Jimmy Page Has 1 Regret About the Led Zeppelin Song ‘Tangerine’, but He Shouldn’t Be so Hard on Himself
Jimmy Page tended to get his way as the founder and guitarist for Led Zeppelin. He wanted the band to sign with Atlantic Records to avoid sharing a label with Eric Clapton’s band, and he got his way. He was far from a perfectionist about recording Led Zeppelin’s music, and he got his way there, too. Still, Page admitted to having a regret about how he recorded the Led Zeppelin III track “Tangerine,” but he shouldn’t feel too bad about it.
Jimmy Page regretted keeping the lead-in to Led Zeppelin’s ‘Tangerine’
After two heavy-hitting psychedelic blues albums, Led Zeppelin dialed things back on Led Zeppelin III. The album includes several acoustic numbers (check out Page proving his skills extend beyond guitar on “Gallows Pole) and elements of field recordings on some tunes.
“Immigrant Song” includes audible hiss before the chugging guitars kick in, and “Friends” includes some background chatter early in the track. “Tangerine” begins with Page riffing on his acoustic guitar before the song starts in earnest. Page produced all of Led Zeppelin’s albums, so he had the final say in what ended up on the records. He wasn’t happy with his lead-in noodling, though.
“That’s commonly known as a false start,” Page said in 1970, per Led Zeppelin FAQ by George Case. “It was a tempo guide, and it seemed like a good idea to leave it in. I was trying to keep the tempo down a bit. I’m not so sure now if it was a good idea.”
Page regrets the lead-in to “Tangerine.” If he hasn’t forgiven himself yet, allow us to do it.
Page shouldn’t be so hard on himself about the noodling on ‘Tangerine’
Page seemed to regret leading his false start on “Tangerine” almost as soon as he committed it to vinyl. To which we say he shouldn’t be too hard on himself.
His riffing on an A-minor chord at the beginning is a look behind the curtain for fans. Big acts of that era, such as The Beatles and Pink Floyd, tended to release pristine albums with nary a note out of place. Their studio explorations were known only to them. Page strumming away to find the right tempo is actually a fascinating glimpse into how the song came together. It’s an approach major acts of that time rarely used. Led Zeppelin never appeared on TV, one way they deliberately avoided copying other groups. Leaving the false start on the album was an unexpected departure from what other bands of the time did.
Perhaps Page regrets leaving his false start in because it confuses listeners. But the few moments of silence between his noodling and the start of the song make it clear his strumming is separate from the track. For someone who once tuned his guitar in a strange way, keeping the lead-in strumming on “Tangerine” is hardly an egregious offense. It sets the stage for one of Led Zeppelin’s best ballads.
Page shouldn’t have felt bad about leaving his false start on the finished product. It’s not like his strumming marred the song as badly as the butchered version of another Led Zeppelin classic.
The Led Zeppelin guitarist resurrected the song from his Yardbirds days
After working as a studio musician for several years and rebuffing two invitations to join the Yardbirds, he entered the band’s lineup in 1966. The band splintered in 1968, but not before demoing some songs in the studio, including “Knowing I’m Losing You.”
Page resurrected the song for Led Zeppelin III in 1970, and not much changed. Page strums the same chords in the intros to both songs. The pedal steel riffs are identical.
The biggest difference is that Robert Plant added vocals for “Tangerine.” His lyrics about lost love sit nicely next to the tender guitar. Page said he regretted leaving the false start on “Tangerine,” but we don’t hate it, and neither should he.
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