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suggest a couple Led Zeppelin tunes for my handbell ensemble to cover


Rooster_Ties

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Had a request for the handbell ensemble that I direct/conduct (often called a "handbell choir" - but their's no singing, so NO lyrics will be heard) to cover one or two Led Zeppelin tunes at an upcoming performance this Spring.

(I've got access to someone who can do "homemade" arrangements for us (the former director (now retired) of the jazz dept of a state university), so the sky's the limit. We've already done a Depeche Mode tune in the past ("Enjoy the Silence"), CSN&Y's "

and Elvis Costello's "
too.)

Any Zeppelin tunes jump out at you as being particularly MUSICALLY interesting to consider??

"

" was the first one that came to mind. The slow/fast/slow/fast aspects of the tune would/could be particularly effective (and probably damn fun, to boot).

Yes, it's a "church" handbell group, but it's a Unitarian Universalist denomination that draws from many religious and secular traditions. Don't let the fact it's for a church thing limit you. I'm mostly looking for feedback in terms of what might work musically -- though thematic angles/opinions are welcome too. None of the lyrics will be known by 95% of the congregation -- only the titles of the tunes will probably ever be known (which will be printed in the church program)

And here's the studio version of "Dazed and Confused", for easy reference.

Listening just now, man, the rhythm of the main riffs are very, VERY simple (just straight quarter notes, and then probably straight 8ths (though in a faster tempo), or something like that). Most importantly, there's almost NO syncopation in the lower range of notes (all the main riffs that really make up the song -- even maybe more than the vocal melody). That would be perfect, because the less experienced ringers are all in the lower 40% of the group (pitch-range). Getting them to ring anything that's very syncopated is often very difficult (or next to impossible).

Edited by Rooster_Ties
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I think I'd rather hear Celine Dion cover AC-DC than Led Zeppelin tunes done by handbell ensemble! :huh::P

Believe me, you wouldn't. :)

"Friends" would be a good one to cover. "Dazed and Confused" would be interesting too. Trivia: "Dazed and Confused" was actually written by Jake Holmes and stolen by Jimmy Page.

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Trivia: "Dazed and Confused" was actually written by Jake Holmes and stolen by Jimmy Page.

Yeah but, Holmes lifted it from Coltrane, who borrowed it from Miles, who took it from Morton Gould who actually had copied it from Glenn Miller.

Edited by papsrus
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The centre section of 'Whole Lotta Love' might work.

At the end you could bring in a mighty cathedral bell for the 'DUH!...DUH!' followed by a peel of hand bells for 'Duh-duh, du-duh, duh-diddleee-um, de-dum-dum'...'DUH!...DUH!'...etc

These chaps look up to it:

images.30.jpg

Has to beat what they did at the Olympics!

Edited by Bev Stapleton
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Well, my bell ensemble is now working on Stairway, and also this absolutely kick-ass arrangement of Dazed & Confused.

Here's a computer-realized version of what it will hopefully sound like on real bells.

Please download this, listen, and let me know what you all think!! Is this cool, or what!! :cool:

>>> CLICK <<< for mp3 file from Rapidshare.

Seriously, what do you guys think?? We had our first read-through of it tonight. It's gonna be tough to pull off, but I think WELL worth it!!

Edited by Rooster_Ties
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Listening now, RT. It has a martial arts film feel to me, pretty cool! I might like it more even slower. Are you familiar with the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsvs-pAGDc?

It'll definitely be slow. That'll be the only way we can get the really fast parts even close to right.

Yeah, the original Jake Holmes version is very cool -- had heard it a few times here and there over the years.

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