3 Classic Rock Songs From the 1970s That Started As Jam Sessions

A group of musicians improvising during a jam session can often lead to the skeleton of a song. You never really know where it’ll take you. Oftentimes, you’ll hear artists talk about how the song “wrote itself.” When a group of musicians is all contributing and communicating on a mutual wavelength, great songs can be the result. It’s a very collaborative effort at that point and can give a song some serious depth. For example, here are three classic rock songs from the 1970s that started as jam sessions.

“War Pigs” by Black Sabbath

Originally titled “Walpurgis”, this anti-war anthem was the product of a live jam session. This live jam was held at the Beat Club in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1969. The band was there for a six-week residency and had to stretch out their limited material to fit 45 minutes. The song went through multiple lyrical changes before the record company changed the name to “War Pigs”. The original title “Walpurgis” was deemed too satanic. Bass player Geezer Butler wrote the lyrics about war during a time when the Vietnam War was being fought and was a major news topic. Throughout 1968 and 1969, the band jammed the new song live until the official recording in 1970.

“Slow Ride” by Foghat

This iconic 1975 rocker also started as a jam session. Foghat was rehearsing in the basement of a Long Island house shared by drummer Roger Earl and guitarist Rod Price. The band was in the process of replacing their bass player, and producer Nick Jameson was asked if he’d like to join the band. The producer had played bass in a band previously and was a perfect fit for the group. Jameson ended up structuring most of the song on the spot. Over a span of six hours, the group recorded what they developed onto a cassette player before taking it into the studio. “Slow Ride” became the band’s highest-charting single, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1976.

“Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Free Bird” originated out of a casual jam session sometime around 1970 or 1971. Developed at the band’s rehearsal spot called the “Hell House,” the song started with a chord progression by guitarist Allen Collins. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt originally thought the song had too many chord changes but decided to jot down some lyrics, which took only five minutes. The opening lyrics were inspired by Allen Collins girlfriend, who once asked him, “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?” Another inspiration for the song’s lyrics was the recent death of guitar player Duane Allman. The upbeat ending solo section of the song was added much later, as the song was initially just a ballad. With the fast ending attached, the song became a staple in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s live performances.