Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Encyclopedia
"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is a song
on English rock
band Led Zeppelin
's third album, Led Zeppelin III
, released in 1970.
and Robert Plant
constructed the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur
, a small cottage in Wales
where they stayed after completing a gruelling concert tour of the United States
. John Paul Jones
also received a writing credit for the song. It was later recorded at Headley Grange
in 1970, using a mobile studio
belonging to the Rolling Stones. It was finished off at Island, London and Ardent Studios, Memphis
, Tennessee
.
Drummer John Bonham
played spoons
and castanet
s on the recording. Bassist
John Paul Jones
played an acoustic five-string fretless
bass. Jimmy Page's 1971 Martin D-28 guitar, in this song, is tuned to open D with a capo at the 3rd fret
.
Led Zeppelin also recorded the song as an electric blues rock instrumental, "Jennings Farm Blues", which later surfaced as a studio out-take on a number of Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
. Jennings Farm is the name of the property on which the Plant family stayed in the early 1970s.
, a house in Gwynedd
, Wales
, where the members of Led Zeppelin retreated in 1970 to write much of Led Zeppelin III after having completed a grueling concert tour of the United States
. Bron-Yr-Aur means "golden breast" or "breast of gold" in Welsh, as in a hillside of gold. Its pronunciation is ˈbrɔn ər ˈaɪr. The cottage had no electricity or running water, but the change of scenery provided inspiration for many of the songs on the album, including "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp."
The song's title was misspelled on the album cover during initial printing; it should read "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp." This error can be contrasted to another Led Zeppelin track, "Bron-Yr-Aur", a two-minute instrumental
featured on their later album Physical Graffiti
, which was spelled correctly. When the song appeared on the 2003 DVD
, it was spelled correctly both on the back cover of the set and the DVD's menu, although without the hyphens ("Bron Yr Aur Stomp"), and on the live album How the West Was Won it was spelled "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp".
-inflected hoedown
, singer Robert Plant
waxes lyrically about walking in the woods with his blue-eyed Merle
dog
named Strider. Plant reportedly named his dog after Aragorn
(often called Strider) from J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Lord of the Rings
. References to the work of Tolkien exist in some other Led Zeppelin songs, such as "Ramble On
," "The Battle of Evermore
," and "Misty Mountain Hop
". However, there are no explicit references to Tolkien works in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". The lyrics also make reference to the song "Old Shep": When you're old and your eyes are dim / There ain't no "Old Shep" gonna happen again.
in 1971 to the 1973 European Tour
. When the band performed the song live at Led Zeppelin concerts
, John Paul Jones played an upright bass and Bonham sang harmony vocals with Plant (always stopping in the middle of the third verse). This can be seen in the footage from the Earls Court concerts in May 1975, featured on the Led Zeppelin
DVD. On the band's 1977 North American tour
, the song "Black Country Woman
" was merged into a medley with "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". At one Californian show (6/27/77 LA Forum), "Dancing Days
" was also featured in the acoustic medley. In some shows, Page sings harmony vocals with Plant instead of Bonham (Seattle in 1977, for example).
It is also notable that the song was always performed live a whole step higher than the album version. (Open G)
took their name from lyrics in the song: "There ain't no companion like a blue-eyed Merle".
1970 7" single (Holland: Atlantic ATL 2019030)
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
on English rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's third album, Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and July 1970 and released on 5 October 1970 by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's...
, released in 1970.
Song history
Jimmy PageJimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
constructed the song in 1970 at Bron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur , sometimes misspelled as Bron-Y-Aur, is an 18th century cottage in South Snowdonia, Wales, best known for its association with the English rock band Led Zeppelin....
, a small cottage in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
where they stayed after completing a gruelling concert tour of the United States
Led Zeppelin North American Tour Spring 1970
Led Zeppelin's Spring 1970 North American Tour was the fifth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on March 21 and concluded on April 18, 1970...
. John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
also received a writing credit for the song. It was later recorded at Headley Grange
Headley Grange
Headley Grange is a former poorhouse in Headley, East Hampshire, England, UK. It is best known as a recording and rehearsal venue in the 1960s and 1970s for bands such as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Peter Frampton, the Pretty Things, Ian Dury and Clover.-Early history:Built...
in 1970, using a mobile studio
Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio owned by the musical group the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using it, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Iron Maiden, Mola Mola...
belonging to the Rolling Stones. It was finished off at Island, London and Ardent Studios, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Drummer John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
played spoons
Spoon (musical instrument)
Spoons can be played as a makeshift percussion instrument, or more specifically, an idiophone related to the castanets. "Playing the spoons" originated in Ireland as "playing the bones," in which the convex sides of a pair of sheep rib bones were rattled in the same way.- Techniques :# A pair of...
and castanet
Castanet
Castanets are a percussion instrument , used in Moorish, Ottoman, ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish, Sephardic Music, and Portuguese music. The instrument consists of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by a string. They are held in the hand and used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents or...
s on the recording. Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
played an acoustic five-string fretless
Fretless guitar
A fretless guitar is a guitar without frets. It operates in the same manner as most other stringed instruments and traditional guitars, but does not have any frets to act as the lower end point of the vibrating string...
bass. Jimmy Page's 1971 Martin D-28 guitar, in this song, is tuned to open D with a capo at the 3rd fret
Guitar tunings
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
.
Led Zeppelin also recorded the song as an electric blues rock instrumental, "Jennings Farm Blues", which later surfaced as a studio out-take on a number of Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
The Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings are a collection of audio and video recordings of musical performances by English rock band Led Zeppelin which were never officially released by the band, or under other legal authority. The recordings consist of both live concert performances and outtakes from...
. Jennings Farm is the name of the property on which the Plant family stayed in the early 1970s.
Origin of the name
The song is named after Bron-Yr-AurBron-Yr-Aur
Bron-Yr-Aur , sometimes misspelled as Bron-Y-Aur, is an 18th century cottage in South Snowdonia, Wales, best known for its association with the English rock band Led Zeppelin....
, a house in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, where the members of Led Zeppelin retreated in 1970 to write much of Led Zeppelin III after having completed a grueling concert tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Bron-Yr-Aur means "golden breast" or "breast of gold" in Welsh, as in a hillside of gold. Its pronunciation is ˈbrɔn ər ˈaɪr. The cottage had no electricity or running water, but the change of scenery provided inspiration for many of the songs on the album, including "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp."
The song's title was misspelled on the album cover during initial printing; it should read "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp." This error can be contrasted to another Led Zeppelin track, "Bron-Yr-Aur", a two-minute instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
featured on their later album Physical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti
Physical Graffiti is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 24 February 1975 as a double album. Recording sessions for the album were initially disrupted when bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones considered leaving the band...
, which was spelled correctly. When the song appeared on the 2003 DVD
Led Zeppelin (DVD)
Led Zeppelin is a double DVD set by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2003 and the United States on May 27, 2003. It contains live concert footage of the band spanning the years 1969 to 1979...
, it was spelled correctly both on the back cover of the set and the DVD's menu, although without the hyphens ("Bron Yr Aur Stomp"), and on the live album How the West Was Won it was spelled "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp".
Lyrics
In "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", a country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-inflected hoedown
Hoedown
A Hoedown is a type of American folk dance or square dance in duple meter, and also the musical form associated with it.-Overview:The most popular sense of the term is associated with Americans in rural or southeastern parts of the country, particularly Appalachia. It is a dance in quick movement...
, singer Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
waxes lyrically about walking in the woods with his blue-eyed Merle
Merle (coat colour in dogs)
Merle is a pattern in a dogs coat, though is commonly incorrectly referred to as a color.- Description :Merle can affect all coat colors but the colors most commonly seen that are affected are brown and black, when affected by merle they are usually called liver and blue, though some call liver red...
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
named Strider. Plant reportedly named his dog after Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
(often called Strider) from J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. References to the work of Tolkien exist in some other Led Zeppelin songs, such as "Ramble On
Ramble On
-Cover versions:Train did a cover of the song in early 2001 and released it as a single. Producer Brendan O'Brien heard Train's version and agreed to produce their second album, Drops of Jupiter...
," "The Battle of Evermore
The Battle of Evermore
"The Battle of Evermore" is a folk rock duet sung by Robert Plant and Sandy Denny, by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured on their untitled fourth album , released in 1971...
," and "Misty Mountain Hop
Misty Mountain Hop
"Misty Mountain Hop" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album, released in 1971. In the United States and Australia it was the B-side of the "Black Dog" single, but still received considerable FM radio airplay...
". However, there are no explicit references to Tolkien works in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". The lyrics also make reference to the song "Old Shep": When you're old and your eyes are dim / There ain't no "Old Shep" gonna happen again.
Live performances
This song regularly appeared in Led Zeppelin's acoustic set from the second UK tourLed Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour Winter 1971
Led Zeppelin's Winter 1971 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 11 November and concluded on 15 December 1971....
in 1971 to the 1973 European Tour
Led Zeppelin European Tour 1973
Led Zeppelin's 1973 European Tour was a concert tour of Europe by the English rock band. The tour commenced on March 2 and concluded on April 2, 1973.This tour began just four weeks after Led Zeppelin's previous tour of the United Kingdom...
. When the band performed the song live at Led Zeppelin concerts
Led Zeppelin concerts
From September 1968 through the summer of 1980, English rock group Led Zeppelin were one of the world's most popular live music attractions, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world.-History:...
, John Paul Jones played an upright bass and Bonham sang harmony vocals with Plant (always stopping in the middle of the third verse). This can be seen in the footage from the Earls Court concerts in May 1975, featured on the Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin (DVD)
Led Zeppelin is a double DVD set by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2003 and the United States on May 27, 2003. It contains live concert footage of the band spanning the years 1969 to 1979...
DVD. On the band's 1977 North American tour
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1977
Led Zeppelin's 1977 North American Tour was the eleventh and final concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into three legs, with performances commencing on 1 April and concluding on 24 July 1977...
, the song "Black Country Woman
Black Country Woman
"Black Country Woman" is the fourteenth song on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1975 album Physical Graffiti. It was originally intended to be part of the Houses of the Holy album, which had been released two years earlier....
" was merged into a medley with "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". At one Californian show (6/27/77 LA Forum), "Dancing Days
Dancing Days
"Dancing Days" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It appears on their 1973 album, Houses of the Holy, having been recorded at Stargroves in 1972. It was inspired by an Indian tune that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant heard while traveling in Bombay.This was the first track from the album to...
" was also featured in the acoustic medley. In some shows, Page sings harmony vocals with Plant instead of Bonham (Seattle in 1977, for example).
It is also notable that the song was always performed live a whole step higher than the album version. (Open G)
Cultural influence
The band Blue MerleBlue Merle (band)
Blue Merle was an American band centered in Nashville, Tennessee. Their name comes from the lyrics of a Led Zeppelin song, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp from Led Zeppelin III, referring to a "blue-eyed merle" border collie dog. Their lead singer Luke Reynolds, has a voice that has been compared to those of...
took their name from lyrics in the song: "There ain't no companion like a blue-eyed Merle".
Formats and tracklistings
1970 7" single (Italy: Atlantic ATL NP 03174)- A. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" (Jones, Page, Plant) 4:16
- B. "Immigrant Song" (Page, Plant) 2:25
1970 7" single (Holland: Atlantic ATL 2019030)
- A. "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" (Jones, Page, Plant) 4:16
- B. "Out on the Tiles" (Bonham, Page, Plant) 4:07
Personnel
- Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
- acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s - John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
- double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, spoons, castanets
Cover versions
- 1999: Interior Rides (The String Quartet Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
- 2003: various artists (A Bluegrass Tribute: Pickin' on Led Zeppelin, Volume II)
- 2005: Coheed and CambriaCoheed and CambriaCoheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
(Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessGood Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessGood Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness is the third studio album by prog quartet Coheed and Cambria. It was released on September 20, 2005...
[bonus track]) - 2005: Hampton String QuartetHampton String QuartetThe Hampton String Quartet considered by many to be one of the founders of the "alternative music" genré of chamber music is a string quartet specializing in rock music and other popular styles, playing serious chamber music arrangements of songs using classical composer influences and frequently...
(Take No Prisoners!) - 2005: Iron HorseIron Horse (band)Iron Horse is a Bluegrass band from Killen, Alabama. They are known for performing and recording bluegrass cover versions of rock songs, particularly their bluegrass treatments of heavy metal songs popularized by Metallica. The band has two tracks on the tribute album Strummin' with the Devil: The...
(Whole Lotta Bluegrass: A Bluegrass Tribute to Led Zeppelin) - 2007: The Boys from County Nashville (The Celtic Tribute to Led Zeppelin: Long Ago and Far Away)
- 2007: Carbon LeafCarbon LeafCarbon Leaf is a five-piece indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia that is known for their Alt-Country and Celtic / Bluegrass infused Indie Rock...
(iCovers 1.4 EP) - 2008: Roland Chadwick (Freedom Dreamer)
- 2009: Jon and Roy (Holiday Special; Victoria, Canada)
- 2010: Afro-Zep (Afro-Zep I)
Sources
- Lewis, Dave (2004) The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
- Welch, Chris (1998) Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, ISBN 1-56025-818-7