewis, Dave (2012). From a Whisper to a Scream: The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-788-4. A self-styled custom blues, though Robert Plant clearly derived some of the lyrics from the Moby Grape track 'Never' which appeared on the Grape Jam bonus disc that came with their 1968 Wow album.
  10. ^ Led Zeppelin Complete. Superhype Publishing. 1973. p. 56. ISBN 0769207057.
  11. ^ Bangs, Lester (26 November 1970). "Led Zeppelin III". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  12. ^ Christgau, Robert (June 15, 1972). "A Power Plant". Newsday. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  13. ^ Chamberlain, Rich: "I got the spirit of the blues into my body"; Classic Rock #216, November 2015, p57
  14. ^ Barney Hoskyns (2006) Led Zeppelin IV, New York: Rodale Books. ISBN 1-59486-370-9, p. 63.
  15. ^ "The Final Hitparade: The Top 30 Songs of All Time - June 1992". Zounds. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  16. ^ "100 Great Voices: Robert Plant - 1994". Mojo. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Guitar Solos of All-time - January 1998". Guitarist. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  18. ^ "100 Greatest Solos of All-time - September 1998". Guitar World. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  19. ^ "1010 Songs You Must Own! Part Five – On a Downer: 60 Songs for Long Dark Night of the Soul - September 2004". Q. Retrieved 10 February 2009.

Bibliography