newZOSO Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 What can you tell about Zep and radio play? Many of their songs were longer than the "radio-length" of b/w 2 and 3 minutes I know that with Stairway to Heaven there was no way around it so stations would play the whole thing. What did Zep think of this? Why did they not like to release singles? Album-oriented rock I know, but did it have anything to do with radio play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 What can you tell about Zep and radio play? Many of their songs were longer than the "radio-length" of b/w 2 and 3 minutes I know that with Stairway to Heaven there was no way around it so stations would play the whole thing. What did Zep think of this? Why did they not like to release singles? Concept-album I know, but did it have anything to do with radio play? I don't think I've ever heard the classic rock station here condense any of their songs. They used to play a wider variety of their stuff than they do now, though. I don't know about releasing singles. Ask SteveAJones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newZOSO Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 I don't think I've ever heard the classic rock station here condense any of their songs. They used to play a wider variety of their stuff than they do now, though. I don't know about releasing singles. Ask SteveAJones k, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One and Only Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 They shortened Whole lotta love actually.. i think Atlantic did that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kashmir330 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Radio stations here do tend to play a small group of Zeppelin songs besides blockparty weekend where they play anything and everything. Besides Whole Lotta Love, I don't think any other songs were shortened. I know that Robert once said that albums are the true statement of a group's work and not singles. I couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Ok, I understand via PM where your coming from. Your initial inquiry pertained to their views on AOR radio, which didn't exist when LZ IV was released. Many FM rock radio stations were free form. Jim Ladd wrote an excellent book called 'Radio Waves' which you can get for less than $10 on ebay. He was a California radio dj and his book covers the 70s FM rock radio scene. He also has a website. He's awesome. Perhaps the theme of your paper could be that the music of LZ IV was intended by the band to be purchased as an album and as such they resisted allowing the release of what is arguably rock's greatest song, 'Stairway to Heaven', as a single. Sub-topics could include their battle to retain artistic control of the album graphics and how LZ IV is arguably one of rock's first concept albums. This point can be made by comparing the content of the album -- how the songs relate to one another in a broad sense. I don't know how far you want to delve into the occult aspects of the album but there's more than meets the eye there. Finish off with a bit of mystery, for example the inner album artwork is credited to a Barrington Colby, but no other examples of his work have ever been found. Could it be that Jimmy Page himself, a former art school student, is in fact the one who painted it? Just who is that man on the cover. Some say he is one of the foremost occult leaders English society has ever produced. Look into this for yourself. Views may vary, particularly in half-light, but all will be revealed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzfan715 Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 What can you tell about Zep and radio play? Many of their songs were longer than the "radio-length" of b/w 2 and 3 minutes I know that with Stairway to Heaven there was no way around it so stations would play the whole thing. What did Zep think of this? Why did they not like to release singles? Album-oriented rock I know, but did it have anything to do with radio play? I'm going to assume that from SAJ's post you're writing some form of report. Zep felt that an album is a statement of where the band was at that time musically. You can't just take a section of that and get the full meaning. Just like you can't read the last chapter of the book without reading the rest of it. With the occult mentioned in SAJ's post, I would like to warn you that there is a lot of crap on the internet about Zep being Satanic. There is stuff that they were gods and wanted worshipers too, but neither of those things are true. So please take everything you read with a grain of salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newZOSO Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 I'm going to assume that from SAJ's post you're writing some form of report. Zep felt that an album is a statement of where the band was at that time musically. You can't just take a section of that and get the full meaning. Just like you can't read the last chapter of the book without reading the rest of it. With the occult mentioned in SAJ's post, I would like to warn you that there is a lot of crap on the internet about Zep being Satanic. There is stuff that they were gods and wanted worshipers too, but neither of those things are true. So please take everything you read with a grain of salt. I really like that metaphor - you hit the nail on the head. And I agree with what the band was trying to do - you cannot possibly understand the work involved - the stress, the agony, the ecstacy, - involved in the creative process unless you look at the music as a whole Jimmy Page is not just Jimmy Page the musician, his experiences in life all aided in him playing the sickest, meanest guitar of his time. Robert Plant is not just Robert Plant who screamed his ass off with an unmatched vocal range (Steven Tyler couldn't touch that shit on a bad day) and the same goes for the rest of the band Am I getting this guys? I have a real passion for music, I'm upset that I just found Led Zeppelin now - haha I've looked in to quite a bit of material, and am confident that Led Zep was not satanic. I laugh at the idea of it. Through this report I have gained a great respect for them as a band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*I*LOVE*JIMMY!! Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 k, thanks Singles, if memory serves me right. LZ hated releasing singles. They felt that it was takeing a part of a story out of the book. It was better to have the entire album than just one single. I believe they never released any singles in the UK. Atlantic insisted they release singles in the US to help promote the albums and tours. Singles sold alot better in the US than anywhere else. Steve am I close on the answer of singles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rover Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 IF, you look at most FM Classic Rock stations playlists of Zeppelin songs, the songs they play most, over and over, day in and day out, ALWAYS just happen to include the "shortest" Zeppelin songs on record.... what a coincidence ! ! ! ! Proof: http://www.yes.com/#Led_Zeppelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 The only thing that the classic rock stations here in NY currently do that is not abrasive to me is to play a great variety of all of Zeps songs, including the longer ones. We also have a special called "Get the Led out", which plays twice a day on 104.3 FM. Other great 60's - 70's groups get a poor variety of airplay, usually 5 - 10 of their songs, at best - or are no longer played. And yet the lame MTV stuff from the 80's is still getting airplay, I guess so no one can say there's no variety... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Singles, if memory serves me right. LZ hated releasing singles. They felt that it was takeing a part of a story out of the book. It was better to have the entire album than just one single. I believe they never released any singles in the UK. Atlantic insisted they release singles in the US to help promote the albums and tours. Singles sold alot better in the US than anywhere else. Steve am I close on the answer of singles? Yes, you've essentially got it. There were singles released along the way but many were released strictly for promotional purposes. The UK saw very few releases while Japan saw quite a bit more. In the communist or third world countries most of the singles which were released were unauthorized/pirated issues. The main point being Led Zeppelin was never a singles band, it was always about the individual albums which I believe is why their back catalog remains so impressive to this day. The "Get The Led Out" program mentioned by a previous poster airs on KLOS in LA. Many other stations have similar programs which is a testament to the strength of the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 I've worked with quite a few people from Russia. They all seem very familiar with Pink Floyd, but not Zep so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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