Svachthund / Chien Noir ... or, Why Did Jimmy vocally intro Black Dog on 1980 Tour?

[dpat]

Through most, if not all, of the 1980 Over Europe Tour, Mr. James Patrick Page introduced "Black Dog" to the audience. Anyone know why? Just wondering ...

Good evening. Good evening. Good evening. Nice, right, well we're here aren't we? OK, We got a little number now. It's called, in a bit of a rought translation ah, Svacthund.

Aye, bon soir. Merci. ah Hello, hello, OK, chien noir.

Good evening all. I said good evening. Right well it's nice to see you and it's nice to be seen, I can tell you that. We got a number ah, from the annals of Rock History. It's not called Black Dog Jimmy. It's just called Svachthund.

Good evening. I said good evening. Right, right, right, right,right. Well if you've noticed, I just took me glasses off so I can see the guitar a bit better and see you a bit better too. Right, right. Ok, we got an old one. I hope you can remember is cause it's quite an old one. It's called Black Dog.

Good evening. Good evening. That's better. Right, well there's two of us tonight that aren't feeling at all well. We got a bit of stomach trouble, so we're gonna do our best whatever as usual, and ah, the nest number sort of reflects how I'm feeling, and possibly the other member. It's called Black Dog.

Good evening. Good evening. That's better. Right, yes, yes. I can hear all that . Right, we're gonna do a number. It's called ah, strangers in the night. Black Dog.

Good evening. How are you? Good evening. Good evening. Well with you with you. OK. Right. We got a number, a nice little number about 36-23-36, and it's called well what's it called in German, Svactund, Black Dog.

[reswati]

It's actually "Schwarzer Hund" in German.

[Medhb]

Good evening. How are you? Good evening. Good evening. Well with you with you. OK. Right. We got a number, a nice little number about 36-23-36, and it's called well what's it called in German, Svactund, Black Dog.

Obviously Jimmy didn't write the lyrics. His taste was a little more like 30-23-30 wasn't it?

[dpat]

Obviously Jimmy didn't write the lyrics. His taste was a little more like 30-23-30 wasn't it?

Richard Cole said them girls were like 16 (more like 14) going on 30, or something like that ... still don't make it right, though.

[Strider]

Richard Cole said them girls were like 16 (more like 14) going on 30, or something like that ... still don't make it right, though.

and

Back to the topic, I think it was all just part of the overall plan of the band to demystify things a bit, to come off a little more human and less like gods. Especially with Jimmy speaking!

I remember when I first heard the 80's boots and how stunned I was hearing Jimmy introducing Black Dog. All through the 70's, Jimmy was the guitar player with mystique and Robert was the golden god front man. You never heard Jimmy say anything during a show, with the exceptions of his doing backing vocals on Whole Lotta Love, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, and Tangerine...he just played.

Oh sure, you could see him chatting with the rest of the band during concerts, but unless you were right up near the stage, you couldn't hear what he was saying. And while he did give interviews during the 70's, it was mostly print, not broadcast, so you still never heard what his voice sounded like.

I think after punk and after the big Knebworth shows, the band said okay, let's try to ramp things down a bit and reconnect with the fans on a grassroots level. Out went the drum solos and violin bow solos and the lasers and the big epic 30-40 minute jams and hey, why not have Jimmy say a few words!

That's just what I think.

Or I could be wrong...which I am sure some of you won't waste any time in pointing that out.

[SteveAJones]

It certainly seems to fit the more relaxed, scaled-down approach for that particular tour.

There could have been some ulterior motive but only he would know and he hasn't said.

[Cecil.]

As I heard it Jimmy wanted to carry some of the weight, so did Jonesy and Bonzo. While

Robert found his feet again.

[aen27]

As I heard it Jimmy wanted to carry some of the weight, so did Jonesy and Bonzo. While

Robert found his feet again.

I don't know why. But I'm glad he did. That's my favorite part of Good Hot One bootleg CD, is him introducing Black Dog and taking his sunglasses off. I wish I could see it. But the beginning of the Raving Arizona DVD come pretty close.

[dpat]

I think after punk and after the big Knebworth shows, the band said okay, let's try to ramp things down a bit and reconnect with the fans on a grassroots level. Out went the drum solos and violin bow solos and the lasers and the big epic 30-40 minute jams and hey, why not have Jimmy say a few words!

That's just what I think.

That's as good as an answer I think there is to my question. Thanks, Strider!

[chef free]

"Sorry about the strip just then but it's probably as hot up here as it is down there. We're going to do an old number, so old I hope I can remember it, it's called Black Dog."

[tom kid]

"Good Evening, Good EVENING! I won't do that I'll work myself out, my god I've seen some of these faces before down the front. But the next number is called... Nah it's not called that at all. Strangers in the night."

[aen27]

Thank you dpat for putting all the quotes up. It's fun to read them all. I only have the one in Good Hot One (the Zurich show).