Peter Grant's film archive of Zep?

[porgie66]

Wondering if anyone here knows anything about Peter Grant's home movies of life with Zeppelin. I was watching the 16 mm footage of the Sydney concert shot from the side of the stage and Grant can be seen holding a camera on the other side of the stage. I assume there must be a treasure trove of footage of the band that he shot throughout the years . Anyone out there know about this? Maybe his son will release some footage as part of a 50th anniversary retrospective ? ( Pie in the sky , but...)

Edited March 28, 2017 by porgie66

[KellyGirl]

Oh I would love to see those.  I'm guessing that there would either be a lot of nonsense on them.
i.e.  garbled sound and the camera pointed at random crap like Bindon's elbow or like you said a
"treasure trove" of really cool stuff and candid moments.  

If there is anything good, hopefully the band and Peter's son would be up to sharing.

 

[SteveAJones]

If he has any Peter's son could potentially include some of his Father's video footage in the biographical documentary that has been discussed, but there's no telling when and if that project will ever happen. I must say I find the content and quality of Jimmy's home movie clips falls far short of what is worthy of any commercial release. They make for interesting clicks in an On The Day feature, but little else. Unfortunately, the same can be said of most hand held Led Zeppelin footage from the 1970s. 

[porgie66]

I guess what I'm hoping for is too improbable. But seeing Peter Grant filming while they were absolutely tearing through songs in Sydney made me think how great it would be to have some unseen footage synced up with a decent recording. If it's 8mm or 16mm it would most likely be grainy and very fragmented but the clips from Sydney I watched blew me away, even though they're pretty chopped up. It would be so great to see clips for the first time,  of any tour.  If Peter's son reads this thread then...please give us some rare vids!!! Thanks in advance. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by porgie66

[76229]

It's odd that such a notable music figure as Grant hasn't had a major feature length documentary. Yes, other rock managers have had as high a profile, but only Grant chmaged the industry. There are lots of pics showing filming going on at the side of the stage, really it all ought to go into an updated Zeppelin DVD, hint hint!

[Box of Jimmy's]

All the stills from Grants videos and such will be included as a bonus inside the jacket from Jimmy's new LP.  He's finishing it up now. 

[craigled]

That would be a real bonus. Of course it would be stuff none of us will have seen. So that would be even more exciting. I am not getting excited though, Because it will not happen. Although i am hoping that some kind of surprise will be done as part of the celebrations.

[76229]

At the very least the 50th anniversary ought to be marked with the same level of celebration accorded to recent milestones re: the Beatles / Stones / Bowie. But they were fashionable among media types and Zeppelin weren't / aren't.

[Dallas Knebs]

On 3/28/2017 at 6:07 PM, SteveAJones said:

... the content and quality of Jimmy's home movie clips falls far short

absolutely.

One of the great regrets amongst SHOWCO Vari-Lite folk is the lack of photos/film that was taken at the time- why? Everyone was doing their jobs working trying to get it pulled together.  Even then it took an army and a prayer and enough tape and cable to dock the Queen Mary who had time for a camera- unless you were the promoter and your last name is Graham.

 

[craigled]

23 hours ago, 76229 said:

At the very least the 50th anniversary ought to be marked with the same level of celebration accorded to recent milestones re: the Beatles / Stones / Bowie. But they were fashionable among media types and Zeppelin weren't / aren't.

Exactly what i think. Stones was heard about all over the place. Even a well known supermarket had their 50 t-shirts on sale. I know, Because i got one. I want the Zep anniversary to be marked properly. It deserves to be. I want it everywhere.

[Cecil.]

On 29/03/2017 at 8:49 PM, 76229 said:

It's odd that such a notable music figure as Grant hasn't had a major feature length documentary. Yes, other rock managers have had as high a profile, but only Grant chmaged the industry. There are lots of pics showing filming going on at the side of the stage, really it all ought to go into an updated Zeppelin DVD, hint hint!

Over the years, I have heard of a few attempts even a film based on Peter Grant's life.

All  seem to have come to nothing.

[NealR2000]

He just wasn't as well known beyond the industry and fans as to make a film about.  Making such a film would simply not be economically viable.  Anyway, I'd just rather it wasn't made as it would most likely be awful.

[Dallas Knebs]

On 4/1/2017 at 2:20 PM, NealR2000 said:

such a film would simply not be economically viable

it would have to be done fearlessly and with no expectation of financial windfall... even then the only way to market it would be to tart it up with tawdry and salacious scenes- because there really isn't much to say except that which has already been said and tossed into the urban legend to run amok

[Mithril46]

Well tremendously problematical for a film would be Zep could only be seen from actual film footage. Use actors for the

band ?? No way, even with the Stones you couldn't get Keef and Mick even remotely accurate. Same for the Who, in

all these bands you are looking at people who totally follow their own rules, there is no conception of boundaries  or

limits. Even Peter Grant is actually a pretty complex person, not just a mafia style enforcer for the band.

[SteveAJones]

Biographical rock books work well because the reader can use their imagination, but biographical rock films always come across as contrived.

 

[Brigante]

1 hour ago, SteveAJones said:

biographical rock films always come across as contrived.

 

Absolutely - the cringe level is sky high, too. Just...no.

[IpMan]

3 hours ago, Brigante said:

Absolutely - the cringe level is sky high, too. Just...no.

Well I don't know about that, after all the premier episode of Vinyl was just absolutely spot on with their portrayals of Robert, Bonzo, & Peter it was uncanny; especially the mesmerizing performance of the guy who played Grant, it was like looking at real band footage. (Complete, 100%, all American sarcasm there).

The only movie in this genre which worked was Sid & Nancy, but that was because it was not about the Sex Pistols as it was about a singular event for a particular member of the band. Plus, not a whole lot of people knew what Nancy Spungeon looked like and no one cared. Fun Fact: Courtney Love tested for the lead (Nancy) but lost out and wound up playing a bit part in the film. The irony is Love could actually be Nancy's dobbleganger, the two looked so much alike, and, Love is a damn good actor as well. Her performance in The People vs. Larry Flint proved that. I can't stand the opportunistic woman (Love), but she is a very good actor. 

[Mithril46]

Steve A. was spot on, there are many very good to great rock biographies. There is one(lent to a ex) written very well

about Keith Moon(title ??) that makes Zep look like naughty

schoolboys, it is hands down the most hilarious, outlandish, most preposterous account of any rock star or person let alone

ever written.. But again as Steve said,  and I add on, films about BIG rock stars/bands never work, the characters almost

always lack subtlety and end up looking cartoon like. IMO however there are many good films about unsung heroes and

rockers on the fringes of success, because arguably those films tend to carry on a story as opposed to demonizing/ mythologicalizing the musicians.

[76229]

1 hour ago, IpMan said:

Well I don't know about that, after all the premier episode of Vinyl was just absolutely spot on with their portrayals of Robert, Bonzo, & Peter it was uncanny; especially the mesmerizing performance of the guy who played Grant, it was like looking at real band footage. (Complete, 100%, all American sarcasm there).

The only movie in this genre which worked was Sid & Nancy, but that was because it was not about the Sex Pistols as it was about a singular event for a particular member of the band. Plus, not a whole lot of people knew what Nancy Spungeon looked like and no one cared. Fun Fact: Courtney Love tested for the lead (Nancy) but lost out and wound up playing a bit part in the film. The irony is Love could actually be Nancy's dobbleganger, the two looked so much alike, and, Love is a damn good actor as well. Her performance in The People vs. Larry Flint proved that. I can't stand the opportunistic woman (Love), but she is a very good actor. 

Playing Nancy Spungen would have been such a stretch for her. A real busman's holiday.

[IpMan]

2 minutes ago, 76229 said:

Playing Nancy Spungen would have been such a stretch for her. A real busman's holiday.

[Brigante]

3 hours ago, IpMan said:

Fun Fact: Courtney Love tested for the lead (Nancy) but lost out and wound up playing a bit part in the film. The irony is Love could actually be Nancy's dobbleganger, the two looked so much alike, and, Love is a damn good actor as well.

True, Ipman. After Courtney became famous, the director farcically claimed that he'd wanted to cast her as Nancy all along, but the producers wouldn't let him! Yeah, right...