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"I Can't Quit You Baby" is a song written by bluesman Willie Dixon. It has been recorded by many other artists as well, most notably West Side Chicago bluesman Otis Rush, who scored a Top 10 R&B hit with the tune in 1956. John Mayall's Bluesbreakers included the song on their 1967 album Crusade. The version best-known to rock fans is by English band Led Zeppelin, being the the penultimate song on their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin.
Many critics consider the song to be one of Led Zeppelin's strongest performances from a technical standpoint. It begins with a long, drawn out cry from Plant, and leads into a rolling riff on which Jimmy Page improvises solos. John Paul Jones provides solid backing, and John Bonham displays the flair for which he is famous. Some have noted that Page's guitar parts sound similar to his guitar solo in "Heartbreaker".
The band regularly performed "I Can't Quit You Baby" live at Led Zeppelin concerts from 1968 to early 1970.[1] Two live versions are included on the Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions, whilst the group's performance of the song on January 9, 1970 at Royal Albert Hall is available on both Coda and the Led Zeppelin (DVD) (although for the two releases the song is mixed differently). Robert Plant's a cappella singing of "sometimes I get so worried" at the Royal Albert Hall is reminiscient of Ray Charles' performance of "I Got a Woman" from the album Ray Charles at Newport.
In 1970, the song was dropped from Led Zeppelin's typical concert lineup as they incorporated material from Led Zeppelin III into their shows, with "I Can't Quit You Baby" essentially being replaced by the song "Since I've Been Loving You". It was however revived as part of the "Whole Lotta Love" medley during some Led Zeppelin concerts in 1972 and 1973.[1]
This song was rehearsed by the surviving members of Led Zeppelin for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary reunion concert in May 1988, but it was not included on the night.[1]
Led Zeppelin parody cover band Dread Zeppelin recorded a version of this song on their album Un-Led-Ed. The band Queens of the Stone Age released a song titled "You Can't Quit Me Baby" as a play on words to the song.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.
[edit] Sources
- Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, by Chris Welch, ISBN 1-56025-818-7
- The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, by Dave Lewis, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9
[edit] External links
