Led Zeppelin related story in How Black Was Our Sabbath

[Rock N' Rollin' Man]

This happened during the recording sessions of Sabbath's Sabotage album over February and March 1975. The jam sessions with the fellow mates of Zep were recorded to which Tony Iommi is the owner of.

One Monday morning, Graham was driving Bill and Geezer down the A40 in the Rolls as usual, on the way back to London. They had just passed Oxford when a white Bentley convertible pulled alongside them, as Graham recalls:

The driver was Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, and his passenger was Robert Plant, their singer. I rolled down the car's electric window and Bill shouted out a big "hello" to his old mate and fellow drummer Bonzo. Straight away Bonzo dared us to race him to London, declaring that he roundabout at the end of the A40 would be the finish line.

With Bill promising to pay any speeding fines that we might incur, we zoomed off. Both cars were hurling along at speeds of over 100 mph. It was neck and neck as we approached the roundabout, and I braked to avoid crashing into it. Bonzo flew across the middle of the roundabout and screeched to a stop in the next lay-by. Miraculously, he, Robert and the convertible came out of it unscathed. We exchanged a bit of banter with the Zep boys and then carried onto the studio.

That evening, Bonzo, Robert Plant and Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones paid a visit to Morgan Studios, and were soon jamming with Black Sabbath. That really was a remarkable sight. They did 'Long Tall Sally' and improvised some numbers, with John Bonham playing the hell out of Bill's drums. I was worried he was going to break something, but they held up. Luckily, I had got into the habit of nailing them down.

[lzzoso]

Very interesting short story. I have no reason to believe that this incident did not happen (even though I have never read or come across it in all my Led Zeppelin readings). We all know that Bonzo was a "Madman" when he was behind the wheel of his or any other vehicle. I have read that Bill Ward and Tony Iommi and John Bonham and Robert Plant were friends at some time in their early (struggling) years and that they obviously remained "Friends" after the success of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath and John Bonham and Robert Plant were all from the industrial city of Birmingham, England in the Black Country. Even Ozzy Osbourne has gone on record as saying that Black Sabbath used to listen to Led Zeppelin I when they (BS) were in the studio and stoned out of their minds and had to come up with one more song to finish out their second album. "Paranoid" is what they came up with. Obviously a short quick classic in the same vein as Communication Breakdown.

[Ady]

This happened during the recording sessions of Sabbath's Sabotage album over February and March 1975. The jam sessions with the fellow mates of Zep were recorded to which Tony Iommi is the owner of.

One Monday morning, Graham was driving Bill and Geezer down the A40 in the Rolls as usual, on the way back to London. They had just passed Oxford when a white Bentley convertible pulled alongside them, as Graham recalls:

The driver was Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, and his passenger was Robert Plant, their singer. I rolled down the car's electric window and Bill shouted out a big "hello" to his old mate and fellow drummer Bonzo. Straight away Bonzo dared us to race him to London, declaring that he roundabout at the end of the A40 would be the finish line.

With Bill promising to pay any speeding fines that we might incur, we zoomed off. Both cars were hurling along at speeds of over 100 mph. It was neck and neck as we approached the roundabout, and I braked to avoid crashing into it. Bonzo flew across the middle of the roundabout and screeched to a stop in the next lay-by. Miraculously, he, Robert and the convertible came out of it unscathed. We exchanged a bit of banter with the Zep boys and then carried onto the studio.

That evening, Bonzo, Robert Plant and Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones paid a visit to Morgan Studios, and were soon jamming with Black Sabbath. That really was a remarkable sight. They did 'Long Tall Sally' and improvised some numbers, with John Bonham playing the hell out of Bill's drums. I was worried he was going to break something, but they held up. Luckily, I had got into the habit of nailing them down.

Thanks for that. I knew about this, but not all those details. I imagined it being earlier than '75. Didn't know about the car race either!

[EtherealAirship]

Speaking of Sabbath, When Tony Iommi married his first wife, who was his best man?

John Bonham.

[dalsh327]

Geezer Butler and Robert Plant seemed to know each other before there was a Black Sabbath and a Led Zeppelin.

[SteveAJones]

I'm skeptical about the date (February-March 1975). Led Zeppelin was on tour in North America this entire time, with the exception of a mid-tour break from Feb 17-26. During the break Robert alledgedly joined Jimmy on holiday to Dominica in the Carribean Islands (where Jimmy had a friend who ran a rum shop) for the entire break. Jimmy confirmed he (Jimmy) went there, which would explain his absence at this jam, so perhaps Robert did not? If not, then this Feb/Mar '75 jam becomes both plausible and possible. It may have been towards the end of the break as they were regrouping in London, as JPJ didn't ordinarily socialize with Plant and Bonham outside of touring.

[hillsy]

I'm skeptical about the date (February-March 1975). Led Zeppelin was on tour in North America this entire time, with the exception of a mid-tour break from Feb 17-26. During the break Robert alledgedly joined Jimmy on holiday to Dominica in the Carribean Islands (where Jimmy had a friend who ran a rum shop) for the entire break. Jimmy confirmed he (Jimmy) went there, which would explain his absence at this jam, so perhaps Robert did not? If not, then this Feb/Mar '75 jam becomes both plausible and possible. It may have been towards the end of the break as they were regrouping in London, as JPJ didn't ordinarily socialize with Plant and Bonham outside of touring.

I read somewhere (cant for the life of me remember where?) The jam took place in January, Zep were rehearsing and Sabbath recording Sabotage. (Morgan studios)

I may have seen it in an issue of Mojo or Classic rock mag.

The plot thickens!