3 Things to Know About the Theremin on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”

The wobbly, psychedelic noise in the middle section is Jimmy Page playing a theremin. It sounds like a spaceship malfunction and is the most famous use of the instrument in the band’s catalog.

The studio version on Led Zeppelin II (1969) is where the theremin appears. Page also used it live, but the recorded take is the definitive one.

It’s the band’s only prominent studio theremin moment. Brief squeals on “How Many More Times” from the same album are more likely a violin bow on guitar strings, not a theremin.