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Zeppelin Mysteries Hosted by Steve A. Jones


SteveAJones

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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.

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

Did bands from that era normally make their gate receipts and figures public?

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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.

At the end of January 1984, Jimmy began what was essentially four months of open rehearsals for what ultimately became The Firm. Bill Bruford was one of many musicians who jammed with Jimmy at Nomis Studio in London during this period.

Did bands from that era normally make their gate receipts and figures public?

Occasionally this information was released for 70's era publicity purposes. In the '80s, Billboard (the music business magazine) started publishing a "Top 10 Concert Grosses" column...with concerts by The Firm and/or Robert Plant often making the list.

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At the end of January 1984, Jimmy began what was essentially four months of open rehearsals for what ultimately became The Firm. Bill Bruford was one of many musicians who jammed with Jimmy at Nomis Studio in London during this period.

Any reasons why he wasn't chosen as the drummer? It's kinda ridiculous because Chris Slade is not even in the same universe as Bruford when it comes to drumming.
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Any reasons why he wasn't chosen as the drummer? It's kinda ridiculous because Chris Slade is not even in the same universe as Bruford when it comes to drumming.

Well, for one thing Jimmy didn't exactly have a plan as such at the time, he was really just putting his toe back into the water so to speak. Besides, Bruford was still committed to King Crimson and toured with them from March thru July 1984. Meanwhile, Slade had also jammed with Jimmy at Nomis and gradually emerged as the front runner for the drum kit once it became clear Jimmy would put together a proper group.

Edited by SteveAJones
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Steve, do you know if Jimmy had his red les paul during the Japan tour?

What guitars exactly did he have on tour, to replace his number one if needed, before 1975?

Allow me to reply.

Jimmy was up a creek, more than you think with a lack of guitars. You'd think he'd have more backup guitars with him tour, but by all accounts and photographs available, this doesn't seem to be the case.

The Cherry Red Gibson Les Paul #3 was around as early as August 1970, but didn't really get used much until the 1973 US Tour. He had the Dano available (although it would have to have been re-tuned), the Dragon Tele wasn't on the road much after the Les Paul #1 came into use, the Black Beauty was on the road a very short time until, of course, April 1970 and of course there was the Doubleneck. The Gibson Les Paul #2 was acquired in late 1973.

So, what was available in 1971-1972 as backups in Japan? Realistically, the Dano and the Doubleneck.

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Allow me to reply.

Jimmy was up a creek, more than you think with a lack of guitars. You'd think he'd have more backup guitars with him tour, but by all accounts and photographs available, this doesn't seem to be the case.

The Cherry Red Gibson Les Paul #3 was around as early as August 1970, but didn't really get used much until the 1973 US Tour. He had the Dano available (although it would have to have been re-tuned), the Dragon Tele wasn't on the road much after the Les Paul #1 came into use, the Black Beauty was on the road a very short time until, of course, April 1970 and of course there was the Doubleneck. The Gibson Les Paul #2 was acquired in late 1973.

So, what was available in 1971-1972 as backups in Japan? Realistically, the Dano and the Doubleneck.

Meaning he would have been screwed if his Red LP had an electronics problem and his number one broke a string and he didn't have replacement strings... Just brings the question if he really got the number two in 1973/74 or in 1970. I've seen a ton of pictures from before 1973 with Jimmy playing a les paul with a different burst from his number one.

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There was no backup for the #1 at all. The Dano was always tuned to DADGAD and it wasn't used for anything other than White Summer/Black Mountain Side, which was dropped in 1970. I think it's realistic to say that Jimmy didn't carry the Dano on tour at all until 1975 (for IMTOD). The EDS-1275 was never used for anything other than STH, TRS and TSRTS.

Edited by Geezer
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Meaning he would have been screwed if his Red LP had an electronics problem and his number one broke a string and he didn't have replacement strings... Just brings the question if he really got the number two in 1973/74 or in 1970. I've seen a ton of pictures from before 1973 with Jimmy playing a les paul with a different burst from his number one.

#2 was acquired in late 1973. I can't think of any other Les Paul Burst-colored guitar that he played at a Led Zep concert. #3 was red, he played a Smoked Burst Les Paul with Bad Company in 1974.

There was no backup for the #1 at all. The Dano was always tuned to DADGAD and it wasn't used for anything other than White Summer/Black Mountain Side, which was dropped in 1970. I think it's realistic to say that Jimmy didn't carry the Dano on tour at all until 1975 (for IMTOD). The EDS-1275 was never used for anything other than STH, TRS and TSRTS.

Nitpicky, but the Doubleneck was also used on CD, Tangerine & SA.

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There was no backup for the #1 at all. The Dano was always tuned to DADGAD and it wasn't used for anything other than White Summer/Black Mountain Side, which was dropped in 1970. I think it's realistic to say that Jimmy didn't carry the Dano on tour at all until 1975 (for IMTOD). The EDS-1275 was never used for anything other than STH, TRS and TSRTS.

The doubleneck was used for early Celebration Day performances

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Wasn't magerogue asking about their Japan 1972 tour? I think it's safe to say that Jimmy had no backup for the #1 back then.

Yeah that's what I wanted to pin down. Man, he was really careless...

Didn't he have enough money to buy another one??

Edited by magerogue
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I'm pretty sure he was the most demanded session guitarist in the UK in the pre-Zep era, and he alone covered all of the studio bills for recording the first album.

Anyway, I couldn't care less about his wealth. Just my two cents.

Edited by Geezer
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You said Jimmy Page was "quite wealthy even before joining Zep" which I may have misunderstood. Jimmy was quite frugal in his sessions era, residing with his parents in a modest home in Epsom.

I'm pretty sure he was the most demanded session guitarist in the UK in the pre-Zep era, and he alone covered all of the studio bills for recording the first album.

Anyway, I couldn't care less about his wealth. Just my two cents.

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You said Jimmy Page was "quite wealthy even before joining Zep" which I may have misunderstood. Jimmy was quite frugal in his sessions era, residing with his parents in a modest home in Epsom.

Was his Pangebourne (am I pronouncing that right?) home bought before Zeppelin? It's of my understanding that that house was quite big. That would mean he had some cash...

Not that I'm interested in knowing his financial status before he joined Zeppelin, just that I wanted to know why the heck wouldn't he have another spare guitar besides "number 3" before 1975

Edited by magerogue
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Was his Pangebourne (am I pronouncing that right?) home bought before Zeppelin? It's of my understanding that that house was quite big. That would mean he had some cash...

Not that I'm interested in knowing his financial status before he joined Zeppelin, just that I wanted to know why the heck wouldn't he have another spare guitar besides "number 3" before 1975

He purchased the boathouse in Pangbourne in late '67/early '68 (he'd been living with his parents up until that time). I'm not saying he was destitute but I don't think it's accurate to say he was well-off prior to Led Zeppelin. Few young professional musicians were at the time. Wealth is of course relative.

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He purchased the boathouse in Pangbourne in late '67/early '68 (he'd been living with his parents up until that time). I'm not saying he was destitute but I don't think it's accurate to say he was well-off prior to Led Zeppelin. Few young professional musicians were at the time. Wealth is of course relative.

Alrighty, that's good enough for me. I don't like digging to much into what they had or didn't have, that's their business.

Still bothers me the fact that he didn't have more guitars with him on tour.

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Having had the Black Beauty stolen while on tour may have discouraged him from risking more than absolutely necessary.

Very, very true.

About being "quite wealthy". He bankrolled the first album and didn't take a paycheck on the first tour. Despite being 45 years ago and times were better then, that still takes some savings to do so, Alas, all conjecture.

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