Jake Holmes: The underground folk singer who inspired a Led Zeppelin classic
Without The Yardbirds, rock music would look and sound very different. While Jeff Beck was in the band, he brought a new way of playing to the average guitarist, freeing them from behind the singer’s shackles and encouraging players to embrace flamboyancy, heading further to the centre. On top of that, Jimmy Page, despite working with a number of different bands as a session guitarist beforehand, used his time in The Yardbirds to perfect his sound. His stint with the group set him up for what would come next: Led Zeppelin.
If you remove any member of Led Zeppelin from the equation, they wouldn’t be the same band. Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham all brought something to the table that was equal parts unique and quintessential to their success. However, Jimmy Page, with his unique ability as a guitarist, ear for music in general, and affinity for the bigger picture, was a crucial component for the band.
In The Yardbirds, he perfected the sound that would eventually be taken over by the classic rock band. He also got inspiration for a number of songs that would end up being some of Led Zeppelin’s most loved. When on tour with The Yardbirds, he and the rest of the band went to watch an underground folk singer whose style of playing and allure would inspire a huge Zeppelin track.
While on tour, during a night off in New York, the band went to watch Janis Ian in Café a Go Go, and while they no doubt enjoyed her set, it was the support act who really stunned them. Playing two acoustic guitars in a trippy and downward spiral style, Jake Holmes gave the band insight into a style of music that hadn’t been explored much before. One song, in particular, was said to be about a bad acid trip, and it really caught their imagination. It was called ‘Dazed and Confused’.
The Yardbirds saw it as the perfect song to steal and make their own, so the next day, they headed to the nearest record shop and bought The Underground Sound of Jake Holmes. They twisted it slightly, giving it a heavier rock feel, and re-titled the song ‘I’m Confused’.
The Yardbirds never released it, but once Led Zeppelin formed, Jimmy Page gave the track another go. The words were rewritten, but the sinister and jittery style of the song was still ever-present. When the band released their debut album, Led Zeppelin, while there were a number of big hitters on there, ‘Dazed and Confused’ stood out to fans as something brand new.
To this day, when people are talking about classic Led Zeppelin songs, ‘Dazed and Confused’ always gets a mention, and rightly so. While it may have been taken from Jake Holmes, the band managed to inject their classic Led Zeppelin style into the track to break ground on what rock music could achieve—something they would eventually become synonymous with.
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