The Crunge
Encyclopedia
"The Crunge" is a song by English
rock
band Led Zeppelin
from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy
. It was also released as the B-side of "D'yer Mak'er
".
in the studio. John Bonham
started the beat, John Paul Jones
came in on bass, Jimmy Page
played a funk guitar riff (and a chord sequence that he'd been experimenting with since 1970), and Robert Plant
started singing. For the recording of this track, Page played on a Stratocaster guitar and it is possible to hear him depressing a whammy bar at the end of each phrase.
This song is a play on James Brown
's style of funk
in the same way that "D'yer Mak'er
" (which it backed on a single release) experiments with reggae
. Since most of James Brown's earlier studio recordings were done live with almost no rehearsal time, he often gave directions to the band in-song e.g. "take it to the bridge" - the bridge
of the song. Plant pays tribute to this at the end by asking "Where's that confounded bridge?" (spoken, just as the song finishes abruptly since the song doesn't contain a bridge
). The song also contains references to songs written by Otis Redding, specifically "Respect" (later popularized by Aretha Franklin
) and "Mr. Pitiful."
A voice is audible at the beginning asking Bonham if he's "ready to go." The voices that can be heard talking on the recording just as Bonham's drums begin on the intro are those of Jimmy Page and audio engineer George Chkianz.
Prior to 1975, "The Crunge" was only heard live at Led Zeppelin concerts
during the band's "Whole Lotta Love
" medley and their 1972 tour
version of "Dazed and Confused". One example of this arrangement is presented on the live album How the West Was Won, where it also appears with "Walter's Walk
" on a 25 minute medley. However, on the 1975 tour of the United States
the song was performed almost entirely several times, in the funk jam that would link "Whole Lotta Love" and "Black Dog
" at the end of the concert.
The band's bass player John Paul Jones
considers this to be one of his favourite Led Zeppelin songs.
s. One way to count out the song is as follows:
Intro measure:
1 x 9/8
Part 1:
7 x 9/8 (or 4/8 + 5/8)
1 x 8/8 (or 4/8 + 4/8)
Part 2:
3 x 4/4
1 x 5/8
1 x 2/4
3 x 4/4
1 x 5/8
1 x 2/4
3 x 4/4
1 x 2/4
1 x 2/8
then return to "Part 1", play through pattern two more times, end with roughly
23 x 9/8 (last one ends in the middle of the measure, with drums ending on the 5th beat and the synth continuing for a beat or two).
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 their 1973 album Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy
Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on 28 March 1973. The album title is a dedication by the band to their fans who appeared at venues they dubbed "Houses of the Holy". It was the second Led Zeppelin album to not...
. It was also released as the B-side of "D'yer Mak'er
D'yer Mak'er
"D'yer Mak'er" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy.-Overview:...
".
Overview
The song evolved out of a jam sessionJam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
in the studio. 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...
started the beat, 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...
came in on bass, 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...
played a funk guitar riff (and a chord sequence that he'd been experimenting with since 1970), and 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...
started singing. For the recording of this track, Page played on a Stratocaster guitar and it is possible to hear him depressing a whammy bar at the end of each phrase.
This song is a play on James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's style of funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
in the same way that "D'yer Mak'er
D'yer Mak'er
"D'yer Mak'er" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy.-Overview:...
" (which it backed on a single release) experiments with reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. Since most of James Brown's earlier studio recordings were done live with almost no rehearsal time, he often gave directions to the band in-song e.g. "take it to the bridge" - the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
of the song. Plant pays tribute to this at the end by asking "Where's that confounded bridge?" (spoken, just as the song finishes abruptly since the song doesn't contain a bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
). The song also contains references to songs written by Otis Redding, specifically "Respect" (later popularized by Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
) and "Mr. Pitiful."
A voice is audible at the beginning asking Bonham if he's "ready to go." The voices that can be heard talking on the recording just as Bonham's drums begin on the intro are those of Jimmy Page and audio engineer George Chkianz.
Prior to 1975, "The Crunge" was only heard live 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:...
during the band's "Whole Lotta Love
Whole Lotta Love
"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...
" medley and their 1972 tour
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....
version of "Dazed and Confused". One example of this arrangement is presented on the live album How the West Was Won, where it also appears with "Walter's Walk
Walter's Walk
"Walter's Walk" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. The music was recorded at Stargroves in May 1972 during the sessions for the group's fifth album, Houses of the Holy, but it remained unreleased until 1982 when it was included on the album Coda.The date of singer Robert Plant's...
" on a 25 minute medley. However, on the 1975 tour of the United States
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1975
Led Zeppelin's 1975 North American Tour was the tenth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on January 18 and concluding on March 27, 1975...
the song was performed almost entirely several times, in the funk jam that would link "Whole Lotta Love" and "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...
" at the end of the concert.
The band's bass player 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...
considers this to be one of his favourite Led Zeppelin songs.
Time signatures
Some of the humor of the song derives from the juxtaposition of James Brown funk against shifting time signatureTime signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s. One way to count out the song is as follows:
Intro measure:
1 x 9/8
Part 1:
7 x 9/8 (or 4/8 + 5/8)
1 x 8/8 (or 4/8 + 4/8)
Part 2:
3 x 4/4
1 x 5/8
1 x 2/4
3 x 4/4
1 x 5/8
1 x 2/4
3 x 4/4
1 x 2/4
1 x 2/8
then return to "Part 1", play through pattern two more times, end with roughly
23 x 9/8 (last one ends in the middle of the measure, with drums ending on the 5th beat and the synth continuing for a beat or two).
Formats and tracklistings
1973 7" single(Uruguay: Atlantic 74007)- A. "The Crunge" (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 3:17
- B. "D'yer Mak'er" (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 4:23
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....
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - 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 ....
Album versions
- 2004: The Bacchus Brothers (Funky! Alien! Booty!)
- 2005: Joshua RedmanJoshua RedmanJoshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...
(MomentumMomentum (Joshua Redman album)Momentum is a 2005 album by jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman. All compositions are original works unless otherwise noted.-Track listing:# "Soundcheck"# "Sweet Nasty"# "Just a Moment"# "Shut Your Mouth"# "The Crunge"...
) - 2008: Gov't MuleGov't MuleGov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
(Holy Haunted House [recorded live 2007])
Samples
- 1985: Double Dee and SteinskiDouble Dee and SteinskiDouble Dee and Steinski was a duo of hip hop producers, composed of Doug "Double Dee" DiFranco and Steven "Steinski" Stein. They achieved notoriety in the early 1980s for a series of underground hip-hop sample-based collages known as the "Lessons"....
("Lesson 3: The History of Hip-Hop Mix") - 1989: De La SoulDe La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
("The Magic NumberThe Magic Number"The Magic Number" is a 1990 single by De La Soul, originally recorded in 1988 and first released on their 1989 album, 3 Feet High and Rising, with the chorus based on a segment from the children's show "Schoolhouse Rock!", written by Bob Dorough. In the song, the trio state that the number three...
") - 1997: Fatboy SlimFatboy SlimNorman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
("Going out of My HeadGoing out of My Head"Going Out of My Head" is a song by British big beat artist Fatboy Slim, released from his album Better Living Through Chemistry. It samples a Yvonne Elliman cover of The Who's "I Can't Explain", as well as drums from Led Zeppelin's "The Crunge"....
") - 1998: Jurassic 5Jurassic 5Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
("Lesson 6: The Lecture") - 2005: Devil May Cry 3: Dante's AwakeningDevil May Cry 3: Dante's AwakeningDevil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, released in Japan as simply , is an action game that was developed and published by Capcom, released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2...
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