Misplaced Pages

"Big Log"
Single by Robert Plant
from the album The Principle of Moments
B-side	"Messin' with the Mekon" (UK) "Far Post" (US)
Released	July 1983
Recorded	1983
Studio	Rockfield Studios (Monmouth, Wales)
Genre	Soft rock
Length	5:03
Label	Es Paranza Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Robert Plant Robbie Blunt Jezz Woodroffe
Producer(s)	Robert Plant Benji LeFevre Pat Moran
Robert Plant singles chronology
"Pledge Pin" (1982) "Big Log" (1983) "In the Mood" (1983)

"Big Log" is a song by English recording artist Robert Plant. The first single from his second solo studio album, The Principle of Moments (1983), it became his first top 40 solo hit, peaking at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also reached No. 6 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. Neither of the words in the title appears in the lyrics.

Background

"I was messing about with the TR-808 drum machine and came up with the drum pattern and hand claps," recalled cowriter Jezz Woodroffe. "Robbie (Blunt, guitarist) arrived, liked the groove, and very quickly we had the main chords. The middle eight came from my Godwin string synth machine, and Robbie came up with the haunting theme. 'Big Log' was written in the middle of winter. We'd run out of fuel for the fire. We found the remains of an old tree lying outside, which was about 15 feet long, but had nothing to cut it with. So we put one end in the fire and slowly burnt it, till it was hollow."

Music video

The video for the song was filmed around California and Nevada, including the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel in Death Valley Junction, California, the Calico Ghost Town in California, the Glass Pool Inn in Las Vegas, and in Crystal, Nye County, Nevada. It was directed by Storm Thorgerson.

Reception

Cash Box compared the synthesized drums and claps to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and praised Plant's vocal.

Track listing

• UK 7" single

A: "Big Log" (Plant, Blunt, Woodroffe) – 5:03
B: "Messin' with the Mekon" (Plant, Blunt, Paul Martinez) – 4:40

• US 7" single

A: "Big Log" (Plant, Blunt, Woodroffe) – 5:03
B: "Far Post" (Plant, Blunt, Woodroffe) – 4:44

Chart performance

Other versions

Bassist Viktor Krauss covered "Big Log" on his 2004 album Far from Enough. Krauss' sister Alison – who recorded Raising Sand with Plant three years later – sang lead vocals.

References

1. "Best Robert Plant Solo Songs: 20 Essential Post-Led Zeppelin Tracks".
2. "Robert Plant Essentials". Apple Music.
3. "Big Log - lyrics". Genius. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
4. "Where Are They Now? Jezz Woodroffe". Classic Rock. No. 62. January 2004. p. 19.
5. "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 6, 1983. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. "Robert Plant – Big Log" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
8. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 40, 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
9. "Robert Plant – Big Log" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
10. "Robert Plant – Big Log". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
11. "Robert Plant: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
12. "Robert Plant - Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
13. "Jaaroverzichten 1983". Ultratop. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
14. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1983". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
15. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1983". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
16. Monger, James Christopher. "Far from Enough - Viktor Krauss". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 January 2017.

External links

• "Big Log" at Discogs (list of releases)

• 1983 songs
• 1983 singles
• Robert Plant songs
• Songs written by Robert Plant
• Songs written by Robbie Blunt
• British soft rock songs
• Rock ballads
• Atlantic Records singles
• Swan Song Records singles
• Music videos directed by Storm Thorgerson