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Jimmy Page and the XYZ tapes


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Forgive me if this has been posted, or if it belongs under news.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/jimmy-page-yes-xyz/

Jimmy Page May Release XYZ Tapes of His Aborted Collaboration With Members of Yes

by Jeff Giles July 30, 2015 9:20 AM

After sitting in the vaults for more than 30 years, demos recorded by a short-lived supergroup featuring Jimmy Page and members of Yes may finally see official release.

Page has been talking about getting the tapes out there for years, and as he told Radio.com in a recent interview, hed been mulling over their release shortly before the death of Yes bassist Chris Squire in June, and had been meaning to reach out to Squire and his other partner in the project, Yes drummer Alan White, after he was finally finished with the current round of Led Zeppelin reissues.

I havent worked on it. Its something I wanted to do after all the Led Zeppelin stuff was out, noted Page, who says he absolutely wants to arrange for the recordings to be released. I wanted to contact Chris and Alan. The music was really good its the first thing I did after we lost John Bonham.

As Page noted, his brief collaboration with Squire and White dubbed XYZ, for ex-Yes and Zeppelin came together after the death of Zeppelin drummer Bonham in September 1980. Still reeling the following spring, Page recalled, I had a studio at the time and they wanted to get together. I thought it was like laying down the gauntlet: Im not curling up under a rock and hiding.

Unfortunately, although the budding band recorded a handful of songs, and even managed to briefly involve ex-Zeppelin singer Robert Plant at one point, the project fell apart because, as Squire later put it, It was really a bit too soon after John Bonham departed this world. Looking back now, Plant said, These guys are really, really good, so I had to be really good too. It was really an interesting blend really good music.

Getting them out there in the wake of Squires death could serve as a tribute of sorts for Page, who added, That was really sad. He was a phenomenal bass player. Its really sad that weve lost him.

Read More: Jimmy Page May Release 'XYZ' Tapes of His Aborted Collaboration With Members of Yes | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/jimmy-page-yes-xyz/?trackback=tsmclip

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Im glad to be able to possibly hear something new but wasn't he was saying how he was relieved to be done will all the reissues so he could get back out there; and now he is going to do another?

either way I hope it happens.

Edited by sk8rat
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From what I have read over the years, Plant was not in any way involved in XYZ. (I believe he was working on the Honeydrippers at the time)

According to Robert himself, at the time, he claimed the music was too complex for his tastes and wanted to focus on his solo career. In other words, I was controlled by Page for 12 years, I sure as hell am not gonna be controlled by Page AND Squire.

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I'm really not sure if Plant's reason for not joining the XYZ project had anything to do with being controlled. I have NEVER read or heard

in any book or interview that Plant felt Page was a dictator. More likely it was too soon after Bonzo's death, and as mentioned Plant

thought the material was too complex. A very likely reason as well was Plant had lost patience with Page's disastrous drug addiction.

Hopefully if there is a release it will have more than the 3-4 tracks on the widely circulated studio boots.

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I'd also read that Robert thought the XYZ songs were too complicated.

Apparently, Jimmy and the others worked on ideas for a few weeks and then asked Robert to sit in on a rehearsal, but he didn't like what he heard and that was that.

If Jimmy does put out the XYZ recordings, won't it most likely be a limited release through his website, as he did with Death Wish II and Lucifer Rising?

Edited by Brigante
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Page WILL reappear, but HA HA HA him actually naming a date for relaunch, I seriously almost doubled over with laughter. Page being

one of those people who have everything mapped out for months from sunup to sundown, on a smartphone ??? Or more likely in a

Moroccan leather bound pocket organizer with gold foil tipped pages ?? Hope the XYZ potential release is offered in a plain form,

as really there's only 20-25 minutes of music. There could easily be more material, different takes, mixes, etc.,. But on the other hand

Iv'e never heard from any source that more exists.

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I'd also read that Robert thought the XYZ songs were too complicated.

Apparently, Jimmy and the others worked on ideas for a few weeks and then asked Robert to sit in on a rehearsal, but he didn't like what he heard and that was that.

If Jimmy does put out the XYZ recordings, won't it most likely be a limited release through his website, as he did with Death Wish II and Lucifer Rising?

Yea, I remember reading somewhere that it was 'too-proggy' for him.

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Yea, I remember reading somewhere that it was 'too-proggy' for him.

I have to admit: I thought Page's soundtracks would be way too "avant gardey" and "droney" for my tastes, but now, I've moved on to the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. You never know what new music will do for you. Then again, too much prog tends to get on my nerves. Edited by Genghis Kon
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I have to admit: I though the soundtracks would be way too "avant gardey" and "droney" for my tastes, but now, I've moved on to the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. You never know what new music will do for you. Then again, too much prog tends to get on my nerves.

I suppose it depends on how strict your definition of Prog is? I love the more hard rocking prog stuff like Rush, Tool, Primus... but when you get into Yes and ELP territory, you start to lose me. That stuff is a bit too polished, pleasant, etc. I like my rock to have a bit more edge to it.

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I suppose it depends on how strict your definition of Prog is? I love the more hard rocking prog stuff like Rush, Tool, Primus... but when you get into Yes and ELP territory, you start to lose me. That stuff is a bit too polished, pleasant, etc. I like my rock to have a bit more edge to it.

I agree completely! I do like Yes however, just not a huge fan. I always found ELP a little boring.

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One thing about Robert's response to the XYZ stuff may have been that because he would have to possibly count things out, this

would be unnatural to him. From all accounts in Zep developing songs Plant either felt it or he didn't, although surely some things

had to be labored.

About Yes, they were a far more dynamic band live, with Chris Squire and Steve Howe playing actually raucous at times. Later on,

almost like Zep, they started jamming their parts and not just mimicking the albums like Rush. Let me tell you, jamming alternate/spontaneous parts in strange timings is a serious juggler's act. Iv'e never seen a "cover" prog rock band even try it.

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The idea of two of the greatest improvisers on guitar and bass playing together sounds so intriguing - until you actually hear it. Other than Cream (and sorry, JPP), how many groups have been successful in putting out music that really grabs you - with both a top tier guitarist and bassist?

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The idea of two of the greatest improvisers on guitar and bass playing together sounds so intriguing - until you actually hear it. Other than Cream (and sorry, JPP), how many groups have been successful in putting out music that really grabs you - with both a top tier guitarist and bassist?

Rush

Black Sabbath

Primus

Yes

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^ Pretty much all top tier bassists, but those guitarists probably wouldn't be on most lists for let's say - top twenty? Subjective, of course. You do try to sneak Primus in, whenever you can, don't you? But I did say "grab YOU" - so fair game.

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^ Pretty much all top tier bassists, but those guitarists probably wouldn't be on most lists for let's say - top twenty? Subjective, of course. You do try to sneak Primus in, whenever you can, don't you? But I did say "grab YOU" - so fair game.

Feels like I need to remind people sometimes that there were good bands post-1980. :P

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^ There's lots of sources for top this or that, and each one us would of course have our own - but generally speaking, can we say top tier is the 10 most voted for as greatest? So nope - I don't think anyone will come up with the combo I'm referring to.

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^ There's lots of sources for top this or that, and each one us would of course have our own - but generally speaking, can we say top tier is the 10 most voted for as greatest? So nope - I don't think anyone will come up with the combo I'm referring to.

Richards & Wyman consistently placed among the Top 10 in rock magazine Reader's Polls in the 1970s and early '80s, as did Townshend & Entwistle.

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how many groups have been successful in putting out music that really grabs you - with both a top tier guitarist and bassist?

I could say the Allman Brothers. We obviously know about Duane, but what about Berry Oakley? Although he never really took to the limelight like the other musicians listed here, and his bass lines weren't the most complicated, I always found his playing strangely compelling. Who can forget "Berry starts 'er up", before he initiates the pile driver of a song that is Whipping Post? He did that with a lot of their songs, just drove them forward, and doing more than what your average bassist does. I don't know, just my two cents. Edited by Genghis Kon
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