10 Things You Might Not Know About Led Zeppelin’s ‘Houses of the Holy’
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On March 28th, 1973, Led Zeppelin released their fifth studio album, Houses of the Holy. To celebrate the iconic record’s anniversary, here are ten things you might not know about it.
1. Houses of the Holy was mostly recorded using the Rolling Stones’ Mobile Recording Studio at a country estate in England.
2. The album’s cover art was inspired by the ending of Arthur C. Clarke’s book Childhood’s End and features a photograph taken in Northern Ireland.
3. Only two kids modeled for the cover, but their images appear multiple times on the cover to make it seem as though there are 11 children. Also, because their butts are visible, the record was banned or unavailable in some Southern states for a few years after it came out.
4. The album cover does not feature the band’s name or the record title. That was also the case with Zep’s previous effort, Led Zeppelin IV.
5. The album was supposed to come out in January of 1973, but there were delays with the album cover so it didn’t come out until March, while the band was on their European tour.
6. The title track for Houses of the Holy was recorded for the LP but was delayed and wound up on the band’s next release, 1975’sPhysical Graffiti.
7. “The Song Remains the Same” was originally an instrumental titled “The Overture.” However, singer Robert Plant wanted to add lyrics to it. After he did, they retitled it “The Campaign” but the title was ultimately changed to “The Song Remains the Same.”
8. “No Quarter” is named after the military practice of showing no mercy to a defeated opponent and the act of not asking for mercy when defeated.
9. “D’yer Mak’er” was inspired by reggae and the emergence of dub coming from Jamaica. In fact, the song title is a contraction of the phrase “Did you maker her,” and also a play on the word “Jamaica.” It’s also one of very few Zep songs where all four members share composer credit.
10. Houses of the Holy has been certified 11-times Platinum, which means it has sold over 11-million copies.
What’s your favorite track on Houses of the Holy?
