Van Halen / Zep Top Rock Blooper List
Some songs that incorporated mistakes into their sound
Gibson have put together a list of songs that feature mistakes that have been incorporated into their iconic sound.
Amongst the list is Van Halen's 'Eruption' and Led Zeppelin's 'Since I've Been Loving You'.
Here's a couple of the best:
Van Halen, "Eruption"
"Eruption," with its blistering licks and innovative techniques, launched a million shredders, but the technique-redefining tapping section includes – by Eddie Van Halen's own admission – a little mistake. Van Halen told Guitar Player, "I took one pass at it and they put it on the record. I didn't even play it right. There's a mistake at the top end of it. To this day whenever I hear it I always think, 'Man, I could've played it better.'" But where is it? It sounds like a mistake can be heard at about 1:01 – listen for a tiny stutter which breaks up the flow of the tapping pattern. However, there are those of us who believe EVH's playing to be utterly infallible and will not accept that he can make mistakes, even by his own admission.
Led Zeppelin, "Since I've Been Loving You"
Led Zeppelin chalk up another little studio mishap in the form of a squeaky kick drum pedal on "Since I've Been Loving You." In 1993, Page recounted his discovery of the artifact while putting together the first Led Zeppelin boxed set. "It sounds louder and louder every time I hear it," he said. "That was something that was obviously sadly overlooked at the time." Still, it's one of those great little Easter eggs that make Led Zeppelin albums such wonderful headphone fodder.
U2 - Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
At around 3:10 to 3:14, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. can be heard dropping a drum stick. He valiantly continues on for a few bars before obtaining another drum stick (I'd like to think that he summoned it to his hand using the Force). The mistake was left in the song – and it lends a particularly cool dynamic shift to the song – although legend has it that Mullen wasn't exactly pleased with the decision to leave it in.
You can read the full list of classic rock "mistakes" HERE