Zeppelin Mysteries Hosted by Steve A. Jones

[swandown]

http://www.elixirstrings.com/artists/JohnPaulJones.html

Most Influential Musicians: James Jamerson & Duck Dunn

Even if Jones didn't know Jamerson by name, he was certainly aware of his work and heavily influenced by his style. In fact, Jones was so adept at mimicing Jamerson's style, that producers frequently sought out Jones for any sessions that requred "Motown style" bass lines.

"As a session musician, I did all the Motown covers because I was the only one who knew how to play in that style" (quote from Barney Hoskyns' book).

[SteveAJones]

http://www.elixirstrings.com/artists/JohnPaulJones.html

Most Influential Musicians: James Jamerson & Duck Dunn

Even if Jones didn't know Jamerson by name, he was certainly aware of his work and heavily influenced by his style. In fact, Jones was so adept at mimicing Jamerson's style, that producers frequently sought out Jones for any sessions that requred "Motown style" bass lines.

"As a session musician, I did all the Motown covers because I was the only one who knew how to play in that style" (quote from Barney Hoskyns' book).

Vintage Guitar: Who are your main influences as a player and songwriter, and how have they changed over time?

John Paul Jones: The first record I ever bought as a teenager was Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls Of Fire,” and then I was a big Everly Brothers fan. I was into “Cathy’s Clown,” “Bye Bye, Love,” and all of those songs. I was mainly getting into songs then, although I hadn’t actually started writing my own. I was just a player. I probably got my share of bluegrass and country music from them.

I also discovered Ray Charles and Little Richard, and through them got into soul. I was a big fan of soul music and Motown in the ’60s, and I especially liked Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding.

Instrumentally, I suppose I got a lot from James Jamerson, the Motown bass player, and Duck Dunn. They were very important. From rock, Jimi Hendrix was probably the biggest influence, although I don’t play guitar; his approach and sheer soulfulness was influential. For modern jazz, it was Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, and all of those types of players.

(Vintage Guitar, Aug 2002 issue)

Edited June 25, 2013 by SteveAJones

[Walter]

Hi Steve. I don't know if this has already been discussed or not....do you know if Zeppelin had any "official" things they had to attend on their one off day of the LA run in '77? Or was it a day to lounge around by the pool, etc. or in Jimmy's case - hang out in your hotel suite? Thanks for all of your great info!

[pottedplant]

I am really confused now. So, let me see if I have this right. All sales from the concert tickets, t-shirts,

etc. went to the foundation. The box set sales, monies from the Celebration Day movie were also donated, or only partly donated? So then, the band, record company and promoters donated their time and expertise to the foundation. If so, that is extremely generous of them. Maybe, as Cookie said, the band donated part and kept part - to pay who they had to pay.

[Cookie0024]

I am really confused now. So, let me see if I have this right. All sales from the concert tickets, t-shirts,

etc. went to the foundation. The box set sales, monies from the Celebration Day movie were also donated, or only partly donated? So then, the band, record company and promoters donated their time and expertise to the foundation. If so, that is extremely generous of them. Maybe, as Cookie said, the band donated part and kept part - to pay who they had to pay.

Everything on the day of the show went to the foundation, a portion of the profit from the sale of Celebration Day was donated.

[SteveAJones]

Hi Steve. I don't know if this has already been discussed or not....do you know if Zeppelin had any "official" things they had to attend on their one off day of the LA run in '77? Or was it a day to lounge around by the pool, etc. or in Jimmy's case - hang out in your hotel suite? Thanks for all of your great info!

Friday, June 24, 1977 was the only off day during their six shows at The Forum. So far as I know it was spent at leisure; they were staying at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The night before an after-show party was held for them at a private residence (possibly JJ Jackson's home) in Stone Canyon (or possibly Laurel Canyon)...the attendees included Keith Moon, Rodney Bingenheimer, Rod Stewart, and Swan Song label mate Detective.

The day JJ Jackson died (March 18, 2004) Joe Reiling of KLOS recalled that Robert Plant had dedicated 'Since I've Been Loving You' to his "good friend JJ Jackson" during one of Led Zeppelin's LA Forum concerts. Perhaps someone with audio recordings readily available can confirm this dedication was made and if so at which show. It was probably '77 but could have been '75.

Everything on the day of the show went to the foundation, a portion of the profit from the sale of Celebration Day was donated.

Correct!

Edited June 25, 2013 by SteveAJones

[pottedplant]

Thanks SAJ and Cookie. All is clear to me now. I had a very good feeling that the band would donate part of the proceeds from all the Celebration Day items to the Foundation.

[And You Know How It Is?]

Steve,

September 3, 1971 Madison Square Garden. How exactly does part of stage collapse during the encores? Didn't happen when they first played there in 1970, nor any return trips from 1973 on (another mystery: why did Zep avoid MSG in 1972, and decide to play Nassau Coliseum in Long Island instead).

I read that fans had rushed the stage when they came back out for the encores, but then the equipment wasn't working properly for the last encore, Rock and Roll. Seems like there is more to the story...just can't see MSG falling apart like that.

[magerogue]

Steve,

September 3, 1971 Madison Square Garden. How exactly does part of stage collapse during the encores? Didn't happen when they first played there in 1970, nor any return trips from 1973 on (another mystery: why did Zep avoid MSG in 1972, and decide to play Nassau Coliseum in Long Island instead).

I read that fans had rushed the stage when they came back out for the encores, but then the equipment wasn't working properly for the last encore, Rock and Roll. Seems like there is more to the story...just can't see MSG falling apart like that.

Regardless, the 1971 MSG show is one of their best shows in my book.

[ListenToThis]

So what do we know about Bonham's car crash and injuries in the autumn of 1977? Alcohol involved? Any charges filed?

[SteveAJones]

Steve,

September 3, 1971 Madison Square Garden. How exactly does part of stage collapse during the encores? Didn't happen when they first played there in 1970, nor any return trips from 1973 on (another mystery: why did Zep avoid MSG in 1972, and decide to play Nassau Coliseum in Long Island instead).

I read that fans had rushed the stage when they came back out for the encores, but then the equipment wasn't working properly for the last encore, Rock and Roll. Seems like there is more to the story...just can't see MSG falling apart like that.

Numerous attendees have posted their eyewitness accounts to the official timeline entry for this concert. A concert description sums it up:

...in the middle of Thank You, the crowd charges the stage, prompting Robert (who sounds very scared) to stop the song and scream at the audience to move back: "You've gotta move back. Move back. Move back or we can't go on! Move right back! It's not fair to everybody else. Besides I'm scared of heights!" They do, and Thank You finishes with a great solo, and a fast Rock And Roll (unreleased and still called It's Been A Long Time) is played with a great solo, great high vocals (with Robert saying: "I gotta tell you, I can't hear a thing I'm saying. All the equipment's fallen out!"), but the last verse is skipped to get the group the hell off the stage.

Any number of reasons may explain why they performed two night at Nassau Coliseum as opposed to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks and Rangers seasons had ended, but there may have been other events booked there for June 14-15 1972. Alternatively, MSG may have kept the entire week open pending Colonel Tom Parker's confirmation dates for Elvis Presley's multiple performances there at MSG the same week.

[SteveAJones]

So what do we know about Bonham's car crash and injuries in the autumn of 1977? Alcohol involved? Any charges filed?

At first glance I don't show anything on file for this.

[dazedjeffy]

Numerous attendees have posted their eyewitness accounts to the official timeline entry for this concert. A concert description sums it up:

...in the middle of Thank You, the crowd charges the stage, prompting Robert (who sounds very scared) to stop the song and scream at the audience to move back: "You've gotta move back. Move back. Move back or we can't go on! Move right back! It's not fair to everybody else. Besides I'm scared of heights!" They do, and Thank You finishes with a great solo, and a fast Rock And Roll (unreleased and still called It's Been A Long Time) is played with a great solo, great high vocals (with Robert saying: "I gotta tell you, I can't hear a thing I'm saying. All the equipment's fallen out!"), but the last verse is skipped to get the group the hell off the stage.

Any number of reasons may explain why they performed two night at Nassau Coliseum as opposed to Madison Square Garden. The Knicks and Rangers seasons had ended, but there may have been other events booked there for June 14-15 1972. Alternatively, MSG may have kept the entire week open pending Colonel Tom Parker's confirmation dates for Elvis Presley's multiple performances there at MSG the same week.

IIRC, there's a quote in Richard Cole's book about why they performed at Nassau Coliseum instead of MSG, but I don't have it currently in front of me. I know I've read about it somewhere.

[Geezer]

This is the only mention of the Nassau Coliseum in Cole's book:

"When the 1975 tour reached New York for six concerts at Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Coliseum, we parked ourselves at the Plaza Hotel. For Jimmy Page, his suite at the Plaza was much too pretentious, “something comparable to the Versailles Palace,” he complained. John Bonham really didn’t care whether his suite was gaudy or austere; in fact, as long as there was a pool table in his room (which he always had in New York and Chicago), he could do without just about everything else, including running water."

Edited June 27, 2013 by Geezer

[SteveAJones]

This is the only mention of the Nassau Coliseum in Cole's book:

"When the 1975 tour reached New York for six concerts at Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Coliseum, we parked ourselves at the Plaza Hotel. For Jimmy Page, his suite at the Plaza was much too pretentious, “something comparable to the Versailles Palace,” he complained. John Bonham really didn’t care whether his suite was gaudy or austere; in fact, as long as there was a pool table in his room (which he always had in New York and Chicago), he could do without just about everything else, including running water."

I vaguely recall a quote from Peter Grant that they wanted to play one date in Nassau "because that's where the kids live" but I'm certain he was alluding to the 1975 date and not the two 1972 dates.

[ListenToThis]

At first glance I don't show anything on file for this.

I have read in several publications that he had an auto accident near his home in England in the fall of '77 in which he broke two ribs. Of course you can't believe everything you read, but having seen it repeated I took it to have some truth. It may have flown under the radar simply because Zeppelin was not active during this period.

[And You Know How It Is?]

I vaguely recall a quote from Peter Grant that they wanted to play one date in Nassau "because that's where the kids live" but I'm certain he was alluding to the 1975 date and not the two 1972 dates.

That being the case, one has to wonder why no Nassau Coliseum during the June '77 tour run? Hockey and NBA (New York Nets final season at Nassau was '76-'77, and they didn't make the playoffs) weren't a factor in Nassau Coliseum availability.

[SteveAJones]

That being the case, one has to wonder why no Nassau Coliseum during the June '77 tour run? Hockey and NBA (New York Nets final season at Nassau was '76-'77, and they didn't make the playoffs) weren't a factor in Nassau Coliseum availability.

They performed at both venues in February '75 so it's a fair question, but we may never know. However, we do know the Nassau Coliseum was criticized for it's ticket sales procedures and crowd control by multiple artists in '75:

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/february-4-1975

[Geezer]

Steve, do you know if the band sold out all of the tickets on their 77' tour?

[SteveAJones]

Steve, do you know if the band sold out all of the tickets on their 77' tour?

Generally speaking each performance was completely sold out. I don't think Jimmy will allow his accountant to release gate receipts, figures, etc.

[Geezer]

Huh? We know exactly how much some of the performances grossed, such as the Pontiac show.

Another question - did they also sell out their earlier tours?

[ledzepfilm]

Speaking of that Morgan Studios take of We're Gonna Groove, does it circulate? I remember hearing a bootleg version from the Coda outtakes and it was the RAH version with overdubs and all.

[SteveAJones]

Huh? We know exactly how much some of the performances grossed, such as the Pontiac show.

Another question - did they also sell out their earlier tours?

The Pontiac show reportedly grossed 467,000 GBP and the tour was reportedly expected to gross eight to ten million dollars. Gate receipts and figures for every show aren't publicly available. Generally speaking US tours attained "sold out" status very early on.

Speaking of that Morgan Studios take of We're Gonna Groove, does it circulate? I remember hearing a bootleg version from the Coda outtakes and it was the RAH version with overdubs and all.

Yes, that's right. So far as I know the Morgan Studios take of We're Gonna Groove does not circulate.

[Geezer]

Is JPJ's full name John Baldwin on John Paul Baldwin?

Also, what do you know about Page approaching Bill Bruford as a possible drummer while forming The Firm?

Thanks in advance.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Geezer

[Bayougal65]

Is JPJ's full name John Baldwin on John Paul Baldwin?

From a 2001 interview, he says, just John Baldwin.

http://www.ledzeppelinnews.com/2001/12/john-paul-jones-speaks-about-his-early.html?m=1

Peace!