On This Day (Jimmy Page) RWG Addition

[MrZoSo 15]

22 Apr 1960

I was at RG Jones Studios with Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds

 

In 1960, I persuaded Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds to record at RG Jones - a demo Studio in Putney. Chris Farlowe's band was one of the best on the London and Southern scene, pre-Beatles era. Their rendition of 'Money' is featured as today's music.

[MrZoSo 15]

On this day… 23 Apr 1969

The album 'With a Little Help from My Friends' by Joe Cocker was released

 

 

Between The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, I did a few sessions and 'With A Little Help From My Friends' by Joe Cocker (from the album of the same name) was one of these. Chris Stainton, the pianist, played fretless bass for this and he had the outline arrangement, but I put my own guitar part together. I was also on a good percentage of the album. Drummer B.J. Wilson played magnificently.

 

[MrZoSo 15]

LED ZEPPELIN PLAYED THE FILLMORE WEST, SAN FRANCISCO

 

 

April 24th 1969 marked Led Zeppelin’s return and first date back in San Francisco following the heady days in January of the same year. In four months, the band was now incorporating the new material in the set that would appear on ‘Led Zeppelin II’, being currently recorded in Los Angeles - for example, ‘The Lemon Song/Killing Floor’.

The idea of recording and capturing the fluent energy while being on the road was definitely working - especially after concerts like these.

Edited April 24, 2012 by MrZoSo

[MrZoSo 15]

I recorded with Paul Rodgers

 

 

 

Paul Rodgers had suggested recording a cover of 'These Arms of Mine', an Otis Reading song, for the ARMS benefit and on this day in 1983 we recorded it, along with 'Slippin' and Sliding' - the old Little Richard song as a B-side. It surfaced on Bill Wyman's Willie and the Poor Boys album and Ronnie Wood made a show on the video for this, miming on sax. The video was shot at the Brixton Academy in London. The amazing keyboard player Geraint Watkins was on the original recording but not in the video.

 

 

[MrZoSo 15]

On this day… 26 Apr 1969

Led Zeppelin played The Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco

 

 

On this day in 1969, Led Zeppelin played 'A Whole Lotta Love' for the encore of this show. Apparently it makes its first appearance on the encore of the second set at Winterland - one of Bill Graham's San Francisco venues.

[MrZoSo 15]

On this day… 27 Apr 1977

I played the Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland with Led Zeppelin

 

 

On this day in 1977, I played the Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland with Led Zeppelin. Eight years later on the same day, I played the Coliseum with The Firm.

[MrZoSo 15]

 

28 APR 1990

I ATTENDED JASON BONHAM’S WEDDING

On this day in 1990, Jason Bonham wedded his wife Jan in Kidderminster - with the three members of Led Zeppelin attending to suitably celebrate. To be a part of the festivities we joined up and played with Jason.

[MrZoSo 15]

On this day… 29 Apr 1986

I played Purdue University, Indiana with The Firm

 

On this day in 1986, a welcoming body saw us off the plane in West Lafayette in full mascot regalia of the Boilermakers, complete with brass band. It was an enthusiastic welcome and the show was a really good one that night. The Elliott Hall of Music we played in was apparently a clone of the interior of Radio City Music Hall in all its dimensions, paid for by the wealthy Patron of the Uni.

I didn't ever play Radio City Music Hall but I did play Purdue.

[MrZoSo 15]

ON THIS DAY… 30 APR 1985

I WENT TO SEE JACO PASTORIUS AT THE LONE STAR CAFÉ IN NEW YORK

 

Jaco was accompanied by a drummer he’d accessed from the The Village Voice Musician’s Column. Needless to say, this drummer from the small ads was having a bit of a problem keeping up with the powerhouse Jaco Pastorius, who was illustrating the complete textbook to the various approaches of electric bass. Jaco invited me up and I had a jam with him but more importantly, Chris Slade, The Firm’s drummer also got up to jam, relegating the current drummer to a table in the club. After about four numbers, I returned to our table to witness a tremendous synergy and understanding of Jaco’s playing from Chris who remained for the rest of the set. That night I got to understand what an experienced and passionate drummer Chris Slade could be. And also what a monster of a player Jaco Pastorius was.

[MrZoSo 15]

On this day… 01 May 1971

Roy Harper released his album 'Stormcock'

 

 

The stormcock, being the only bird reputed to sing through a raging storm. I played on a track called ‘The Same Old Rock’. The engineer was John Leckie. I vividly remember Roy playing this song to me for the first time and it was an heroic epic of Roy proportions. I’ve always been happy with my contribution to Roy’s remarkable work. On the credits of this album, Roy gave me the pseudonym 'S. Flavius Mercurius'!

[MrZoSo 15]

02 MAY 1977

I visited Cairo for the first time

 

 

Between the first leg and the second leg of the 1977 North American tour we had a two and a half week break. I decided to break up my trip back to England with a visit to Cairo. This was the first of what was to be a succession of intense visits to the pyramids of Giza and the Sphynx.

[MrZoSo 15]

 

03 MAY 1968

I PLAYED DETROIT WITH THE YARDBIRDS

The first of two nights at the famous Grande Ballroom in Detroit - an established underground venue - and the Yardbirds show was promoted with this image. The photo was taken by Chris Dreja.

[MrZoSo 15]

04 May 1973

I played Atlanta Stadium with Led Zeppelin

 

 

We opened up the '73 US Summer tour in Atlanta at the Fulton County Stadium. It was an open air concert and we had something in the region of 50,000 people. It was truly apparent how the reputation of the group had spread by word of mouth and receptive ears! But what a welcome back to the States this was.

 

 

[MrZoSo 15]

5TH MAY ‘73

The second date of the ‘73 US Summer tour took us to Tampa, Florida where we managed to achieve a record of 56,800 people in the stadium, producing great media excitement as we had apparently broken the attendance record set by The Beatles at Shea Stadium. However, it was a further illustration of the phenomena the band was generating.

 

 

LED ZEPPELIN BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORD AS WELL AS AN OLD BARRIER OF SILENCE

By MARY CAMPBELL

Record-break tour audiences and grosses have been claimed by a lot of rock groups — Beatles, Rolling Stones, Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad. Now Led Zeppelin is claiming one — biggest audience for one act ever in the United States.

This was May 5 at the Tampa Stadium, the night after the British group started the U.S. tour in Atlanta. Attendance in Tampa was 56,800, with a $309,000 gross.

Led Zeppelin is on a 33-concert, 30-city tour during May and July, with June off for vacation, expiating a total gross of $3 million. The quarter performs without an opening act or intermission, for two and a half hours.

The group has been popular ever since it started in 1968, largely because lead guitarist Jimmy Page was especially well known already from being in the Yardbirds until that group folded.

[MrZoSo 15]

 

06 MAY 1984

I PLAYED WITH ROY HARPER AT THE MAY TREE FAIR FESTIVAL, THETFORD, UK

I was introduced as James MacGregor (The Outlaw Clan) and I played Highway Blues, 20th Century Man, Hangman and Elizabeth. It was a fine gesture of the farmer to have the festival on his land. Some New Age travellers refused to leave and one final straggler set his dogs on the farmer, so gratitude was not high on his moral agenda.

Edited May 6, 2012 by MrZoSo

[MrZoSo 15]

On this day in 1974, I attended the Swan Song launch party at the Four Seasons hotel in New York. Peter Grant had formed Swan Song as the band's record label and we had a launch in London, New York and L.A.

 

Here in New York was some of the cast: Led Zeppelin members, Maggie Bell, Peter Grant and, of course, Ahmet Ertegun. Besides Led Zeppelin releases on the label were Bad Company, Detective, Pretty Things, Maggie Bell, Dave Edmunds, Sad Café and Death Wish II, by yours truly.

The music featured is Grim Reaper and Recognition, both from the debut album by Detective. I think that this and Recognition are interesting tracks. Featuring Michael Des Barres on vocals, John Hyde on drums and ex-Steppenwolf Michael Monarch on guitar. This album was released in 1977.

[MrZoSo 15]

I attended the Blow Up premiere at Cannes Film Festival

 

 

Michelangelo Antonioni’s film 'Blow Up' was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on this day in 1967 - featuring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Birkin, Veruschka and The Yardbirds. We weren’t invited to this premiere but queued up with everyone else outside a theatre in New York at a later date... though there was the added bonus that Veruschka was queuing in the same line!

The music used is from the soundtrack album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ff13foV5E

 

Also on this day in 1996, Page and Plant was promoting Walking into Clarksdale and I played the Jools 'The Stools' Holland Show. We played 'Wanton Song', 'Shining in the Light' and 'Burning Up'.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2utmrqHxC-E

[MrZoSo 15]

 

09 MAY 1998

I PERFORMED ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH PUFF DADDY

On this day in 1998, I was with Puff Daddy in New York City, performing ‘Come With Me’ on Saturday Night Live. He was a fascinating man to witness working and his performances at the sound check, dress rehearsal and broadcast were truly electrifying as he appeared to be improvising with each performance as opposed to the same set delivery. The drummer he had for this project — Mario Winans, a mean producer in his own right — was more than a bit tasty.

Unfortunately, we could not access a copy of the Saturday Night Live performance. PHOTO © NBC 1998

[MrZoSo 15]

10 May 1968

I played with the Yardbirds at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara

 

 

The band were looking good, sounding good and it had an ever increasing cult following on the underground scene.

[MrZoSo 15]

11 May 2005

I played The New York Stock Exchange

 

 

 

 

On this day in 2005, I was asked to play the New York Stock Exchange and was loaned a guitar by Gibson and an amp from somebody else to play down to the opening bell. Indeed I managed that. I was asked to sign another guitar for the stock exchange and signed it '11.5.2005' - as you would in England - but of course in America it was '5.11.2005'.

 

 

[robznet 0]

Class stuff - always look forward to your JP posts! Thanks.

[MrZoSo 15]

 

12 MAY 1982

I WATCHED FOREIGNER PERFORM AT THE SPORTS ARENA, MUNICH

Foreigner were touring with the release of ‘4’ and it was so good to hear and feel Lou Gramm’s vocals. Foreigner had augmented their band with two versatile LA session musicians and, in fact, the guy who played the sax on ‘Urgent’ provided a spirited rendition of the Junior Walker solo. Mick Jones and I went back a long way: we met in the days of Johnny Halliday and it wasn’t long before he encouraged me to come up and have a jam. A tipsy version of ‘Lucille’ was performed.

[MrZoSo 15]

 

13 MAY 1969

I played with Led Zeppelin in Honolulu, HI

Here we are at Honolulu airport, getting Lei’ed on the spot! On the 1969 tour, the second album was in the process of being recorded. For the sake of security, the multitrack tapes were being carried as hand luggage. It seemed a good idea to have each member carrying one of the boxes for the photograph. However at the time, few people would have understood the significance of this picture.

Edited May 13, 2012 by MrZoSo

[MrZoSo 15]

14TH MAY 1991

I IMPLODED INTO THE STAGE

During the early part of May 1991, I had been writing with David Coverdale at his house in Nevada, in preparation for a joint project album. On May 14th, another act with his management, Poison, were playing at Reno. We took the evening off to go and see them. I wasn’t that keen, but was encouraged to come up and play someone else’s guitar on a version of ‘Rock and Roll’ with David on vocals. We were introduced stage centre and as the number began I started moving and playing to stage left out of the spotlight. I found myself falling through a pryo pit that was cut into the stage and nobody had warned me about it. I emerged with a few cracked ribs and a broken guitar but I still managed to carry on until the end of the song! Apart from a few twinges, this didn’t affect the ongoing writing process with David.

Edited May 14, 2012 by MrZoSo

[MrZoSo 15]

 

ON THIS DAY… 15 MAY 1964

‘HOLD ME’ BY PJ PROBY WAS RELEASED

On this day in 1964, the single ‘Hold Me’ - on which I played the chugging rhythm guitar - by PJ Proby was released. The solo was played by Big Jim Sullivan, to whom I loaned my recently introduced fuzzbox - a distortion/sustain pedal. PJ Proby was a good guy and friendly with the musicians. He had been a very good Elvis imitator whilst in the States.

His vocal techniques, as highlighted in the Westside Story’s ‘Somewhere’, were refreshing and unique in the UK at that time. With Bobby Graham on drums, the spirit of the ‘Hold Me’ session was electrifying that evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73_Ox-E0SeM

Edited May 14, 2012 by MrZoSo