The “Rap Stuff” That Rocked: John Bonham’s Drunken Inspiration for a Led Zeppelin Track
While John Bonham is rightfully lauded as one of the most powerful and influential drummers in rock history, his musical contributions to Led Zeppelin weren’t always confined to the drum kit. In fact, one of their classic tracks reportedly owes a quirky, drunken debt to Bonzo’s unexpected vocal stylings.
According to Led Zeppelin’s mastermind, Jimmy Page, the opening vocal snippet of the song “The Ocean” from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy was directly inspired by John Bonham’s inebriated antics.
In Barry Hoskyns’ book, Led Zeppelin: The Oral History of the World’s Greatest Rock Band, Page recounted Bonham’s unique, off-the-cuff vocalizations: “I think [Bonzo] originally had some lyrics about drinking pints of bitter. He used to do a lot of sort of rap stuff. He would get drunk and start singing things like what you hear at the beginning of ‘The Ocean.’ He would stomp his feet, and his fingers would get going.”
That iconic, almost doo-wop-esque vocal harmony at the beginning of “The Ocean” – “Singing in the sunshine, laughing in the rain” – wasn’t a carefully crafted Robert Plant melody in its initial form. Instead, it was a snippet of John Bonham letting loose after a few too many, engaging in what Page playfully termed his “rap stuff.” Imagine the legendary powerhouse drummer, fueled by alcohol, stomping and scatting out rhythmic vocal phrases that would eventually become the charming introduction to one of Zeppelin’s most beloved tracks.
This anecdote offers a fascinating glimpse into the creative process within Led Zeppelin. It wasn’t always about serious, meticulously planned songwriting sessions. Sometimes, the spark of an idea could come from the most unexpected and informal moments – even a bit of drunken revelry from their larger-than-life drummer.
“The Ocean” itself is a unique track in the Led Zeppelin catalog. Dedicated to their audience (“the ocean” of fans that followed them), it blends hard rock riffs with a surprisingly melodic and almost playful feel, particularly in the outro section. Knowing that its opening was born from Bonham’s impromptu, “rap stuff” adds another layer of appreciation to the song’s distinctive character.
It’s a reminder that the magic of Led Zeppelin stemmed not just from the individual brilliance of its members, but also from their camaraderie and the spontaneous bursts of creativity that could arise from any situation – even a tipsy John Bonham indulging in his own unique form of vocal expression. So next time you hear the opening bars of “The Ocean,” picture Bonzo letting loose, laying down the foundation for a classic in his own wonderfully unconventional way.