"Dazed and Confused" is a song written and performed by Jake Holmes. It was covered by the Yardbirds, and later reworked by Led Zeppelin
Singer-songwriter Jake Holmes wrote and recorded "Dazed and Confused" for his debut solo album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes, released in June 1967. Like the other tracks on the album, the song does not include any drums. It was recorded entirely with the trio of Holmes on guitar, keyboard and vocals, Ted Irwin on guitar and Rick Randle on bass.The song has been incorrectly labelled as a tale about a bad acid trip. Holmes himself has confirmed that this is not the case. In 2001 he gave an interview to Shindig! magazine and said this about "Dazed and Confused".
“No, I never took acid. I smoked grass and tripped on it, but I never took acid. I was afraid to take it. The song’s about a girl who hasn’t decided whether she wants to stay with me or not. It’s pretty much one of those love songs,” Holmes explained.
Asked whether he remembered opening for the Yardbirds, Holmes laughed.
“Yes. Yes. And that was the infamous moment of my life when ‘Dazed & Confused’ fell into the loving arms and hands of Jimmy Page,” he said.
When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page planned to record the song yet again, this time with Led Zeppelin. According to Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the first time he heard the song was at the band's very first rehearsal session at Gerrard Street in London in 1968: "Jimmy played us the riffs at the first rehearsal and said, 'This is a number I want us to do'." Led Zeppelin recorded their version in October 1968 at Olympic Studios, London, and the song was included on their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin. "Dazed and Confused" was the second song recorded at the Olympic Studios session.
Page used a 1959 Fender Telecaster on the recording. This was one of three Led Zeppelin songs on which Page used a bow on his guitar, the others being "How Many More Times" and "In the Light". The intro of the song "In the Evening" utilised the Gizmotron rubber wheel string exciter to achieve the violin-like effects. Many often mistake this for his use of the bow.
The Led Zeppelin version was not credited to Holmes. Page used the title, penned a new set of lyrics, and modified the melody. The song's arrangement, however, remained markedly similar to the version performed by the Yardbirds the previous year.Holmes' publisher Universal Music declined to get involved. In June 2010 Holmes filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, alleging copyright infringement and naming Page as a co-defendant.The 2012 live album Celebration Day attributes the song to "Page; inspired by Jake Holmes", although the writer's credit with ASCAP remains unchanged.
Led Zeppelin live performances:
"Dazed and Confused" was widely popularized by, and is still heavily identified with, Led Zeppelin. It became the centerpiece for the group at Led Zeppelin concerts, at least through the release of "Whole Lotta Love" from their second album. When performed live, it was (except for the fast middle section) played at a slower overall tempo, and gradually extended in duration (up to 45 minutes by 1975) as a multi-section improvised jam. Although initially performed in a manner similar to the studio version, some noticeable differences were gradually developed in live performances. By June 1969, in the section where Page plays guitar with a violin bow, the rest of the band dropped out completely, allowing him to perform a lengthier free-form improvisation, though by January 1970, the main structure of the section was already formed. By 1972, another improvised section had been added between the verses and this. The fast section was extended to allow changes in dynamics and volume, as well as changing the beat, sometimes segueing in and out of another song altogether. There was a short jam at the end of the song after the final verse.
A live version of "Dazed and Confused" was featured in Led Zeppelin's 1976 concert film, The Song Remains the Same, as part of Page's fantasy sequence. Other live recordings are also found on the official releases Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions (featuring two different versions), How the West Was Won, the Led Zeppelin DVD, and the reissued version of Led Zeppelin.
"Dazed and Confused" is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It became one of Led Zeppelin’s signature numbers and was emblematic of their staggering success. Led Zeppelin and “Dazed and Confused” are identified so strongly with their times that Richard Linklater used “Dazed and Confused” as the title of his film about coming of age in the 1970s. Now that the lawsuit is over, “inspired by Jake Holmes” is probably the only change to the credits that will occur, even if it isn’t right. The song was also used as the basis for the title of the 1993 film Dazed and Confused, which chronicled the lives of various American youths on their last day of high school in 1976.
Singer-songwriter Jake Holmes wrote and recorded "Dazed and Confused" for his debut solo album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes, released in June 1967. Like the other tracks on the album, the song does not include any drums. It was recorded entirely with the trio of Holmes on guitar, keyboard and vocals, Ted Irwin on guitar and Rick Randle on bass.The song has been incorrectly labelled as a tale about a bad acid trip. Holmes himself has confirmed that this is not the case. In 2001 he gave an interview to Shindig! magazine and said this about "Dazed and Confused".
“No, I never took acid. I smoked grass and tripped on it, but I never took acid. I was afraid to take it. The song’s about a girl who hasn’t decided whether she wants to stay with me or not. It’s pretty much one of those love songs,” Holmes explained.
Asked whether he remembered opening for the Yardbirds, Holmes laughed.
“Yes. Yes. And that was the infamous moment of my life when ‘Dazed & Confused’ fell into the loving arms and hands of Jimmy Page,” he said.
When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page planned to record the song yet again, this time with Led Zeppelin. According to Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the first time he heard the song was at the band's very first rehearsal session at Gerrard Street in London in 1968: "Jimmy played us the riffs at the first rehearsal and said, 'This is a number I want us to do'." Led Zeppelin recorded their version in October 1968 at Olympic Studios, London, and the song was included on their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin. "Dazed and Confused" was the second song recorded at the Olympic Studios session.
Page used a 1959 Fender Telecaster on the recording. This was one of three Led Zeppelin songs on which Page used a bow on his guitar, the others being "How Many More Times" and "In the Light". The intro of the song "In the Evening" utilised the Gizmotron rubber wheel string exciter to achieve the violin-like effects. Many often mistake this for his use of the bow.
The Led Zeppelin version was not credited to Holmes. Page used the title, penned a new set of lyrics, and modified the melody. The song's arrangement, however, remained markedly similar to the version performed by the Yardbirds the previous year.Holmes' publisher Universal Music declined to get involved. In June 2010 Holmes filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, alleging copyright infringement and naming Page as a co-defendant.The 2012 live album Celebration Day attributes the song to "Page; inspired by Jake Holmes", although the writer's credit with ASCAP remains unchanged.
Led Zeppelin live performances:
"Dazed and Confused" was widely popularized by, and is still heavily identified with, Led Zeppelin. It became the centerpiece for the group at Led Zeppelin concerts, at least through the release of "Whole Lotta Love" from their second album. When performed live, it was (except for the fast middle section) played at a slower overall tempo, and gradually extended in duration (up to 45 minutes by 1975) as a multi-section improvised jam. Although initially performed in a manner similar to the studio version, some noticeable differences were gradually developed in live performances. By June 1969, in the section where Page plays guitar with a violin bow, the rest of the band dropped out completely, allowing him to perform a lengthier free-form improvisation, though by January 1970, the main structure of the section was already formed. By 1972, another improvised section had been added between the verses and this. The fast section was extended to allow changes in dynamics and volume, as well as changing the beat, sometimes segueing in and out of another song altogether. There was a short jam at the end of the song after the final verse.
A live version of "Dazed and Confused" was featured in Led Zeppelin's 1976 concert film, The Song Remains the Same, as part of Page's fantasy sequence. Other live recordings are also found on the official releases Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions (featuring two different versions), How the West Was Won, the Led Zeppelin DVD, and the reissued version of Led Zeppelin.
"Dazed and Confused" is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It became one of Led Zeppelin’s signature numbers and was emblematic of their staggering success. Led Zeppelin and “Dazed and Confused” are identified so strongly with their times that Richard Linklater used “Dazed and Confused” as the title of his film about coming of age in the 1970s. Now that the lawsuit is over, “inspired by Jake Holmes” is probably the only change to the credits that will occur, even if it isn’t right. The song was also used as the basis for the title of the 1993 film Dazed and Confused, which chronicled the lives of various American youths on their last day of high school in 1976.
