| "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands single picture sleeve, 1970 | |
| Song byLed Zeppelin | |
| from the albumLed Zeppelin III | |
| Released | 5 October 1970 (1970-10-05) |
| Recorded | 13 December 1969; May–June 1970 (?); 6 July 1970[1] |
| Studio | Olympic Sound Studios, Barnes, London;Rolling Stones Mobile Studio,Headley Grange, Hampshire;Island Studios, London[1] |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:17 |
| Label | Atlantic |
| Songwriters | |
| Producer | Jimmy Page |
"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is a song recorded by Englishrock bandLed Zeppelin for their third album,Led Zeppelin III, released in 1970.
The title of the song is a misspelling ofBron-Yr-Aur by omission of the 'r' inyr, and takes its name from a house inGwynedd, Wales, where the members of Led Zeppelin retreated in 1970 to write much ofLed Zeppelin III after having completed aconcert tour of North America.[5][6]Bron yr Aur means "hill of gold". Its pronunciation is[ˈbrɔnərˈaɪr]. The cottage had no electricity or running water, but the change of scenery provided inspiration for many of the songs on the album, including "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp".
Jimmy Page andRobert Plant wrote "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" in 1970. The song was heavily influenced by a number called "Waggoner's Lad" byBert Jansch, a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the bandPentangle. It is acountry music-inflectedhoedown,[7] with lyrics about walking in the woods with Plant's blue-eyedMerle dog named Strider.[5] Plant reportedly named his dog afterAragorn (often called Strider) fromJ. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Lord of the Rings.[8] However, there are no explicit references to Tolkien works in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp".
The group recorded the song atHeadley Grange in 1970, using theRolling Stones Mobile Studio.[9] They completed it atIsland Studios in London, andArdent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.[9] GuitaristJimmy Page used an acoustic guitar, drummerJohn Bonham playedspoons andcastanets,[5] and bassistJohn Paul Jones played adouble bass.[10]
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:[1]
Led Zeppelin also recorded the song as an electricblues rock instrumental, "Jennings Farm Blues", a rough mix of which later surfaced as a studio out-take on a number ofLed Zeppelin bootleg recordings.[5] Jennings Farm is the name of the property atBlakeshall on which the Plant family stayed in the early 1970s.[11] "Jennings Farm Blues" was released on 2 June 2014, as part of theremastering process of all nine albums.
