Jennings Farm Blues

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Jennings Farm Blues
Published by Superhype Music
Registration ASCAP
Recorded 13 December 1969, at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London.
Mixed at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London.
Genre Blues rock, folk rock, Rock music
Language English
Length 6 minutes 15 seconds
Composer Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones
Label Atlantic Records
Producer Jimmy Page
Engineer Andy Johns

'Jennings Farm Blues' is a 1969 instrumental by English rock band Led Zeppelin. The song was composed by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, and recorded and mixed at Olympic Studios, Barnes, England in December 1969. The blues rock recordings was originally planned to be released on Led Zeppelin's first official single in the United Kingdom before the idea was withdrawn, and then scheduled for release on the band's bucolic third album Led Zeppelin III, before being replaced by the acoustic 'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp'. It officially remained unreleased, until its inclusion in the 2014 deluxe edition of Led Zeppelin III.

Overview

'Jennings Farm Blues' was originally conceived during Led Zeppelin's autumn 1969 tour of North America, and given the working title of 'Bar III' by Page.[1] The laid back country-style blues rock song is very much influenced by the music of fellow Atlantic Records artists Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The title of the song was derived from a recently acquired Welsh farm named Jennings Farm, by the Plant family.[2] The song uses multi-layered guitars built up by guitarist Jimmy Page, with a strong shuffling backbeat by drummer John Bonham. There were plans to add vocals with a suitable lyrics by Robert Plant at a further recording date but this was eventually scraped. Manager Peter Grant had already announced to the music press that the band were working on a song to be released as their first official UK single in early 1970,[3] to coincide with their appearance at the Royal Albert Hall.[4] Led Zeppelin were constantly pressured by Atlantic Records to release a single, but the band finally decided against it, and the plans were ultimately dropped. During late 1969 and early 1970, Led Zeppelin was on a tight schedule with demands for various public appearances and sessions, which resulted in the decision to finally shelve the release of 'Jennings Farm Blues'. When members of the band stayed at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Snowdonia, South Wales in April 1970, it was decided to re-record the song as an acoustic number to fit in with the mood of the planned album Led Zeppelin III, and was renamed 'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp'.[5]

Live performances

'Jennings Farm Blues' was never performed live.

Credits

Personnel
  • Musicians:
    • Jimmy Page – electric guitar, producer
    • John Paul Jones – bass guitar
    • John Bonham - drums, percussion
    • Robert Plant - tambourine
  • Production:
    • Peter Grant – executive producer
    • Andy Johns - engineer, mixing

References

  1. Lewis, Dave (2012). Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream. London: Omnibus Press, 133. ISBN 978-1-78038-547-1. OCLC 782996334. 
  2. Hoskyns, Barney (2006). Led Zeppelin IV. New York, NY: Rodale, 63. ISBN 978-1-59486-370-7. OCLC 70698921. 
  3. Presumably as a B-side to an edited version of 'Whole Lotta Love', which had been recently withdrawn in the UK.
  4. (6 December 1969) "Zeppelin to Issue Stereo Single". Melody Maker. ISSN 0025-9012.
  5. Daniels, Neil; Paul Stenning (2008). Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page and the Solo Years. Church Stretton: Independent Music Press, 63. ISBN 978-0-9552822-7-0. OCLC 263713252.