Zeppelin Mysteries Hosted by Steve A. Jones

[SteveAJones]

^^^

Are there any references to the Cavett show episode or the Carter speech in the book's bibliography? Cavett did not have a show in '76, but he did have one on CBS until Sep 1975. I vaguely recall Amy Carter was a Led Zeppelin fan. 

[JTM]

This gave me a chuckle......

Here's a true story told to me recently by someone who knows.

Noel Gallagher was in Harrods a while back and as he was shopping he bumped into Jimmy Page. Both were unaccompanied. They got to chatting when a group of Japanese tourists looked over and got rather excited. They walked over and asked if they could have some pictures. Noel and Jimmy being good sports said of course. One of the group came over and gave the camera to Jimmy and asked him to take the pictures. They didn't recognise him. All of the pictures were taken by Jimmy of Noel and the Japanese tourists. When the Japanese people were done they said their thank yous and went on their way. Noel went back to Jimmy and apologised saying he felt embarrassed. Jimmy said "It's OK I cut their heads off in every shot."

You're welcome, I x

[SteveAJones]

1 minute ago, JTM said:

This gave me a chuckle......

Here's a true story told to me recently by someone who knows.

Noel Gallagher was in Harrods a while back and as he was shopping he bumped into Jimmy Page. Both were unaccompanied. They got to chatting when a group of Japanese tourists looked over and got rather excited. They walked over and asked if they could have some pictures. Noel and Jimmy being good sports said of course. One of the group came over and gave the camera to Jimmy and asked him to take the pictures. They didn't recognise him. All of the pictures were taken by Jimmy of Noel and the Japanese tourists. When the Japanese people were done they said their thank yous and went on their way. Noel went back to Jimmy and apologised saying he felt embarrassed. Jimmy said "It's OK I cut their heads off in every shot."

You're welcome, I x

Never happened because Jimmy would never do that.

[JTM]

41 minutes ago, SteveAJones said:

Never happened because Jimmy would never do that.

Lighten up ''Stephen'' don't be so defensive, of course it's not true. I just thought it amusing.  

Edited December 20, 2016 by JTM

[The Rover]

On 11/16/2015 at 0:35 PM, TheGreatOne said:

I could not see Zeppelin play JFK Stadium in Philadelphia and Chicago doing the same set list, it would have been much longer for sure.    Hmmm, maybe a 30 minute version of Carouselambra ??

In hindsight, that's what I would have preferred, a 30 minute Carouselambra. Let D&C, ALS, and WLL rest.

[Balthazor]

6 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

^^^

Are there any references to the Cavett show episode or the Carter speech in the book's bibliography? Cavett did not have a show in '76, but he did have one on CBS until Sep 1975. I vaguely recall Amy Carter was a Led Zeppelin fan. 

That I don't know, I don't currently own a copy of Hammer of the Gods. I haven't spent a whole lot of time researching the Susan Ford thing, but what digging I did do always seemed to come back to the quote from Hammer, which of course makes me question whether or not there's any truth to it at all.

[SteveAJones]

2 hours ago, Balthazor said:

That I don't know, I don't currently own a copy of Hammer of the Gods. I haven't spent a whole lot of time researching the Susan Ford thing, but what digging I did do always seemed to come back to the quote from Hammer, which of course makes me question whether or not there's any truth to it at all.

It's such minutiae, even for me, I have to ask why is it of interest to you? 

[Balthazor]

53 minutes ago, SteveAJones said:

It's such minutiae, even for me, I have to ask why is it of interest to you? 

Nothing too important. I can't honestly remember what made me think of it, but I thought I'd see if I could track down a clip of the Cavett show where this exchange allegedly took place. Searching the internet only turned up a brief discussion about it that took place here in 2012, and revealed that Cavett didn't even have a show in 1976. Like I said, I found that Cavett talked to the Ford family in 1974, which could have been the source, but I couldn't find any clips of that episode anywhere. So finally I thought someone here might know, which brings us to now. I realize that by now I've invested a substantial amount of time and effort in the pursuit of something that's entirely irrelevant, but after all, isn't that the primary function of the internet in the first place?

[SteveAJones]

2 hours ago, Balthazor said:

Nothing too important. I can't honestly remember what made me think of it, but I thought I'd see if I could track down a clip of the Cavett show where this exchange allegedly took place. Searching the internet only turned up a brief discussion about it that took place here in 2012, and revealed that Cavett didn't even have a show in 1976. Like I said, I found that Cavett talked to the Ford family in 1974, which could have been the source, but I couldn't find any clips of that episode anywhere. So finally I thought someone here might know, which brings us to now. I realize that by now I've invested a substantial amount of time and effort in the pursuit of something that's entirely irrelevant, but after all, isn't that the primary function of the internet in the first place?

I can relate to the thrill of the chase. However, in this instance it's difficult to have an answer quickly, if at all. It is possible Carter's speech is on file at his Presidential library, and there could be a recording of Cavett's show in existence, but I don't know who owns the rights to them or has access. It's difficult to imagine Carter name-checking them (even during a recording industry function) as a Southern baptist politician, but then he did have populist leanings and a teenage daughter at the time who may have been a fan.

[Balthazor]

I did, however, find this page from the New York Times in 1974 that references Gerald Ford's son Steven listening to Led Zeppelin.

[SteveAJones]

^^^

Nice find. I can almost see where New York-based author Stephen Davis employed some artistic license with that article for his book. We have to bear in mind this same author wrote in his followup book, LZ: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin's 1975 Tour , about Led Zeppelin accepting a last minute booking for Austin, TX on March 7, 1975 (which never happened).

[IpMan]

3 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

^^^

Nice find. I can almost see where New York-based author Stephen Davis employed some artistic license with that article for his book. We have to bear in mind this same author wrote in his followup book, LZ: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin's 1975 Tour , about Led Zeppelin accepting a last minute booking for Austin, TX on March 7, 1975 (which never happened).

I really hate that book, its horrible. Davis comes across as a complete asshole and Zeppelin seem more an afterthought. The whole focus of the book is less Zeppelin on tour and more Mr. Davis recalling a sexual liaison with a former lover...on Zep's tab to boot.

[SteveAJones]

1 hour ago, IpMan said:

I really hate that book, its horrible. Davis comes across as a complete asshole and Zeppelin seem more an afterthought. The whole focus of the book is less Zeppelin on tour and more Mr. Davis recalling a sexual liaison with a former lover...on Zep's tab to boot.

It definitely pales in comparison to Hammer of the Gods, which although a sensationalized account is actually a damn good book as far as maintaining the reader's interest. I do recall reading an interview with Davis that I cannot find at the moment wherein he alludes to the second book being a cash grab. Here's another interview with Davis for those who may not be familiar with him or his other work:

http://www.bu.edu/bostonia/winter09/stephen-davis/stephen-davis.pdf 

[ZepHead315]

I recently listened to Immigrant Song at the Bath Festival, and...can anyone decipher the lyrics that Plant is singing? I find it interesting how the lyrics are still being worked on here. I recognize a few of the lyrics that would become the standard lyrics for the song, but I can't make out other parts. The recording quality definitely doesn't help either. Apologies if this has been posted before (I did a quick search on the forum and couldn't find anything).

 

[SteveAJones]

2 hours ago, ZepHead315 said:

I recently listened to Immigrant Song at the Bath Festival, and...can anyone decipher the lyrics that Plant is singing? I find it interesting how the lyrics are still being worked on here. I recognize a few of the lyrics that would become the standard lyrics for the song, but I can't make out other parts. The recording quality definitely doesn't help either. Apologies if this has been posted before (I did a quick search on the forum and couldn't find anything).

The audio quality of that recording is so poor one would have to isolated the vocals to have any real hope of discerning what is being sung. To my ears, the lyrics that differ aren't lyrics so much as they are improvisations to cover for missing lyrics.

[babysquid]

Ok this might not really be a mystery but I'll ask anyway. 

All of My Love is often described as being about or dedicated to Robert's late son. As far as I can tell this was only ever  media speculation that is now accepted as fact despite there being no confirmation by Robert or any in the Led Zeppelin camp. I know you could all say "just listen to the lyric" but it's very easy to temper your mind to a question when an answer has already been suggested.

Is there any real proof or am I missing something obvious?

Edited January 8, 2017 by babysquid

[ZepHead315]

Another question I've been pondering recently...how come Mike Millard missed the first four songs of the 6/23/77 show? According to The Year Of Led Zeppelin blog, his recording starts just before Since I've Been Loving You. So what happened? Did he think his tape was running when it wasn't? Did the first part somehow get lost over the years? Did he get delayed due to traffic (as reportedly happened at the 2nd Long Beach show in 75)? 

[SteveAJones]

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 1:55 AM, babysquid said:

Ok this might not really be a mystery but I'll ask anyway. 

All of My Love is often described as being about or dedicated to Robert's late son. As far as I can tell this was only ever  media speculation that is now accepted as fact despite there being no confirmation by Robert or any in the Led Zeppelin camp. I know you could all say "just listen to the lyric" but it's very easy to temper your mind to a question when an answer has already been suggested.

Is there any real proof or am I missing something obvious?

It is often suggested the lyrics are inspired by the loss of Karac and/or conception of Logan, but I don't recall nor think you'll find any direct quote from Robert Plant confirming or denying this. As you know, the lyrics are very oblique and open to the listener's interpretation, which would seem to be by design. It is interesting that for the promo video for I Believe, another song also suggested (and more clearly) Karac-influenced, he chose to use the video to overtly establish that interpretation. 

 

 

6 hours ago, ZepHead315 said:

Another question I've been pondering recently...how come Mike Millard missed the first four songs of the 6/23/77 show? According to The Year Of Led Zeppelin blog, his recording starts just before Since I've Been Loving You. So what happened? Did he think his tape was running when it wasn't? Did the first part somehow get lost over the years? Did he get delayed due to traffic (as reportedly happened at the 2nd Long Beach show in 75)? 

It is often alleged the tape is incomplete because Millard forgot to press record, but he is long since deceased so we will never know for certain.

Recording includes: Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, [ cut ], Ten Years Gone, The Battle Of Evermore, Going To California, Black Country Woman (<< Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp..), [ cut ], White Summer (...Black Mountain Side...) >> Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot, Over The Top (...Out On The Tiles, Moby Dick...), Guitar Solo (...The Star Spangled Banner...) >> Achilles Last Stand, [ cut ], Stairway To Heaven, [ cut ], Whole Lotta Love >> Rock And Roll.

(Recording Length: Near 166 minutes).

 

 

Edited January 11, 2017 by SteveAJones

[Brigante]

During the re-issue interviews, Jimmy was asked if he knew at the time that All My Love was about Karac.

'I came to realise it later', he said.

So Jimmy himself believes it - but 'came to realise' suggests that he arrived at that conclusion himself, not that Robert actually told him.

All this is in contrast to Halfin's comment that 'Jimmy hated All My Love but it was about Karac, so he couldn't criticise it.'

It’s not hard to see why very few people seem to like Halfin, is it...?

[porgie66]

19 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

It is often suggested the lyrics are inspired by the loss of Karac and/or conception of Logan, but I don't recall nor think you'll find any direct quote from Robert Plant confirming or denying this. As you know, the lyrics are very oblique and open to the listener's interpretation, which would seem to be by design. It is interesting that for the promo video for I Believe, another song also suggested (and more clearly) Karac-influenced, he chose to use the video to overtly establish that interpretation. 

 

 

It is often alleged the tape is incomplete because Millard forgot to press record, but he is long since deceased so we will never know for certain.

Recording includes: Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, [ cut ], Ten Years Gone, The Battle Of Evermore, Going To California, Black Country Woman (<< Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp..), [ cut ], White Summer (...Black Mountain Side...) >> Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot, Over The Top (...Out On The Tiles, Moby Dick...), Guitar Solo (...The Star Spangled Banner...) >> Achilles Last Stand, [ cut ], Stairway To Heaven, [ cut ], Whole Lotta Love >> Rock And Roll.

(Recording Length: Near 166 minutes).

 

 

Not sure where or when, but I remember reading Millard was delayed en route to the venue on 6/23/77...maybe someone else can corroborate? 

[SteveAJones]

17 hours ago, Brigante said:

During the re-issue interviews, Jimmy was asked if he knew at the time that All My Love was about Karac.

'I came to realise it later', he said.

So Jimmy himself believes it - but 'came to realise' suggests that he arrived at that conclusion himself, not that Robert actually told him.

All this is in contrast to Halfin's comment that 'Jimmy hated All My Love but it was about Karac, so he couldn't criticise it.'

It’s not hard to see why very few people seem to like Halfin, is it...?

Thanks for that. The lyrics are open to interpretation, and purposefully so. Obviously, anyone (fans or band mates) familiar with Robert's personal situation at the time would come to realize what quite likely inspired it. Ross Halfin is entitled to his own interpretation of the song, interpretation of Jimmy's feelings about it and whatever his own opinions are. However, again, Robert should probably be the one to speak for himself, if he'd like, when it comes to explaining what inspired the lyrics he wrote.  

[Brigante]

1 hour ago, SteveAJones said:

 Robert should probably be the one to speak for himself, if he'd like, when it comes to explaining what inspired the lyrics he wrote.  

Absolutely.

[bluecongo]

I don't know if this qualifies as a mystery, but I want to know more about Zeppelin and the Peace Medal Ceremony in Hiroshima in 1971.

1. Who's idea was it? Zep or promoter?

2. Zep donated their concert proceeds?

3. Was this a big deal in Japan? Or did every rock band do this etc 

 

thx 

 

 

[SteveAJones]

27 minutes ago, bluecongo said:

I don't know if this qualifies as a mystery, but I want to know more about Zeppelin and the Peace Medal Ceremony in Hiroshima in 1971.

1. Who's idea was it? Zep or promoter?

2. Zep donated their concert proceeds?

3. Was this a big deal in Japan? Or did every rock band do this etc 

thx 

Great topic and questions.

Q1 answer:  "I played in Hiroshima on the first Led Zeppelin tour of Japan, the concert was to be a benefit for the victims. The mayor presented city medals and a letter of appreciation to the band and manager Peter Grant. It made me think long and hard about the concept of war and its concentrated horror." -- Jimmy Page (2011)

Jimmy's answer suggests the original idea wasn't his nor the band's. Peter Grant undoubtedly made arrangements thru the promoter, Mr. Udo, who may or may not have been the original one to suggest it. 

Q2 answer: Yes, a total of seven million yen

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/september-27-1971

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/31/national/history/jimmy-page-pays-tribute-hiroshima-bomb-victims/#.WIoD0vl97XU

Q3 answer: The Beatles had been the first major Western rock group to perform in Japan just five years prior (Jun/Jul 1966), which more or less launched the Japanese rock scene. So this goodwill gesture, if not the first by a Western music group, certainly would have been noteworthy to the people of Hiroshima and by extension the people of Japan.

http://www.thevideobeat.com/group-sounds-gs-60s-japanese-garage-rock.htm

[sam_webmaster]

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/event/september-27-1971

Hiroshima Charity Concert

Led Zeppelin donates proceeds of their concert in Hiroshima to the victims of the first atomic bomb in 1945. The mayor, Setsuo Yamada, presents the band with a letter of appreciation and a city medal as a token of friendship.

Letter Translation:

To The "Led Zeppelin":

The City of Hiroshima extends to you its profound appreciation for your warm sympathy for the reflief of our atomic-bomb sufferers, and for your thoughtfulness in giving a Charity Concert for the purpose of contributing to their relief, by donating the proceeds arising therefrom to the City of Hiroshima.

September 27th, 1971

SETSUO YAMADA
Mayor
City of Hiroshima

---------------------------------------------------------

Just to add, I've spoken with more than one TV archive in Hiroshima through the years. They said there are catalog entries for "news footage" of this ceremony and concert, but they are missing.