Killing Floor (Howlin' Wolf song)
"Killing Floor" | ||||
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Single by Howlin' Wolf | ||||
B-side | "Louise" | |||
Released | 1964 | –1965|||
Recorded | Chicago, August 1964 | |||
Genre | Blues | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | Chess | |||
Songwriter(s) | Chester Burnett a.k.a. Howlin' Wolf | |||
Producer(s) | Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Willie Dixon | |||
Howlin' Wolf singles chronology | ||||
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"Killing Floor" is a 1964 song by American
Original song
Howlin' Wolf recorded "Killing Floor" in Chicago in August 1964, which Chess Records released as a single.[2] According to blues guitarist and longtime Wolf associate Hubert Sumlin, the song uses the killing floor – the area of a slaughterhouse where animals are killed – as a metaphor or allegory for male-female relationships: "Down on the killing floor – that means a woman has you down, she went out of her way to try to kill you. She at the peak of doing it, and you got away now ... You know people have wished they was dead – you been treated so bad that sometimes you just say, 'Oh Lord have mercy.' You’d rather be six feet in the ground."[3]
"Killing Floor" is an upbeat twelve-bar blues with an "instantly familiar" guitar riff provided by Sumlin.[1] Backing Howlin' Wolf (vocals) and Sumlin (electric guitar) are Lafayette Leake (piano), Buddy Guy (acoustic guitar), Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon (bass), Sam Lay (drums), Arnold Rogers (tenor sax), and Donald Hankins (baritone sax).[4] The song appears on several Howlin' Wolf compilation albums, including his 1966 album The Real Folk Blues.
Jimi Hendrix rendition
Led Zeppelin version
"The Lemon Song" | |
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A&M, Hollywood, California[6] | |
Genre | |
Length | 6:20 |
Label | Atlantic |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) | Jimmy Page |
Other lyrics, notably "squeeze (my lemon) till the juice runs down my leg," can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues". It is likely that Johnson borrowed this himself, from a song recorded earlier in the same year (1937) called "She Squeezed My Lemon" (by Arthur McKay).[11] The song also references Albert King's "Cross-Cut Saw"[12] In December 1972, Arc Music, owner of the publishing rights to Howlin' Wolf's songs, sued Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement on "The Lemon Song".[13] The parties settled out of court. Though the amount was not disclosed, Howlin' Wolf received a check for US$45,123 from Arc Music immediately following the suit, and subsequent releases included a co-songwriter credit for him.[13][14]
"The Lemon Song" was performed live on Led Zeppelin's first three concert tours of the United States (on the first tour as "Killing Floor"), before being dropped from their live set in late 1969. However, the 'squeeze my lemon' sequence continued to be inserted into the "Whole Lotta Love" medley and ad-libbed elsewhere. Jimmy Page performed this song on his tour with the Black Crowes in 1999. A version of "The Lemon Song" performed by Page and the Black Crowes can be found on the album Live at the Greek.[15]
Personnel
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:[6]
- Robert Plant – vocals
- Jimmy Page – guitars
- John Paul Jones – bass
- John Bohnam – drums, gong
Recognition and legacy
"Killing Floor" is recognized as a
See also
References
- ^ a b Janovitz, Bill. "Howlin' Wolf: 'Killing Floor' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
- ^ Fancourt, Les; Morris, Chris; Shurman, Dick (1991). Howlin' Wolf: The Chess Box (Box set booklet). Howlin' Wolf. Universal City, California: MCA Records/Chess Records. p. 29. CHD3-9332.
- ^ Devi, Debra. "The Language of the Blues". Guitar International. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ a b c Blues Foundation (November 10, 2016). "1991 Hall of Fame Inductees: Killing Floor – Howlin' Wolf (Chess, 1964)". The Blues Foundation. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ "Dagger Records Releases 'Live at George's Club 20' Featuring Jimi Hendrix". Jimihendrix.com (official website). February 28, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c Guesdon & Margotin 2018, p. 118.
- ISBN 9780810889163.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^
Lewis, Dan; Pallett, Simon (2005). Led Zeppelin: The Concert File. London: ISBN 1-84449-659-7.
- ^ Led Zeppelin II (Album notes). Led Zeppelin. Great Britain: Atlantic Records. 1969. Side one label. 588198.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Triple J Music Specials - Led Zeppelin (first broadcast 2000-07-12)
- ^
Lewis, Dave (2010). "The Lemon Song". Led Zeppelin: The Complete Guide To Their Music. London: ISBN 978-0857121356.
- ^ a b
Segrest, James; Hoffman, Mark (2004). Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf. New York City: ISBN 0-375-42246-3.
- ^
ISBN 978-0-312-59039-0.
- ^ "The Black Crowes/Jimmy Page: Live at the Greek". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^
Herzhaft, Gerard (1992). "Killing Floor". Encyclopedia of the Blues. Fayetteville, Arkansas: ISBN 1-55728-252-8.
Bibliography
- Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (2018). Led Zeppelin All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. ISBN 978-0-316-448-67-3.