Interview with Jimmy Page - GQ Magazine

[mysticman560]

Interesting interview with Jimmy Page.

Details here:

https://www.gq.com/story/jimmy-page-led-zeppelin-men-of-the-year-klosterman
 

 

[luvlz2]

Just read it; interesting interview.

[mysticman560]

It didn't take long for the interviewer to provoke Page, and instigate a bit of a verbal sparing match between the two of them. I don't think asking Page a direct question about his alleged drug use was one of the wisest moves that an interviewer could make.

[76229]

It's a reprint from Dec 2014. So he might have been narky that there was less focus on those remasters than drugsnsharkz.

[gibsonfan159]

I commend the interviewer for trying to avoid just kissing an artist's ass, but at the same time he just asked the same old questions that the band members have shot down for decades. If you know you've already annoyed the man and he says you've got one more question, why would you make it one about his occult interest? "Did you actually practice magic?" That was an unprofessional move. Plus he said Rush were Zep imitators. That's just ignorant.

[IpMan]

2 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

I commend the interviewer for trying to avoid just kissing an artist's ass, but at the same time he just asked the same old questions that the band members have shot down for decades. If you know you've already annoyed the man and he says you've got one more question, why would you make it one about his occult interest? "Did you actually practice magic?" That was an unprofessional move. Plus he said Rush were Zep imitators. That's just ignorant.

Ignorant indeed. I never cared about his use of drugs because so many at the time were in the same boat. I don't even care about the how, that is, who turned him on. The only question worth asking is the why and I believe if a trusted interviewer asked him, in a sensitive manner such as, "Jimmy, you are a master guitar player, composer, and producer. A person who during Zeppelin's tenure was at the heart of the group, the music. Was there something which triggered you, at a particular time, to become involved in drugs or was it gradual, like so many of your peers? If this question offends you or you believe I have overstepped, please accept my apologies, you can disregard and we can move on. I do not ask out of sensationalism, but rather out of genuine regard for both you and your profession."

He would likely say "pass" but at least I doubt he would get as upset as he has with other interviewers. Or better yet, give him a list of questions beforehand explaining the reason for each question and let Jimmy make the decision before the interview. Maybe if he had the chance to think about it for a while beforehand instead of being ambushed the result may be different?

[mysticman560]

The point of any interview is to ask questions that would be of interest to readers. I don't think its appropriate to ask highly personal or questions broaching sensitive subject matters that are likely to turn the tone of the interview into a combative one, as was the case here. I'm not interested in Jimmy's personal habits, I'm only interested in his music. Period.

[gibsonfan159]

30 minutes ago, IpMan said:

Ignorant indeed. I never cared about his use of drugs because so many at the time were in the same boat. I don't even care about the how, that is, who turned him on. The only question worth asking is the why and I believe if a trusted interviewer asked him, in a sensitive manner such as, "Jimmy, you are a master guitar player, composer, and producer. A person who during Zeppelin's tenure was at the heart of the group, the music. Was there something which triggered you, at a particular time, to become involved in drugs or was it gradual, like so many of your peers? If this question offends you or you believe I have overstepped, please accept my apologies, you can disregard and we can move on. I do not ask out of sensationalism, but rather out of genuine regard for both you and your profession."

He would likely say "pass" but at least I doubt he would get as upset as he has with other interviewers. Or better yet, give him a list of questions beforehand explaining the reason for each question and let Jimmy make the decision before the interview. Maybe if he had the chance to think about it for a while beforehand instead of being ambushed the result may be different?

It's really strange how these media interchanges happen, and have happened for eons. How does an interviewer/employee get a chance to talk to someone on the level of Jimmy Page, which would obviously have to warrant some high level of professionalism, and ask such dumb questions? Either the media failed or Page's publicists failed in setting up the interview.

Now obviously Page is enough of a seasoned pro to know how to give his fanbase some details without delving into bad taste. He should be open -minded enough to understand the incessive drive his fanbase has to dig into his mindset. I refuse to believe that Jimmy Page, rock and roll pioneer and music enthusiast, couldn't comprehend the inquisitive desire people have to delve into every aspect of the Zep mindset. Kudos to the interviewer for asking this though when bringing up Elvis. Page plays down his private life, but at the same time he used his private interests (The four symbols, astrology, tarot symbolism) to promote the band and create an interest from a marketing point. Page's defensiveness is very intriguing. Maybe he isn't the open-minded wizard we all want him to be and maybe he's just a regular Joe who got lucky in the music biz and just wants to be a responsible figure to his family. I don't know, but I find it weird that you'd go out to promote your rock band but get defensive when asked about the circumstances that surrounded your career. There's a sense of bitterness underneath so many Led Zeppelin interviews that doesn't exist with other artists.

[nemophilist]

I thought that was one of the better interviews I've read.

A couple of things I appreciate the most about the members of LZ is how much they value their privacy (don't have to feed their egos by putting their personal lives on display) and the fact that they don't constantly glorify their drug use or the amount of women they've slept with in order to maintain or build some phony badass, false persona; basically the media image of the "rock star" or person in a band. Like Steven Tyler for instance, he talks about it almost every single interview i've seen him in. It gets really old and people that do that seem to care more about their persona than their music, it's all about making sure you grab headlines. Plus does your family really want to hear about the random girls or women you sleep with or have slept with all the time? Probably not.

 

I think Page just doesn't want to say something that people will take out of context or the wrong way, then it'll come up continuously in the media, in interviews and probably in some personal interactions. I think he could be a tiny bit looser at times, but I understand why he's not. What's the use of it really? The reason anyone even knows of him is music, thus it should be about the music for the most part.

[Brigante]

'The length of a song matters more than the length of a fish'.

[Realperson]

I thought it was well written piece but stupidly handled by Jimmy...it’s one thing to not answer questions that are personal or presumptive...just say I’m not going to answer that....it’s another to actively fight the interviewer by challenging what he says, especially if it’s rumor...

Some stuff Jimmy said seemed not accurate as well...I mean he implies that no one at the recording sessions for ITTOD contributed to the  purported “information ” that he was on drugs at the time and that the record was mostly completed by JPJ and Plant because Jimmy and JB were absent a lot...Jimmy says, well the only people who would know were there and implyies that information didn’t not come from any of them....in fact, there were two interviews I believe by JPJ and Plant corroborating this...I remember an interview with JPJ in which he said Jimmy was off chasing dragons and both he (JPJ) and Plant were left doing most of the work .....and I also remember an interview with Plant in which he said as well that Jimmy and JB were very late to sessions and so most of the material was written by him and JPJ...I believe Plant and JPj would qualify as people who actually were at the recording sessions lol....Jimmy needs to stop opening his mouth if he wants privacy on certain issues because he sometimes inserts his foot and forgets about that at the next interview...

 

[EaglesOfOneNest]

The interviewer asked kind of asshole questions regarding the occult and drugs. I did like what Page had to say about Ginger Baker and his criticism of Bonham! I thought it was touching that he said the most profound moments of life were the births of his children... stars - they're just like us! Also that performing with Leona Lewis at the Olympics was a highlight. Not what I would have expected! I also agree with his comments about the 1960's / 70's. I was born in the early '70's and didn't really get to experience them, but I can only imagine how exciting that time would have been for a young adult. People are jaded today. Nothing is new or exciting. 

[mysticman560]

There was no doubt that the interviewer was trying to provoke Jimmy with some of those questions. It's funny how some interviewers arrogantly or foolish believe that they can ask anything - in the setting of an interview.  i think Page should have been treated more respectfully.

[Paganini]

Well I have to say respect to the interviewer, he at least had the balls to ask Jimmy some very probing stuff. He would have known-if he’d done his research- that he wouldn’t get the answers to anything that touched on JP’s personal life or in any way bitching about Plant-which I’m sure he does do, probably to his girlfriend if no one else. I doubt whether we will ever get to know the real Jimmy Page, even if he does produce a posthumous autobiography-which I imagine is something he floats out there, like playing live again, just to put the interviewer off. Such a shame that he isn’t more forthcoming like Keith Richards for example who is happy to tell all -well all that he can actually remember!