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July 1 2015 Jason Bonham Talks Tensions Between Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones Read More: Jason Bonham Talks Tensions Between Jimmy Page and JPJ


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Interesting but not really surprising. Someone in Barney Hoskyn's book (Janine Safer-Whitney?) commented that John Paul Jones was the only band member who could influence Page when it came to musical ideas. I get the impression from past Page comments that he has always respected JPJ's formal musical training and what he brought to the band. Zep didn't have to go outside for arranging or a keyboard player because JPJ possessed these skills. OTOH, I could see how a formally trained musician like JPJ could find it frustrating to work with musicians who don't have a good handle on time signatures, chord sequences, etc.

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I really enjoyed the interview - I got a little choked up when he was telling about how he was told of his dad's passing. 1980 was so long ago - but then again seems just like yesterday. I was in 8th grade and remember the loss of JB and John Lennon - the attempt on Reagan - but Bon Scott's passing... I did not know about till I got into HS the next year.

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Interesting but not really surprising. Someone in Barney Hoskyn's book (Janine Safer-Whitney?) commented that John Paul Jones was the only band member who could influence Page when it came to musical ideas. I get the impression from past Page comments that he has always respected JPJ's formal musical training and what he brought to the band. Zep didn't have to go outside for arranging or a keyboard player because JPJ possessed these skills. OTOH, I could see how a formally trained musician like JPJ could find it frustrating to work with musicians who don't have a good handle on time signatures, chord sequences, etc.

Maybe so but it doesn't stop him from working with cats like Grohl, etc. I'm thinking it's just a case of old friends who are like brothers musically speaking. I bet Page hasn't collaborated with anyone since Zeppelin who would dare say something like that to him!

Having said that I still think Jimmy has a better handle on time signatures, reading/writing charts, etc. than the vast majority of rock musicians not named John Paul Jones!

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I think JPJ can get a little uppity. But he is a musical genius who has been playing music since he was very young. He was on the road with his parents when he was 6, so it must be completely natural to him. I think there is some friendly musical one upmanship between him and Page much like the banter Plant and JB used to have. Page still brings up in interviews how JPJ insisted a certain scale wouldn't work in ALS and that Page proved him wrong. Jones talks about how none of the others knew how to count out Black Dog and I'm pretty sure Four Sticks..

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Perhaps I am out of line, but usually when you are a session musician 95% of the time you are playing for mainly commercially based

projects, at least this seems what Page was doing. I do know that in the U.S. The session musicians(Tommy Tedesco is the best example)

had to be right up or close to JPJ's level as far as timing went, no uncertainty permitted. Certainly Page was more advanced in music

Theory and application than his peers, but I believe most of Page's sessions were in easy and standard timings, this can be the only

real reason why Jones could count anything out and Page didn't even know where to start(no pun intended). A lot of this stuff can be

investigated in 70's and 80's Guitar Player magazines..

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I listened to some of the interview on the way to the office.

DId not yet get to the part where Jason talks about Jonesey and JImmy.

I did hear Jason talk about his dad, his dads talents and also his dads passing.

That must have been so hard on an at the time 14 year old boy.....,

That part of the interview was a bit emotional......

All in all, Jason is a talented drummer and he seems to be a nice guy.

Ha ha, never knew he had such a good bond with Phil Collins............

Maaike

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I think JPJ can get a little uppity. But he is a musical genius who has been playing music since he was very young. He was on the road with his parents when he was 6, so it must be completely natural to him. I think there is some friendly musical one upmanship between him and Page much like the banter Plant and JB used to have. Page still brings up in interviews how JPJ insisted a certain scale wouldn't work in ALS and that Page proved him wrong. Jones talks about how none of the others knew how to count out Black Dog and I'm pretty sure Four Sticks..

I have a bootleg of Four Sticks, sure sounds like Page counting out "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 1…" Not exactly a Ramones count-in!

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I have a bootleg of Four Sticks, sure sounds like Page counting out "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 1…" Not exactly a Ramones count-in!

OK good. Page also wrote it. I said I wasn't sure. I'll see if I can find the Jones quote and correct my egregious error
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Yeah well the huge difference here is that Jones was a orchestrator and arranger, not just a session musician. In such a case you have

to be able to hear all the parts of a song simultaneously, and even hear in your head how a few parts changed with the other parts

remaining the same, will sound. I can't read Page's mind but most likely his talents in this area were limited compared to Jones. As an

arranger or orchestrator your ability to figure out timings AND express them to others must be impeccable.

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Interesting but not really surprising. Someone in Barney Hoskyn's book (Janine Safer-Whitney?) commented that John Paul Jones was the only band member who could influence Page when it came to musical ideas. I get the impression from past Page comments that he has always respected JPJ's formal musical training and what he brought to the band. Zep didn't have to go outside for arranging or a keyboard player because JPJ possessed these skills. OTOH, I could see how a formally trained musician like JPJ could find it frustrating to work with musicians who don't have a good handle on time signatures, chord sequences, etc.

Agree 100%

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Jones was underrated, remains underrated, and is one of the HUGE missing factors when Page took on his solo career. Just listen to

his solo albums Zooma and ThunderThief---- you can hear all the subtleties, and even power, that Jones brought to the table.

And IMO on Jones solo albums, because of his formal training and songwriting ability(not credited enough in Zep), these are

real albums, not just bass player solo albums.

I wish I was a fly on the wall when Page and Jones may have sparred a bit, or Jonesy may have suggested an alternate part.

That would be priceless.

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I doubt they fought at all. Unlike YES who had 5 huge egos all competing for the top in Zeppelin, you had 4 normal egos who could work with each other in a way that did not lead to the infighting that other bands suffered from. Plant and Bonham trusted Jimmy and JPJ to make the right calls and Jimmy and JPJ were also ready to listen to the others suggestions without ego getting in the way. I'm fairly sure JPJ did not just accept things when he knew they were wrong, but he may have had a good way of imparting his knowledge without hurting Jimmy's ego and vice versa which kept the band tight but loose.

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Actually I misspoke a bit. I doubt they ever fought, as I believe there was mutual self respect.I really meant there may have been

occasionally some back and forth debating about a few things, but no one getting big-headed or angry. Jones once said that in

most Zep songs the single note riffs came mainly from him, the chordal bits from Page. Of course some songs were a mix of what

I mentioned, and certainly some songs had to be talked about. Must add that Jones is somewhat unfairly uncredited in Zep.

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^ Absolutely he wasn't credited properly for all of the input he had with those songs. Sure some songs had a solid structure going into rehearsals, but all the layers and textures that were added along the way was the band writing together. Jones has said as much, not demanding more credit but rather explaining how the final product came about.

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^^ JPJ was soooo underrated! I never really have given him as much credit years ago, that I do now. He could have been just as important to the music as JP in how the songs turned out in terms of arranging. From what I know, he preferred to be in the background and didn't want or need the lime light. That was for RP & JP.

The couple of videos of him on youtube playing guitar is amazing. I wish there was more stuff on him as compared to JP.

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^^ JPJ was soooo underrated! I never really have given him as much credit years ago, that I do now. He could have been just as important to the music as JP in how the songs turned out in terms of arranging. From what I know, he preferred to be in the background and didn't want or need the lime light. That was for RP & JP.

The couple of videos of him on youtube playing guitar is amazing. I wish there was more stuff on him as compared to JP.

I was in that boat myself. I knew he was a great musician with the bass and keys but I never knew what a great guitar player he was until I heard the live version of Going To California from the BBC sessions His playing with Jimmy is sublime and beautiful. I like that version better than the album. It proves he is a consummate musician and most definitely deserves more exposure as a real hand in the making of all things Zep.

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