When the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Page planned to record the song in the studio with the successor group he had assembled that summer. According to Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the first time he heard the song was at the band’s first rehearsal session at Gerrard Street in London, in 1968: “Jimmy played us the riffs at the first rehearsal and said, ‘This is a number I want us to do’.” The future Led Zeppelin recorded their version in October 1968 at Olympic Studios, London, and the song was included on their debut album Led Zeppelin (1969). “Dazed and Confused” was the second song recorded at the Olympic sessions.
The Yardbirds played the song in concert, but never recorded a studio version, although they did play it for a BBC taping in March 1968.
“Dazed and Confused” was performed on every Led Zeppelin concert tour up to and including their 1975 shows at Earls Court. It was then removed from their live set, although Page continued to perform parts of the bowed guitar segment during solo spots on subsequent tours, as preludes to “Achilles Last Stand” (1977 tour) and “In the Evening” (Knebworth 1979 and Tour Over Europe 1980).
At live shows, Page played this using a violin bow on his guitar. He claimed that he got the idea from a session violinist he worked with who suggested it (the violinist was the father of actor David McCallum from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.). Eddie Phillips of the UK band The Creation guitarist pioneered the use of the violin bow on guitar strings, predating Page doing it in The Yardbirds by two years. You can hear it on the Creation song “Makin’ Time.” The secret to this technique: Put rosin on the bow, and the rosin sticks to the string and makes it vibrate.
The guitar solo following the bow section is Page’s solo from the Yardbirds’ “Think About It.”
One of the first songs Led Zeppelin recorded, “Dazed And Confused” was released as a single in the US in January 1969, two weeks before the album was issued.
“Dazed and Confused” – Song by Led Zeppelin from the album Led Zeppelin
Released January 12, 1969
Songwriters Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes
