LA Drone
Encyclopedia
"LA Drone" is a short piece of music that the English
rock
band Led Zeppelin
played as an intro tape on the second half of their 1972 concert tour of the United States
. It began their concert performances from June 15, 1972 up until June 28, 1972.
The monotonous drone was produced by Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones
and guitarist Jimmy Page
by playing an acoustic guitar with a violin bow in the key of F# and layering the various sounds it produced. The tape of this piece, played through the venue's PA, segued directly into the band's opening number, "Immigrant Song
". The drone was intended to build a sense of suspense and anticipation in the concert audience.
The only official release of the piece has been a brief excerpt used as the opening track on How the West Was Won. This captures the recording of "LA Drone" at the Long Beach Arena on June 27, 1972. Despite being only 0:14 on the live album, it was usually closer to a 1:30 in live performances, as can be heard on a number of Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
.
"LA Drone" can also be heard on the Led Zeppelin DVD, being included on disc 2 at the introduction of the band's performance of "Immigrant Song". However, unlike How the West Was Won, the DVD does not include "LA Drone" on the track listing. Also, the DVD features a 0:25 version of the song which is eleven seconds longer than the album version.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
played as an intro tape on the second half of their 1972 concert tour of the United States
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1972
Led Zeppelin's 1972 North American Tour was the eighth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on May 27 and concluding on June 28, 1972. It included two warm-up shows in Europe....
. It began their concert performances from June 15, 1972 up until June 28, 1972.
The monotonous drone was produced by Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist 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...
and guitarist Jimmy Page
Jimmy 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...
by playing an acoustic guitar with a violin bow in the key of F# and layering the various sounds it produced. The tape of this piece, played through the venue's PA, segued directly into the band's opening number, "Immigrant Song
Immigrant Song
"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a single from their third album, Led Zeppelin III, in 1970.-Overview:...
". The drone was intended to build a sense of suspense and anticipation in the concert audience.
The only official release of the piece has been a brief excerpt used as the opening track on How the West Was Won. This captures the recording of "LA Drone" at the Long Beach Arena on June 27, 1972. Despite being only 0:14 on the live album, it was usually closer to a 1:30 in live performances, as can be heard 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...
.
"LA Drone" can also be heard on the Led Zeppelin DVD, being included on disc 2 at the introduction of the band's performance of "Immigrant Song". However, unlike How the West Was Won, the DVD does not include "LA Drone" on the track listing. Also, the DVD features a 0:25 version of the song which is eleven seconds longer than the album version.
List of performances
- 15/06/1972 Nassau Coliseum - Uniondale, NY
- 17/06/1972 Memorial Coliseum - Portland, OR
- 18/06/1972 Seattle Center ColiseumKeyArenaKeyArena at Seattle Center , is a multipurpose arena, in Seattle, Washington. It is located north of downtown in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, the Century 21 Exposition...
- Seattle, WA - 19/06/1972 Seattle Center Coliseum - Seattle, WA
- 21/06/1972 Denver ColiseumDenver ColiseumDenver Coliseum is an indoor arena, owned by the City and County of Denver, operated by its Theatres and Arenas division and is located in Denver, Colorado...
- Denver, CO - 22/06/1972 Swing AuditoriumSwing AuditoriumSwing Auditorium was an indoor arena located on E Street in San Bernardino, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. It had a capacity of 10,000 patrons.Named for Senator Ralph E...
- San Bernardino, CA - 23/06/1972 San Diego Sports Arena - San Diego, CA
- 25/06/1972 The Forum - Inglewood, CA
- 27/06/1972 Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA
- 28/06/1972 Tucson Community CenterTucson Convention CenterThe Tucson Convention Center , previously named the Tucson Community Center, is a large multi-purpose convention center located in downtown Tucson, Arizona...
- Tucson, AZ