In the Evening

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In the Evening
Appears on In Through the Out Door
Published by Flames of Albion Music
Registration ASCAP 390347847
Release date 15 August 1979
Recorded November - December 1978 at
Polar Studios, Stockholm.
Mixed at Plumpton Studios, Sussex.
Genre Hard rock, rock
Language English
Length 6 minutes 48 seconds
Composer John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Label Swan Song Records
Producer Jimmy Page
Engineer Leif Mases

'In the Evening' is the first song on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 8th studio album, In Through the Out Door, released in 1979. The track has a synthesizer-driven sound backed by a gargantuan guitar repetition.

Overview

The track features an extended distorted introductory section led by Jimmy Page on guitar. Page may have used a violin bow to create the droning effect at the beginning of the song,[1] as well as a Gizmotron to increase distortion and create the 'slamming door' effect heard at the onset of the guitar solo[2] (Page would play a very similar section to the intro of 'In the Evening' during 'Dazed and Confused' using a violin bow, as can be heard on bootleg recordings of Led Zeppelin's concert at Tampa Stadium in 1973).

The creation of this song can be traced largely to Led Zeppelin bassist and keyboardist, John Paul Jones. When the band was recording this album, Page and drummer John Bonham would usually show up at the studio very late and work through the night. In their absence, 'In the Evening' started out with just drums and a Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer created by Jones, who also had only just purchased the keyboards for use on the album.

Live performances

The song was performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts during 1979 and 1980. During the 1979 performances, this song would be played directly after Page's guitar distortion solo.[3] One such live version, from Led Zeppelin's performance at Knebworth in 1979, can be seen on the Led Zeppelin DVD. Performances on the 1980 tour could last more than eight minutes.

During live performances 1979-1980, Page's violin bow incorporated a laser strobe, which added to the visual effects. 'In the Evening' was also one of the few songs that the guitarist performed on his 1964 Fender Stratocaster. The Stratocaster's whammy bar was used giving that riff a distinctive diving sound during the solo. Plant revived the song on his Now and Zen solo tour in 1988.

Credits

Personnel
  • Musicians:
    • Jimmy Page – electric guitar, electronic effects, producer, remastering, digital remastering
    • Robert Plant – vocals
    • John Paul Jones – Yamaha GX-1, bass guitar
    • John Bonham - drums, percussion
  • Production:
    • Peter Grant – executive producer
    • Leif Mases - engineer, mixing
    • Lennart Ostlund - assistant engineer
    • Joe Sidore - original CD mastering engineer (mid-1980s)
    • George Marino - remastered CD engineer (1990)

References

  1. Tolinski, Brad and Di Benedetto, Greg (January 1998). "Light and Shade: A Historic Look at the Entire Led Zeppelin Catalogue Through the Eyes of Guitarist/Producer/Mastermind Jimmy Page". Guitar World 18 (1): 100. ISSN 1045-6295.
  2. Lewis, Dave (2012). Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream. London: Omnibus Press, 92. ISBN 978-1-78038-547-1. 
  3. Lewis, Dave (2012). Led Zeppelin: From a Whisper to a Scream. London: Omnibus Press, 92. ISBN 978-1-78038-547-1.