WCSX Classic Cuts : D’yer Mak’er
WCSX Classic Cuts
Led Zeppelin: “D’yer Mak’er”
The Hook: The band thought it was funny when people — especially American DJs — didn’t pick up on the title’s play on words.
Album: Houses of the Holy
Year: 1973
Writers: John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
Stats: Peaked at number-20 on the Billboard Hot 100
Background: Recording engineer Eddie Kramer is probably best known for his work with Jimi Hendrix. But he was also involved in engineering and mixing most of Led Zeppelin’s albums. He says one fun story about the band involves people not getting the pronunciation of the song “D’yer Mak’er” [pr: juh-MAY-kuh] right.
Led Zeppelin recording engineer Eddie Kramer on people, especially in America, not getting the joke behind the Houses of the Holy song “D’yer Mak’er” [pr: juh-MAY-kuh], OC:…sexual aspect. :21
“I remember many DJs saying “DIRE Maker.” Page used to get a big laugh — the whole band used to get a tremendous laugh out of hearing American DJs trying to pronounce something which is a play on words. It’s “Jamaica?” Did you make her? That’s what it means. That’s a track that was cut with a very distinctly Jamaican feel. And the lyric was a play on the sexual aspect.”
