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Led Zeppelin
the best rock group EVER

Led Zeppelin

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Led Zeppelin - Black Dog - New York 1973
 

Whole Lotta Love voted best guitar riff

jimi page sigil
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.
[read more]
 

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Robert Plant
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Led Zeppelin - line-up

 
Robert Plant (vocals)
Jimmy Page (guitar)
John Paul Jones (bass / keyboards)
John Bonham (drums)
 
 

FAQ - Led Zeppelin

Elvis was the King, the Beatles were the kings.
Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis,
the Stones, and the Who were legendary.

But Led Zeppelin were the best rock group EVER !
 

Web-site Links

 
Robert Plant
 

Where was I?

Earls Court Programme 1975
Led Zeppelin programme (mine)
Earls Court, London
Sunday 25th May 1975
[ read more ... ]
 
 

Led Zeppelin Discography - Album CD

Title
Cover
Date
Remarks
Led Zeppelin led zep 1 1969  
Led Zeppelin II led zep 2 1969  
Led Zeppelin III led zep album III 1970  
Led Zeppelin IV Led Zep album iV untitled 1971 Symbols
Houses of the Holy   1973  
Physical Grafitti led Zep album Physical Grafitti 1975  
Presence Led Zep album Presence 1976  
The Song Remains the Same   1976  
The Song Remains the Same   1976 DVD
In Tthrough the Out Door   1979  
CODA Led Zep album CODA 1982  
BBC Sessions   1997 1969 and 1971
Wish You Were Here     US
How the West Was Won (live)   2003  
Led Zeppelin   2003 DVD
Celebration Day (live) Led Zep album Celebration day 2012 CD/DVD
plus compilations and boxed sets etc
 
Led Zeppelin
 
Jimmy Page
© Lloyd Godman
 
Jimmy Page
 
Quick Quiz [ click here ]
 

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

Led Zeppelin album untitled
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).
dudley eve hill flats
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]

[see BBC link]
 
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin sigils or symbols from fourth "untiltled" album
(left to right: Page, Bonham,Jones, Plant)
 
Robert Plant
© Photo by Lloyd Godman
 
Buy Led Zeppelin
Albums and CD's
see panels below
For US and Amazon.com
 
 
For UK and Amazon.co.uk
 
 
Led Zeppelin
 
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."
from www.grammy.com
 
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.
[ link ]
 

Bio - Led Zeppelin

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 sigil John Bonham dies as Led Zeppelin begin rehearsal for their up-coming american dates.
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