Please Read the Letter
| "Please Read the Letter" | |
|---|---|
| SongbyJimmy Page and Robert Plant | |
| from the albumWalking Into Clarksdale | |
| Recorded | 1998 |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 4:21 |
| Label | Atlantic(US)Mercury |
| Songwriter(s) | Charlie Jones,Michael Lee,Jimmy Page,Robert Plant |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Page, Robert Plant |
"Please Read the Letter"is a song originally written and recorded byJimmy PageandRobert Plant(asPage and Plant) for their 1998 albumWalking into Clarksdale.[1]
Plant andAlison Krausslater recorded a version of the song for their collaboration albumRaising Sandreleased in October 2007. The song was well received by critics, and won theRecord of the Yearaward at the2009 Grammy Awards.[2]
Music and lyrics[edit]
"Please Read the Letter" is in thefolk rockgenre.[3]
Plant explained that "Please Read the Letter" is a song about yearning for someone, adding that the lyrics are about "unfinished business".[4]
Release[edit]
A music video for the single was released in 2008. It was shot in a 1905-built house inSouth Los Angeles.[4] The music video was nominated for Wide Open Country Video of the Year at the 2009 CMT Music Awards.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss version[edit]
| "Please Read the Letter" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| SinglebyRobert PlantandAlison Krauss | ||||
| from the albumRaising Sand | ||||
| Released | 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock,country | |||
| Length | 5:55 | |||
| Label | Rounder | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Charlie Jones,Michael Lee,Jimmy Page,Robert Plant | |||
| Music video | ||||
| "Please Read the Letter"at CMT.com | ||||
| Robert Plantsingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alison Krausssingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Chart performance[edit]
Plant and Krauss' version of the song initially failed to chart, but after winning theGrammy AwardforRecord of the Year,the song entered theBillboardBubbling Under Hot 100chart at #20 (the virtual equivalent to #120 on the Hot 100) in 2009.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 102 |
| U.S.BillboardBubbling Under Hot 100[5] | 20 |
Reception[edit]
The song has been well received by critics. Chris Jones, in his review for theBBC,felt that the version by Plant and Krauss is "completely improved" from the original track.[6]Thom Jurek wrote forAllmusic:"Slow, plodding, almost crawling, Krauss' harmony vocal takes it to the next step, adds the kind of lonesome depth that makes this a song whispered under a starless sky rather than just another lost love song."[7]
Track listing[edit]
2008 US CD single(Rounder RPAK102-R1)
- "Please Read the Letter" (Radio Edit) (Jones, Lee, Page, Plant) – 3:47
- "Please Read the Letter" (Jones, Lee, Page, Plant) – 5:55
References[edit]
- ^Cohen, Jonathan (2007-08-03)."Plant, Krauss Cover Everlys, Waits On New Album".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon September 14, 2014.Retrieved2009-01-12.
- ^MTV News Staff (2009-02-08)."Grammy 2009 Winners List".MTV.Archived fromthe originalon February 15, 2009.Retrieved2009-02-09.
- ^"Raising Sand".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2007-10-27. Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2009.Retrieved2009-01-12.
- ^abHalperin, Shirley (2008-02-20)."A Tale of Two Singers".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon July 24, 2008.Retrieved2009-01-12.
- ^Whitburn, Joel (2011).Top Pop Singles 1955–2010.Record Research, Inc. p. 500.ISBN978-0-89820-188-8.
- ^Jones, Chris (2007-10-19)."Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: Raising Sand".BBC.Retrieved2008-12-08.
- ^"Raising Sand: Review".Allmusic.Retrieved2008-12-08.
