Houses of the Holy (song)

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Houses of the Holy
Appears on Physical Graffiti
Published by Flames of Albion Music
Registration ASCAP 380162485
Release date 24 February 1975
Recorded May 1972 at
Olympic Studios, London.
Mixed at Electric Lady, New York.
Genre Hard rock, rock
Language English
Length 4 min 1 sec
Composer Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Label Swan Song Records
Producer Jimmy Page
Engineer George Chkiantz

'Houses of the Holy' is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

Overview

The track is a mid-tempo rock song, heavy on bass and featuring a distinctive Jimmy Page guitar riff. In order to create the layered guitar introduction and fade-out, Page used a Delta T digital delay unit.[1] The squeak of John Bonham's drum pedal can be heard throughout the song.

Lyrically, the song is an ode to Led Zeppelin concerts, with the 'Houses of the Holy' referring to the arenas and auditoriums in which the band performed. Despite this, the song was never played live by Led Zeppelin.[2]

Although the name of the song is 'Houses of the Holy,' the track does not appear on the earlier-released album Houses of the Holy. It was originally set to be the title track of that album but was removed when the band decided it did not fit. The song did not require any further re-mixing for its inclusion on Physical Graffiti, having already been fully mixed by audio engineer Eddie Kramer at the Electric Lady sessions in June 1972.[3]

Chart positions

Single

Chart (1975) Peak position
Italian Singles Chart[4] 27
Personnel
  • Musicians:
    • Jimmy Page – electric guitar, producer, remastering, digital remastering
    • Robert Plant – vocals
    • John Paul Jones – bass guitar
    • John Bonham - drums, percussion
  • Production:
    • Peter Grant – executive producer
    • George Chkiantz - engineer
    • Eddie Kramer – mixing
    • Joe Sidore - original CD mastering engineer (mid-1980s)
    • George Marino - remastered CD engineer (1990)

Notes

  1. Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  2. Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  3. Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
  4. Top 100 Singles - 1975. hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved on 2009-1-19.