Candy Store Rock
| "Candy Store Rock" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 German single picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Led Zeppelin | ||||
| from the album Presence | ||||
| B-side | "Royal Orleans" | |||
| Released | 18 June 1976 (US) | |||
| Recorded | November 1975[1] | |||
| Studio | Musicland, Munich, Germany[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Swan Song | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page | |||
| Led Zeppelin singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Candy Store Rock" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in 1976 on their album Presence. It was also released as a single in the United States, but it did not chart.
Recording
The band recorded the song at Musicland Studios in Germany. Plant sang from a wheelchair because he was recovering at the time from a car accident he had sustained in Greece. Plant considers "Candy Store Rock" to be one of his favourite songs from Presence.[4] Jimmy Page's guitar solo is short and measured, coming in halfway through the song.[4]
Live renditions
"Candy Store Rock" was never performed live by the band at Led Zeppelin concerts,[4] except for a brief riff by Page at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, on 20 April 1977. However, a one-minute improvisation was played live in concert by Page and Plant as a "Black Dog" introduction on 26 July 1995 at Wembley Arena. The song was also played live in Montreux by Page and Plant on 7 July 2001.
Reception
In a contemporary review for Presence, Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone described "Candy Store Rock" as "perfectly evoking the Los Angeles milieu in which the Zep composed [Presence]."[5] He further described the song as sounding like "an unholy hybrid in which Buddy Holly is grafted onto the quivering stem of David Bowie."[5] Record World said that Led Zeppelin "[deviates] from the rigid demands of top 40, but the sound is coordinated to stand up to repeated listenings"[6]
In a retrospective review of Presence (Deluxe Edition), Andrew Doscas of PopMatters described "Candy Store Rock" as sounding like "the prequel to 1971's "Rock and Roll"" from their fourth album.[7]
Singer Robert Plant later described "Candy Store Rock", along with "Achilles Last Stand", as the "saving grace[s] of Presence".[8] Plant said the song's rhythm section was inspiring to him, partly due to the album's tumultuous recording sessions.[8]
Personnel
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:[1]
- Robert Plant – vocals
- Jimmy Page – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- John Paul Jones – bass
- John Bonham – drums
References
- ^ a b c Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 470.
- ^ Shadwick, Keith (2005). Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968–1980 (1st ed.). San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 248. ISBN 0-87930-871-0.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1976". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 321–323. ISBN 9781493064601.
- ^ a b c Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
- ^ a b Davis, Stephen (20 May 1976). "Presence". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 3 July 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Doscas, Andrew (10 September 2015). "Led Zeppelin: Presence (Deluxe Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ a b Welch, Chris (1998). Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song. Thunder's Mouth Press. pp. 79–81. ISBN 1-56025-818-7.
Bibliography
- Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (2018). Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-316-448-67-3.
