New post on Jimmy's Page today gives great details about recording the first album: The inception of the epic Led Zeppelin I So we're in the 50th anniversary of Led Zeppelin, and on this day on 25th September 1968 heralds the inception of the epic Led Zeppelin I album: the moment whereby I would be able to manifest the sounds and layers I had heard in my head and also prove my status as a producer. The group went to Studio No.1, Olympic Studios, 117 Church Road, Barnes, London, SW13, having extensively rehearsed the material for Led Zeppelin I at my house in Pangbourne and we had had the opportunity to perform a good percentage of that material during a few concerts in Scandinavia and the UK to experience our music in a live situation under the clandestine cloak of the Yardbirds. In those days, the studio time was scattered and limited over a few days in September and October, dictated by Olympic's availability. Thus, with the aid of my old friend Glyn John's masterful engineering, at 11pm on Wednesday 25th September 1968, we began our recordings and embarked upon committing this eclectic powerhouse to tape. Much has been speculated about the initial recordings, so I thought it would be useful to show the worksheet from RAK that gives the dates and times that we were scheduled initially to go in. It makes fascinating reading.

Archives for the Wichita Beacon are available for a fee here. Even without paying for access, from the small previews, it's clear that the Yardbirds played Wichita in both 1966 and 1967 (and Jim McCarty collapsed during the show in 67). Wichita Beacon, August 12th, 1966: English Rock The Yardbirds, an English (band?) with five hits to their credit (will play in?) Wichita Monday [August 15th, 1966] for a KLEO (radio?) dance at the Cotilion Ballroom. The dance will be from 7 ... and the group will give two performances during the evening -on(?)...another at 10pm. Wichita Beacon, October 11th, 1967: TEEN DANCE will be held Sunday [October 22nd, 1967] at the ...will feature a battle of the bands to... to play with The Yardbirds Oct 22nd;... Wichita Beacon, October 18th, 1967: THE YARDBIRDS will play ...at the Cotillion. Also playing ... Secret and the Avalons, two w(inners of the?) battle of the bands. Admission .... from 6 to 10 p.m. Advance ....at the Record Shop, 221 E. Wi...(and at?) the Cotillion. Wichita Beacon, October 25th, 1967: ...Complying with the adage "The show must go on," The Yardbirds finished their performance Sunday without their drummer. During their first set, Jim McCarty collapsed on his drums and was rushed backstage and then to the hospital. ...

I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere yet...Jim McCarty has written an autobiography called "Nobody Told Me: My Life with the Yardbirds, Renaissance and Other Stories" , and the introduction is by Jimmy Page. It is pricey... Here's the link to purchase: http://www.lulu.com/ca/en/shop/jim-mccarty-and-dave-thompson/nobody-told-me-my-life-with-the-yardbirds-renaissance-and-other-stories/paperback/product-23700764.html

The MacLean's Toothpaste ad is completely new to me. I wonder what era of the Yardbirds it's from? The toothpaste was available in the US. This is the original vinyl: (https://www.popsike.com/MACLEANS-TOOTHPASTE-66-RADIO-JINGLES-LP-THE-YARDBIRDS/120063677723.html )...my guess is 66, maybe Jeff Beck, but could also be session musicians with just Keith Relf.

Interview with Glyn Johns. He talks about the Led Zep I starting at 10:07. Also, he mentions George Chkiantz, who worked on several Zep albums, at 3:35.

I've heard that JPJ was a member for a short time. Mick Fleetwood mentioned seeing Herbie Goins with JPJ in his first book.

March 30, 1968 from Melody Maker.

Greta Van Fleet

These are amazing! Thanks for sharing

Great stuff Steve. Nice to see these.

Brown U Herald, Apr 5, 85 and Mar 7, 86

I've raised this before, but if the band no longer existed...then wouldn't that have eliminated any requirement for another album? I've always found this last contractual album a little tough to explain, as much as I am glad it did come out. Subsequent greatest hits packages also came out on Atlantic, so they didn't change labels after the completion of the "contractual obligation". What if there had been no usable tapes available? Could Atlantic have forced Jimmy to reform a band to fulfil the obligations (highly doubtful)? Did the contract have a clause giving them rights over any post-Zeppelin music by the former members in the case that Zeppelin didn't fulfil it's obligations?

Wow, nice work. That absolutely looks like Rufus Jones. Querying on Google actually brings up images from what looks to be the same photo session. So the Degree of Murder session photos somehow have unrelated(?) photos of Rufus Jones overlaid onto them. What about the silhouette on the right?

I too have seen Kenney Jones credited as the drummer time and time again, but of course that is not Kenney Jones. Given Brian Jones statement above, it literally could be anyone. However, Bill Wyman has refuted he (Wyman) was involved, and there is nothing to suggest any of the other Stones were involved either. Edited to add: Looking at those two photos again it seems to me the drummer image is superimposed and not actually a reflection in the glass. In other words, it's a theme or motif shot as opposed to a historically accurate shot. I could be wrong. It wasn't September 5th, 66 since Jimmy was either in California or on his way to Hawaii with the Yardbirds. Jimmy's web site just used the first date from the Rolling Stones database, but other dates are listed (e.g the 11th of February). The image of the drummer definitely looks out of place. I seem to recall that the photos were taken by Ian Stewart. Maybe he was behind the "collage".

Oh he will play. I want to hear the Fillmore 69 Lemon Song intro live. It's a virtual party, virtually anything goes....

It's good to be here...so where's the stage, I hear Jimmy's going to drop by with his guitar ;-) ? Where's that confounded bar, I'm thirsty.

Montreal, La Presse, Feb 6, 75: Montreal, La Presse, Feb 7, 75:

Chicago Tribune, Feb 16, 69

Buffalo U The Spectrum, June 16, 72

From The Spectrum (SUNY University at Buffalo), Oct 10, 27 and Nov 3, 69

Rotterdam 80, preview (June 20th) and review (June 23rd), from the NRC Handelsblad.

Ad for Melbourne show from The Age, Feb 5, 72