White Summer
Instrumental recorded by Jimmy Page with the Yardbirds
title: "White Summer" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1967-songs", "the-yardbirds-songs", "song-recordings-produced-by-mickie-most", "led-zeppelin-songs", "rock-instrumentals", "songs-written-by-jimmy-page", "1960s-instrumentals"] description: "Instrumental recorded by Jimmy Page with the Yardbirds" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Summer" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Instrumental recorded by Jimmy Page with the Yardbirds ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | White Summer |
| type | instrumental |
| artist | the Yardbirds |
| album | Little Games |
| released | |
| recorded | 28–29 April 1967 |
| studio | De Lane Lea, London |
| length | 3:56 |
| label | Epic |
| composer | Jimmy Page |
| producer | Mickie Most |
| :: |
| name = White Summer | type = instrumental | artist = the Yardbirds | album = Little Games | released = | recorded = 28–29 April 1967 | studio = De Lane Lea, London | genre =
- Raga rock
- instrumental rock | length = 3:56 | label = Epic | composer = Jimmy Page | producer = Mickie Most
"White Summer" is a guitar instrumental by English rock guitarist Jimmy Page. It is an adaptation of the Irish air "She Moves Through The Fair". Page initially recorded and performed it with the Yardbirds and later included it in many Led Zeppelin concerts.
According to biographer Keith Shadwick, it is based on an old Irish folk song, "specifically derived from 'She Moved Through the Fair' in the 1963 version by [Davey] Graham, which he in turn credited to Padraic Colum". The later Led Zeppelin song "Over the Hills and Far Away" was "spun off" | last = Russo | first = Greg | title = Yardbirds: The Ultimate Rave-Up | publisher = Crossfire Publications | year = 1998 | isbn = 0-9648157-3-7 | page = 50
Yardbirds song
"White Summer" was recorded 28–29 April 1967 at De Lane Lea Studios in London. Jimmy Page was the only band member to perform on the recording and was accompanied by Chris Karan on tabla | title = Ultimate! | others = The Yardbirds | year = 2001 | first1 = Cub| last1 = Koda | author-link1 = Cub Koda | first2 = Gregg | last2 = Russo | type = CD booklet | publisher = Rhino Records | id = R2 79825 | page = 48
"White Summer" was released on the Yardbirds' last album, Little Games. An alternate take/mix without the accompaniment was included on the 1992 Yardbirds compilation Cumular Limit. It was a staple of live Yardbird performances with Jim McCarty usually providing a drum part and appears on the albums Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page and Glimpses 1963–1968. When playing the song live with the Yardbirds, Page used a 1961 Danelectro 3021 guitar.{{cite web | url = http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003340.html | last = Rosen | first = Steven | title = Jimmy Page Interview | website = Modern Guitars | access-date = 25 May 2007 | quote = Originally published in the July 1977, issue of Guitar Player magazine. | archive-date = 5 January 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110105123043/http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/003340.html | url-status = dead
Led Zeppelin renditions
| name = White Summer/Black Mountain Side | type = Instrumental | artist = Led Zeppelin | album = Led Zeppelin Boxed Set | released = | recorded = 27 June 1969 | venue = Playhouse Theatre, London | genre = Raga rock, instrumental rock | length = | label = Atlantic | composer = Jimmy Page | producer = Jeff Griffin Led Zeppelin frequently performed "White Summer" as part of a medley with "Black Mountain Side" during their 1968–70 tours | last1 = Lewis | first1 = Dan | last2 = Pallett | first2 = Simon | title = Led Zeppelin: The Concert File | publisher = Omnibus Press | year = 2005 | isbn =1-84449-659-7 | pages = 20–80
Page used his Danelectro to play the medley, as shown on 2003's Led Zeppelin DVD, which was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall on 9 January 1970. On 23 April 1970, Page performed the piece on the Julie Felix Show. Page also played it when he was with the Firm and again during his Outrider tour, segueing into "White Summer/Black Mountain Side" as part of the solo section of "Midnight Moonlight".
References
References
- Shadwick, Keith. (2005). "Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968–1980". Backbeat Books.
- Various versions by Graham have appeared over the years, including on reissues of ''[[The Guitar Player]]'' and ''[[Folk, Blues and Beyond]]''.
- Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, {{ISBN. 0-7119-3528-9.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::