Writers: Led Zeppelin
Producer: Jimmy Page
Recorded: 1969 at Mirror Sound in Los Angeles and Mayfair Studios, New York
Released: October 22nd, 1969
Players: | Jimmy Page — guitar John Paul Jones — bass John Bonham — drums |
Album: | Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic) |
"Moby Dick" was Led Zeppelin's showcase for drummer John Bonham, who dominates the instrumental track.
Jimmy Page's guitar riff for the song was used for the BBC 2 music show Disco 2.
The "Moby Dick" that appears on Led Zeppelin II was edited down from a much longer jam that Bonham, Page, and bassist John Paul Jones worked on at Mirror Sound in Los Angeles.
"Moby Dick" became a highlight of Led Zeppelin concerts, with Bonham extending the solo to 20 minutes and beyond — so much so that for the 1977 tour, it was renamed "Over The Top."
The Led Zeppelin II album hit Number One on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified 12-times platinum.