Led Zeppelin, Tangerine | FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘

In the 25^th edition of FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘, we highlight “Tangerine” performed by legendary rock band, Led Zeppelin.

Bring on the bold, FIERCE tracks! FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 provides background information and insight into pop, rock, and metal songs that raise eyebrows and stir the pot.  Featured records can be classic or brand new. In the 25^th edition of FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 (2023), we explore 🎵 “Tangerine” performed by 🎙 Led Zeppelin.

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“Measuring a summer’s day / I only find it slips away to grey / The hours, they bring me pain.” Uh oh – #summer bummer! Let’s cut straight to the chase. 🎙 Led Zeppelin kicks ass and takes name, PERIOD 🤘! They are one of the greatest bands to ever live.  On their 1970 album, 💿 Led Zeppelin III, 🎙 Robert Plant and company delivered another gem, in the form of a fruit: 🎵 “Tangerine”.  Notably, “Tangerine” follows another fruity classic, 🎵 “The Lemon Song”.  “Tangerine” isn’t sexual like “The Lemon Song,” however, hehe!

“Tangerine, tangerine

Living reflection from a dream

I was her love, she was my queen

And now a thousand years in between.”

“Tangerine” was supposedly inspired by Page’s girlfriend at the time, Jackie DeShannon (“Does she still remember times like these?”).  Clearly, the love seems to be ended. Moving onto the sound of the record, it is unique from the jump. The unique sound is owed to the use of pedal steel guitar by 🎙 Jimmy Page which adds this folksy flavoring. The rhythmic nature of the pedal steel is quite a vibe. Page penned this gem himself, though there are some questions surrounding the lyrics. The song was first recorded with 🎙 The Yardbirds as 🎵 “Knowing That I’m Losing You”.  Moving beyond songwriting, the vocals (Plant) are stellar, and the rest of the instrumentation – fat bass line (🎙 John Paul Jones), stellar drumming (the late 🎙 John Bonham), and rousing lead guitar help craft 🎵 “Tangerine” into a surefire classic 🤘.

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🎙 Led Zeppelin • 💿 Led Zeppelin III • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1970

Led Zeppelin, “Tangerine”: FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 No. 25 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic; Conna Lee, Madelin Berry, anna-m. w., Johan Duran, RODNAE Productions via Pexels; Pete Linforth via Pixabay]