Search - Led Zeppelin :: Immigrant Song / Hey Hey What Can I Do

Actually, everybody got this single for the B-Side

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 06/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Led Zeppelin did not release a whole lot of songs, because most of their best songs from "Dazed and Confused" to "Stairway to Heaven" were just too long for AM radio play, where a song like "Hey Jude" or "American Pie" was the exception (and even Don McLean's song was continued on the other side of the 45 single). "Immigrant Song" was only their fourth single and the one one released from their 1970 album "Led Zeppelin III." The album hit #1 on the charts, the single only #16, which was pretty good for a heavy metal band. Ironically, "Led Zeppelin III" was the group's acoustic album and the opening track ran againt the grain of the rest of the album (cf. "Since I've Been Loving You," "Tangerine," etc.). The "immigrants" are apparently Viking warriors, since they "come from the land of the ice and snow," mention "the hammer of the gods" (which apparently belonged to the Mighty Thor of Marvel comics), and mention plans to visit Valhalla in the near future. The song was used to open most Zeppelin concerts during this period, since the Jimmy Page guitar riff being doubled by John Bonham's drums put the evening into overdrive right from the start (After their next album "Rock and Roll" would perform the same function). Besides, why save that piercing opening Banshee howl for later in the evening for Robert Plant?However, the chief attraction for the original Atlantic single, which is what is recreated on this CD-single, is the flip side with "Hey Hey What Can I Do," which was not available on an album until Page remastered all of the Led Zep songs for various boxed collections. Originally the interest was just because it was not on an album (like "Silver Springs" being the B-side of a Fleetwood Mac single off of "Rumours"), but the song has developed a solid reputation in its own right. Certainly it is more in keeping with the rest of the album. Idle thought: There must be a juke box for CD singles, right? Such a thing would be a treat for those who like collection on CD the singles they had way back when. A lot of these, such as the first single put out by the Beatles, are becoming more and more available."

I finally found: Hey hey what can I do.

I wish I was Jimmy Page | Michigan | 03/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was not about to buy the box set because I have all of their studio recordings. I was really excited to find that the song existed on such a cheap CD. This is by far their best B-side, and it is right up there with their best songs."

Why wasn't this B-Side on an album?

sunshine_9@rocketmail.com | 02/21/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Dear Evree Won,I think that the only other band to have such a great amount of material released where you are better off getting all their albums instead of a greatest hits package was the Beatles.I've heard "Hey Hey What Can I Do" on the radio many times and it is a great song. I can't figure out why this wasn't on LED ZEPPELIN III. This song is so much better than "Hats Off To (Roy) Harper". It would have fit so perfectly at that spot. Also the weird thing is that it's only found on this CD-single and the expensive (if you already have all their albums) COMPLETE STUDIO RECOIRDING. It should have been put on a greatest hits CD just to make this song a little bit more available.The least you could do is smile, PaulQ"