The Pagemeister Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 ROBERT PLANT: Unofficial Biography Due In February - Dec. 13, 2007 According to NME.com, a new unofficial biography about LED ZEPPELIN's Robert Plant will be released early next year. "Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years", by Neil Daniels, will be released on February 28. The book is based on interviews with many of those who knew Plant throughout his career, including childhood friends, and will cover Plant's post-LED ZEPPELIN career as well as his time in the influential rock band. The book will also include coverage of LED ZEPPELIN's reunion show that took place on Monday (December 10) at the O2 Arena in London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotplant Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 I would really Love to hear more about his childhood years, as we have all got most of the lowdown of his rock days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Symbol Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Thank God it's not the threatened biography by that batty woman who was apparently stalking him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Goodman Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Robert had a stalker? Scary .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo the Rover Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 I'd like to know more about his youth as well, sounds promising, I just hope it's done respectfully ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 I am getting this for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 I'd like to know more about his youth as well, sounds promising, I just hope it's done respectfully ! True enough. No need to get jiggy into his personal life etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 ROBERT PLANT: Unofficial Biography Release Date Moved Forward UK-based journalist Neil Daniels' book on LED ZEPPELIN's Robert Plant, "Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years" (cover) (Independent Music Press), has had its release date moved forward to January 31 from the previously announced February 28. The book is based on interviews with many of those who knew Plant throughout his career, including childhood friends, and will cover Plant's post-LED ZEPPELIN career as well as his time in the influential rock band. For the first time, Plant's solo years — famously working with his former LED ZEP cohort Jimmy Page, numerous guest appearances and on his own material — are covered in depth in a complete rock biography. The book also places Plant's later work in the wider context of both LED ZEP's own legacy and the broader history of modern music. This is the very first book to tell the complete story of an enthusiastic young kid from the West Midlands who belied his humble blues roots and defied his stern parents by becoming one of the world's most recognizable and iconic rock superstars. This biography brings his career slap-bang up-to-date covering his latest album "Raising Sand" with the revered bluegrass singer Alison Krauss and the highly-publicized LED ZEPPELIN reunion in December 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croquet'n'cocaine Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I'd like to know more about his youth as well Probably be covered in a couple of paragraphs. What was he, 19-years-old when Led Zeppelin kicked off?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLuvsRobert Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 ROBERT PLANT: Unofficial Biography Release Date Moved Forward UK-based journalist Neil Daniels' book on LED ZEPPELIN's Robert Plant, "Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years" (cover) (Independent Music Press), has had its release date moved forward to January 31 from the previously announced February 28. The book is based on interviews with many of those who knew Plant throughout his career, including childhood friends, and will cover Plant's post-LED ZEPPELIN career as well as his time in the influential rock band. For the first time, Plant's solo years — famously working with his former LED ZEP cohort Jimmy Page, numerous guest appearances and on his own material — are covered in depth in a complete rock biography. The book also places Plant's later work in the wider context of both LED ZEP's own legacy and the broader history of modern music. This is the very first book to tell the complete story of an enthusiastic young kid from the West Midlands who belied his humble blues roots and defied his stern parents by becoming one of the world's most recognizable and iconic rock superstars. This biography brings his career slap-bang up-to-date covering his latest album "Raising Sand" with the revered bluegrass singer Alison Krauss and the highly-publicized LED ZEPPELIN reunion in December 2007. I can't wait for it to come out Here's what the cover looks like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Paul Cole of icBirmingham reports that UK-based journalist Neil Daniels' unofficial book on LED ZEPPELIN's Robert Plant, "Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page & The Solo Years" (Independent Music Press), reveals some of the Black Country jobs Plant, now 59, took to make ends meet. They included a stint at Woolworths in Halesowen, described as "mind-numbing and tedious", and laying Tarmac on the roads for construction firm Wimpey for which he earned "only a few tuppences an hour". He worked as a production control manager in a steel factory but got the sack after a mix-up. "I ordered enough steel to keep three factories going for about a year," he admits ruefully. Plant took classes in chartered accountancy at Kidderminster College but dropped out. After trying out all his best Elvis Presley moves in his bedroom, he joined a series of bands. They included the DELTA BLUES BAND, SOUNDS OF BLUE, THE CRAWLING KING SNAKES, THE TENNESSEE TEENS, LISTEN, BAND OF JOY, HOBBSTWEEDLE and finally THE NEW YARDBIRDS, the group that became LED ZEPPELIN. Read the entire article at icBirmingham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Was the book released already? I have to get this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Symbol Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 It's out now in the UK. Save your money, it's as equally disposable as the Jimmy Page book which came out recently... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Agreed - not that great and a few mistakes already (poor old Jim Hickman of The Honeydrippers seems destined to be Jim Wickman forever it seems) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxie Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I agree, not worth it at all. It was even lacking in the photos. Save your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brspled Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 I wonder if I'll find it on the bookstores here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Howard Mylett intended to publish a Plant biography in the early 80s but Robert preferred he not do so. The pain of the Zeppelin era was still too recent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Neil Daniels...HOBBSTWEEDLE "I went up to see him sing, he was in a group called Obstweedle or Hobbstweedle, something like that" -- Jimmy Page, 1972 "Obbstweedle" -- Robert Plant, Toronto, July 4 1998 Get it right. Don't make me write a Plant biography too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotplant Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Well, damn, is it really that awful?? Bummer. Childhood friends and stuff would be interesting, we all know the rest! I agree about the last jimmy book, sorry dude who wrote it, it sucked as to nothing we didn't know already. Guess I'll have to write one too. Everyone else is, why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 "I went up to see him sing, he was in a group called Obstweedle or Hobbstweedle, something like that" -- Jimmy Page, 1972 "Obbstweedle" -- Robert Plant, Toronto, July 4 1998 Get it right. That's exactly what I mean - loads of mistakes that smack of 'researching' from the internet and other books and articles. First-hand research would erradicate this kind of hand-me-down mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brspled Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 So no accurate facts? I'd buy it anyway...if only for the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZPN Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I just got the book. There aren't a lot of pictures-all b&w. There's a great one I hadn't seen before, of Plant walking down the street, letter in hand, when he was 19. The caption reads: "A 19 year-old Robert visits the office of Charge d' Affaires of the Republic of China to offer the services of the Band of Joy. Part of the letter he is carrying reads: 'We are prepared to play for a period of time, free of charge, as we feel very strongly about a united world.' " I'm fascinated by his pre-Zep days. Maybe it's common for someone so young to be performing and living on their own in England (or Europe), but it seems unusual to me, being from the US. I had no idea he'd been in SO MANY bands BEFORE Zeppelin! I'd love to be able to hear recordings (I know there were a couple on 66 to Timbuktu, and I have a couple tracks w/Alexis Korner from iTunes). I also wish I could hear some Priory of Brion stuff. Back to the book: I am surprised at the quality of the writing, errors/typos and lack of organization. I think the author needs to use more commas. Also he seems to have written the paragraphs and then put them in random order within the chapters! It's confusing. But I'm going to stick with it, because I'm so interested in the subject! It does give me more confidence in my idea to write or compile/edit a book about John Hiatt's songs: I can write at least as well as Daniels. I don't have the music connections, and I've no clue as to the business side of getting a book published. Also I'd have to get permission to print lyrics. If any of you have experience with writing/publishing and want to offer advice in those areas, I'd be glad to read about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I just got the book. There aren't a lot of pictures-all b&w. There's a great one I hadn't seen before, of Plant walking down the street, letter in hand, when he was 19. The caption reads: "A 19 year-old Robert visits the office of Charge d' Affaires of the Republic of China to offer the services of the Band of Joy. Part of the letter he is carrying reads: 'We are prepared to play for a period of time, free of charge, as we feel very strongly about a united world.' " I'm fascinated by his pre-Zep days. Maybe it's common for someone so young to be performing and living on their own in England (or Europe), but it seems unusual to me, being from the US. Nineteen years old is old enough to be on your own in the United States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZPN Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Nineteen years old is old enough to be on your own in the United States. I was talking about BEFORE that, when he was 15 & 16! The book states he was in bands and working as early as 1963. I assume there are people on this forum from all over the world, and I'm not familiar with European norms for these things. For example in the US most kids go to "high school" through "12th grade" and graduate at 17 or 18. The terminology in England seems different (public and private have different meanings as far as types of schools, for example). They use terms such as "grammar school" and so on in England. And I don't know how many "levels" they complete (like our "grades"?), and at what ages. The book made it sound like Plant started college earlier than we do in the US. Is that the norm in England? Here's what the book said about Plant's education: "It was jam sessions at places like the Seven Stars Blues Club that Plant looked forward to, not his next test result and a pat on the back from his teacher. So at the tender age of fifteen, Plant had some tough decisions to make...His parents wanted their only son to settle into a secure office job, so he began training classes in chartered accountancy at Kidderminster College. However, he found the rudiments of the training so utterly boring that he soon quit and returned to an academic institution to acquire some O-levels. After several months of disinterest in college work, he packed the whole lot in." (p. 28) and then: "As Plant approached the age of seventeen [which I assume means he was still 16], he was moving from one demoralising job to the next and had already left home..." (p. 30) I am just curious as to how things work over there (as a kind of translation) and whether Plant's experience was typical or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocoboy Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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