Wolfman Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 I found this post on FB kind of interesting. I never knew that BIGLY was supposed to be on '77 Tour Setlist. Damn shame, I would have loved to hear that. Led Zeppelin had begun rehearsing in November 1976 for their 1977 US Tour, By January they moved to Manticore Studios in Fulham, an old theater owned by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Many of the pics were taken by Pennie Smith and published along with an interview by Roy Carr in the Feb 26, 1977 issue of NME, Oh and an interview with Page published in NME November 20, 1976 states that rehearsals began two weeks earlier. All Jimmy's interviews from that day at SwanSong in November mention that they will begin their US tour in February, in fact it begun in April, so not sure what happened there. Jimmy also discussed in an interview with Chris Salewicz in February 1977, "I'm pretty confident. Everyone's confident. As far as the playing goes there's no problems at all. We've got such a variety in there - Oh, 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You' is another number that we've been using pedal steel guitar instead of the usual. So it sounds pretty different from the original." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecongo Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 I’d love to hear it, too. Im sure Jimmy has a recording of those rehearsals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 (edited) There were pictures from that rehearsal published in CREEM magazine and others back in the late-70s where you can see Jimmy playing the pedal-steel guitar. Jimmy's wearing the famous Rorer 714 shirt. So I have often wondered what that "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" would have sounded like on that tour. I also thought they might be working on a version of "That's the Way" when I saw those photos. Edited April 22, 2020 by Strider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zep Hed Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 Certainly would've been fascinating to hear their take on BIGLY in 77. Can't say I'd question any of their choices for the acoustic set as it was though. Love the 77 acoustic sets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Zep Hed said: Certainly would've been fascinating to hear their take on BIGLY in 77. Can't say I'd question any of their choices for the acoustic set as it was though. Love the 77 acoustic sets. Ummmm...I question using JPJ to sing on "Battle of Evermore". 😝 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klape Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) I can't remember for sure, but a few years ago, I saw a picture (on this forum maybe) of a rehearsal for the 77' tour, a there was a pedalsteel guitar (with Jimmy ?), it's been so long, I can't remember any details Edited April 23, 2020 by Klape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Klape said: I can't remember for sure, but a few years ago, I saw a picture (on this forum maybe) of a rehearsal for the 77' tour, a there was a pedalsteel guitar (with Jimmy ?), it's been so long, I can't remember any details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pageluvva Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 10 hours ago, Strider said: Ummmm...I question using JPJ to sing on "Battle of Evermore". 😝 I remember the first bootleg I ever bought was the 3 lp set Destroyer and my friends and I were blown away how a band that god damn perfect would have a backup vocal that damn bad? No one could hear how horrible JPJ was on that song? I wore that bootleg out. Came in a plastic case. Still have it somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 11 hours ago, Strider said: Ummmm...I question using JPJ to sing on "Battle of Evermore". 😝 Agreed. It was a nice try, but.... Robert’s voice would’ve been great for BIGLY that year. Had the power the song needed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klape Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 4 hours ago, Strider said: Yes that's it, thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zep Hed Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 12 hours ago, Strider said: Ummmm...I question using JPJ to sing on "Battle of Evermore". 😝 I feel you, Strider. Like the choice of song, but what else were they gonna do with those vocal parts? Give a groupie something constructive to do perhaps? Let's just say it was different! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsj Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Zep Hed said: I feel you, Strider. Like the choice of song, but what else were they gonna do with those vocal parts? Give a groupie something constructive to do perhaps? Let's just say it was different! haha Just not play it and choose another song instead. It was horrendous, in my option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgeholder Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 I think that last photo sums it up JPJ is thinking "wrong pedal, Jimmy" Plant is thinking "Okay, this is not gonna work" Jimmy - "screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceFrogYum Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 15 hours ago, Strider said: Ummmm...I question using JPJ to sing on "Battle of Evermore". 😝 I wonder why Bonzo did not take the second vocal part as he had a pretty good voice. I believe he co-sang the second part with JPJ on one or two gigs but not sure. Better yet, why not use local talent? Bring some local female singer on stage to take the part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zep Hed Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 2 minutes ago, PeaceFrogYum said: I wonder why Bonzo did not take the second vocal part as he had a pretty good voice. I believe he co-sang the second part with JPJ on one or two gigs but not sure. Better yet, why not use local talent? Bring some local female singer on stage to take the part. Was thinking the same thing, PeaceFrog. A local in every city may not have been doable but how about one in each of the band's three tour headquarters then travel with the band to each show. Hindsight's 20/20... Still stand by the choice of songs. Battle and BCW were nice additions IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 2 hours ago, badgeholder said: I think that last photo sums it up JPJ is thinking "wrong pedal, Jimmy" Plant is thinking "Okay, this is not gonna work" Jimmy - "screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, pageluvva said: I remember the first bootleg I ever bought was the 3 lp set Destroyer and my friends and I were blown away how a band that god damn perfect would have a backup vocal that damn bad? No one could hear how horrible JPJ was on that song? I wore that bootleg out. Came in a plastic case. Still have it somewhere. 8 hours ago, Walter said: Agreed. It was a nice try, but.... Robert’s voice would’ve been great for BIGLY that year. Had the power the song needed! 7 hours ago, Zep Hed said: I feel you, Strider. Like the choice of song, but what else were they gonna do with those vocal parts? Give a groupie something constructive to do perhaps? Let's just say it was different! haha 4 hours ago, PeaceFrogYum said: I wonder why Bonzo did not take the second vocal part as he had a pretty good voice. I believe he co-sang the second part with JPJ on one or two gigs but not sure. Better yet, why not use local talent? Bring some local female singer on stage to take the part. 3 hours ago, Zep Hed said: Was thinking the same thing, PeaceFrog. A local in every city may not have been doable but how about one in each of the band's three tour headquarters then travel with the band to each show. Hindsight's 20/20... Still stand by the choice of songs. Battle and BCW were nice additions IMO. As I wrote in my 1977 tour posts, I always thought they should have just taken Sandy Denny on the road with them. She wasn't really busy at that time...she was long gone from Fairport Convention and in between albums at that point and she was good friends with the band. Sandy might have brought a calming, maternal vibe to the road and lessened some of the asshole antics that transpired on the 1977 tour. Or it might have killed her. If Sandy Denny wasn't available or amenable to go on the road, Plan B should have been to find a substitute...Linda Ronstadt or Emmylou Harris or somebody...or just hire a local woman singer in each town they played. I always felt it was a lost opportunity. Edited April 23, 2020 by Strider Stupid autocorrect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirchzep27 Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 2 hours ago, badgeholder said: I think that last photo sums it up JPJ is thinking "wrong pedal, Jimmy" Plant is thinking "Okay, this is not gonna work" Jimmy - "screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech" On the first photo, jimmy is thinking....wait a minute, if i stand up maybe it'll sound better On 2nd photo, fuck this gimme the mandolin boe makes the setlist, bigly goes dormant for decades Actually bigly imo is maybe the most memorable live song, of the page plant era. They poured alot of energy into that song in 98 and that band, played that song very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zep Hed Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Sandy Denny, ofc 😉 Sandy Dennis was wonderful in The Out-of-Towners with Jack Lemmon 🙃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 23 minutes ago, Zep Hed said: Sandy Denny, ofc 😉 Sandy Dennis was wonderful in The Out-of-Towners with Jack Lemmon 🙃 Hahaha. It's my damn iPad...the autocorrect is out of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1998giventofly Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 This is so cool! I hadn't heard of this before now either. Would've loved to hear BIGLY in '77, it would've been great to have that back in the set. Also would far rather have a reworked TTW in place of Battle of Evermore. Speaking of additions to the set, I think Ramble On would also have been an awesome addition for this tour. It's a shame they didn't look to try to completely revamp the setlist with more songs they hadn't attempted previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xolo1974 Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 On 4/23/2020 at 9:55 AM, Strider said: Ummmm...I question using JPJ to sing on "Battle of Evermore". 😝 Me too. Musically great. Vocally - dreadful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Only Way To Fly Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 Stevie Nicks? However coordination with their tours that year would have made things difficult. Fleetwood Mac - 5 legs - 96 shows Led Zeppelin - 3 legs - 44 shows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodrigo Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Great info! Maybe if Karac's sad tragedy hadn't happened... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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