Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali and guitarist Alex Grossi are reuniting to cover Led Zeppelin's classic "Whole Lotta Love" for the upcoming tribute album "Whole Lotta Love: An All-Star Salute To Fat Chicks." "It was a lot of fun providing the drum track for 'Whole Lotta Love,'" comments Frankie Banali. "To bring some authenticity to this iconic song, I brought in a drum kit of the exact specs used on the original 'Led Zeppelin II' sessions, right down to the drumheads. While not copying beat for beat, I played drum parts that are in the spirit of the great John Henry Bonham."
"I was pretty excited to add my guitars to this song, especially after hearing Frankie's drums," continues Alex Grossi. "Overall, I'm glad to be a part of this project, paying tribute to fat chicks everywhere!"
Each lends their talent to a unique interpretation of the title track, originated by Led Zeppelin in 1969. Offering a new twist on the familiar classic, Alex provides a nuanced lead while Frankie brings his trademark Zeppelin sensibilities to the drums, making this the first time the two have appeared together on a studio recording.
The track was arranged and produced by Paul LaPlaca (Chris Caffrey, The Great Kat, Zandelle), who also contributes acoustic guitar, bass and additional percussion. All vocals are handled by newcomer Celisa Stratton, a supersized songstress of 6'2" and 400+ lbs. A big, beautiful woman with a big, beautiful voice, she more than embodies the spirit of the album and brings all new meaning to the phrase "Whole Lotta Love." A sample of the song is now available at the official "WHOLE LOTTA LOVE" MySpace page.
http://www.myspace.com/WholeLottaLoveTribute
"Since this is a salute to fat chicks, my intention was to make the song sound FAT," says vocalist Celisa Stratton. "So I changed the key and utilized my full vocal range to create a whole new version of the song. Hopefully in listening to this track, people will see the point of view of a proud fat woman who has a whole lotta love to give."
"I put much thought into the best way to approach this," adds producer Paul LaPlaca. "I ended up with a largely acoustic arrangement with lots of hand percussion and some exotic loops. Interestingly, when Alex and Frankie added their parts, it took the song in a completely different direction that still totally worked."