A-side "Fool in the Rain" Length 3:15 | Format 7-inch 45 rpm | |
Released 7 December 1979 (1979-12-07) (US) Recorded Polar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden, November–December 1978 Genre Country rock
rockabilly | ||
"Hot Dog" is the fourth track on Led Zeppelin's 1979 album In Through the Out Door. It is the only song on the album not co-written by bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones. A rollicking tune done in the style of a country hoe-down, it features some rockabilly-like vocals from singer Robert Plant.
Contents
Overview
The song was influenced by American rockabilly and Texas swing music. It emerged from the band's London pre-production rehearsals, at which it was typical for them to run through old rock and roll material from the 1950s.
Plant said the lyrics were a tribute to Texas and the state of mind of the people who lived there. Plant also mentions the name "U-Haul" in one of the song's verses, referencing the American-based, "move-it-yourself" company. The title of the song - Hot Dog - refers to a distinctly American cuisine.
Page used a Fender Telecaster on this song, outfitted with a device called a B-Bender. This device, which raises the pitch of the guitar's B String via interface with the musician's guitar strap, can be heard at the end of the song's guitar solo.
"Hot Dog" was performed live at Led Zeppelin's performances at Knebworth in August 1979 and on their tour of Europe in 1980. During the two Knebworth concerts, Plant sang the last verse of the song with different lyrics than in the studio version. He ends with "And I'll never go to Texas anymore" instead of "They just rolled my doll right out the door." It was made available to the record industry in America by Swan Song Records. However, the track was omitted from the Led Zeppelin DVD, which was released in 2003 and instead featured various other songs performed by the band at Knebworth.
Formats and track listings
See "Fool in the Rain" single.