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Led Zeppelin - Black Dog - New York 1973
Whole Lotta Love voted best guitar riff
Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love has been voted the greatest guitar riff of all time by listeners of BBC Radio 2.
Led Zep guitarist Jimmy Page said he was "knocked out" by winning the vote. "I wanted a riff that really moved, that people would really get, and would bring a smile to their faces, but when I played it with the band, it really went into overdrive," he said.
Bio - John Paul Jones
the most underrated musician on the planet
Born John Baldwin on January 3rd 1946.
John Paul Jones became a prolific musical director and
arranger of a huge range of prominent sixties artists
before forming Led Zeppelin with Jimmy Page in 1968.
Since 1980 his collaborators have included Paul McCartney,
La Fura Dels Baus, Brian Eno, The Butthole Surfers and
Diamanda Galas.
His debut solo album Zooma was released in September
1999, followed by The Thunderthief in 2001. Read all about this hugely-talented guy at
[ John
Paul Jones official site ]
FAQ - JPJ and John Bonham
Anybody who saw Led Zep will know that
John Paul Jones and John Bonham created the
massive sound that was Led Zep. If Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were the icing on the cake,
JPJ and JB were the cake !
FAQ - John Bonham
Probably the best rock drummer ever !
Robert Plant Discography - Album CD
Title
Date
Remarks
Manic Nirvana
1982
Sixty Six To Timbuktu
Pictures At Eleven
Principle Of Moments
1983
Now And Zen
1988
Fate Of Nations
1993
Dreamland
2002
Mighty Rearranger
2005
Band of Joy
lullaby... and THE CEASELESS ROAR
2014
-- plus compilations and boxed sets
FAQ - Led Zep untitled album
Eve Hill Flats, Dudley was the location for the shot
on back cover of the Led Zeppelin untitled album (also referred to as Led Zep 4, Symbols and The Hermit).
Lock your car doors if you
intend to stop and have a look, however.
Led Zeppelin confirm re-union gig
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones have confirmed
a one date re-union gig in memory of Ahmet Ertegun the
owner of Atlantic Records who died in 2006.
Jason Bonham will be on drums.
Tickets for the gig at London's O2 Arena in November
2007 will be drawn by ballot. Site for ticket ballot
at [Ahmet
Ertegun]
FAQ - Peter Grant (1935-1995)
the manager of Led Zeppelin
He detested bootlegs and always took the extra initiative
to get rid of them.
In Vancouver (1971) he smashed scientist's sound-level
monitoring equipment, thinking it was recording equipment.
According to a newspaper article the next day, the scientists
"escaped with assorted bruises but the equipment fared
less happily, with doubts whether the expensive machine
can ever be repaired. There were no noise measurements
made, either!
Police were looking for Led Zeppelin's manager for questioning
about the incident."
Led Zep - by any other name
Back in 1979, a year before John Bonham died, Led Zeppelin performed a gig as the charmingly named Melvin
performed a gig as the charmingly named "Giganticus And The Turd Burglars".
FAQ - Bron-yr-Aur
Bron-yr-Aur is the cottage in Wales where Jimmy Page
and Robert Plant wrote much of Led Zeppelin III in 1970
after a grueling US tour.
The cottage had no electricity or running water, but the
change of scenery provided inspiration for many songs
on the album.
Grammy Awards 2005
Lifetime Achievement
The final award of the day went to Led Zeppelin. The
rock group's imprint and influence on popular music is
indisputable, and it says something about the value of
the Lifetime Achievement awards that two members of the
band, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, were there to receive
it (Robert Plant sent his thanks by way of a video that
caught him mid-rehearsal, preparing for an upcoming solo
tour and new album). Bassist and keyboardist Jones spoke
first and graciously thanked Led Zeppelin manager Peter
Grant, Atlantic Records' esteemed founder Ahmet Ertegun
and "...the other half of our rhythm section, John Bonham."
The late Bonham's son Jason and daughter Zoe spoke of
deeply missing their father, but of being proud of his
thriving legacy. As Jason put it, "Fans still speak of
Led Zeppelin in the present — never in the past." Jimmy
Page, looking exceptionally dapper in jacket and tie,
was last up at the podium, and his thanks summed up the
feelings of all who were present for this day's extraordinary
proceedings, "It's a feeling beyond words just to be among
this illustrious company."
Comment seen on Led Zep not being included in intial
inductees to UK Music Hall of Fame
Fair enough, British pop music is massively derived
from American blues and jazz but as many others have said
- LED ZEPPELIN - THE biggest, greatest band of all time.
They out-played and out-performed (and out sold) most
on this shabby list.
From Melody Maker - 16th September 1970 - at the Savoy Hotel
from Jimmy Page
Zeppelin - magic band in the Beatle tradition
Led Zeppelin's high placings are phenomenal, but not entirely unexpected. There is no doubt that Zeppelin deserve all their kudos.
They have magic, ability, and the right attitude in their approach to the business of making music. The worst that people can say about them in the rumour mongering stakes is that they might break up. Whenever artists in any field gain an extraordinary degree of success, there are bound to be dissenting voices.
How does the Zeppelin magic work? First, they are a tight unit, but four distinct personalities, much in the Beatle tradition. They combine the appeal of the traditional pop group format with the excitement, drive and convincing validity of modern rock.
Jimmy Page IS a great guitarist, John Paul Jones is an invaluable talent as a multi-instrumentalist, John Bonham is one of the most respected and powerful drummers to emerge in recent years and Robert Plant is an heroic figure who emotes more feeling with his singing than the average seller of soul.
There is an excitement about their presence and careful management has ensured just the right amount of Led Zeppelin is fed to the hungry fans.
They do not release singles. They are never seen on British TV. Yet their two albums have sold enough to win Platinum discs and they can comfortably fill concert halls and festivals the length and breadth of Europe and America.
If they broke up tomorrow, they will have left a legacy of two albums that are perfect as examples of the kind of rock music that turned on a generation.
Both albums have highly memorable riffs, and electric moments. They reveal a cunning awareness of the value of timing. "Whole Lotta Love" for example is not just a riff, but a clever build up of ideas.
Zeppelin fans wait with bated breath for the moment Bonham batters in with his snare drum and Jimmy swops guitar phrases with him after extended "freak out" passage.
There is the moment when the drums, cymbals and bass groove into the swinging feel of "How Many More Times."
Even when the various tracks have been played many times they have the power to surprise and give that small thrill of anticipation.
The group's placings in this year's poll speak for themselves. Robert Plant, top British singer, "Led Zeppelin II" top album, Jimmy Page second only to Eric Clapton among the guitarists while the group wins both British and International sections as top group.
In addition, "Led Zeppelin II" is second album in the International section, Jimmy Page is sixth top record producer, John Bonham is fifth drummer and John Paul Jones is second to Jack Bruce in the bass section. Plant is third male International singer.
There's no doubt about it - these lads have got rhythm.
John “Bonzo” Bonham (drums; born May 31, 1948, died
September 25, 1980),
John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards; born January 3, 1946),
Jimmy Page (guitar; born January 9, 1944),
Robert Plant (vocals; born August 20, 1948)
Combining the visceral power and intensity of hard rock
with the finesse and delicacy of British folk music,
Led Zeppelin redefined rock in the Seventies and for
all time.
They were as influential in that decade as the Beatles
were in the prior one. Their impact extends to classic
and alternative rockers alike. Then and now, Led Zeppelin
looms larger than life on the rock landscape as a band
for the ages with an almost mystical power to evoke
primal passions. The combination of Jimmy Page’s powerful,
layered guitar work, Robert Plant’s keening, upper-timbre
vocals, John Paul Jones’ melodic bass playing and keyboard
work, and John Bonham’s thunderous drumming made for
a band whose alchemy proved enchanting and irresistible.
“The motto of the group is definitely, ‘Ever onward,’”
Page said in 1977, perfectly summing up Led Zeppelin’s
forward-thinking philosophy.
The group formed in 1968 from the ashes of the Yardbirds,
for which guitarist Jimmy Page had served as lead guitarist
after Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Page’s stint in the
Yardbirds (1966-1968) followed a period of years as
one of Britain’s most in-demand session guitarists.
As a generally anonymous hired gun, Page performed on
mid-Sixties British Invasion records by the likes of
Donovan (“Hurdy Gurdy Man”), Them (“Gloria”), the Kinks
(“You Really Got Me”), the Who (“I Can’t Explain”) and
hundreds of others.
Page assembled a “New Yardbirds” in order to fulfill
contractual obligations that, once served, allowed him
to move on to his blues-based dream band, Led Zeppelin.
Bassist John Paul Jones also boasted a lofty session
musician’s pedigree. His resume included work for the
Rolling Stones, Donovan, Jeff Beck and Dusty Springfield.
Singer Robert Plant and drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham
came from Birmingham, England, where they’d previously
played in the Band of Joy. Page described Led Zeppelin
in a press release for their first album with these
words: “I can’t put a tag to our music. Every one of
us has been influenced by the blues, but it’s one’s
interpretation of it and how you utilize it. I wish
someone would invent an expression, but the closest
I can get is contemporary blues.” Integrating Delta
blues and U.K. folk influences with a modern rock approach,
Led Zeppelin’s symbiosis gave rise to hard rock, which
flourished in the Seventies under their expert tutelage.
Such classics as “Whole Lotta Love” were built around
Page’s heavyweight guitar riffs, Plant’s raw, half-screamed
vocals, and the rhythm section’s deep, walloping assaults
– all hallmarks of a new approach to rock that combined
heaviness and delicacy. In Jimmy Page’s words, the band
aimed for “a kind of construction in light and shade.”
The members of Led Zeppelin were musical sponges, often
traveling the world –literally traipsing about foreign
lands and figuratively exploring the cultural landscape
via their record collections – in search of fresh input
to trigger their muse. “The very thing Zeppelin was
about was that there were absolutely no limits,” explained
bassist Jones. “We all had ideas, and we’d use everything
we came across, whether it was folk, country music,
blues, Indian, Arabic.” The group’s use of familiar
blues-rock forms spiced with exotic flavors found favor
among the rock audience that emerged in the Seventies.
Led Zeppelin aimed itself at the album market, eschewing
the AM-radio singles orientation of the previous decade.
Their self-titled first album found them elongating
blues forms with extended solos and psychedelic effects,
most notably on the agonized “Dazed and Confused,” and
launching pithy hard-rock rave-ups like “Good Times
Bad Times” and “Communication Breakdown.” Led Zeppelin
II found them further tightening up and modernizing
their blues-rock approach on such tracks as “Whole Lotta
Love,” “Heartbreaker” and “Ramble On.” Led Zeppelin
III took a more acoustic, folk-oriented approach on
such numbers as Leadbelly’s “Gallows Pole” and their
own “Tangerine,” yet they also rocked furiously on “Immigrant
Song” and offered a lengthy electric blues, “Since I’ve
Been Loving You.” The group’s untitled fourth album
(a.k.a., Led Zeppelin IV, “The Runes Album” and ZOSO),
which appeared in 1971, remains an enduring rock milestone
and their defining work. The album was a fully realized
hybrid of the folk and hard-rock directions they’d been
pursuing, particularly on “When the Levee Breaks” and
“The Battle of Evermore.” “Black Dog” was a piledriving
hard-rock number cut from the same cloth as “Whole Lotta
Love.” Most significant of the album’s eight tracks
was the fable-like “Stairway to Heaven,” an eight-minute
epic that, while never released as a single, remains
radio’s all-time most-requested rock song. Houses of
the Holy, Led Zeppelin’s fifth album, was another larger-than-life
offering, from its startling artwork to the adventuresome
music within. Even more taut, dynamic and groove-oriented,
it included such Zeppelin staples as “Dancing Days,”
“The Song Remains the Same” and “D’yer Mak’er.” They
followed this with the Physical Graffiti, a double-album
assertion of group strength that included the “Trampled
Underfoot,” “Sick Again,” “Ten Years Gone” and the lengthy,
Eastern-flavored “Kashmir.” Led Zeppelin’s sold-out
concert tours became rituals of high-energy rock and
roll theater. The Song Remains the Same, a film documentary
and double-album soundtrack from 1976, attests to the
group’s powerful and somewhat saturnalian appeal at
the height of their popularity. The darker side of Led
Zeppelin – their reputation as one of the most hedonistic
and indulgent of all rock bands– is an undeniable facet
of the band’s history. In the mid-to-late Seventies,
a series of tragedies befell and ultimately broke up
Led Zeppelin. A 1975 car crash on a Greek island nearly
cost Plant his leg and sidelined him (and the band)
for two years. In 1977, Plant’s six-year-old son Karac
died of a viral infection. The group inevitably lost
momentum, as three years passed between the release
of the underrated Presence (1976) and In Through the
Out Door, their final studio album (1979). On September
25, 1980, while in the midst of rehearsals for an upcoming
American tour, Led Zeppelin suffered another debilitating
blow. Drummer John Bonham was found dead due to asphyxiation
following excessive alcohol consumption. Feeling that
he was irreplaceable, Led Zeppelin disbanded. Robert
Plant launched a solo career, Jimmy Page formed The
Firm with former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, and
John Paul Jones returned to producing, arranging and
scoring music. There were brief reunions at Live Aid
and for Atlantic Records’ 40th anniversary celebration.
Something of the old power was rekindled in 1995 when
Page and Plant reunited to record an album (No Quarter)
and tour with a large and diverse ensemble of musicians.
Meanwhile, the Led Zeppelin legend endures and grows
long after their demise, much like that of the Doors
and Elvis Presley. The lingering appeal of Led Zeppelin
is perhaps best summed up by guitarist Page: “Passion
is the word....It was a very passionate band, and that’s
really what comes through.” At the dawn of the new millennium,
Led Zeppelin placed second only to the Beatles in terms
of record sales, having sold 84 million units. Led Zeppelin
IV is the fourth best-selling album in history, having
sold more than 22 million copies, and four other albums
by the band – Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin II, Houses
of the Holy and Led Zeppelin - also rank among the all-time
top 100 best-sellers. Fittingly, Led Zeppelin is tied
with the Beatles (five apiece) for the most albums on
that esteemed list – a mark of both bands’ impact. In
their ceaseless determination to move music forward,
Led Zeppelin carved out an indelible place in rock history.
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog (from Official Celebration Day)
Led Zeppelin - Concert - Royal Albert Hall 1970
Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
Led Zeppelin - Earl's Court 1975
Led Zeppelin 2012
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll 2012
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir 2012
Led Zeppelin - - Whole Lotta Love
25 9 80
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham dies
John Bonham dies as Led Zeppelin begin rehearsal for their up-coming american dates.
