Royal Orleans

Infobox Single
Name = Royal Orleans


Artist = Led Zeppelin
from Album = Presence
Released = March 31, 1976
A-side = "Candy Store Rock"
track_no =
Format =
Recorded = November-December, 1975
Genre = Hard rock
Length = 2:59
Label = Swan Song
Writer = Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant
Producer = Jimmy Page
Misc =
Last single = "Trampled Under Foot" / "Black Country Woman"
(1974)
This single = "Candy Store Rock" / "Royal Orleans"
(1976)
Next single = "Fool in the Rain" / "Hot Dog"
(1979)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Presence
Type = studio
prev_track = "For Your Life"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "Royal Orleans"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Nobody's Fault But Mine"
next_no = 4"Royal Orleans" is a song by English rock group Led Zeppelin, from their 1976 album "Presence".

When in New Orleans on concert tours, members of the group would stay at the Royal Orleans Hotel, and the song is reportedly based on an incident that occurred there.Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.] The story goes that, once when staying at the hotel in the early 1970s, a member of Led Zeppelin accidentally brought a transvestite up to his room, thinking he was a woman. Both smoked marijuana and fell asleep, the transvestite with a lit joint in his/her hand, which caught fire and burned the room down (though everyone escaped). The lyrics include lines such as "Be careful how you choose it" and "Poor whiskers set the room alight" to reference the event.

It has been suggested that the member of the band referred to in the song was bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones.Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.] The song suggests that it is John Paul Jones from the line:cquote

And when the sun peeked through
John Cameron with Suzanna,
He kissed the whiskers, left & right

John Cameron was a studio rival of John Paul Jones. The song also alludes to Barry White.Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.]

In an interview he gave to "Mojo magazine" in 2007, Jones clarified the reliability of this rumour, stating that:

"Royal Orleans" is the only song on the album credited to all four members (or any members besides Robert Plant and Jimmy Page). Vocalist Robert Plant wrote most of the lyrics, using the song as a way to poke fun at Jones, allegedly because of a comment Jones once made that vocals were the least important part of the band. The song was the B-side of "Candy Store Rock". Drummer John Bonham played bongo drums on this track.Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.]

"Royal Orleans" was never performed live by the band at Led Zeppelin concerts.Dave Lewis (1994), "The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin", Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-3528-9.]

References

ources

*"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