There have been many landmarks in the history of artificial intelligence, from the formulation of the mathematical theory that inspired neural networks back in 1943, to IBM’s famous Watson AI beating two champion Jeopardy! contestants in 2011 to win a million-dollar prize.
Future historians may look back at 2020 as a similarly important checkpoint on the road to AI dominance. Why? Because YouTuber Funk Turkey has created a new Led Zeppelin song using the power of AI.
Mr. Turkey used a set of lyrics provided by lyrics.rip – a web service that scrapes the Lyrics Genius database for a particular artist, then cleverly splices together the results using a predictive algorithm known as a Markov Chain to compose a new song – then added some music, before singing the results in the style of Robert Plant. The result? Mountain Man.
Eagle-eyed viewers may notice that the video doesn't feature any footage of Led Zeppelin, but Turkey has an explanation: "I know I usually use concert footage of the band for my videos. However, YouTube keeps yanking the video for this one so that means DEPLOY THE STOCK FOOTAGE OF ADORABLE PUPPIES."
However, the captivating canines shouldn't distract from the song, which features the kind of lyrics that once made Plant famous as a golden-haired symbol of sexual abundance.
"The lyrics.... well, it sure spit out a lot of Robert Plant-esque adlib, which I think turned out okay," says Turkey. "Towards the end with the repeating 'Nevers' in particular, which is something that Markov Chains do – repeat phrases that had been repeated once or twice, but to infinity. It actually repeated the word 'never' almost 37 times, but I had to cut it short to fit the song, and also to freaking breathe."
This isn't Funk Turkey's first experiment with AI. Back in April he came up with The Nickelbot, which used the same techniques to compose a new Nickelback song, Nobody Died Every Single Day, and he's gone on to create Great Balls, a song very much in the style of AC/DC, and Power Gravy, an AI-driven tribute to Iron Maiden.
Exclusive first play plus chat with Mick Jagger & Jimmy Page on @BBCRadio with @ZoeTheBall, tune in from 8:30 am BST July 22nd. Out everywhere at 9am BST. #experiencegoatsheadsoup
A long-lost song the Rolling Stones recorded with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page is to finally be released. Scarlet, thought to be named after Page's daughter, was recorded in October 1974. It is described in a press release as having "layered guitar textures" from Page, and is "as infectious and raunchy as anything the band cut in this hallowed era".
It is to be released on a deluxe edition of the Stones' 1973 album Goats Head Soup, recorded in Jamaica and containing the atypical hit single, Angie. It is generally seen as a notch below the run of albums that preceded it, including Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St, though Mick Jagger praised it above Main St on release, saying: "I really put all I had into it."
More than 45 years after it was allegedly stolen by a baggage handler at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, one of Jimmy Page's most-prized guitars was returned to him by a well-meaning Twin Cities musician, a guitar dealer and a longtime friend.
Page bought the 1960 Gibson Led Paul Custom on layaway from a London music shop when he was 18 years old. The guitar was one of Page's first professional-grade instruments.
Page recorded with the guitar frequently when he was working as a studio musician in the '60s. He gigged with it occasionally during his stint with The Yardbirds and in Led Zeppelin's early days.
During the first Led Zeppelin U.S. tour in which Page dared bring 'Black Beauty' along in 1970, it was stolen at a Twin Cities airport, reports the Star Tribune.
Page ran ads in Rolling Stone, seeking the guitar's return "No questions asked," but to no avail. On later trips to the U.S., he made a habit of visiting vintage guitar stores hunting for his long lost instrument. In the '80s, Page's longtime friend, Perry Margouleff, told Page he would make it his personal mission to find 'Black Beauty.'
Margouleff told the Star Tribune he was "astonished" to finally be holding the guitar 30 years later.
Rick's Cool Collectibles is a memorabilia mail order company serving collectors worldwide! Since 1979 the name Rick Barrett has been associated with quality collectibles including rare concert & event tickets and stubs, Led Zeppelin memorabilia, select music & sports memorabilia, stamps, coins, old postcards, and more!
This Month in
Led Zeppelin History
August xx, 1968 - Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham hold their first rehearsals in Gerrard Street, London
August xx, 1968 - Page, Grant and Chris Dreja go see Robert Plant perform at a Birmingham Teachers College. Page invites Plant to his Pangbourne house and offers him the vocalist position
August xx, 1969 - Peter Grant starts enforcing the 90/10 split in favor of the band
August 31, 1969 - The third US tour ends at the Texas International Festival in Dallas
August xx, 1970 - Zeppelin earn no less than $25,000 per show
August 17, 1970 - Page completes mixing of the Led Zeppelin III in Memphis
August 19, 1971 - The seventh North American tour opens in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
August xx, 1972 - Jimmy Page purchases Plumpton Manor in Sussex
August xx, 1973 - Jimmy starts arranging ideas for the next album
August xx, 1974 - Film maker Peter Clifton has the band re-enact scenes at Shepperton Studios
August 31, 1974 - John Paul Jones appears with David Gilmour and Steve Broughton as Roy Harper’s backing band for the night
August 04, 1975 - Robert Plant and his family are seriously injured as their car veers off the road on the island of Rhodes
August 08, 1975 - Rehearsal for Zeppelin’s Eleventh North American tour postponed after Robert is involved in a serious car accident
August xx, 1976 - Arrangements are made to show the upcoming Zep film in theaters
