Question: 10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)

[NorthBoundSuarez]

This previously unreleased song from the 2-CD version of "Presence" was one of the highlights of the recent reissue project. I had some questions regarding this track that I thought I would put out there to see if anyone had any insight.

1) Was this song recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich with the rest of the "Presence" material, or was it recorded during the Los Angeles rehearsals that proceeded the album??

2) Was there any serious consideration to putting the song on the "Presence" album? Was there any thought about having Plant put lyrics and vocals to it? The reason I ask is because this song was very well thought out. It wasn't like some jam the band went into to relieve tension in the studio. The piano part is gorgeous, and Jimmy's acoustic guitar very complementary.

On the other hand, the song just sounds so radically different from the rest of the "Presence" material. It's probably the last album in the Zep's catalog that I would expect this song to emerge from. It's also odd that this song came from the "Presence" sessions because the album was famously recorded and mixed in, what was it, eighteen days? There wasn't a lot of time in the studio for the group to be mucking about with a track as sophisticated as this.

3) Anyone have any insight into what the working title means? "10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)" is just plain odd.

[bluecongo]

1. Yes recorded at Musicland.  This is clearly a professionally recorded multi track recording whereas SIR studios in LA was just a rehearsal studio.

2. Jimmy stated that Robert didn't come up with lyrics for it.  To understand this, one has to understand Zep and Jimmy's approach to recording.  In many cases, Jimmy would construct a song and deliver it in its final form to Robert.  The Song Remains the Same and Ten Years Gone are two examples of this.  So it looks like this track was worked up, but just didn't get to the finish line.

3. Lord only knows what the title means totally random bizarre and quintessentially Zep. 

 

 

[NorthBoundSuarez]

It's hard to imagine that song with vocals on it. It "sounds" like an instrumental, if you know what I mean.

Edited January 14, 2017 by NorthBoundSuarez

[The Only Way To Fly]

Speaking of vocals... I thought I read on the forum here that the track "La La" did have vocals from Plant, but Page didn't include them. Any thoughts or conformations? Thanks!

[IpMan]

If you assign a number value to the first letter of each word you get: Trac 16. This is just a theory but makes as much sense as anything else.

[Boleskinner]

The name of the track refers to when Bonham was in a spa with a rack of BBQ ribs, a  bunch of "carrots" and some LA groupies in 1973.

Only jesting, don't have a Scooby Doo.

Someone could have asked Jimmy at the Q&A for this album, but he would have probably just completely avoided the question and gave a vague rambling answer revealing nothing.

Frustrating, because it's the most interesting track on the whole bonus disc malarky.

[sixpense]

On 1/13/2017 at 8:11 PM, The Only Way To Fly said:

Speaking of vocals... I thought I read on the forum here that the track "La La" did have vocals from Plant, but Page didn't include them. Any thoughts or conformations? Thanks!

Listened to a Page interview recently where Jimmy refers to this track. He stated that John Paul Jones provided vocals to the track by using "La Las " instead of humming in order to offer a vocal melody to the song, thus the track was called La La.  

[Strider]

On 1/13/2017 at 1:15 PM, NorthBoundSuarez said:

3) Anyone have any insight into what the working title means? "10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)" is just plain odd.

The song title has always reminded me of a Captain Beefheart or Stereolab song title.

[greenman]

Going back to this after a good while spent with "10 ribs" I am actually coming around the idea it could have worked quite well in Presense. Yes its very different in soundin some regards to the rest of the albums heavy guitars BUT I would say it seems to fit into the more "stately" and less funky style of that album, perhaps better than tracks like Royal Orleans and Candy Store Rock. You listen to Tea for One especially and I think you can a similar sense of space and atmosphere.

I could imagine a track listing with say side one ALS, FYL and 10 Ribs(with a proper name) and then FTBM, HOFN and TFO on side two. That to me would potentially make for a more individual album that would stand apart more from the bands previous work.

As for the idea behind the song I would say its pretty obviously an outgrowth of the latter 75 No Quarter jams but pushed into a much tighter composition and kept more focused on the piano work.

Edited July 31, 2018 by greenman

[LurksReturnington]

I recall Robert claiming  that John Paul Jones gave him a car to persuade him not to use the vocal (for the reissue)

Edited July 31, 2018 by LurksReturnington

[babysquid]

5 hours ago, LurksReturnington said:

I recall Robert claiming  that John Paul Jones gave him a car to persuade him not to use the vocal (for the reissue)

That’s sounds like one of Robert’s many ribs at JPJ

[LurksReturnington]

On 7/31/2018 at 10:26 PM, babysquid said:

That’s sounds like one of Robert’s many ribs at JPJ

And that's no All carrot carrot pod... 

[Kid Squid]

Remember, Elvis Presley was Led Zeppelin’s greatest hero.  Robert Plant explains that fact in an interview a few years back.  The British public actually have more of a fascination and respect for Elvis than Americans starting in the early 60s.  American kids in the 60s and 70s did not listen to Elvis, as did British kids in the 60s and 70s.  Elvis was an idol of the American 50s and kept going on 60s films (sex appeal) & nostalgia performances in the 70s.  He was much more influential on British artists (Beatles, Zeppelin, Stones, etc.. which in turn were much more influential on American artists.  The LZ song “10 Ribs & All/“ is a Presley cover song of a Hymn he recorded.  It has a similar chord progression and everything, but is a unique re-worked LZ (JPJ) song. Please note this song is created by JPJ and not Page.  I know it’s Page’s band, but it would have never been LZ if it weren’t for the grossly underrated JPJ.  This is his song.  I’ll leave it to the reader to find out which one.  As for the title, I have no idea about the “ribs” but as for the “pods” it refers to a religious poem.  The song is from a hymn that Elvis recorded, although the title and various movements within the chord progression have  been changed.   

[johnhenrybonham]

On 1/13/2017 at 4:43 PM, bluecongo said:

2. Jimmy stated that Robert didn't come up with lyrics for it.  To understand this, one has to understand Zep and Jimmy's approach to recording.  In many cases, Jimmy would construct a song and deliver it in its final form to Robert.  The Song Remains the Same and Ten Years Gone are two examples of this.  So it looks like this track was worked up, but just didn't get to the finish line.

 

What a shame, I would've loved to have seen Robert come up with lyrics to accompany this one.  But even on it's own, it's still a fantastic piece. 

Edited November 5, 2019 by johnhenrybonham

[The Pagemeister]

Most likely, this would have ended up on a Led Zeppelin album somewhere down the road.
Maybe they didn't finish it in this form, but it could have been used as a bridge or a part of a song (bits and pieces sometimes end up getting used later on).
They could have used it in a similar was that Derek and the Dominoes used the piano bit as the outro to Layla.

It's a good piece.

Edited April 8, 2020 by The Pagemeister

[Wolfman]

I think it would have been great if used in a movie. Very emotional track.

[blindwillie127]

The descending end portion of this track reminds me a lot of how All of My Love ends with that similar repetitive  descending line. And,  Page also seems to be approaching it in a similar tone and manner. 

[JohnOsbourne]

I love this song, by far the best thing on the remasters, which were overall underwhelming.  I suppose it does indicate that there were hints of the direction they would take for ITTOD, even before the post-77 collapse.

[PeaceFrogYum]

Sounds very similar to the beginning of Phil Collins We Said Hello, Goodbye which came out several years after 10 Ribs was recorded. Wonder if this is coincidence or maybe Collins heard the track as he was good friends with Robert?

 

[Paimonus Rex]

Can't escape a vision of Kristy McNichol and credits rolling on an ABC Afterschool movie when this music plays

[PeaceFrogYum]

3 hours ago, Paimonus Rex said:

Can't escape a vision of Kristy McNichol and credits rolling on an ABC Afterschool movie when this music plays

Don't do drugs...drugs are bad...Kristy McNichol says so!

[Mr. Snrub]

On 1/13/2017 at 5:18 PM, IpMan said:

If you assign a number value to the first letter of each word you get: Trac 16. This is just a theory but makes as much sense as anything else.

TRAAC 16 16 (16)

 

[LurksReturnington]

I think this is the track Robert claimed Jones gave him an automobile not to use his (Jones') vocal track. It was in a RP interview that preceeded the remaster release.

[Zep Hed]

So was 10 Ribs the working title in 1975, or was that title applied when the re-issue was released?

Compare Carol's Theme from Deathwish II to 10 Ribs before the guitar and drums enter. Carol's Theme starts at 13:10. Even the finish of each of them to a degree. Esp the outtake of Carol's Theme below. I'm hearing some common chord progressions.