| Good Times Bad Times | |
| Cover: | gtbtsingle.jpg |
| Caption: | German single picture sleeve |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Led Zeppelin |
| Album: | Led Zeppelin |
| B-Side: | Communication Breakdown |
| Recorded: | 3 October 1968 |
| Studio: | Olympic, London |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 2:43 |
| Label: | Atlantic |
| Producer: | Jimmy Page |
| Next Title: | Whole Lotta Love |
| Next Year: | 1969 |
"Good Times Bad Times" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured as the opening track on their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin. The song was Led Zeppelin's first single released in the US, where it reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The composition of the song began before the band's recording sessions at Atlantic Studios. The original title was "A Man I Know".
The main riff of "Good Times Bad Times" was written by John Paul Jones on a Hammond organ. who later said it was the most difficult riff he ever wrote, as well as one of the hardest riffs for him to perform. Guitarist Jimmy Page played a Fender Telecaster that Jeff Beck had given him through a Tone Bender and a Supro amplifier. Page's guitar solo was fed though a Leslie speaker to create a swirling effect. Singer Robert Plant's vocals were largely double-tracked.
Drummer John Bonham plays fast triplets on a single bass drum, which drew praise from Jimi Hendrix. He attributed the idea to Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge, who had played a similar figure on the band's cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" (which appeared on the band's debut album Vanilla Fudge), though Appice had not played the triplets exclusively on the bass drum.
According to Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin:
"Good Times Bad Times" was rarely played live at Led Zeppelin concerts in its entirety.[4] In a few instances in 1969 it was used as an introduction to "Communication Breakdown" (as seen in Led Zeppelin (Deluxe Edition)). It also appeared in almost complete form within the "Communication Breakdown" medley performed at the LA Forum on 4 September 1970, where it included a bass solo by Jones (as can be heard on the Led Zeppelin bootleg recording Live on Blueberry Hill), and several "Whole Lotta Love" medleys in 1971. It was also the opening song for Led Zeppelin's reunion show at the O2 Arena, London on 10 December 2007. The version of "Good Times Bad Times/Communication Breakdown" released 15 April 2014, on iTunes, is from 10 October 1969 in Paris, on the European Tour of Autumn 1969.
Cash Box said that "Combined power of a teen-rock vocal and a solid FM-ized instrumental set give Led Zeppelin a blistering single debut."[5] Billboard called it a "singles swinger that should hit the chart with solid sales impact" and said that it has a "solid beat in strong support."[6]
In a reassessment of Led Zeppelin in 2016, Andy Greene of Rolling Stone praised "Good Times Bad Times", writing that the song begins the album with a bang: "Jimmy Page's guitar pounces from the speakers, fat with menace; John Bonham's kick drum swings with anvil force; Robert Plant rambles on about the perils of manhood. Hard rock would never be the same."[7]
| Peak position | ||
| US Cash Box[8] | 66 | |
|---|---|---|
| US Record World[9] | 65 |