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Aug 12, 2023

How Ian Stewart inspired a classic Led Zeppelin song

From their inception in 1968 to their split in 1980, Led Zeppelin drew on a myriad of areas for inspiration. Whether this be the music of their blues heroes, the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien, or the

From their inception in 1968 to their split in 1980, Led Zeppelin drew on a myriad of areas for inspiration. Whether this be the music of their blues heroes, the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien, or the various mythologies the band were fascinated by, this variety significantly impacted the quartet’s rise. It proved a vital tool in addition to their musical talent.

The group were also known to utilise the talent of others at some points. For instance, for 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV, as well as coming together to create the album widely hailed as their masterpiece at the country house Headley Grange, the band also enlisted the help of two outside musicians to add another dose of magic to the record’s already potent sonics.

Notably, these were Fairport Convention vocalist Sandy Denny, who provides her ethereal vocals on the folk track ‘The Battle of Evermore’, a number driven by the mandolin, with lyrics referencing Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Following Denny was the Scottish keyboardist and co-founder of The Rolling Stones, Ian Stewart, a man often described as ‘The Sixth Stone’. He appears on Led Zeppelin IV‘s second track, ‘Rock and Roll’.

Famously, Stewart was removed from The Rolling Stones in May 1963 at the request of their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, who felt he did not fit their image. However, he remained in the set-up of the London quintet, staying as road manager and pianist for over 20 years until his death at age 47 in 1985. Stewart made such an impact on the Stones that he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the group in 1989.

‘Rock and Roll’ would not be Ian Stewart’s only contribution to Led Zeppelin. He also appears on ‘Boogie with Stu’, the 13th track on the band’s 1975 double album, Physical Graffiti, a record which features fan favourites such as ‘Kashmir’, ‘Trampled Under Foot’ and ‘The Wanton Song’.

The story goes that ‘Boogie with Stu’ came out of a jam session Led Zeppelin and Ian Stewart had based around the song ‘Ooh My Head’ by 1950s rock ‘n’ roll star Ritchie Valens. Demonstrating the wealth of material Led Zeppelin sat on at their peak, it was actually recorded in 1971 during the same session that produced ‘Rock and Roll’.

Interestingly, the Zeppelin song does not credit Valens, who passed away in 1959 in ‘The Day the Music Died‘ alongside Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper, or his producer and manager, Bob Keane. Instead, it credits Valens’ mother after the group heard she never received a dime from her son’s hits. However, a lawsuit was later filed by Keane, with half of the award going to Valens’ mother, although she wasn’t included in the filing.

Listen to ‘Boogie with Stu’ below.