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Coverdale wants to end Plant feud


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Coverdale fell out with ex Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes about songwriting credits on their 1987 album , Coverdale poked fun of Sykes previous band calling Tygers Of Pantang the Pirates Of Penzance (UK kids pantomime)

When Deep Purple prior to Joe Lynn Turner joined joked that he might put his named forward , He also slagged off thier 1993 Mk2 reunion album " The Battle Rages on " calling it and the reunion as " The Cattle Grazers On "

Back to Plant he said Coverdale " I Thought he wanted to be Paul Rodgers , but no now he wants to be me "

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Robert, Maureen, Carmen, Rex King and Jason Bonham attended a Whitesnake gig at the Odeon in Birmingham in December 1982. (Knebby knows because she was there). After the show, Robert and David were among several gig attendees who went to the hotel for drummer Cozy Powell's 35th Birthday Party.

There may have been other occasions but this remains the only confirmation I have at the moment.

If you can believe The Aquarian, Plant was also a guest at a Deep Purple party in New York City in late 1975 or early 1976. The same magazine issue also carries an interview with the late Tommy Bolin, the guitarist who replaced Ritchie Blackmore in DP. Coverdale isn't mentioned in the article but I assume he was at the party since he was DP's lead singer at the time.

http://www.tbolin.com/interviews/aquarian_feb76.html

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The truth is that Plant was correct. I dont think Roberts comment was meant to be hurtful in the classic sense, ( like he hated coverdale for fucking his girl or something) it was just sour grapes over Jimmy using a poor facsimile to replace Robert. Should Coverdale have been pissed? sure if you're a child, He knows he let something get to him that he shouldnt have and now he wants to bury it props to him.

Even though Jimmy plays his ass off on that record, for me it falls short due to Coverdale. (Never liked him or Whitesnake) Yes the songs are good, but the album would have been way better and far more successful had it been Robert singing. Imagine the CP album with Robert and JPJ. It would have been far better than Walking into Clarksdale or the PP album.

Anyone who believes the bullshit about them not being able to carry on without Bonham is fooling themselves out of their own sense of loss. Just look at all the carrying on Robert and Jimmy did without him or Jones. Both did several tours based on their Zeppelin Roots.

Robert who downplayed Zeppelin for years was still able to play zep tunes in concert and so was jimmy, If you can play bad versions of those songs with your own sub par band then there is no excuse for not doing it with the other 2 guys who created it all in the first place.

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I don't think Robert's comment was meant to be hurtful it was just sour grapes over Jimmy using a poor facsimile to replace Robert.

Anyone who believes the bullshit about them not being able to carry on without Bonham is fooling themselves out of their own sense of loss. Just look at all the carrying on Robert and Jimmy did without him or Jones. Both did several tours based on their Zeppelin Roots.

Robert who downplayed Zeppelin for years was still able to play zep tunes in concert and so was jimmy, If you can play bad versions of those songs with your own sub par band then there is no excuse for not doing it with the other 2 guys who created it all in the first place.

Robert Plant really started taking shots in the press at David in '88 when Whitesnake was enjoying massive chart success. David's pairing with Jimmy didn't help.

IMHO, but most importantly in the surviving band member's opinion, Led Zeppelin simply could not continue without John Bonham. It's one thing to incorporate Led Zeppelin music into solo forays, quite another to foolishly attempt to move on within the construct of something from which an essential component was missing. How many lineups has Whitesnake had by now? Anyway, hasn't this been discussed enough?

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Anyone who believes the bullshit about them not being able to carry on without Bonham is fooling themselves out of their own sense of loss. Just look at all the carrying on Robert and Jimmy did without him or Jones. Both did several tours based on their Zeppelin Roots.

Robert who downplayed Zeppelin for years was still able to play zep tunes in concert and so was jimmy, If you can play bad versions of those songs with your own sub par band then there is no excuse for not doing it with the other 2 guys who created it all in the first place.

I couldn't disagree more.. yeah you can find someone who can play John Bonham's drum parts... There are plenty of great players out there. But there's the shared history, friendship and the inner workings of their band they you can't just replace. If their hearts weren't in it ... why do it?

Look at The Who.. Kenney Jones, Simon Phillips, Zakk Starkey and Pino Palladino are all amazing players..

Simon Phillips (with all due respect to Keith Moon) could play circles around Keith. But it wasn't the same ... not even close..

Page, Plant, Jones and Peter Grant had enough respect for John Bonham as a player, bandmate and most importantly a friend to put it to rest.

As far as Whitesnake goes, it's basically David Coverdale's solo project and a pretty good one.

He has some great moments on Coverdale Page (Whisper a Prayer for the Dying, Over Now etc) and some lame moments (Feeling Hot, Take It Easy). I also like it a lot more than Walking Into Clarksdale. That album never really caught on with me and I've tried.

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  • 2 years later...

I think it is funny to say RP's dislike of DC's creative work because of a pure jealousy, what DC had done in the early Whitesnake stuffs and the 1987 album sold out 14 million copies in the US alone and this was a Plant's pure jealousy ...Still of the night is not a shameless ZEP rip off, but it was based on the old demo guitar riff of Blackmore in 1974. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_of_the_Night_(song)

It seems to me that this ZEP front man feels as the best Rockdiva in the world, in fact he is a bit schizophrenic moody type. He is not only hating Deep Purple but also has a badmouth about Black Sabbath http://nightwatchershouseofrock.blogspot.co.id/2010/10/robert-plant-slags-off-black-sabbath-in.html

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I think it is funny to say RP's dislike of DC's creative work because of a pure jealousy, what DC had done in the early Whitesnake stuffs and the 1987 album sold out 14 million copies in the US alone and this was a Plant's pure jealousy ...Still of the night is not a shameless ZEP rip off, but it was based on the old demo guitar riff of Blackmore in 1974. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_of_the_Night_(song)

It seems to me that this ZEP front man feels as the best Rockdiva in the world, in fact he is a bit schizophrenic moody type. He is not only hating Deep Purple but also has a badmouth about Black Sabbath http://nightwatchershouseofrock.blogspot.co.id/2010/10/robert-plant-slags-off-black-sabbath-in.html

That interview was just Plant taking the piss, Midlands humor you know. Zep & Sabbath were VERY good friends, in fact they were cutting HOTH while Sabbath were cutting Vol. 4 and they would often visit Sabbath in the studio. In fact, Bonham was Tony Iommi's best man at his wedding! The two bands go way back as Plant & Bonham were mates of the Sabbath gang from way back having grown up in the same neighborhood. 

Sometimes people get the wrong impression from interviews with English musicians as they have a very peculiar sense of humor compared to others. Its like a game over there, to take the piss of a mate, in fact it is a sincere form of endearment in the UK.

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I never really got the feud at all, are they both amazing vocalists, yeah, but I think that's where it stops. RP seemed to really lose it over the CP project, not sure why, he was off doing his own thing.

I enjoy all 3 bands if you include Sabbath, plenty of room for all.

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I never really got the feud at all, are they both amazing vocalists, yeah, but I think that's where it stops. RP seemed to really lose it over the CP project, not sure why, he was off doing his own thing.

I enjoy all 3 bands if you include Sabbath, plenty of room for all.

I've read similar opinions several times during the past few years.  Does anyone actually know what started the ill will between Plant and Coverdale?  It couldn't just be because of Page's collaboration with Coverdale.  Zeppelin had been defunct for a decade by then and Plant had moved onto his solo career.

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The beef is more related to Whitesnake and specifically Coverdales aping of Plants mannerisms and things.  Still of the Night and stuff 

I thought imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, Plant should have been happy and a bit amused, but pissed? If this is the reason Plant is rather thin skinned and silly.

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The beef is more related to Whitesnake and specifically Coverdales aping of Plants mannerisms and things.  Still of the Night and stuff 

Well that was a bit rich on Plant's part since he wasn't above aping singers he admired earlier in his career.  His vocals on Whole Lotta Love borrow heavily from Steve Marriott's interpretation of You Need Lovin'.

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^ But that's not apples to apples, though. If an artist is developing an authentic voice by trying on techniques of others and then shaping bits in one's own way on the way to unique self-expression, such influences are inevitable especially earlier on in a career. Coverdale was aping Robert even though DC had been at it long enough to have developed his own mannerisms, look, etc. Instead, he chose a path whose blueprint and success was created and used by Robert. It was close enough to warrant criticism. 

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^ But that's not apples to apples, though. If an artist is developing an authentic voice by trying on techniques of others and then shaping bits in one's own way on the way to unique self-expression, such influences are inevitable especially earlier on in a career. Coverdale was aping Robert even though DC had been at it long enough to have developed his own mannerisms, look, etc. Instead, he chose a path whose blueprint and success was created and used by Robert. It was close enough to warrant criticism. 

The two "Old ladies" should just have a beer and some grinning together and then hug one another.

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  • 9 months later...
On 03/12/2015 at 11:45 PM, IpMan said:

That interview was just Plant taking the piss, Midlands humor you know. Zep & Sabbath were VERY good friends, in fact they were cutting HOTH while Sabbath were cutting Vol. 4 and they would often visit Sabbath in the studio. In fact, Bonham was Tony Iommi's best man at his wedding! The two bands go way back as Plant & Bonham were mates of the Sabbath gang from way back having grown up in the same neighborhood. 

Sometimes people get the wrong impression from interviews with English musicians as they have a very peculiar sense of humor compared to others. Its like a game over there, to take the piss of a mate, in fact it is a sincere form of endearment in the UK.

I'm not so sure.  I can't recall the details but I think in the 1960's there is the issue of someone in Sabbath, most likely Don Arden or one of his henchman threatening to break Pages fingers if Peter Grant made overtures to Bill Ward.  My details on this are really murky to be honest, but I know there was some animosity there from something along those lines.  This happened as Page with Grants support was looking to put his band together.

I also watched Plant in an interview in Canada a few years ago in which he was looking around at photos and albums around the studio in which the interview was happening and he clearly showed disdain for Black Sabbath, had high praise for Hendrix.

Maybe certain members of the bands were close, like Bonham and Iommi, but there also seemed to be some less than stellar affection by others.    

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On 30/09/2016 at 9:26 PM, Canadianzepper said:

I'm not so sure.  I can't recall the details but I think in the 1960's there is the issue of someone in Sabbath, most likely Don Arden or one of his henchman threatening to break Pages fingers if Peter Grant made overtures to Bill Ward.  My details on this are really murky to be honest, but I know there was some animosity there from something along those lines.  This happened as Page with Grants support was looking to put his band together.

I also watched Plant in an interview in Canada a few years ago in which he was looking around at photos and albums around the studio in which the interview was happening and he clearly showed disdain for Black Sabbath, had high praise for Hendrix.

Maybe certain members of the bands were close, like Bonham and Iommi, but there also seemed to be some less than stellar affection by others.    

You're thinking of the Small Faces. Page made overtures to Stevie Marriott in 1966, after the Beck's Bolero sessions had planted the seed of a supergroup in his mind. Page said: "but then the message came back from the business side of Marriott "how would like to play guitar with broken fingers?"". As it was Don Arden, such a  threat would likely be carried out, not just threatened, so the idea was hastily dropped.

 

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2 hours ago, 76229 said:

You're thinking of the Small Faces. Page made overtures to Stevie Marriott in 1966, after the Beck's Bolero sessions had planted the seed of a supergroup in his mind. Page said: "but then the message came back from the business side of Marriott "how would like to play guitar with broken fingers?"". As it was Don Arden, such a  threat would likely be carried out, not just threatened, so the idea was hastily dropped.

 

Oh yes yes, thanks.  How could I not remember that, consider the fact I am of the belief Steve was probably Plants biggest influence in terms of his early singing style.

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The interview your thinking of was on Q on CBC....I also think you have to take Robert's comments tongue in cheek as they all were from Birmingham and crossed paths quite frequently before they even formed Zeppelin and Sabbath...

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  • 5 months later...
On 11/22/2013 at 10:32 AM, juxtiphi said:

The truth is that Plant was correct. I dont think Roberts comment was meant to be hurtful in the classic sense, ( like he hated coverdale for fucking his girl or something) it was just sour grapes over Jimmy using a poor facsimile to replace Robert. Should Coverdale have been pissed? sure if you're a child, He knows he let something get to him that he shouldnt have and now he wants to bury it props to him.

 

Even though Jimmy plays his ass off on that record, for me it falls short due to Coverdale. (Never liked him or Whitesnake) Yes the songs are good, but the album would have been way better and far more successful had it been Robert singing. Imagine the CP album with Robert and JPJ. It would have been far better than Walking into Clarksdale or the PP album.

 

Anyone who believes the bullshit about them not being able to carry on without Bonham is fooling themselves out of their own sense of loss. Just look at all the carrying on Robert and Jimmy did without him or Jones. Both did several tours based on their Zeppelin Roots.

 

Robert who downplayed Zeppelin for years was still able to play zep tunes in concert and so was jimmy, If you can play bad versions of those songs with your own sub par band then there is no excuse for not doing it with the other 2 guys who created it all in the first place.

I disagree.  Coverdale did very well on this project.  Might be the best thing he's done.  It was just at a time that grunge was exploding and rock like this just didn't sell to the masses.

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On 11/22/2013 at 0:32 PM, juxtiphi said:

 

Even though Jimmy plays his ass off on that record, for me it falls short due to Coverdale. (Never liked him or Whitesnake) Yes the songs are good, but the album would have been way better and far more successful had it been Robert singing. Imagine the CP album with Robert and JPJ. It would have been far better than Walking into Clarksdale or the PP album.

 

I first discovered Whitesnake as a child back in 1980 roaming around a summer camp when one of the counselors played some of their music on his great big boom box ghetto blaster on cassette, David Coverdale and his band back in the day were a LOAD of FUN and Sir David has nothing to be sorry for

 and here is a few ways to change your mind:

 

And this wonderful gem with amazing guitar:

 

And of course this great one

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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