LED ZEPPELIN - TANGERINE / THAT’S THE WAY

Llançament: 5 d'octubre de 1970

Àlbum: Led Zeppelin III

"Tangerine" és una balada de Led Zeppelin, enregistrada el 1970 i inclosa en el costat acústic del seu àlbum "Led Zeppelin III". La cançó reflexiona sobre l'amor perdut i presenta un ritme de guitarra acústica puntejada acompanyat de guitarra pedal steel. Jimmy Page la va escriure i la va enregistrar per primera vegada durant el seu temps amb The Yardbirds. És l'última cançó de Led Zeppelin escrita únicament per Page sense la col·laboració de Robert Plant, i és l'única pista de "Led Zeppelin III" a la qual Plant no va contribuir a la lletra. Jimmy Page va dedicar la cançó "Tangerine" a Jackie DeShannon, la seva parella a l'època d'escriure-la.

El fals inici del principi estava destinat com a guia per marcar el tempo. Jimmy Page el va deixar a la gravació final perquè va pensar que era una bona idea en aquell moment, tot i que posteriorment va expressar dubtes sobre això.

La cançó "Knowing That I'm Losing You", enregistrada per The Yardbirds el 4 d'abril de 1968, comparteix similituds sorprenents amb "Tangerine" de Led Zeppelin. Tot i que la música és gairebé idèntica, la lletra, cantada per Keith Relf, difereix. Aquesta versió mai es va llançar oficialment, tot i que estava prevista la seva inclusió a la compilació ”Cumular Limit”. Jimmy Page, antic membre de The Yardbirds, en va vetar el llançament, i finalment va filtrar-se a internet. Alguns han acusat Page d'apropiar-se d'una composició de The Yardbirds i d'alterar la lletra per evitar conflictes. No hi ha hagut cap declaració pública dels membres restants de The Yardbirds sobre aquest tema.

"That's the Way" és una balada inclosa al tercer àlbum de Led Zeppelin, "Led Zeppelin III", llançat el 1970. És una cançó acústica que reflecteix les opinions de Robert Plant sobre l'ecologia i el medi ambient a través de les seves lletres. El títol original era "The Boy Next Door". Segons Robert Plant, la cançó va ser escrita només trenta minuts abans que la filla de Jimmy Page, Scarlet fos concebuda.

El viatge a Gal·les per a les sessions de "Led Zeppelin III" és un relat llegendari en la història de la banda. Mentre passejaven amb una guitarra i una gravadora, es van establir al costat d’un barranc per escriure-la. Aquestes sessions van donar a Jimmy Page l'oportunitat d'explorar nous territoris musicals, mentre que, igualment important, van permetre a Robert Plant evolucionar com a compositor. Ja no limitat a temes sobre bravuconades, Plant va escriure les seves primeres lletres realment profundes per a "That's The Way", cosa que va ser un fet significatiu en el seu creixement artístic. Reflectint la serena campinya de Gal·les, destaca com una de les cançons més relaxades de Led Zeppelin.

La frase "I can't believe what people saying, you're gonna let your hair hang down, I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long, you're in the darker side of town" (No puc creure el que la gent diu, et deixaràs els cabells llargs, jo estic satisfet de seure aquí treballant tot el dia, ets al costat més fosc de la ciutat) reflecteix les experiències de Led Zeppelin en els seus primers dies de gira per Amèrica. Al sud, la banda sovint s'afrontava a l’hostilitat i discriminació a causa dels seus cabells llargs, rebent amenaces de mort abans dels concerts i trobant-se amb actes violents en entrar a restaurants, incloent-hi ser escopits o amenaçats amb pistoles. Aquesta lletra captura el contrast entre el seu propi enfocament pacífic a la vida i l'hostilitat que van trobar en determinades parts del país.

LED ZEPPELIN - TANGERINE / THAT’S THE WAY

Released: October 5, 1970

Album: Led Zeppelin III

"Tangerine" is a ballad by Led Zeppelin, recorded in 1970 and included on the acoustic-oriented side of their album “Led Zeppelin III”. The song reflects on lost love and features strummed acoustic guitar rhythm accompanied by pedal steel guitar. Jimmy Page wrote this song and first recorded it during his time with The Yardbirds. It marks the last Led Zeppelin song solely written by Page without input from Robert Plant, and notably, it's the only track on “Led Zeppelin III” for which Plant didn't contribute to the lyrics. Jimmy Page dedicated the song "Tangerine" to Jackie DeShannon, his girlfriend at the time of writing the song.

The fade to silence at the beginning was initially intended as a tempo guide. Jimmy Page left it in the final recording as he thought it was a good idea at the time, although he later expressed doubts about it. 

The song "Knowing That I'm Losing You," recorded by The Yardbirds on April 4, 1968, shares striking similarities with Led Zeppelin's "Tangerine." While the music is nearly identical, the lyrics, sung by Keith Relf, differ. This version was never officially released, although it was intended for inclusion on the Cumular Limit compilation. Jimmy Page, a former member of The Yardbirds, vetoed the release of the song, and it eventually leaked onto the internet. Some have accused Page of appropriating a Yardbirds composition and altering the lyrics to avoid potential conflicts. There has been no public statement from the remaining members of The Yardbirds regarding this matter.

"That's the Way" is a ballad featured on Led Zeppelin's third album, "Led Zeppelin III," released in 1970. It's an acoustic song that reflects Robert Plant's views on ecology and the environment through its lyrics. The original title was "The Boy Next Door." According to Robert Plant, the song was written just 30 minutes before Jimmy Page's daughter Scarlet was conceived.

The journey to Wales for the Led Zeppelin III sessions is a legendary tale in the band's history, and its significance cannot be overstated. While on a long walk with a guitar and tape recorder, they settled in a ravine to write it. These sessions provided Jimmy Page with the chance to explore new musical territories, while equally crucially, they allowed Robert Plant to evolve as a songwriter. No longer confined to themes of bravado, Plant penned his first truly profound lyrics for "That's The Way," marking a significant milestone in his artistic growth. Reflecting the serene Welsh countryside, it stands out as one of Led Zeppelin's most mellow songs.

The lyrics "I can't believe what people saying, you're gonna let your hair hang down, I'm satisfied to sit here working all day long, you're in the darker side of town" reflect Led Zeppelin's experiences in their earlier days touring America. In the South, the band often faced hostility and discrimination due to their long hair, receiving death threats before concerts and encountering violence when entering restaurants, including being spat on or threatened with guns. These lyrics capture the contrast between their own peaceful approach to life and the hostility they encountered in certain parts of the country.