The Honeydrippers: Volume One
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The Honeydrippers: Volume One is a mini-album released by a semi-all-star band led by rock singer Robert Plant on November 12, 1984 by Es Paranza Records. The recording project originated when Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegün wanted an album of his favourite songs from the 1950s recorded. Plant was chosen because Ertegün had seen his pick-up band, The Honeydrippers, performing 1950s standards. Included in this band were former Yardbirds guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page; the latter was Plant's former bandmate in Led Zeppelin. "Sea of Love" became Plant's biggest selling single.
According to various Led Zeppelin biographies, the success of "Sea of Love" was a blow to Plant's ego, as the song was initially the B-side of the proper single "Rockin' at Midnight" but radio stations flipped the single and played "Sea of Love" much more than the original A-side. Plant has stated in various interviews that the blow he perceived to his own ego as a result, was the reason that nothing more was ever done with the Honeydrippers as he was terribly afraid he'd be regarded as nothing but a "crooner" from that point on. When asked about the Honeydrippers, Plant would simply say "They're asleep."
The album was re-released in a remastered edition in 2007 as part of a Robert Plant remaster series. Plant and Ertegun discussed the possibility of doing a new Honeydrippers album, but with Ertegun's death in 2006 the plan was permanently shelved.
Track listing
- "I Get A Thrill" (Rudy Toombs) – 2:39
- "Sea of Love" (George Khoury, Philip Baptiste) – 3:03
- "I Got A Woman" (Ray Charles, Richard) – 2:58
- "Young Boy Blues" (Doc Pomus, Phil Spector) – 3:30
- "Rockin' At Midnight" (Roy Brown) – 5:57
Personnel
- Robert Plant - vocals
- Jeff Beck - guitars ( "I Got A Woman", "Rockin' At Midnight" and possibly, "Young Boy Blues" )
- Jimmy Page - guitar solos ( "Sea Of Love" and "I Get A Thrill" )
- Wayne Pedziwiatr - bass
- Nile Rodgers - guitar, co-producer
- Paul Shaffer - keyboards
- Dave Weckl - drums
Production
- Producers: Nugetre ( Ahmet Ertegün, spelled backward ), The Fabulous Brill Brothers ( Page, Plant and Nile Rodgers )
Charts
Singles
Billboard ( North America )
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Rockin' At Midnight" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 8 |
| 1984 | "Sea Of Love" | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1984 | "Sea Of Love" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 |
| 1984 | "Sea Of Love" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| 1985 | "Rockin' At Midnight" | Hot Dance Music / Club Play | 24 |
| 1985 | "Rockin' At Midnight" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
United Kingdom
| Year | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Sea Of Love" | 8 |
| 1984 | "Rockin' At Midnight" | 11 |
Additional notes
Catalogue: (UK) Es Paranza 90220, (US) Es Paranza 79-0220-1