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Clapton and Page


Flares

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What's the relationship like between Clapton and Page these days? I know the famous story about Clapton going back to Jimmy's house in the 60s, or vice versa, and they jammed a few blues songs which eventually came out on vinyl. I bought it and it's pretty good. But aside from ARMS in 1983, I don't think they have played again together.They never seem to talk about each other either, although Page rarely name-checks anyone! Being a blues purist, I wonder if Clapton thinks Zep bastardised the blues and didn't credit their sources enough. I know post-Cream he wasn't into the whole extended imrpov thing anymore. Anyway, just curios as to the state of the relationship if there is one at all. You think two guitar titans from the same era, who both played in the Yardbirds, would respect each other. Clapton always speaks highly of Beck and played at his Ronnie Scott's gigs. But Jimbo never gets a mention!

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Could it be a class thing, maybe EC being brought up by his Grandparents and thinking his Mother was his Sister (I could be wrong about that).

So maybe EC thinks Page is a bit of a snotty nosed middle class git, idk I'm prolly way off mark, interesting thinking there Flares.

Maybe akimbo tried to tap Patti....(akimbo?, F'kin auto correct I typed JImbo) or Eric called Jim out for some of his dodgy predilections, maybe they just don't get on.

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I just remembered seeing Clapton on Wogan with Townsend in the mid-80s, and also Clapton playing with Roger Waters on one of his albums and live. So, yeah, he's not closed to collaborating with his 70s peer group. And then Clapton was on the same bill as Page at Knebworth 90 and played with Dire Straits and Elton John, but Page was nowhere to be seen! Only a set earlier in the day with Plant. Hmm. I would love to know the inside line on their relationship. 

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Its no secret there was some animosity from cream towards led zeppelin but it really came from jack bruce and ginger baker. I think with clapton and page it was more personal since jimmy page dated and had a child with charlotte martin after eric clapton dated her for a few years.

2cqefwp.jpg

 

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Actually at the ARMS shows in the RS article Page did praise Clapton, but other than that there does

seem to be an odd sort of silence between the two. There is the whole fascinating and sad story from

Ronnie Lane about how Page joined the ARMS tour. Jimmy played the 2 London gigs not too badly,

but everyone backstage had seen enough of Jimmy still smacked out, doing Coke and drinking heavily,

stumbling around and mumbling incoherently. So an intervention was hatched if Jimmy wanted to continue

on to the U.S. dates. Clapton had been friends with Jimmy at times and had a heroin habit , so he proposed to Jimmy he could only join the tour heroin-free. Well Jimmy did it but by all accounts Jimmy

was doing huge amounts of Coke and Jack's 24/7 thru the entire tour. So this whole drama may have put a strain on their relationship , especially since Clapton has made such huge efforts to stay straight.

 

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^^ You know that does sound likely the reason. As a big fan of Jimmy, it bums me out to think his drug issues to this day 
nobody knows how much it may have hindered projects with other musicians. I remember watching the footage of Jimmy
at the A R M S in '83 and the S T H solo just left me thinking "Oh no Jimmy :("  Jeff and Eric basically rescuing him on HIS song.
A song he had played hundreds of times.  I'm glad Jimmy is clean today. I just wish we had more 'sober' Jimmy post O2 reunion to
watch.

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Right, it has puzzled me no end why Jimmy wasn't overloaded with film soundtrack offers, opportunities

for one album-tour situations after Zep, etc.,. Amazing actually how long before the general public knew

he was in serious trouble with drugs. Clapton in his various Crossroads ventures and other jamming

situations HAS actually restricted backstage alcohol/drug usage. As a parting Thought, I'm sure Eric

respects Page's accomplishments overall, but very likely takes a very dim view of some of the very

sloppy playing Page has done, as Clapton himself has played many good gigs totally blitzed. Sort of like

if you can't handle it, don't do it.

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So true,

I draw a blank right now, but who was it that Jimmy said touring with this guy was like being on tour with your Grandma? 

Meanwhile I'm thinking um Jimmy that lifestyle on the road is EXACTLY what you should've adopted. Ok maybe not knitting
needles, crossword puzzles and Wheel of Fortune, but Jimmy should've learned to perform again without the drugs and Jack
Daniels once he got post Zeppelin 

He is such an incredibly talented musician. So many ideas that never got a chance to come to fruition I bet. And now like many have said, his confidence likely plays the villain now.

Edited by KellyGirl
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If there was any level of friendship at all, surely Clapton would have invited Page to perform at one of his Crossroads festivals. Clapton's had bloody every other guitarist on there. I'm sure Page would have been happy to sit in on a few blues numbers and it would have boosted ticket sales. I think it's a mixture of they don't get on and Clapton doesn't rate Jimbo's playing anymore.

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I am really too old to care about drama, whatever it is it is. But i really think putting jimmy on that arms tour was a mistake on one hand, yet caring of him to participate. My gosh, it was like the hangover of the risk taking 70s there in 1983. It would never happen today. Pages drug bubble was there for everyone to see, yet again...he stepped up and gave of himself.

Jimmy Page is by far the most creative guitarist out of the beck, clapton, page guitar hero group. My 2 cents. I have claptons box set and a dvd, he is great....i like clapton. But i love page, so much more on the map of music. All of them played deep, but jimmy w zep was just sprawling all over the place....i really think he must have been high on being able to play with jones and bonham and yet have a writing partnership with one of the best rock singers, artist ever. 

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If there was any level of friendship at all, surely Clapton would have invited Page to perform at one of his Crossroads festivals. Clapton's had bloody every other guitarist on there. I'm sure Page would have been happy to sit in on a few blues numbers and it would have boosted ticket sales. I think it's a mixture of they don't get on and Clapton doesn't rate Jimbo's playing anymore.

It could also be that the invite is there, but Page simply doesn't have it in him to go do a set at Crossroads.

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Its no secret there was some animosity from cream towards led zeppelin but it really came from jack bruce and ginger baker. I think with clapton and page it was more personal since jimmy page dated and had a child with charlotte martin after eric clapton dated her for a few years.

2cqefwp.jpg

 

If that's true that's pretty hypocritical of Clapton. (see: Pattie Boyd)

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In the early possibly to the late 60's Page and Clapton were actually very good friends,

they used to go out to eat and actually discuss art matters other than just music. In fact

Jimmy, Eric, and Jeff had recorded a bunch of stuff at Jimmy's house, and Jimmy somehow being obligated to Immediate Records had to turn the stuff over. Of course

without any OK from Jimmy an album called Guitar Boogie ??? something was released,

and apparently Eric may have thought Jimmy orchestrated it. That could have created

a tension, obviously. With the Crossroads thing and so on I think Eric is more wary that

Jimmy is not reliably in good playing shape, otherwise Eric is really not known for grudges.

Same goes for other jams and situations; is Jimmy up to it, even a simple blues ???

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Perhaps Eric invited Jimmy to join him on stage a few times, but Jimmy politely declined? Jimmy had been very busy between the the Led Zeppelin Atlantic Records Show of 1988 right through to the release of the Zeppelin remastered box sets...The Outrider Tour, Coverdale Page album and small Japan tours, Page/Plant albums plus tours, Black Crowes tour, O2 gig, and the remastered expanded editions. 

Could have he done more perhaps? Will he get around to be seen playing again as he has hinted over the last 12 months? Hopefully. 

As far as Clapton, he has never really spoken in any positive manner about Led Zeppelin, and the feeling I get is that perhaps he views Jimmy as not being a pure enough blues player - Jimmy likes to move the yardstick to the next horizon; Eric seems to like the blues in his rearview mirror, something of the past not to be altered in any way.

Just my 2 cents, but what the fuck do I know

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The difference between Page and Clapton was clear at ARMS. Page was playing Chopin on a b-string bender, trying to push the boundaries. Clapton did Layla and Tulsa Time, without breaking a sweat. For me, Clapton, is a fine guitar player, but post-Cream he never really pushed the boundaries that much. For better or worse, most of the time, Page has ploughed forward and taken some risks. Could Clapton have written something as innovative as TSRTS, 10 years gone or Achilles Last Stand. I doubt it. That all aside, I would love to have seen Beck, Clapton and Page trade solos on a standard 12-bar blues at the Crossroads festival. That would have been awesome. They're all legends in their own field. 

Edited by Flares
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I just remembered seeing Clapton on Wogan with Townsend in the mid-80s, and also Clapton playing with Roger Waters on one of his albums and live. So, yeah, he's not closed to collaborating with his 70s peer group. And then Clapton was on the same bill as Page at Knebworth 90 and played with Dire Straits and Elton John, but Page was nowhere to be seen! Only a set earlier in the day with Plant. Hmm. I would love to know the inside line on their relationship. 

It's really none of our business but, of course, this won't stop us from speculating about it.  Jeff Beck likes Page well enough to invite him to his wedding in 2005.  However, they haven't really worked together since Beck left the Yardbirds back in 1966.  My point is that I don't think we can judge Page's relationships with other musicians on whether or not they do gigs together.  Particularly since Page has only performed no more than half a dozen times during the past 15 years.  From what I've read Page is on friendly terms with Ronnie Wood, Joe Perry and Joe Walsh but he hasn't collaborated with any of them either as of late.  

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So true,

I draw a blank right now, but who was it that Jimmy said touring with this guy was like being on tour with your Grandma? 

Meanwhile I'm thinking um Jimmy that lifestyle on the road is EXACTLY what you should've adopted. Ok maybe not knitting
needles, crossword puzzles and Wheel of Fortune, but Jimmy should've learned to perform again without the drugs and Jack
Daniels once he got post Zeppelin 

He is such an incredibly talented musician. So many ideas that never got a chance to come to fruition I bet. And now like many have said, his confidence likely plays the villain now.

Page was referring to Paul Rogers.  

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The thing with the relationships seems a bit foggy, but would Jimmy greet any of the

musos likely warmly if he ran into them on the street ?? I think so. Perhaps not in a crowd,

as Jimmy remains shy. I'm sure he's been both invited AND left out because of his at times unknown musical readiness. And, like others, IMO Clapton may respect Zep's

success but not appreciate their versatility, mistaking it for dilletantism, or something.

But in my view Clapton's Blues stranglehold has cost him dearly. Whatever.

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I would think if Page is regularly playing or semi regularly playing out next year then an invitation to Crossroads may be of one the wonderful options available to Page.  Either Page and his next band playing some songs (similar to what Beck, Santana and others have done) or perhaps Page sitting in with Clapton and band for one song with Page as a guest(similar to what Keith Richards did). 

I think both men respect and appreciate each other's musicianship. Both have been down the long and winding road of a musician.  I would think Clapton would love to have Page included.

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Well arguably Zep's music has had the most emotional impact out of all the musicians on the ARMS stage.

Also Jimmy had literally vanished for years into being a legendary rock recluse. I saw two of the shows

and actually Page was the most well GREETED, but Beck put on such a stunning performance that to my

perception after each song there were almost standing ovations. After Stairway there was bedlam, but

even my friend said Beck won the crowd. Clapton played very well, but the fire of Beck and the Page

nostalgia set him aside.

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I remember some publication at the time of ARMS said (paraphrasing from memory) "there was a hint of discord between Clapton who overcame a very public addiction to Cocaine, and Page about whom such a thing has never been said".  I doubt if that was it, really.  At ARMS they all appeared to be happy, Clapton serving as sort of the MC and introducer.  It was good to just see Page and realize he was still capable of playing.

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Absolutely, that was in the RS special issue about the whole shebang. And agreed that the "tension" was

something more in the writer's mind. Still, looking back, I find it amazing that enormous suspicion was never cast upon Page considering his considerable weight loss, loss of musical skill and even almost

mythical retreat and disappearance from the world at large. Of course there was no net and after Zep

it really was "What the hell is Jimmy up to"???

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