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Earlier in this thread it was posted in 85 Plant was asked about putting out live Zep shows like Deep Purples live in London and Plant says they were lucky to play live anywhere, I am surprised no one here has said anything about that.

That has to be one of the most stupid things I have ever heard Plant say. DP back in the day was one of the best ever live acts. Lost allot of respect for Plant with a comment like that.  

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21 hours ago, lynxwizard said:

Earlier in this thread it was posted in 85 Plant was asked about putting out live Zep shows like Deep Purples live in London and Plant says they were lucky to play live anywhere, I am surprised no one here has said anything about that.

That has to be one of the most stupid things I have ever heard Plant say. DP back in the day was one of the best ever live acts. Lost allot of respect for Plant with a comment like that.  

Robert Plant has directed insults towards other musicians from the Black Country for years, often times in jest. 

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  • 1 month later...

David Coverdale: How We Made The Coverdale Page Album

Features / 6 hours ago / by Geoff Barton

 
 
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David Coverdale (Photo: Patrick Ford / Getty Images)
 
 
 
 

  •  

Whitesnake’s David Coverdale looks back on his brief collaboration with Led Zeppelin’ Jimmy Page – and why the album they made together is an unsung classic

 

 

In 1993, two of the world’s biggest rock stars released one of the decade’s unsung classics. Former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Pageand ex-Deep Purple/current Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdalehad been brought together by legendary A&R man John Kalodner in the sort of tag-team rock fans dream of (and Page’s ex-Zeppelin partner Robert Plant has nightmares) about.

The sole, self-titled album these two big beasts made together was a classic. Prosaically titled Coverdale Page, it revisited the pair’s illustrious pasts – opener Shake My Tree was a blues rock colossus in the vein of Zep’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Take A Good Look At Yourself drank from the same well of lushness as Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again, while Whisper A Prayer For The Dying existed in a glorious place where Stairway To Heaven met Kashmir.

Despite plans to make another album, it wasn’t to last – after a handful of shows in Japan, the partnership dissolved. Page reunited with Robert Plant for the unplugged No Quarter album, while his erstwhile colleague put together a new Whitesnake line-up.

More than 20 years later, Coverdale looks back on how it all came together and why Coverdale Page remains one of rock’s great ‘what ifs’…


Can you remember whose suggestion it was to make a record together – yours or Jimmy Page’s?

The synchronicity was rather special. I’d spoken to a mutual acquaintance of JP and mine, my friend and agent, Rod MacSween, that I was taking some time off to recover from three or four years non-stop hard work. Around the same time Jimmy was telling Rod he wanted to get back to work and could he recommend any singers he could check out, and Rod told him I was putting the Snake on hold for a while. That was all the energy that was needed.

What are your memories of making the album?

Working with Jimmy was an utter treat. He was and still is a hero of mine. The album took a lot longer than we’d hoped, but, personally, I treasure every aspect. The hardest part for me was losing my mam during the recording, but Jimmy was very gracious and supportive and we put the work on hold so I could be with her. Nothing else came near to being as hard as that time for me.

Why do you think the two of you gelled so well?

Same shoe size. Ha Ha! Who knows? We just did and we continue to. I so wish he had something to get his amazing chops into. He deserves the best.

If you had to put one track from the album in a time capsule for future generations, which would it be?

For me, it’s Don’t Leave Me This Way. When we came together we presented each other with a couple of song ideas that we’d both presented to former associates and didn’t get a bite. Mine was Don’t Leave Me This Way and JPs was the kick-arse riff to Shake My Tree. Soon as I heard that I said, "I’ll have that, thank you very much..."

You never played any shows outside of Japan. Why not?

I think when we sat down in New York to see if we wanted to work together we’d discussed giving it three years and with one thing or another the three years were up in Japan. We definitely should have played more dates. We were pretty good together.

Why didn’t you make a follow up?

We actually started to, to be honest. The muse was upon us. But Jimmy’s manager at the time insisted we call it a day, so, we stopped… though there are a couple of corkers in the can.

If Jimmy Page called you right now and said, "Fancy doing it again?", what would you say?

Fancy doing what again? Ha Ha! I love Pagey and would be there for him. I’d love to do an expanded, remixed CP album. I have so much material that a lot of people would love to see and hear. All the original demos, pre-production and a ton of home video from the very first day we sat down to write at my house all the way through till the Japanese tour. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.


 

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Coverdale has been talking about the idea of doing a remix re-issue of Coverdale Page. I'd welcome that to be honest. I thought the production was very 90's and it could benefit from a fresh eye and approach. Lots and lots of video from the CP tour has emerged on youtube. Many of the live versions are superior, particularly Take Me for a Little While, Absolution Blues and Don't Leave Me This Way (sans drum solo).

The interesting to me is DC claiming they started on new material before Peter Mensch (who I THINK was Jimmy's manager at the time) put an end to it. This isn't the first time he's said that. I'm curious about the timeline because I always thought they shook hands after the Japanese tour and parted ways. When did Jimmy get a commitment from Robert on the MTV thing? Did they start on new material in the mid-year period between the release of Coverdale Page and the Japanese Tour in December? I'd be curious to find out.

Also, I believe Coverdale initiated legal proceedings against Geffen in the late 90's and early 00's that resulted in him reacquiring publishing rights to all of "his" material under Geffen. (Slide it In, Whitesnake, Slip of the Tongue, Coverdale Page). Thus dealing exclusively with EMI on any future release for Coverdale Page.

 

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On 25/10/2016 at 3:07 PM, SuperStatic said:

I still maintain  Coverdale/Page is the "best" overall effort put forth by any one of the three ex-members of Led Zeppelin. Just IMO.

Completely agree. I can't really get excited by anything RP has done.

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On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 2:07 AM, SuperStatic said:
On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 2:07 AM, SuperStatic said:

I still maintain  Coverdale/Page is the "best" overall effort put forth by any one of the three ex-members of Led Zeppelin. Just IMO.

I still maintain  Coverdale/Page is the "best" overall effort put forth by any one of the three ex-members of Led Zeppelin. Just IMO.

Definitely, CP has held up very well.  I really liked the first Firm album when it came out, but it has not aged well. 

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1 hour ago, JohnOsbourne said:

Definitely, CP has held up very well.  I really liked the first Firm album when it came out, but it has not aged well. 

I loved 'Manic Nirvana' when it came out, but I don't think that's aged well at all. Sounds like a bloody pop album too to my ears now. 

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On 10/25/2016 at 0:07 AM, SuperStatic said:

I still maintain  Coverdale/Page is the "best" overall effort put forth by any one of the three ex-members of Led Zeppelin. Just IMO.

Its pretty good, Jimmy's best effort without doubt. However I also think both of JPJ's solo efforts are just as good, especially Zooma, that was a monster as well as TCV. The best RP solo / collaboration albums to stand the test of time for me are Pictures at Eleven, Fate of Nations, Mighty Re-arranger,and Raising Sand. I would throw in Dreamland but that was pretty much cover tunes so does not really count.

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On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2016 at 8:22 AM, Ross62 said:

You never played any shows outside of Japan. Why not?

I think when we sat down in New York to see if we wanted to work together we’d discussed giving it three years and with one thing or another the three years were up in Japan. We definitely should have played more dates. We were pretty good together.

Why didn’t you make a follow up?

We actually started to, to be honest. The muse was upon us. But Jimmy’s manager at the time insisted we call it a day, so, we stopped… though there are a couple of corkers in the can.

Management tried twice to have them tour the US in Summer '93. The demand for tickets simply was not there and they were unwilling to downscale to smaller venues. Any follow up must have preceded the Japanese tour by a few months as Jimmy and Robert convened in September 1993 to discuss the MTV Unplugged offer made to Robert earlier that year.

15 hours ago, jmorton said:

The interesting to me is DC claiming they started on new material before Peter Mensch (who I THINK was Jimmy's manager at the time) put an end to it. This isn't the first time he's said that. I'm curious about the timeline because I always thought they shook hands after the Japanese tour and parted ways. When did Jimmy get a commitment from Robert on the MTV thing?

See above.

Jimmy's manager was Brian Goode. Mensch didn't come in until after Page/Plant era, replacing Bill Curbishley.

Edited by SteveAJones
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11 minutes ago, The Rover 75 said:

I do agree that the  CP project was the best of anyone's venture outside of Zep. I also have to say anything that Percy put out, is not very good, just sounds like watered down Zep tracks to me.

I LOVED Robert's collaboration with Allison Krause.  "Raising Sand" may not be Ze-pish, but the vocals and musical arrangements are stellar! 

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4 minutes ago, Stryder1978 said:

NO problem The Rover 75!  I liked some of the stuff he put out in the 80's and 90's, but it paled in my opinion to what Jimmy and David did on their single outing.  For some reason I just think what Robert did with Alison just worked.

 

Jimmy plays his ass off on Coverdale Page!   

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As I remember, the US was in the midst of a fairly large recession in 1993 and all acts besides the mega-popular current acts (Metallica/Guns and Roses tour) were suffering with tickets and album sales. As a result the music business in general didn't pick up until mid 1994. Even Robert's Fate of Nations tour was fairly modest venue-wise in the US. Unwillingness to downsize was a fairly stubborn decision that contributed to the project's demise.

However, considering there was no US tour to support the album it sold remarkably well. If it was released in late 1991 it may have sold even more.

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1 hour ago, jmorton said:

As I remember, the US was in the midst of a fairly large recession in 1993 and all acts besides the mega-popular current acts (Metallica/Guns and Roses tour) were suffering with tickets and album sales. As a result the music business in general didn't pick up until mid 1994. Even Robert's Fate of Nations tour was fairly modest venue-wise in the US. Unwillingness to downsize was a fairly stubborn decision that contributed to the project's demise.

However, considering there was no US tour to support the album it sold remarkably well. If it was released in late 1991 it may have sold even more.

Of course the 90 degree turn in music from hair metal and pop of the 80's to grunge did not help either. 

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6 hours ago, IpMan said:

Of course the 90 degree turn in music from hair metal and pop of the 80's to grunge did not help either. 

This. Had Coverdale/Page been released in 1988 it would have sold three to five million copies in it's first year instead of 500,000. 

 

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2 hours ago, SteveAJones said:

This. Had Coverdale/Page been released in 1988 it would have sold three to five million copies in it's first year instead of 500,000. 

 

Page should have just bought a Freddie Kruger top, ripped holes in his jeans, and bought a Fender Jaguar :)

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19 hours ago, Boleskinner said:

Page should have just bought a Freddie Kruger top, ripped holes in his jeans, and bought a Fender Jaguar :)

and not washed for a month at a time while playing in only minor chords

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6 hours ago, IpMan said:

and not washed for a month at a time while playing in only minor chords

LOL. Say what you like about Jimmy, but he's never bowed to the commercial trends of the time and has just played what he thought was good music.

I read one report that Steven Tyler, at the post-O2 rehearsals, said there were no "hits" with verse/choruses. 

In some regards, Coverdale/Page was the nearest he came to being commercial.

Edited by Boleskinner
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  • 1 month later...
  • 5 weeks later...

Played the album again today, after about a year, and it's a truly crushing release. Apart from one turd tune (Feelin Hot), and a very sterile acoustic guitar tone, it's an amazing album. It was recorded in my town, and I am fortunate enough to have a few Page autographs and goodies from his time here. Also love the fact that Page played harmonica on this release and did a great job of it. And the guitar solo in Take Me For a Little While is arguably one of Jimmy's best ever. This disc, along with Walking Into Clarksdale, and The Pictures at Eleven, are my three favourite post Zep releases.  

Edited by The Dark Lord
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