Out on the Tiles
Encyclopedia
"Out on the Tiles" is a song by English
rock
band Led Zeppelin
, from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III
. The title of the song is derived from the British
phrase for going out for a night on the town. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham
would talk about going "out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars, and often sang a ditty based around the phrase. It goes "I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles. We're going down the rubbers and we're going to pull some scrubbers because we're out on the tiles." Guitarist Jimmy Page
turned the tune into a riff and Bonham's lyrics were replaced with something a little more tame for general audiences. Bonham and Page are credited with writing the song, along with vocalist Robert Plant
.
The song is one of the most aggressive recordings in the band's catalog and closes the "heavy" first side of Led Zeppelin III, which is noted for its stylistic departure from the band's first two releases, featuring several acoustic arrangements that dominate the second half of the album.
The spacey sound mix achieved on the recording of this song was a product of distance miking in the studio by Page. Just after the 1:23 mark in the track, someone in the recording studio
is heard saying "stop". It is widely believed that it was Page who said it, although this has never been confirmed. As the song has unique rhythm
and syncopation
, it is assumed that whoever yelled "stop" was trying to act as a verbal conductor
. Before that, at about 0:11 in the song, someone (again possibly Page) says "All right".
In Japan
"Out on the Tiles" was mistakenly placed on the B-side of the "Immigrant Song
" single, rather than "Hey Hey What Can I Do
". Those copies are now rare collector's items. "Out on the Tiles" was played live in its entirety just a few times at Led Zeppelin concerts
, most notably on September 4, 1970 in Los Angeles
, as is preserved on the famous bootleg recording
Live On Blueberry Hill
. However, the beginning of the song was much more often used as an introduction to live performances of "Black Dog
", as heard on the official live release How the West Was Won. It was also used as an introduction to John Bonham's drum solo "Over the Top" on the band's 1977 North American concert tour
.
Jimmy Page performed "Out on the Tiles" on his tour with The Black Crowes
in 1999. A version of this song performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek
. The song was also featured on the VH1 series Supergroup, in which it was performed as part of the group's set at the concert in series finale, and Jason Bonham
dedicated it to his late father John
.
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...
, from the 1970 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...
. The title of the song is derived from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
phrase for going out for a night on the town. Led Zeppelin 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...
would talk about going "out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars, and often sang a ditty based around the phrase. It goes "I've had a pint of bitter and now I'm feeling better and I'm out on the tiles. We're going down the rubbers and we're going to pull some scrubbers because we're out on the tiles." 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...
turned the tune into a riff and Bonham's lyrics were replaced with something a little more tame for general audiences. Bonham and Page are credited with writing the song, along with vocalist 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...
.
The song is one of the most aggressive recordings in the band's catalog and closes the "heavy" first side of Led Zeppelin III, which is noted for its stylistic departure from the band's first two releases, featuring several acoustic arrangements that dominate the second half of the album.
The spacey sound mix achieved on the recording of this song was a product of distance miking in the studio by Page. Just after the 1:23 mark in the track, someone in the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
is heard saying "stop". It is widely believed that it was Page who said it, although this has never been confirmed. As the song has unique rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and syncopation
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
, it is assumed that whoever yelled "stop" was trying to act as a verbal conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. Before that, at about 0:11 in the song, someone (again possibly Page) says "All right".
In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
"Out on the Tiles" was mistakenly placed on the B-side of the "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:...
" single, rather than "Hey Hey What Can I Do
Hey Hey What Can I Do
"Hey Hey What Can I Do" is a song by the English rock group Led Zeppelin released in 1970 as the B-side of "Immigrant Song" outside the United Kingdom. It is Led Zeppelin's only non-album track released during the band's existence. It did however appear on the Atlantic Records UK various artists...
". Those copies are now rare collector's items. "Out on the Tiles" was played live in its entirety just a few times 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:...
, most notably on September 4, 1970 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, as is preserved on the famous bootleg recording
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...
Live On Blueberry Hill
Live on Blueberry Hill
Live on Blueberry Hill is a bootleg recording of the English rock group Led Zeppelin's performance at the Los Angeles Forum on September 4, 1970, which took place during their Summer 1970 North American Tour....
. However, the beginning of the song was much more often used as an introduction to live performances of "Black Dog
Black Dog (song)
"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, the lead off track of their fourth album, released in 1971. It was also released as a single in the United States and Australia with "Misty Mountain Hop" on the B-side, and reached #15 on Billboard and #11 in Australia.In 2010, the song was...
", as heard on the official live release How the West Was Won. It was also used as an introduction to John Bonham's drum solo "Over the Top" on the band's 1977 North American concert 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...
.
Jimmy Page performed "Out on the Tiles" on his tour with The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
in 1999. A version of this song performed by Page and The Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek
Live at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
. The song was also featured on the VH1 series Supergroup, in which it was performed as part of the group's set at the concert in series finale, and Jason Bonham
Jason Bonham
Jason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
dedicated it to his late father John
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...
.
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...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
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...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - 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 ....
Cover versions
- 1989: ToxikToxikToxik is an American thrash metal band from Peekskill, New York. The band plays a style of thrash metal with elements of progressive metal, which would later be named "progressive thrash metal". Initially active from 1985 to 1992, the band reformed in 2007....
(Think ThisThink ThisThink This is the second studio album by the thrash metal band, Toxik, released in 1989 by Roadracer Records. The album was re-released by Metal Mind Productions and Displeased Records in 2007...
) - 1993: Helen Keller Plaid (The Song Retains the Same II)
- 1995: Blind MelonBlind MelonBlind Melon is an American rock band active from 1989 to 1999, and from 2006 onward.Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock...
(Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin) - 1999: Coalesce (There Is Nothing New Under the SunThere is Nothing New Under the SunThere is Nothing New Under the Sun is an EP by Missouri band Coalesce which features the band covering songs by Led Zeppelin.In 2007, the album was re-released by Hydra Head Records...
EP) - 2000: Jimmy Page & The Black CrowesThe Black CrowesThe Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
(Live at the GreekLive at the GreekLive at the Greek: Excess All Areas is a double live album by Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, released by musicmaker.com on 29 February 2000 and later by TVT Records on 4 July 2000. In October 1999, Page teamed up with The Black Crowes for a two-night performance of material from the Led Zeppelin...
) - 2000: Malamor (Dead Zeppelin: A Metal Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
- 2004: Vick LeCar (Bad Influence)
- 2005: Julz A (Squeeze Rock)
- 2006: Greg Reeves & Erica Stock (Dub Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
- 2007: MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
(United AbominationsUnited AbominationsUnited Abominations is the eleventh studio album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Released on May 8, 2007, United Abominations is the first Megadeth release distributed through Roadrunner Records, and was recorded with an all new lineup excluding the band's singer, guitarist, songwriter,...
[Japanese bonus disc edition]) - 2007: Dread ZeppelinDread ZeppelinDread Zeppelin is an American band best known for performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style as sung by a 300 pound Vegas Elvis impersonator. Over the years they would also perform songs originally by Elvis Presley, Bob Marley and The Yardbirds. The group toured extensively around the...
(Bar Coda) - 2007: Frankie BanaliFrankie BanaliFrankie Banali is an American rock drummer, best known for his work with multi-platinum heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He has been the band's manager during since 1994. He played drums in the heavy metal band W.A.S.P., as well as with Billy Idol...
& Friends (24/7/365: The Tribute to Led Zeppelin)
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