Please Read the Letter
Encyclopedia
"Please Read the Letter" is a song originally recorded by Robert Plant
and Jimmy Page
for the 1998 album Walking into Clarksdale
. It was released as the second single off the album.
Plant and Alison Krauss
later recorded a version of the song for their collaboration album Raising Sand
. The song was well-received by critics, and won the Record of the Year
award at the 2009 Grammy Awards
.
genre.
Plant explained that "Please Read the Letter" is a song about yearning for someone, adding that the lyrics are about "unfinished business".
.
The music video was nominated for Wide Open Country Video of the Year at the 2009 CMT Music Awards.
for Record of the Year
, the song entered the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at #20 (the virtual equivalent to #120 on the Hot 100) in 2009.
, felt that the version by Plant and Krauss is "completely improved" from the original track. Thom Jurek wrote for Allmusic: "Slow, plodding, almost crawling, Krauss' harmony vocal takes it to the next step, adds the kind of lonesome depth that makes this a song whispered under a starless sky rather than just another lost love song."
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...
and 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...
for the 1998 album Walking into Clarksdale
Walking into Clarksdale
Walking into Clarksdale is a studio album by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released by Atlantic Records on 21 April 1998. The follow-up album to No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, Walking into Clarksdale took 35 days to record....
. It was released as the second single off the album.
Plant and Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
later recorded a version of the song for their collaboration album Raising Sand
Raising Sand
Raising Sand is a collaboration album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. It was released on October 23, 2007 by Rounder Records...
. The song was well-received by critics, and won the Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
award at the 2009 Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
.
Music and lyrics
"Please Read the Letter" is in the folk rockFolk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
genre.
Plant explained that "Please Read the Letter" is a song about yearning for someone, adding that the lyrics are about "unfinished business".
Release
A music video for the single was released in 2008. It was shot in a 1905-built house in South Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
.
The music video was nominated for Wide Open Country Video of the Year at the 2009 CMT Music Awards.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss version
Chart performance
Plant and Krauss' version of the song initially failed to chart, but after winning the Grammy Award51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
for Record of the Year
Record Of The Year
Record of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
, the song entered the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at #20 (the virtual equivalent to #120 on the Hot 100) in 2009.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 102 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 20 |
Critical reviews
The song has been well-received by critics. Chris Jones, in his review for the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, felt that the version by Plant and Krauss is "completely improved" from the original track. Thom Jurek wrote for Allmusic: "Slow, plodding, almost crawling, Krauss' harmony vocal takes it to the next step, adds the kind of lonesome depth that makes this a song whispered under a starless sky rather than just another lost love song."
Track listing
2008 US CD single (Rounder RPAK102-R1)- "Please Read the Letter" (Radio Edit) (Jones, Lee, Page, Plant) – 3:47
- "Please Read the Letter" (Jones, Lee, Page, Plant) – 5:55