Led Zeppelin IV was a commercial and critical success, featuring many of the band’s best-known songs. These included “Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll”, “Going to California”, “Stairway to Heaven”, and “When the Levee Breaks”. The album is one of the best-selling albums of all time with more than 37 million copies sold. It is tied for third highest-certified album in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America at 23× Platinum.. Writers and critics have regularly cited it on lists of the greatest albums of all time.
My Stairway to Heaven
Silence filled the pews of South St., Christian Church as I clutched my guitar. There I was, on stage at the ripe old age of 15 with my brother Bert, age 12, backing me on drums. This was my first live performance. How would the congregation respond? I began…
So far so good. I continued with the remainder of the intro (humming the part of John Paul Jones’ recorder)…
Time for the vocals. Those who have ever heard me sing can testify that perfect pitch is not one of my spiritual gifts. However in my best Robert Plant impersonation I belted out the lyrics.
There’s a lady who’s sure
All that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Oh oh oh oh and she’s buying a stairway to heaven
I continued my finger-plucked acoustic arpeggios as I sang the next verse.
But she wants to be sure
‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There’s a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving
Winging It
Truth be told that’s all I knew of the song’s guitar part. However, I knew the lyrics so I carried on. It’s probably worth mentioning that I was playing a classical guitar. It’s nylon strings sounded great during the early part of this song. Alas, it wasn’t particularly well suited for rock’n’ roll. Nonetheless, I began strumming the basic chord structure.
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it makes me wonder
There’s a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who stand looking
Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder
And it’s whispered that soon, If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter
Bert Joins the Party
He hadn’t had anything to do until now but Bert took advantage of his moment in the sun.
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow
Don’t be alarmed now
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on
And it makes me wonder
Your head is humming and it won’t go
In case you don’t know
The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
Time to lay down my version of Jimmy Page’s epic guitar solo. (included here for your listening pleasure)
I would like to be able to tell you that I mastered that solo and performed live on this day. Unfortunately that was way beyond my abilities. My only option: skip the solo and head to the final verse.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she’s buying the stairway to heaven
So how did the congregation respond? A few adoring fans (4th and 5th graders) “rushed the stage” for an autograph after the service. For one day at least we felt like rock stars.
The Tradition Continues
South Street Celebration! Band
In 1973 playing rock music at Church using guitars and drums was a radical concept. Today there are many forms of “contemporary” worship services. Instrumentation has grown far beyond the piano and pipe organ.
Bert plays drums in a band at Trinity Church Kirkwood. Our brother Brian plays in the Celebration! and Bluegrass bands at South Street Christian Church
. My church, Coker United Methodist has a contemporary worship service at 9:30 every Sunday. They also have an orchestra that plays on occasion in worship and during seasonal events such as Christmas, Easter and other festival occasions. My career as a performer would continue for a few more years (more about that in a future blog post).
I can’t say we started the contemporary worship service movement. However with the benefit of hindsight it does appear that Bert and I were early adopters of this idea. I look back on April 8, 1973, 45 years ago today with fond memories.
What a great story, Brad! Thanks for sharing.
Brad, this was one of my favorites of all your musical posts! Loved, loved, loved the breaks in the song along with your story. You & Bert WERE really musicians ahead of your time to incorporate rock music. Listening to & READING along with the lyrics really opened me up spiritually esp the “Two paths you can go by…still time to change the road you’re on.” Thank you for your gift on this beautiful Sunday morning.
Sometimes spirituality is in the ear of the beholder. I find spiritual inspiration in secular music quite often. I will add some more posts in my “Inspiring Secular Music” category. You can see my previous posts in this category by selecting it from the “category” drop-down menu on the left side of my homepage.
When I was in grade school, my mom played the guitar. We performed at the First Baptist Church in Albion, Illinois & sang one of my favorite songs, Every Day with Jesus. Mom dressed the threes sisters alike in dresses she had made (much to my horror as the oldest sister). My youngest sister had to wear that dress forever! I like old church songs, new versions, & much of today’s contemporary music in worship. I hope others will post their personal stories.