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SteveAJones

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Posts posted by SteveAJones

  1. Swanlicote is a mystery..probably Swadlincote in Derbyshire.

    The Willenhall Baths and "Autumn 66" gigs are the same thing..it doesn't help that Slade didn't exist for another 3 years..the confusion is probably because the 'Nbetweens became Slade.

    A couple of the venues listed are a bit strange.."Bent Jade" and the "Established Owl"?

    Is the Bromsgrove July 20 1969 gig before or after the Walsall Teacher training gig?

    I agree "Swanlicote" is a typo and it is "Swadlincote". During one of Priory of Brion gigs in December 1999 Robert mentioned from the stage having returned to the site of the roller rink...to find it gone.

    I agree Willenhall Baths and "Autumn 66" must be the same.

    I believe "Bent-Jade Club" was substantiated by an ad, but I could be wrong.

    "Established Owl" is directly from Robert himself during the 1995 SXSW in Austin. His

    recollection could be wrong of course, but he sounded certain. It could be a case of

    the venue having gone through multiple name changes since then. There are some

    venues Jason Bonham has played three times or more where the venue's name was different each time.

    Bromsgrove and the Walsall Teacher's Training College gig (7/20/68) seem to be one

    and the same. There is a discrepancy in the name at the time since it had changed

    over the years. Once I find the original ad (I have it somewhere) that should confirm

    what it was called when Robert performed there.

  2. I've pointed out earlier in this thread that it wasn't only crew and band who were issued bags. And if Phil Carson wanted a bag, he would have gotten one. That said, as I said earlier I always felt it was probably Carlo's anyway.

    I don't disagree that anyone can have hypothetically been given a bag. However, given the auctioneer had a Led Zeppelin guest pass and an Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary

    concert pass belonging to Phil Carlo, the odds are the bag is also Carlo's.

  3. This is what I show so far, pending incorporation of this thread's most recent posts:

    1962

    ??? ?? 1962 Swanlicote, England Ice skating rink (venue name unconfirmed)

    Plant's first public performance…fills in for a school friend who fell ill the night of the show

    Source: Robert Plant interview published in 'The Times' on Jul 9 2002. See first

    entry for 1963...perhaps Robert was kidding or his recollection is inaccurate?

    1963

    ??? ?? 1963 Leicester, England

    Plant fills in on lead for Andy Long & The Original Jurymen (Andy had laryngitis)

    Source: The book 'A Thunder of Drums' cites this as his first public performance

    Source: During a BBC Radio 2 interview in 2003, Plant said this was his first

    local gig and that it was held at his school...'Power & Glory' by Chris Welch also

    addresses this...in either case it would seem Leicester is incorrect

    ??? (May ?) ?? 1963 ???, England Established Owl

    Plant opens for Gene Vincent

    Source: Robert's comments at SXSW in March 2005

    Plant continued to perform other dates in 1963

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    Plant then performed a stint with the New Memphis Bluesbreakers in 1963

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    Plant then performed a stint with the Brum Beats in 1963

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    Plant then performed a stint with the Sounds of Blue in 1963

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    1964

    ??? ?? 1964 Stourbridge, England Seven Stars Blues Club

    Plant performs on harmonica with the Delta Blues Band

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    Note: During a BBC Radio 2 interview in 2003, Plant said Delta Blues Band

    traveled in a van owned by one of their fathers who was a window cleaner...

    ...'Power & Glory' by Chris Welch also addresses this)

    Plant then performed a stint with his first band which he named Black Snake Moan after a Blind Lemon Jefferson track (he is occasionally the guitarist) (1964)

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    Plant then performed a stint with jazz-influenced The Banned (in 1964 or early '65)

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums', 'Power & Glory'

    1965

    Plant performs for some time with The Crawling King Snakes during which time John Bonham joins

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums'

    1966

    Plant joins three-piece, Tamla Motown influenced group The Tennessee Teens which prompts their name change to Listen

    Source: Book 'John Bonham -A Thunder of Drums', 'Power & Glory'

    ??? ?? 1966 London, England Leicester Square Cavern

    Source: 'Classic Rock' (June 2002)

    April 2 1966 Walsall, England Walsall Town Hall

    Listen billed with Walker's Walkers

    Source: Advert published in 'Walsall Observer' (Apr 1 1966)

    Autumn '66 Wolverhampton, England Civic Hall

    Billed as Listen below Cream and Slade

    Source: 'Feathers in the Wind' (Winter '84)

    Oct 14, 1966 Birmingham, England Bent-Jade Club

    Billed as Listen

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Oct 15, 1966 Birmingham, England Crofton Club

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Oct 20, 1966 Willenhall, England Willenhall Baths Assembly Hall

    Listen billed with The In Betweens and The Factotums as support for The Cream

    Source: Advert in 'Wolverhampton Express & Star (Oct 18 1966)

    1967

    Wolverhampton, England The Ship & Rainbow

    The Band of Joy begin a Sunday night residency arranged thru Nita Anderson Presentations

    Source: 'Power & Glory'

    ??? ?? 1967 Snow Hill, Birmingham, England The Penthouse

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: 'Power & Glory'

    ??? ?? 1967

    Robert Plant and his Band of Joy, Terry Reid and Tim Rose perform on the same bill…Reid and Plant get on very well socially and Reid recommends him to Page a year later

    Source: Plant comments during 'Innerview' radio interview w/Jim Ladd in 1982

    ??? ?? 1967 Ayr, Scotland Ayr Ice Rink

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Plant interview in Sunday Mail (Oct 23 2005)

    ??? ?? 1967 Kircaldy, Scotland YMCA

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Plant interview in Sunday Mail (Oct 23 2005)

    Nov (?) 13 1967 Barnstaple, England Queens Hall

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Nov 15 1967 Wolverhampton, England Blue Horizon Club

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Nov 16 1967 Newcastle, England Crystal Ballroom

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Nov 16 1967 Hanley, England Penny-Farthing Club

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Nov 18 1967 Gainsborough, England Drill Hall

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Nov 20 1967 Dudley, Birmingham, England Queen Mary Ballroom

    Billed as Robert Plant and his Band of Joy

    Source: Tight But Loose (Apr 1992)

    Dec 15 1967 Basingstoke, England Basingstoke Technical College - St. Joseph's Hall

    Billed as Robert Plant and Band of Joy…Christmas Dance 8pm - 1am…billed between The Loot and The Kynd

    Source: ticket stub

    1968

    Jan 26 1968 Covent Garden, London, England Middle Earth

    Billed as Robert Plant's Band of Joy billed below Fairport Convention and along with Pegasus, The Flute Girl, Jeff Dexter

    Source: 'The Lemon Tree (Dec 1994)

    Feb 8 1968 London, England Marquee Club

    Robert Plant and the Band of Joy billed below Edwin Starr, The J.J. Sound

    Source: 'The Lemon Tree' (Dec 1994)

    Feb 23 1968 London, England Marquee Club

    Billed as Robert Plant and the Band of Joy

    Source: 'Led Zeppelin -The Press Reports'

    ??? ?? 1968 London, England The Speakeasy

    Billed as Robert Plant and the Band of Joy

    Source: 'Power & Glory' & 'Guitar World' (May 2006)

    Mar (?) ??-?? 1968

    Robert Plant and the Band of Joy begin a tour of England as support for Tim Rose

    Source: 'The Guardian' (June 5th 2002) (reader's letter)

    Mar ?? 1968 Chester, England Quaintways

    Billed as Robert Plant and the Band of Joy below Tim Rose

    Source: 'Power & Glory'

    Mar 8 1968 Hampstead, England Westfield College - Dining Hall / Bar

    Robert Plant and the Band of Joy billed below Tim Rose; billed with Aynsley Dunbar, Retaliation featuring Victor Brox, Go-Go Dancers

    Source: 'The Lemon Tree' (Dec 1994)

    Mar 10 1968 Erdington, Birmingham, England Carlton Club

    Robert Plant and the Band of Joy billed below Zoot Money

    Source: 'The Lemon Tree' (Dec 1994)

    ??? ?? 1968 Buxton, England

    Robert Plant and the Band of Joy billed below Terry Reid (who watches their set and phones Page the next day)

    Source: Terry Reid interview in 'Record Collector' (July 1991)

    Plant gigs at a flew club dates with Alexis Korner before the formation of Obs Tweedle

    Source: 'A Thunder of Drums'

    Jul 20 1968 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England

    Page, Peter Grant, and bassist Chris Dreja meet Robert Plant at the door of the venue and watch his performance with Obs Tweedle

    Source: Multiple recollections substantiated by advert for the gig

    Source: Plant's comments during interview with Chris Tetley in early '80s

    Plant's comments during SXSW in March 2005

    Peter Grant's comments during conference in Toronto in 1994

    Dreja's comments in 'Yardbirds - The Ultimate Rave-Up! 3rd edition

  4. Not sure what the original enquiry was about the bag with the initials 'PC' on it. Could it be Phil Carson from Atlantic? He was on that tour and even played bass at a few of the gigs?

    Phil Carson did join the tour briefly, but as a guest as opposed to a member of the crew, whom were issued the bags. I've since pointed out to Robert via PM the auctioneer is also offering an '88 tour credentials pass with Phil Carlo's name on it and there is ample

    evidence to suggest both items came from the same Houston-based collector.

  5. Robert, some time ago you were attempting to authenticate a tour bag from 1980 and asked if anyone on the road crew other than Phil Carlo had the initials "PC". So far as I know, only Phil

    used those intitials:

    Manager

    Peter Grant - also invariably referred to as "the fifth member" due to importance he had in directing the group's affairs.

    Tour manager

    Richard Cole - an experienced tour manager, especially in the United States, from his previous work with The Yardbirds although he was eventually sacked before the Knebworth Festival in 1979 due to his heroin addiction and erratic behaviour.

    Phil Carlo - Bad Company's road manager who eventually replaced Richard Cole.

    Road crew

    Clive Coulson - stage.

    Kenny Pickett - stage.

    Henry Smith - stage.

    Sandy McGregor - stage.

    Joe Jammer - guitars.

    Raymond Thomas - guitars.

    Tim Marten - guitars (1980).

    Brian Condliffe - bass and keyboards.

    Andy Ledbetter - bass and keyboards (1980).

    Mick Hinton - drums and percussion.

    Benji Le Fevre - vocal technician.

    Ian Knight - lighting.

    For their US tours in 1972-75, and then every concert from their 1975 tour onwards Led Zeppelin employed Dallas-based light and sound company Showco:

    Donny Kretzchmar - Showco monitoring mixer.

    Rusty Brutche - Showco sound engineer.

    Kirby Wyatt - Showco lighting engineer.

    Allen Branton - Showco engineer.

    Joe Crowley - Showco engineer.

    Administrative

    Bill Harry - publicist (1969-70).

    BP Fallon - publicist (1973-74).

    Danny Goldberg - US publicist (1973-75).

    Rick Hobbs - Jimmy Page's personal assistant.

    Rex King - John Bonham's personal assistant.

    Brian Gallivan - US tour assistant (1977)

    Dave Northover - US tour assistant (1977)

    Dennis Sheehan - US tour assistant (1977)

    Dave Moulder - Europe tour assistant (1980)

    Legal

    Steve Weiss - New York attorney.

    Joan Hudson Associates - London representative.

  6. And I stand by what I said - having photos taken at someone's grave is treating it as a tourist site, and you HAVE claimed to be the figure in your avavtar - and post Jimmy's addresses etc as your location. I'm afraid you can't then blame ME for pointing this out.

    Your certainly entitled to your opinion, but the dead don't mind and neither did Jason,

    whom I spoke with the same day. I should think tourists travel primarily for pleasure -

    I made a private pilgrimmage to pay my respects.

    I've never posted personal addresses here, where I am a guest, as are we all. I certainly have said I am somewhere in my avatar, and that my username is in fact a sigil founded upon a base numeric of ten and the All Seeing Eye.

    I am me as you are you...and collaboration is the key.

  7. Nice catch - and I actually do understand that point - but, well, admitting you don't know Jimmy on a personal level wouldn't make this thread any less interesting - or you any less of a fan. B)

    Earlier in this thread you posted I treat people's graves as tourist sites and pretend I'm Jimmy Page so I'm just not inclined to encourage discussion of personal affairs further.

    Contrary to posts others have made, I've never claimed to be an "expert" or an "insider", whomever I am or am not.

    When this you see, remember me

    and bear me in your mind

    Let all the world say what they may,

    speak of me as you find

  8. SteveAJones, this is probably in here somewhere, but I don't feel like going through 121 pages to find it. Whats with the album cover on Early Days? Why are they wearing Apollo astronaut suits? What are the original pictures from?

    Just prior to release, Atlantic changed the title from "Led Zeppelin - Blast Off!' to 'Led Zeppelin - Early Days & Latter Days'. However, the original album graphics remained unchanged. The album credits should confirm where the actual images came from. The

    point of the release was to put a couple best of compilations in the marketplace to appeal to a new generation of listeners, thereby stimulating back catalog sales. When

    'Mothership' was released, 'Early Days & Latter Days' were phased out.

    Interestingly enough, Atlantic did something similar the year before with Page/Plant's 'Walking Into Clarksdale' album, having changed it's original title prior to release from 'Most High' but keeping the original "angelic theme" album graphics.

  9. I really don't understand this claim. Harvey Goldsmith set up the whole 1980 tour through his Umbrella Productions and actually travelled with the band for most if not all of it. This page from Dave Lewis' "Tight But Loose" issue 5 shows him checking into their hotel in Cologne

    Dave also recounts a lovely memory of Ahmet Ertegun asking Harvey for a match so he could hold it up like the sea of fans.

    Not so much a claim as an initial starting point. You've provided additional references

    to substantiate there certainly is a direct connection, and move the focus solely upon

    authenticity of the passes themselves. I have every fanzine, book and periodical Dave

    has ever published, but you know how it goes - many years can pass since last having

    something in particular that holds the answer. I was inclined to contact him concerning

    Robert's inquiry but the written work presented above speaks for itself. Collaboration is

    the key!

  10. ...continuing on with Robert's original inquiries, here are two examples of 1980 Led Zeppelin tour passes which feature the emblem of promoter Harvey Goldsmith. Authenticity very much in doubt given no direct connection between the tour and Goldsmith has been confirmed. How 'bout a little help here, Harvey? :D

    1980CrewPass.jpg

    EUROPE80.jpg

    Passes courtesy of Steve A. Jones Archive

  11. Hi Steve!

    Here's some newer questions for you. :D

    1.) Since the last couple of pages in this thread deal with the necklace, didn't Chris Farlowe own / or still own a WWII memorabilia store? If so, when did Chris open / purchase the store? Perhaps some of Jimmy's articles of clothing / jewelry was purchased from Chris' store?

    Chris apparently became involved in selling World War II memorabilia from a stall towards

    end of the 60s when his music career waned. Ultimately, he opened an antique furniture store in his hometown of Islington in 1972 and it remained a going concern until he sold it and left for the USA in 1983. Upon his return to Islington he apparently reopened a

    showroom/workshop.

    This article includes some additional comments from Chris:

    Adolf Hitler: my hunt for his furniture

    The Independent (London) Dec 3, 2000

    by Imre Karacs in Berlin

    KLAUS BEETZ is a very nice man who works for the German Finance Ministry and needs help shifting some period furniture. He has tried the German Historical Museum in Berlin, but they said no, as did all the provincial museums he has approached. So, can anybody out there spare room for Adolf Hitler's desk, his conference table, a sideboard and a few chairs?

    They are unwanted gifts. The furnishings of the "Second Reichskanzelei" in Berchtesgaden, Hitler's retreat in the Bavarian Alps, fell into the hands of the US army at the end of the Second World War. In 1996, the US government wanted to show its magnanimity by handing some of the loot back to Germany. "It was a completely new situation," Mr Beetz recalls. "We said, `My God, what are we going to do with all this stuff?'"

    Four years on, the Independent on Sunday can reveal the answer: not a great deal. There are plenty of collectors of Hitler memorabilia abroad who would love to give the furniture a home, even if German museums do not want it, but the German government would commit political suicide if it was seen to be making money this way. Why not simply burn the stuff? No chance: an international treaty forbids it.

    I contacted Chris Farlowe, who was highly excited to learn of my discovery. A 1960s pop star whose biggest hit was Out of Time, he used to run a shop selling Third Reich memorabilia in Islington, north London. "It's got to go into the right auctions," Mr Farlowe said. "It's got to go to England. You're talking about tens of thousands of pounds."

    Auction houses such as Sotheby's told me they would not deal in the personal belongings of Hitler or his henchmen, and the law forbids their sale in Germany or France, but that was no problem for Mr Farlowe. "If you could put it into a van, you could get it across the Channel, no hassle," he advised. "I could put you in touch with a really rich friend who could sell it, no trouble. He's got a chair from the Reich Chancellery. It's lovely, it's got a great big eagle and swastika on the back. Has yours got that?"

    Sorry Chris, no: "If I didn't say that the chairs came from the Reichskanzelei, then they would be completely worthless," said Mr Beetz. The truth is that although Hitler fancied himself as an artist, he had no taste. The sad collection of his furniture, tucked away in the side rooms of a decaying conference centre in east Berlin, looks like the pickings of a house-clearance merchant in a not particularly prosperous district. The table, chairs and leather armchairs were designed to fit in with the Nazi architectural concept of Berchtesgaden, as laid down by Albert Speer. The result is bastardised Bauhaus - neo-classical simplicity smothered by rustic upholstery.

    I tracked down Adolf's belongings to the centre, now an annexe of the "Federal Agency for Radiation Protection", at the end of a bumpy dirt track among allotments in east Berlin. I needed written permission from the Finance Ministry to view what the German public is not allowed to see.

    Mr Beetz met me on the steps of the Communist-era building, all mock marble and futuristic light fittings straight out of a low- budget science fiction movie. Its inaccessibility and lack of modern facilities means it is now no use for anything but storage. The main hall floor was covered with a pile of Persian carpets. Experts from all kinds of museums came and went, looking for anything useful for their exhibits, but no one bothered with the apparent junk in two rooms off one of the corridors. The curtains were drawn, the heat turned down.

    Not all of the furniture is in mint condition. The desk in the second room still bears a label of its previous owners. "This item is the property of the United States and is reportable under the Potsdam Agreement," it states. "Catalogue number 1995-65.72".

    For 50 years the Americans used Berchtesgaden as an officers' club. Then some of the furniture was packed off to Wash- ington, only to be sent back to the supposedly grateful German people. What they didn't get ended up at the offices of the US Chief of Staff in Heidelberg. They are holding on to a few paintings and the coffee table around which the Fuhrer met Neville Chamberlain. And during the Kosovo campaign they were still using the original globe on which Hitler looked up the countries he was about to invade. It might explain how the Americans ended up bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade by mistake.

    The US period is all too evident on the furniture now in Berlin. "The Americans were rather disrespectful," Mr Beetz said indignantly. "Look at those cigarette burns. Hitler, of course, was a non- smoker." Yet there they are, six little holes piercing the desk's imitation leather covering. Someone has also bolted a telephone socket onto the side of the precious furniture.

    But it is unlikely that a demand for reparations will be winging its way to Washington. The German government dare not exhibit this piece of history, lest it should unwittingly create a shrine to Nazism. No- where in Germany can personal items belonging to leaders of the Third Reich be seen.

    What about selling it off? Germany's Holocaust Foundation is nearly DM1bn (over pounds 300m) short of what is needed to pay off former slave workers. A nice idea, Mr Beetz concedes, but impracticable. "I think - and please make clear this is my personal opinion, not government policy - that the ideological and political damage would be considerably greater than the few marks we would make out of it."

    Mr Beetz, in any case, is not interested in this kind of solution, not yet. "Time heals," he said. "Maybe in 10 years we'll see things differently."

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

    I can't yet say for certain if Jimmy acquired any military items from Chris, but Jimmy was

    known to wear the uniform of an American Union Soldier whilst a member of The Yardbirds, amongst other items. The feature belows examines the phenomena closer.

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

    Rock Military Style – Motivations Behind the Military Look of 1960s Rock Musicians

    v/Michael A. Langkjær, Ph.d., Saxo Instituttet og CTR/Danmarks Grundforskningsfonds Center for Tekstilforskning

    Tid: Fredag den 12. oktober kl. 14-15.30. Foredrag på engelsk

    Sted: CTR, lokale 16.2.7, SAXO-Instituttet, KUA (se kort på www.hum.ku.dk)

    Rock Military Style – Motivations Behind the Military Look of 1960s Rock Musicians

    v/Michael A. Langkjær, Ph.d., Saxo Instituttet og CTR/Centre for Textile Research

    The history of rock presents us with innumerable iconic images of stars, who, like Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger and not least, the Beatles, performed in military uniforms in the mid to late 1960s. It has been presumed that this was done to satirize the values of the 'Establishment' or as a protest against the Vietnam War; a symbol was being transgressed in order to make a social or political statement. But what was being targeted? Was it the military, the Establishment, imperialism, masculinity? Or was it the conformity of the mainstream – or even the commercialized style of rock performances? Was it all just transgression or might it have involved something else? And where did the craze for uniforms originate? In Pop/Mod 'Swinging London' or in Hippie San Francisco? Did rock stars influence their fans or was it the other way around? Currents and cross-currents of the Pop/Mod aesthetics of Britain, black 'stylin' in the USA and the 'peacock revolution' in male fashion converged with the 1960s second hand, anti-fashion nostalgia for Empire, Victoriana and Edwardiana (as seen in the cinema, on television and the 'Lord Kitchener chic' of London's Carnaby Street), along with the contemporary bent towards parody, satire and 'camp' and with possible influences from Brechtian 'estrangement' and Situationist détournement. A number of trendsetting rock musicians were alumni of the art colleges of Britain, having been taught the montage aesthetics of Pop artists such as Richard Hamilton and Peter Blake. The antiwar Yippie activist Jerry Rubin's appearance in an American Revolutionary War uniform before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1966 is a possible link to the more overtly transgressive use of uniforms among youth in the late sixties. As opposed to Jimi Hendrix's own protestation, that by his wearing a hussar jacket rather than letting it moulder in a closet, he was in fact honouring the dead soldier to whom that jacket once belonged. Although the mainstream did look upon such re-use of military uniforms as a debasement, it can hardly have been what the rock performers felt. Motivations behind the military look of 1960's rock musicians have been as diverse as the rock musicians themselves.

  12. The Robert Plant / Jerry Miller Connection

    Robert Plant has recorded two songs written by Jerry Miller: '8:05' and 'Naked If I Want To'. During the pre-Zeppelin era, Robert performed a third, 'Hey Grandma'.

    JerryMiller.jpg

    Legendary guitarist Jerry Miller loses Led Zeppelin memorabilia in flood

    by Arne Nordwall

    Examiner (Wichita, WA) February 8, 2009

    In the music business, as in other life pursuits, there are always winners and losers. There are innumerable great talents whom, if not for the whims of Chance, would rival the most famous and popular stars.

    A Tacoma native son, guitarist Jerry Miller, is one of those. His talent is formidable and his name is spoken in the same breath as greats such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Michael Bloomfield, Peter Green, Wes Montgomery, and many more. This recognition is only apparent, though, when you're speaking to other guitar players or someone with a fairly deep knowledge and love of jazz, blues and rock stylists. His proficiency isn't generally acknowledged nor his fame widespeard. The rewards of a gift like his don't always manifest themselves in bright lights. In a way it's lucky for us here in the area to hear Jerry play from time to time in small friendly joints !

    An anecdote that I like to use to illustrate how Jerry's talent is appreciated by other players, is an incident which I was a witness to. Jerry's odyssey through rock stardom includes a time when he was a seminal member of a late sixties band formed in San Francisco called Moby Grape. This band shot loudly into fame and fortune and then whimpered into obscurity as just another of the many mis-managed and ill-fated groups throughout rock history. For a time, as the band was staying in the L.A. Area recording, they hung out with members of Buffalo Springfield and others who would, as we all know now, transition into Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

    Steve Stills became a friend and fan of Jerry, and as time went on, when he was scheduled to play a gig here in the area, he would invite Jerry and some guests to come to the show. After a CSNY show in the Tacoma Dome in the late nineties we all went backstage as Jerry went to talk with Steve. They chatted for a few minutes about guitars and catching-up small talk, then, as Jerry was walking away, Steve called out to tell him in effect "You know Jerry, you are the best guitar player in the world !"

    Many others cite Jerry ( himself, or as a member of Moby Grape) as an influence, including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin; Richard Thompson ( great in his own right, and as a member of the hugely influential Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny); Buddy Miller ( Buddy and Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin), Sam Andrew ( Big Brother and the Holding Company, Janis Joplin).

    Jerry was honored by Rolling Stone Magazine a few years ago as number 68 in a list the editors compiled of the " 100 Greatest guitar Players of All Time" ( Richard Thompson made the top 20).

    Many things could be said about Jerry's life in the music business, about what could have been, or the recognition he should be entitled to as one of the "greatest" - and some would say he himself has flaws that have restrained him from flourishing, but no one can say that he should have come to the crossing that he now faces.

    Jerry had been living in the town of Pacific, WA. for the last couple years. On January 8th 2009, during heavy rain, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who controlled the Mud Creek Dam, released too much water from the dam and inadvertantly caused a flash flood downstream. A neighbor's alert to get out was all the advance notice Jerry had before the water came. He was able to gather a few things, including his '59 Gibson L5 guitar , "Beulah" which he ordered from Gibson when he was a teenager in Tacoma based on his love for Wes Montgomery's playing.

    In the aftermath of this flood, Jerry Miller has lost just about all that he had left of his long career in the rock music business. He didn't have a lot anyway, but he had been able to collect many objects and memorabilia. Among these items were photos of Jerry with Robert Plant ( who still sings one of Jerry's songs in his solo act from time to time), and also with Jimi Hendrix. Many other signed photos from friends like Steve Stills, as well as recordings and concert posters and all the accumulated bits and pieces of a life were lost or badly damaged by the water. Not to mention the more mundane, but immediate loss of clothing, car and other necessities.

    Jerry has had to resort to living in a motel and with accomodating friends, and is struggling with the financial burden of beginning again, and so a couple of benefits have been organized to help him. The first was organized by Jerry's friend Craig Arrowood of Uncle Sams' American Bar and Grill in Spanaway, WA, and will have already taken place by the time you read this.

    The next benefit event will be at The Swiss in Tacoma on March 8th and details of that show are still being worked out, but there will no doubt be many local bands and entertainers in attendance. Jerry Miller is loved in Tacoma, as only a native son can.

    More details about the benefit as well as how you can help Jerry with donations are available on his website : jerrymillerband.com

  13. Steve check this out. Though it doesn't have the exact date and I don't know if it will be helpful.

    try this

    This is very close to, if not the actual "promotional photo" I was thinking of. I note with interest caption says it was taken in Milton Keynes. I'll work on confirmation of Heart

    having performed there and when. It appears to be circa '83-'85. The chap on the far

    right is wearing a pass of some sort but I can't make out anything on it. Thanks!

  14. I think the focus of the thread must have changed a while back--

    in any case, this is turning into a treasure trove. I had no idea that Listen had supported Cream, or turned down a chance to be on Ready Steady Go (or that RSG wasn't shown in the Midlands--that's the really amazing bit of information!!

    Bless Jimmy, but I've been saying for decades Robert Plant was not that obscure on the

    Ma Reagan circuit, and I'm convinced Robert would have found fame with or without Led Zeppelin.

  15. I'll do some checking on the 1973 date.

    Cream played Wolverhampton Civic Hall the 9th June 1967 with The 'Nbetweens and several other groups on the bill but no mention of Listen.

    Listen played all around the Walsall /Wolverhampton/Bloxwich area..their was a very good group scene going on and money could be made.

    The Willenhall Baths gig is probably the "Autumn 66 " reference..a lot of these things get lost in translation and the mists of time..Willenhall is technically a part of Wolverhampton.

    It might be useful to do a very quick geography/history lesson to explain the Zeppelin /Slade connection.

    Noddy Holder parents lived on the Beechdale estate in Bloxwich in Gurney Road..their house was approx 200 yards away from "The Three Men in A Boat" where Robert Plant was lodging with the Bonham family..in 1965 Holder was in a group called Steve Brett and The Mavericks who were quite big locally..they released 3 45s and had done the traditional gigging in Germany thing..at the end of '65 Holder left the group and returned home with the idea of forming a group..Bill Bonham remembers jamming with Holder..Holder joined the 'Nbetweens in March 1966

    It was about this time that Listen were formed..Plant and Holder got to know each other..this has led to the stories of Holder "roadieing" for Listen..I think the best explanation for that is that Holder had access o his Dad's window cleaning van and when he was at a loose end he helped Listen out..it's also worth remembering that Plant was supposed to have joined The 'Nbetweens as well as Holder but was regarded as not suitable.

    Obviously their paths would continue to pass..I'll deal with the great "You Better Run" saga over the next few days.

    Meanwhile..from the Wolverhampton Express and Star 3rd Mach 1966

    This only part of the article..I wasn't looking for Listen stuff at the time. when I go to Wolverhampton archives again I'll get the complete article but it gives a flavour of the group.

    Sorry if I'm rabbiting on a bit.

    Awesome! I sent to you via PM a link of about 20 or so confirmed Plant pre-Zeppelin

    performances. At the linked site I included Robert's comments about touring in the window cleaning van.

    Jimmy (with The Yardbirds) was allegedly supposed to perform in Wolverhampton on

    3/30/68 but it was apparently cancelled, as they were touring the USA at the time.

    I've never seen confirmation of that, but it has been confirmed they did play other

    dates in England earlier in the month. Just thought I'd mention it in the event you

    have access to local papers from March '68, as perhaps an ad and/or cancellation notice was published.

  16. I am aware of an "Autumn '66" gig at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall with Listen billed below Cream and Slade, but I do not have the actual date confirmed.

    Another Slade connection:

    In May 1973 Led Zeppelin attended a Slade concert in Texas and pelted them with

    vegetables. Day, city and venue unconfirmed, but this is where Zeppelin played:

    5/16/73 - Houston Sam Houston Arena

    5/18/83 - Dallas Memorial Auditorium

    5/19/73 - Ft. Worth Tarrant County Convention Center Arena

    5/22/73 - San Antonio Hemisphere Arena

    I've heard it may have been in Dallas or Ft. Worth on 5/20 or 5/21 but that is speculation. Do you know for certain?

  17. You might like this one...from the Wolverhampton Express and Star 18th October 1966.

    listen004.jpg

    This is the one gig I would have liked to have been at..I saw The Beatles ,Hendrix etc but this is one I missed out on.

    The 'Nbetweens later became Slade and I spoke to their drummer Don Powell about the gig a few weeks ago..his main memory was of Cream being out of their heads..in the "dressing room"Clapton stood staring at a wall and Ginger Baker was jumping up and down on his drum kit..this was unimaginable to the other bands who had hire purchase payments to make.

    It would be nice to imagine a jam session..2 of the Black Country's finest front men Holder and Plant..2 fine drummers Baker and Powell..Jim Lea and Jack Bruce on bass and Mr Clapton doing his stuff.

    Just a quick explanation as to why I have this stuff..I'm researching the early live career of Slade from 1962 -1970 and I've been wading through my local newspaper archives for a few years now.

    In the course of my search I've picked up a few pieces about Mr Plant..I'll put what I have on here and I'll look out for more.

    Phenomenal! It's taken over 40 years to document Jimmy's pre-Zeppelin performances,

    (there are still a few unconfirmed details) while confirmation of Robert's pre-Zeppelin performances has proven nearly impossible given he was not nearly as high profile as The Yardbirds and it seems most of his gigs were within the midlands. Your findings

    are most appreciated.

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