In 1972, Roy Colbert was writing a column for The Evening Star in Dunedin, earning $4 a week less tax, and spending $150 going up to Auckland to see rock concerts. And he flew north to see Led Zeppelin play Western Springs on Friday 25 February 1972.
When Led Zeppelin came to Auckland they had already been denied entry to Singapore because of local laws banning males from wearing long hair. The good thing about coming up for concerts was that I got to talk to the bands. The promoters knew me, and that I'd spent all this money coming a long way, so they made sure I got interviews.
I was playing cards when the promoter Barry Coburn called up and invited me to co-promoter Robert Raymond's Remuera house. I thought he was just making conversation, and I realise now they needed pot.
All the band and Peter Grant were there. Robert Plant opened the door - he had a woman in each hand; he literally was balancing a girl in each arm. "I'm Robert Plant and I'm the greatest rock'n'roll singer in the world," was his greeting.
Peter looked evil, just a huge man in a huge chair. John Bonham was very big as well and making a lot of noise. I spoke to Jimmy Page a lot. I was a record geek so I had millions of anal questions about recordings he played on, obscure bands like Cartoone. They were all pretty shattered - they were at the bottom of the world. I didn't know about the whips in the guitar cases.
These were the drug years - me and my mates constructed the concert around drugs, and I thought we should have some nitrous oxide because they didn't do it in Auckland - we did it in Dunedin all the time. So I remember we had to drive some distance to get a huge cylinder of NO2. We were seated on the bank and got a good seat halfway up the hill, and passed the blue cylinder backwards and forwards along the row until it was empty.
An MC introduced Led Zeppelin. They opened with Immigrant Song - I can't think of a better song to open. Breaking into the opening rumble when the opening vocal started up, it was like a lion roaring in a jungle.
Not too many years earlier The Rolling Stones and The Beatles played 25-minute shows and now a near three-hour show was like a whole life experience. I like all types of music. I liked folk music, and they did folk as well. At the show Plant thanked the crowd for "makin' this the biggest thing that's ever happened in New Zealand".
There were sound effects for Dazed and Confused, and Rock and Roll was much better live. The finale medley in Whole Lotta Love included an extended Boogie Chillun, an excellent Hello Mary Lou, and a riotous rendition of Elvis Presley's Let's Have a Party.
It was an enormously long experience, way longer than anything I had seen before. It was all Page and Plant really - totally complimentary, their two bodies slinky and curving like snakes. Page held the guitar really low and Plant was strutting. They bent into each other.
I was about 22. I'd like to think I was 18 because then I wrote about it for Rolling Stone and I thought I was just like Cameron Crowe, but he was like 16 and I was a grown-up.
I wasn't a huge Led Zeppelin fan - I liked them, but I didn't love them, but it may be the best concert I've ever seen.
American Way, the inflight magazine of American Airlines and American Eagle, was named in the 100 Best in Design 2012 by Graphis, the international journal of visual communication. "The Reinventor", a December 15, 2010, article in American Way featuring Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, won a Graphis Gold award.
"It's an honor to be recognized alongside industry legends such as Gensler, Pentagram, and Sagmeister Inc.," said American Way Design Director David Radabaugh.
Each year Graphis invites leading professionals across the photography, illustration, and graphic design communities to be considered for inclusion in their annual books in each of those visual arts fields. Among the thousands of submissions, the Graphis panel selects the most compelling work of the year in each category and the winning entries are featured in the hardback annual.
The entire Robert Plant article can be found at this location.
A massage being introduced this month at Bliss spas in New York and Hoboken enables clients to get kneaded while listening to Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam and U2.
The new Rhythm and Bliss massage rejects the notion that New Age is the universal soundtrack of relaxation. Its recipients sample and then select one of four musical playlists (rock, classical, world or electronic); don Bluetooth headphones (which also block out noise in the hallways), then spend the next hour being massaged in sync to the music.
"We're really trying to push the boundaries," said Ben Brown, a massage therapist who created the playlists as well as the more traditional ones for Bliss spas across the country. The rock version begins with the Kinks (no pun intended) and includes college favorites as well as new artists.
"People were like 'You can't do a massage to rock,' " Mr. Brown said. "But it's very possible." (And at $155, cheaper than some concert tickets.)
Rhythm and Bliss is part of a new wave of specialty massages that go far beyond hot stones, oils and mud to soothe bodies and transport minds. These extreme massages are intended to affect all of the senses, using music, colored lights, vibrations, spinning tables, gemstones - even live snakes at one spa in Israel. And while reptiles are not a spa standard (yet), therapists say the amped-up services are taking off, thanks to a new generation of savvy spa-goers who are willing to be more adventurous, especially if there's a promise of unwinding faster.
These 4-in-1 Runes are not for the average fan! Everyone knows about Led Zeppelin's mystical symbols, The world's greatest rock band had one of the biggest selling albums in history, without even having their band name on the album jacket!
This combination of all four symbols into one is something that only a true Zeppophile will recognize, and it is pretty sure you might hear the words "Where did you get that?" a few times at any Zep-related show! This has never been available to the public before on a t-shirt, and supply is limited, so get it while you can!
Condition:
New with tags: A brand-new, unused, and unworn item (including handmade items) in the original packaging (such as the original box or bag) and/or with the original tags attached.
Some topics are off-limits for comics -- just ask Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute on NBC's The Office. On Monday, the 46-year-old jokingly tweeted that "if I were ever date raped, I would want it to be to 'Whole Lotta Love' by Led Zeppelin."
The off-color remark was later deleted, with Wilson offering an apology Tuesday. "Apparently my poorly conceived date rape tweet upset a lot of folks," he wrote. "Not a good topic to joke about. Sorry and won't do that again."
Who wouldn't want to be compared to Led Zeppelin? Well, Nicolas Cage sure doesn't mind, and while promoting his latest film, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, the Oscar-winning actor found a way to note similarities between himself and the iconic rock band.
"I would like to find a way to embrace what Led Zeppelin did, in filmmaking," Cage told the Huffington Post. "Right now, what I'm excited about is trying to create a [pauses] kind of a cultural understanding through my muse that is part of the zeitgeist that isn't motivated by vanity or magazine covers or awards. It's more, not countercultural, but counter-critical.
"[Led Zeppelin] were the biggest band in the world and they remained intimately mysterious - because they just went about it their own way, or against what the advice might have been or what the council might have been.
"And I admire that. And I would like to tap into more exploration of horror films and just everything that I shouldn't be doing, according to representation."
The shortlived Yes and Led Zeppelin supergroup XYZ never got off the group because it was the wrong timing for Robert Plant.
XYZ stood for eX-Yes and Zeppelin. The band featured Yes' Chris Squire on bass and Alan White on drums as well as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page on guitar. The three recorded the demo tracks for a possible album in the early 80s. All they needed next was to lay down the vocals from Robert Plant.
"Robert Plant was going to come in and join with us and do the singing at some point but it was really a bit too soon after John Bonham departed this world for Robert to get back into it. That is why it didn’t come together," Chris Squire told Noise11.com.
Over the years some of the demo tracks have been leaked and some have made their way online. "You can find them on YouTube," Chris says. "They were only demos. Nothing was ever finished but somehow they got snuck out of the studio by some engineer or somebody at some point. They are not finished demos if you track them down. They are quite exciting. It is worth having a look for them if you are interested."
Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood turned down the chance to join Led Zeppelin in the group's early days after dismissing them as a "bunch of farmers".
The guitarist's former manager Peter Grant urged him to join another act, The New Yardbirds, which he was also looking after in the 1960s.
Wood snubbed the offer after being left unimpressed by the band - who went on to become one of the world's greatest rock acts under their new name, Led Zeppelin.
Speaking on his Absolute Radio show, Wood says, "Peter Grant used to manage myself and Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart and Mickey Waller and Nicky Hopkins back in the good old days. He was behind a band that was going to be called The New Yardbirds.
"I had an offer to join, and I said 'I can't join that bunch of farmers'. Anyway, they eventually changed their name and turned out to be Led Zeppelin, and he managed them as well."
They cut fine figures, their dark sweeps of hair, chiselled features and confident strides more than justifying their roles as models.
But the stars of the new Mr Porter campaign are not your average male models: Their screen and rock royalty ancestors set them well and truly apart from most young men.
Marlon Brando's grandson Tuki Brando, 21, Ethan Peck, 25, grandson of Gregory Peck, and Logan Plant, 33, son of rock-god, Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, take centre-stage in the new fashion ads, showing the older generations how it's done.
Going live on Tuesday, the global campaign follows in the footsteps of last season's which saw Ed Stoppard, Bruno Senna, Isaac Ferry and John Hemingway - 'heirs of stylish lineage' as the men's site puts it - facing the online shopping brand.
Photographed by Laurence Ellis and styled by Mr Porter's Dan May, the shoot unfolded on a picture-perfect white sand beach, away from the lights, cameras and action of screen and stage.
According to the brand, the new set of bold young men 'have truly inherited a bit of myth and swagger from their forefathers, and ... aptly represent the campaign's slogan: you can inherit style.' They also hope, however, that it can be purchased on the site.
Sons and grandsons of 'style icons' can be no easy label to live with, but their backgrounds make for fascinating A-list tales.
The site's Editor in Chief Jeremy Langmead said: 'At Mr Porter, we're interested in style, talent and story-telling.'
He explains that the shopping site 'chose three people who encompass all three. Mr Brando, Mr Peck and Mr Plant not only look good, have an individual sense of style, and three very different career paths, but they are descendants of style icons, too.'
The men may well have inherited style acumen, but they have also created a sense of their own aesthetic - with fame in their blood, they do not seem shy in front of the camera, despite none making modelling their full-time work.
Mr Plant has left his days of long locks - a look to which his father is famously firmly devoted - behind, sporting a neat and suave short hair style in the new shoot. A brewer by trade, the London local tweets about his new beer ventures and East End life.
He is, of course, not the first rock 'n' roll progeny to grace a fashion campaign. Last year, Elvis' granddaughter Riley Kough starred in a Lee denim ad while the Geldof, Jagger and McCartney children are all busy in the world of fashion and design.
Hollywood flows through the veins of Mr Peck, who is an actor, most famous for his role in ABC's 10 Things I hate About You series. With a smile that gives away his lineage immediately, Mr Peck's toothy grin recalls Peck Senior's Golden Era roles, down to the fine nose and smiling eyes.
Mr Brando may also have his roots in Hollywood, but lived a rather different, if tragic, childhood. Orphaned by the age of five, his world-famous grandfather died when he was 13, leaving him no mention in his will.
Now studying medicine in Bordeaux, the hard-working student juggles his studies with time in front of the lens, having starred in Versace's 2007 menswear campaign and having been shot by Mario Testino and Bruce Webber.
He is blessed with his Tahitian mother, Chayenne Brando's, dark looks and tropically tanned skin - features that smouldered in a TechnoMarine watches campaign last April.
An evening of musical delight featuring Robyn Hitchcock, Krystle Warren, KT Tunstall, Eliza Carthy, John Paul Jones and Howe Gelb.
Curated by renowned English eccentric Robyn Hitchcock, The Floating Palace is an intimate evening of free-wheeling musical collaboration.
It’s a simple concept: musicians admire each other, are a little envious of each other, and given the chance, like to play with each other. But normally they only get the chance to do this in the studio, or after hours.
For the first time before a paying audience, we present a carousel of exceptional ‘roots’ artists; all lit within by their passion for music, accompanying each other on songs they know and songs they’ve only just met.
Robyn Hitchcock is joined on stage by award winning Scottish songstress KT Tunstall, folk legend Eliza Carthy, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Krystle Warren and alternative country experimentalist Howe Gelb.
Unfortunately Abigail Washburn has had to withdraw from The Floating Palace due to unforseen changes in her touring schedule, she will be replaced by Kansas born singer-songwriter Krystle Warren.
Enjoy 10% discount off ice creams and sorbets when you pre-order when purchasing your ticket from Box Office or online. Add an ice cream to your basket now or mention to our Box Office when you call to book your ticket. Find out more here.
The Seventies was a decade of rock 'n' roll excess.
Groupies would indulge bands' every whim, hotel rooms would be smashed up, and Leo Sayer routinely consumed a whole bottle of Tizer before going on stage.
How The Brits Rocked America, celebrating the 50-year history of British popular music in America, looks at this decade of change when FM radio emerged as an experimental frontier, concerts attracted never-seen-before crowds of more than 200,000 gig-goers (that's the lure of Brotherhood Of Man), and a new rock royalty including Black Sabbath and Deep Purple begin to cash in.
Decadence ensued (personalised jets with dancefloors were the order of the day) as the 70s produced a cosy cartel of monolithic rock bands that looked like they were here to stay.
Cream may have paved the way but it was Led Zeppelin who come to own the USA, conquering it in less than a year.
Contributions come from Sir Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Jimmy Page, Nick Mason, Tony Iommi and many more, plus there's archive footage of their respective bands The Beatles, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath. The Wombles were unavailable.
Don't expect mention of one famed incident of Seventies excess, however. The story that, at the height of Queen's fame, Freddie Mercury hosted a party at which the waiting staff included dwarves with bowls full of cocaine strapped to their heads, is in fact an urban myth.
Breakout Athens, Alabama quartet Alabama Shakes may be most noted in the press for being the freshest dose of retro-soul around, but - as they've made an effort to point out in a first round of interviews - influences from a range of genres, namely rock, are either beneath the surface on their debut or in store for future releases. There's no need to tiptoe around the label adjustment, however, as frontwoman Brittany Howard and Co. just kicked the door open by taking on classic-rock royalty: Performing for NPR recently, they covered Led Zeppelin's epic “How Many More Times,” appropriately off that band's debut.
Howard and guitarist Heath Fogg (who originally left a classic-rock cover band to join the Shakes) sink their teeth into channeling Robert Plant and Jimmy Page in their hungry heyday while drummer Steve Johnson and bassist Zac Cockrell hold down the rhythm section with steady confidence. All told, it's an impressive take and one which bodes well for this promising group taking their sound in any direction in the years to come.
So, without further ado, check out their full set here and the Zeppelin cover above (thanks to NPR affiliate WXPN's The Key).
Legendary record producer and engineer Phill Brown has worked with some of the biggest and influential names in rock music; Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and countless others. His insights into the world of studio recording, provides a fascinating look behind the scenes of the world of a recording engineer. In Ultimate Guitar’s continuing series, "The Producers and Engineers" Phill Brown speaks to Joe Matera about his illustrious career, recording Led Zeppelin, how he captured some of those classic guitar tones on many classic albums and working with analog tape.
What was it like working with Led Zeppelin in the studio?
The full band were there - John Bonham, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and east end heavy, Peter Grant, with a couple of minders. Peter was vast, probably 20 stone, and had difficulty squeezing into the luxurious, high-backed leather chairs that were positioned on the riser behind the Helios desk. To me he appeared very seedy, with thinning long hair, sweaty skin and ill-fitting clothes. He dealt with me and the other minions around him in an off-hand manner and gave off a somewhat threatening vibe. Control room 2 was not a large room, measuring only 15 by 20 feet. With the brown-carpeted walls on the floor and ceiling, dull lighting, desk and machines, nine people (band, manager, minders, myself and an assistant) and this strange aggressive attitude, the sessions were immediately claustrophobic and scary.
The members of the band, apart from Bonham, had long flowing curly hair - looking like Jesus or some Greek gods. Jones was friendly and polite and on another planet altogether. Bonham and Plant were relaxed and relatively easy to deal with, but Page was dark, moody and difficult. I found him particularly hard to communicate with. He was self-centered and into some form of weird spiritual crap. A great fan of the writings of Aleister Crowley, he owned Crowley’s old residence, Boleskine house.
We worked mainly on two songs; “Four Sticks” and “Stairway to Heaven.” The backing tracks had drums, bass and some electric guitars already recorded and there were good vocals on both tracks. We spent most of our time working on “Stairway to Heaven” - trying out flute parts on the introduction with John Paul Jones and overdubbing guitar ideas and solos with Jimmy Page. We worked on lead guitar parts to “Stairway to Heaven” endlessly, trying out different styles, sounds and effects. We tried the guitar through Leslie, desk distortion and various pedals and recorded takes continuously. The guitar overdubs took days to perform and get right. Listening to the final version of “Stairway to Heaven,” it’s hard to imagine how bad some of the playing and tuning was. There were many loose timing mistakes and wrong notes from Page, and the control room atmosphere remained intense.
There was very little direct communication from any of the band, and having Peter Grant sitting beside me did not help. I found him belligerent and rude, and aware of the many stories about Grant’s well-known bullyboy techniques, I was disturbed by his presence. On his death in 1996 there were glowing obituaries in newspapers and music magazines, describing him as “always being on the side of the artist” and “fair.” I would have first hand knowledge of this so-called “fair” attitude to artists later, while working with Jeff Beck.
The sessions with Zeppelin were long, with no convenient breaks and I would be at the desk for some 15 to 18 hours a day. I had to maintain a constant high level of concentration and vigilance during this time - it was not easy. You couldn’t fuck up on projects like these. It was very tiring and the severe atmosphere generated by Peter, his minders and the band, did not leave me with warm memories. I thought Page was a good guitarist but not on a par with Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. I was relieved when the Zeppelin sessions were over and I could return to projects that were more laidback and easygoing.
Was it hard capturing Jimmy Page’s guitar tones?
I set up an AKG D20 and a Neumann u87 on the guitar amps. The Helios desk had limited EQ so we relied on a good sound in the room from Jimmy. Also we did what the band or Peter asked. I was still young and learning.
When it came to drums, how important were they to how a band and the guitar sounded on record, for example Led Zep’s sound was totally built from John Bonham’s drum sound.
You always need a good drum sound – this is often the bedrock of any recording. My set-up in the ‘70’s was AKG D12 on bass drum, Shure 57 on the snare, and Neumann u87’s on toms and overheads. I now use Coles on overheads, and Seinnheiser 421 mic’s on the toms – a good sounding room with a high ceiling is very important. Since Talk Talk I have used more room mics to create ‘air’ and ‘space’ – usually a Sony c48.
British rock band, Led Zeppelin, took flight in August 1968 and crashed in September 1980 with the untimely death of its drummer, John Bonham. Founded by lead guitarist, Jimmy Page, the group also included seasoned session man, John Paul Jones on bass guitar and keyboards and a then-unknown vocalist named Robert Plant, now a multiple Grammy-winner.
Author Frank Reddon – a long-time lover of Led Zeppelin’s music and a devoted collector of the band’s official and unofficial recordings – based this, his first book of several planned, on research he conducted for more than a decade. His quest was to explain how and why the band’s music has endured for over forty years, rather than delve into the tabloidesque details of rock’n’roll excess.
Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin. Volume 1 – Break & Enter was officially published on September 7, 2008 – the fortieth anniversary of the band’s first-ever public performance, at Gladsaxe Teen Club in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In February 2009, Reddon’s book was given a home in the Curatorial Library of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
The e-book version, which was created from the hardcover and formatted by eBookIt.com, contains the majority of Reddon’s interviews with deejays, musicians, promoters and concert attendees who helped Led Zeppelin “break” in Scandinavia and “enter” the North American market.
It provides readers with over 500 “pages” of proprietary information about Led Zeppelin, much of which appeared for the first time in print in Reddon’s hardcover version.
This electronic version contains a foreword by renowned Led Zeppelin author and editor of the all-Zeppelin magazine Tight But Loose, Dave Lewis of the United Kingdom. Upon reading the original hardcover, Mr. Lewis declared: “When it comes to solid research, Sonic Boom is as good as it gets.”
The e-book version of Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin. Volume 1 - Break & Enter is available as a PDF as well as in formats for Kindle, iPad, Kobo, other e-readers and mobile devices. It may be purchased through online e-book retailers or ebookit.
In February 2012, Enzepplopedia will release another e-book title: "J.J. Jackson Remembers Led Zeppelin: The Music and The Guys Who Made It".
Enzepplopedia Publishing, Inc. is co-owned by author Frank Reddon and his sister, editor Lou Anne Reddon. The company is based in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Other e-books about Led Zeppelin are planned for release throughout 2012.
Enzepplopedia is a registered trademark of Enzepplopedia Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Book and e-book titles are copyrighted and registered with Library Archives Canada and the United States Library of Congress. Other brand names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the intellectual property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
John Paul Jones, April 30, 2011, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Arena, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. Photo by Richard Grubb for TBL
John Paul Jones is set to perform with Spin Marvel at the first night of the Conexions series of concerts staged in Oslo, Norway on Saturday February 4, 2012.
The Conexions is a brand new concert series curated by Fiona Talkington that celebrates Norwegian & British musical partnerships with performances in both countries.
UK/Norwegian outfit Spin Marvel kick-starts the Conexions series with their Feb 4th gig at Oslo’s Victoria venue. The inaugural concert features some true high profile guest performers that includes John Paul Jones and trumpet icon Nils Petter Molvær.
The rest of the Conexions series features equally impressive partnerships: Sidsel Endresen & Philip Jeck, Christian Wallumrød & Garth Knox, In The Country with BJ Cole, Food with Eivind Aarset and Prakash Sontakke and last but not least Jaga Jazzist teaming up with Britten Sinfonia.
BCC to go back into the studio for third record this Summer
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Country Communion, the English-American rock band featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Sabbath), blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin), and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), will release their first concert CD Live Over Europe on February 28, 2012 on the J&R Adventures imprint. This 2-disc CD follows up the October 2011 release of the 2-disc DVD by the same name. The album is available for pre-order at: www.bccommunion.com. Get your free download of the single "Cold" from the live album at: http://bitly.com/BCCPRERORDER.
Recently named by Eddie Trunk and co-hosts as "Best New Band of the Last 10 Years" on VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, BCC taped Live Over Europe during its debut tour in the summer of 2011. On the album, the band blazes through 17 tracks, recorded in surround over three nights, playing to packed venues in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. The set list includes songs from both of BCC's albums – 2010's self-titled debut and 2011's sophomore release 2 - including "Black Country," "One Last Soul," "Save Me," "Man In The Middle," "Cold," and "Song of Yesterday." Also included in the mix is "The Ballad Of John Henry," from Bonamassa's 2009 solo album and the Deep Purple classic "Burn."
Producer Kevin Shirley explains, "We saw that this live act could be an awesome force of nature to behold; one that promised legendary performances like those of our heroes of Classic Rock. The plan was to get them out there for the entire world to hear. Records allow a certain musical finesse, but live performance promises so much in the very transient nature of a gig; chances are taken, boundaries are crossed and the most exciting performances explode. Two studio albums built a repertoire big enough for a full concert which allowed us to unleash the monster for all the world to see and feel."
Guitar World named BCC's 2 as #12 in their Top 50 Albums of 2011. In November, BCC scooped up the Breakthrough Award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. ClassicRockRevisited.com called BCC the "Great Last Hope for Classic Hard Rock."
BCC debut tour took the band around the world, playing to cities in North America and Europe.On June 10, at Anaheim, CA's Grove of Anaheim, The Orange County Register exclaimed, "The four members of BCC truly recast the heavy rock of the '60s and '70s and yank it into the 21st century as well as anyone in recent memory."
Live Over Europe Track List:
Disc 1 1. Revolution of the Machine 2. Black Country 3. One Last Soul 4. Crossfire 5. Save Me 6. The Battle For Hadrian's Wall 7. Beggarman 8. Faithless 9. Song of Yesterda 10. I Can See Your Spirit
Disc 2 11. Cold 12. The Ballad of John Henry 13. The Outsider 14. The Great Divide 15. Sista Jane 16. Man In The Middle 17. Burn
The Beatles drummer was never a fan of the late Led Zeppelin sticksman's lengthy mid-song workouts, as he believes the drummer shouldn't be the focus of rock tracks.
He told USA Today newspaper: "I don't listen to records for the drums. John Bonham's incredible solos didn't knock me out. I don't feel you need solos.
"You need to feel emotion in the track. It's no good calling me if you like modern jazz. I play pop and rock. I support the song. I can hold steady time."
The 71-year-old star - who was in The Beatles with Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon - also thinks he has been more appreciated since remastered versions of their albums were released in 2009.
He added: "I love the remasters because now people can hear me.
"It used to be John, Paul, George and Ringo. And why not? Look at those writers. Now people say, 'Oh, maybe he could play.' It never stopped me because I knew from hanging out with musicians that my part on those records was always appreciated.
Legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was refused dinner at one of Glasgow's plushest hotels, a new book reveals.
The band was performing in the city at the height of their fame in the early 1970s.
But that cut no ice with staff at the Grand Central Hotel who refused to serve Plant – because he was not properly dressed.
The story of how Glasgow brought Plant back to earth is revealed in a book about the hotel and how it played host to some of the biggest celebrities of the 20th Century, including Laurel and Hardy, Bob Hope and Gracie Fields.
But the book, which is subtitled “Glasgow's most-loved hotel”, reveals that Plant got short-shrift for breaking the strict dress rules in the dining room.
The group were in Glasgow for a gig at Green's Playhouse in December 1972 as part of a world tour.
According to the book, Plant and a group of his friends turned up in the dining room to enjoy some fine dining.
Despite being one of the most celebrated rock stars on the planet, touring by private jet, unyielding staff flatly refused to serve Plant and his friends because none of them were wearing ties.
The aggrieved singer and his entourage eventually gave up and stomped off in to the Glasgow night to find somewhere else to eat, reveals the book.
A Cambridge art gallery has unveiled its 2012 New Music Series featuring 12 cutting edge concerts performed by world class musicians.
John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin is widely considered as one of the most influential rock bassists of all time.
He will be the big draw for the Kettle's Yard series on May 20, 2012 when he joins Stephen Montague in an exclusive interview and concert. The evening will end with the Cambridge University New Music Ensemble performing his original works.
This year's series begins on January 29 with four tubas, YouTuba, who meet in the woods for a Tuba Bears' Picnic. This musically diverse show is accompanied by text from BBC Radio 3 presenter and poet, Ian McMillan.
On February 12, Kettle's Yard presents the Irish duo, violinist Darragh Morgan accompanied by pianist Mary Dullea.
On February 27, Flam by Orlando Gough comes to Kettle's Yard. This work is performed by virtuoso singers/actors Melanie Pappenheim and Rebecca Askew.
Tickets are available online or by phone on (01223) 748100. Sunday Coffee Concerts are only £7/£4 concessions and the two evening concerts £10/£6 concessions.
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s original ’70′s drumstick sold for over a thousand British Pounds earlier this month in an eBay auction. Only three people were involved in the one week auction, and the buyer who placed the first bid ended up winning the prize. The final amount, you ask? Drum-roll please: the drumstick sold for the equivalent of $1625.37 dollars.
It’s not often that a ‘used’ item is more desirable than a ‘new’ item but when it comes to something such as this, it’s the ‘used’ label that commands the high price tag. One close look at the picture reveals that this drumstick was definitely used. The fact that it’s said to be used by the late, legendary John Bonham during a Led Zeppelin concert gives it mammoth value.
The seller claims that this drumstick was purchased from a collector and was originally made for Bonham by a custom drum builder named Eddie Ryan. He commissioned the company, named Promuco, to manufacture these sticks for Bonham.
Bonham’s name is embossed in scripted silver print across the stick (but the silver is beginning to fade) and the ‘Promuco’ stamp is still legible. Apparently, Ryan made custom drumsticks for Simon Kirke from Free and Bad Company as well.
The seller insisted that this drumstick would make an “ideal present for a fan of the late Bonzo.” Clearly that depends on how zealous you are to bang on your drum with a very expensive drumstick.
Bassist John Paul Jones, who turns 66 in a few weeks, spoke to VH1 Radio about what could've been had John Bonham not died in 1980. JPJ said, "We were optimistic. I knew it would have been interesting. It would've been musically interesting and it would've been nice to see us happy again. We were getting happy again. There were a few dark moments at the end of the '70s."
JPJ is also in Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. They are working on their second album.
What is your theory on how Led Zeppelin would have "gone" had Bonham lived?
In 2007, when Led Zeppelin performed a one-off show at London’s O2, fans began buzzing about the “what ifs” and the possibilities of a full-blown reunion of the band. Unfortunately, singer Robert Plant laid those dreams to rest when he bowed out of signing up for a full-scale reunion tour with his former bandmates.
With the Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London in the near future, fans are now anticipating confirmation that the Rolling Stones may be the entertainment, as they realize the chances of Led Zeppelin playing are unlikely.
“I haven’t spoken to Robert for about six months, but he is really enjoying himself,” Jason Bonham, son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, tells the Sun.
However, Jason remains hopeful that someday Plant might have a change of heart.
“For me you can never say never,” says Jason. “If you ask me today is it gonna happen immediately, well no, there is no talk of it. But if you said to me in 2007 I would play with Led Zeppelin in December [of] that year, I would [have said] you’re nuts, so you never know.”
Others confirmed to appear for the 2012 Olympics include Paul McCartney, who will either play the opening or closing ceremonies. Organizers reportedly still are in need for a few more British singing legends to sign up before July 2012.
February 14, 1974 - Page, Plant and Bonham attend a Roy Harper concert
February 4, 1975 - Zeppelin perform a last minute show at Nassau Coliseum to accomodate fans after being banned in Boston
February 24, 1975 - Physical Graffiti finally issued worldwide to phenomenal sales
February 1976 - Media reports that Zeppelin are due to release an album entitled Obelisk
February 1977 - Robert contracts a bout of tonsillitis postponing the American tour
February 1978 - Robert Plant helps produce a record for punk band Dansette Damage
February 16, 1978 - The cases against Bonham, Cole & Grant stemming from the Oakland incident are heard and all receive suspended prison sentences and fines
February 1979 - Although absent from the US stage or market, Led Zeppelin rank best in many music magazine categories
February 1979 - Mixing sessions for ITTOD take place at Polar Studios. Rumors fly of a European tour
February 3, 1980 - Robert joins Dave Edmund's Rockpile at the Birmingham Top Rank
