Nobody's Fault but Mine
| Nobody's Fault but Mine | |
|---|---|
| Appears on | Presence |
| Published by | Flames of Albion Music |
| Registration | ASCAP 440088148 |
| Release date | 31 March 1976 |
| Recorded | November-December 1975 |
| Genre | Blues rock, Hard rock, |
| Language | English |
| Length | 6 minutes 27 second |
| Composer | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant |
| Label | Swan Song Records |
| Producer | Jimmy Page |
| Engineer | Keith Harwood |
'Nobody's Fault but Mine' is a song recorded by English rock band Led Zeppelin, and released in 1976 on their album Presence. The title was inspired in-part by a traditional blues song entitled 'It's Nobody's Fault but Mine'. Led Zeppelin had previously included a photograph of Blind Willie Johnson on the 1969 album Led Zeppelin II, who recorded a 1920s arrangement of 'It's Nobody's Fault but Mine' and served as an inspiration. The Led Zeppelin song is registered with copyright association ASCAP, with the unique title code 440088148.[1]
Overview
The Led Zeppelin version contains different lyrics in the song such as 'brother he showed me the gong', 'I got a monkey on my back' and 'Devil he told me to roll',[2] which do not appear in 'It's Nobody's Fault but Mine'. The Led Zeppelin song structure also includes differences in the arrangements within the verse-chorus.[3] Musically there are changes to the tempo and the track features a phase-treated, delta blues-based riff in E minor (and later E major) from Jimmy Page which is complemented by vocalist Robert Plant. The solo in E Minor Pentatonic, switches to E Major Pentatonic, back to E Minor Pentatonic, and concludes in E Major Pentatonic. Page triple-tracked his guitar intro; playing one guitar an octave higher than the others.
Drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones maintain the rhythm of the song, adding some syncopated accents during repetitions of the introductory phrase. The first half of the song also features a harmonica accompaniment by Plant.[4]
Live history
From 1977 onwards, 'Nobody's Fault but Mine' became a vital component of Led Zeppelin concerts, and was played at virtually every show until the group's final tour of Europe in 1980.[5] One live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Knebworth in 1979, is featured on disc 2 of the Led Zeppelin DVD. During live performances, Plant often exclaimed, 'Oh Jimmy!' right before Page went into his guitar solo.
'Nobody's Fault but Mine' was performed at Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on 10 December 2007.
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Notes
- ↑ ASCAP ACE: Title search. ASCAP. Retrieved on 2009-03-04.
- ↑ Welch, Chris (2005). Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, 2nd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-56025-818-7.
- ↑ Shadwick, Keith (2005). Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968-1980, 1st. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0879308710.
- ↑ Lewis, Dave (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ↑ Lewis, Dave (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.