Zeppelin Mysteries Hosted by Steve A. Jones

[SuperDave]

Steve,

I hope this helps. I had a boot of Jimmy playing with Solid Ground and I believe they had a female singer. Also, the drummer looks to have hair so I would say that isn't Chris Slade.

I can confirm this as well, since I have the same performance. I can recall the female singer talking to Jimmy and asking him for a drink order in this small club. That was rather funny. Very relaxed setting. He had Tanqueray while playing. Played mostly blues standards, but he used way too much distortion. Not a great show, but worth a listen and is good quality.

Edited December 31, 2008 by SuperDave

[SteveAJones]

Anyway, Steve you are fooking awesome! Really enjoying your contributions in this thread. I wish someone would give you a cable show, something like Leonard Nimoy's "In Search Of" only of course with Zeppelin mysteries.

BTW, I thought the footage of Jimmy in the studio used in the "Travelling Riverside Blues" video is from 1973 at Sol Studios.

That's quite a compliment. In Search Of is one of my all-time favorite shows, particularly the one concerning the Loch Ness Monster, given it's connections to Crowley and Page.

However, I don't think many of the topics here would translate well in a visual medium.

It's predominantly an exchange of information, admittedly most of which is either trivial or of interest only to hard-core enthusiasts of the group. Collaboration is the key.

So far as I know, Jimmy never recorded at Sol Studios prior to his ownership circa '80.

[SteveAJones]

Mystery Photo:

Sep/Oct 1990 (exact month and day unconfirmed)

Jimmy Page jamming with John Paul Jones, singer Martin Weller, guitarist Brian Viner and drummer Buzz of The Fear. AC/DC drummer Chris Slade also joined in.

Martin says this would have been "Sep/Oct '90" in the Function Room at Headley Park located in Sleaford, Hampshire, England. Jimmy had seen The Fear perform at Camberley Civic Hall earlier in the year and invited them to perform at "his private party". This event was possibly to celebrate the release of the Led Zeppelin Boxed Set, as Jimmy presented them with signed copies as a token of his appreciation.

They played rock songs and 'Train Kept A Rollin', but Jimmy broke a string just as they were about to attempt Led Zeppelin's 'Rock And Roll' and he had no spare. According to Martin, had The Fear not arrived late Jimmy was wanting to jam with them prior to the start of the event as well.

Many thanks to Blockbuster for his aggressive pursuit of these details!

[the-ocean87]

This picture has always been a mystery to me but can anyone shed any light/the story behind this photo? Apart from it being taken in Japan 1971

That must be the Jamsession:

September 25(?), 1971 - Saturday, Kyoto, Japan: Jimmy Page/John Paul Jones/John Bonham afterhours jam

BTW: THanks for that great pic!!

Edited December 31, 2008 by the-ocean87

[manuforte]

Are Jp, Rp and JB, left handed for writing as seen on that picture? How about JPJ?

[FireOpal]

So far as I know, Jimmy never recorded at Sol Studios prior to his ownership circa '80.

Ah, that's troubling. For years I've seen this series of photos identified as being taken at Sol Studios, Cookham, in 1973 - unless I've gotten some wires crossed mentally, which is a distinct possibility:

[SteveAJones]

Ah, that's troubling. For years I've seen this series of photos identified as being taken at Sol Studios, Cookham, in 1973 - unless I've gotten some wires crossed mentally, which is a distinct possibility:

It looks to me like the home studio Jimmy had in a second floor room at Plumpton Place - the property he owned before moving to Old Mill House in Clewer Village near Windsor

in Summer 1980. The Sol Studio in Cookham was just a short drive from Old Mill House.

Plumpton Place:

[SteveAJones]

Are Jp, Rp and JB, left handed for writing as seen on that picture? How about JPJ?

Initially, I suspected this image was inadvertently reversed, but the hotel reception sign is clearly not reversed. So, unless they were clowning for the camera it's inexplicable

why they are all signing in left-handed. I will post pictures from my collection of them

signing autographs in an attempt to prove or disprove they wrote right or left handed.

Others are also encouraged to post any they may have. Here are two of Robert:

Renaissance Hotel Oklahoma City March 12, 2005:

Poznan, Poland Malta Theatre Festival June 26, 2007:

[Aquamarine]

Initially, I suspected this image was inadvertently reversed, but the hotel reception sign is clearly not reversed. So, unless they were clowning for the camera it's inexplicable

why they are all signing in left-handed. I will post pictures from my collection of them

signing autographs in an attempt to prove or disprove they wrote right or left handed.

Others are also encouraged to post any they may have. Here are two of Robert:

Renaissance Hotel Oklahoma City March 12, 2005:

Poznan, Poland Malta Theatre Festival June 26, 2007:

Knebby once explained this in a way I understood but have now forgotten--it has something to do with a mirror. Anyway, the image is reversed and they were all using their right hands, I remember that much! (The mirror part explained why the sign was the right way around.)

Sorry my memory isn't working better.

Edit: I think the point is that the mirror is behind them, so the sign SHOULD be backwards, because it's being reflected in the mirror, but somebody reversed the image so that the sign would read the right way around. Don't know if that makes sense.

Edited December 31, 2008 by Aquamarine

[SteveAJones]

Knebby once explained this in a way I understood but have now forgotten--it has something to do with a mirror. Anyway, the image is reversed and they were all using their right hands, I remember that much! (The mirror part explained why the sign was the right way around.)

Sorry my memory isn't working better.

Edit: I think the point is that the mirror is behind them, so the sign SHOULD be backwards, because it's being reflected in the mirror, but somebody reversed the image so that the sign would read the right way around. Don't know if that makes sense.

Yes, I tend to agree with you. Upon further consideration I believe the image of them signing in at the hotel desk has been reversed as you described. I've know I've never seen Jimmy write with his left hand. Even so, I didn't want to automatically rule out

one or all of them being ambidextrous.

[RiotHouse]

Can anyone accurately date this photo also does anyone know if Jonesy played this instrument often? Some background info below...

Fender

It's affectionately known as the "Mandocaster," but Fender's actual, unimaginative name for it was "Fender Electric Mandolin." These 4-string, single-course, solidbody electrics were produced from 1956 to 1976. Fender even sold a set of strings for it. For the first year or so of production, the Mandocaster came only in "Mary Kay" blonde with an anodized aluminum pickguard. Most later instruments came with a sunburst finish like the one pictured above.

[SteveAJones]

Can anyone accurately date this photo also does anyone know if Jonesy played this instrument often? Some background info below...

1972 North American tour...'Going to California' and 'That's The Way'....I cannot confirm

the actual concert depicted in the photo at this time but I will continue to investigate.

[3hrsoflunacy]

1972 North American tour...'Going to California' and 'That's The Way'....I cannot confirm

the actual concert depicted in the photo at this time but I will continue to investigate.

I think it is June 23rd at San Diego Sports Arena.

[manuforte]

Yes, I tend to agree with you. Upon further consideration I believe the image of them signing in at the hotel desk has been reversed as you described. I've know I've never seen Jimmy write with his left hand. Even so, I didn't want to automatically rule out

one or all of them being ambidextrous.

I really enjoyed having my question answered here. You're right Steve :"collaboration is the key".

What a force at work!

Thank you SteveA and Aquamarine.

[Swan_Song]

May 1978, Clearwater Castle, The band performs tests for ITTOD; a song "Say You Gonna Leave Me" is interpreted by them ... In what ended it all? This song was part of another?

[SteveAJones]

May 1978, Clearwater Castle, The band performs tests for ITTOD; a song "Say You Gonna Leave Me" is interpreted by them ... In what ended it all? This song was part of another?

Those rehearsals, which lasted one month, consisted of medleys and earlier attempts at 'Carouselambra'. Only fragments exist of 'Fire (Say You Gonna Leave Me)' so for me it's

difficult to say if it was a cover version of some obscure song, an-ad lib within a medley

or new material. Perhaps someone else on the board has examined it further and can

offer additional insight.

[Swan_Song]

or new material. Perhaps someone else on the board has examined it further and can

offer additional insight.

many thanks Steve, this track is wonderful.

greetings.

[Nech]

Initially, I suspected this image was inadvertently reversed, but the hotel reception sign is clearly not reversed. So, unless they were clowning for the camera it's inexplicable

why they are all signing in left-handed. I will post pictures from my collection of them

signing autographs in an attempt to prove or disprove they wrote right or left handed.

Others are also encouraged to post any they may have. Here are two of Robert:

Renaissance Hotel Oklahoma City March 12, 2005:

Poznan, Poland Malta Theatre Festival June 26, 2007:

Actually, the sign is reversed.... it's a matter pf perspective...as we look at them was the sign ahead of or behind them... and a quick flip in photoshop... there even the man's overcoat buttons correctly now. ; )

there all better...

[Knebby]

Knebby once explained this in a way I understood but have now forgotten--it has something to do with a mirror. Anyway, the image is reversed and they were all using their right hands, I remember that much! (The mirror part explained why the sign was the right way around.)

Sorry my memory isn't working better.

Edit: I think the point is that the mirror is behind them, so the sign SHOULD be backwards, because it's being reflected in the mirror, but somebody reversed the image so that the sign would read the right way around. Don't know if that makes sense.

The sign above their heads is perspex. It is meant to be viewed from behind where they are standing - it is above the reception desk. The picture has been reversed - they are not left handed.

Edited January 2, 2009 by Knebby

[Knebby]

It was Laney I was thinking of.

Laney is the company owned by Lyndon Laney - Robert's neighbour, and ex-Band of Joy. Not a really surprising endorsement there!

Edited January 2, 2009 by Knebby

[ninelives]

Laney is the company owned by Lindon Laney - Robert's neighbour, and ex-Band of Joy. Not a really surprising endorsement there!

That's very cool - I didn't know the story behind it!

[Aquamarine]

The sign above their heads is perspex. It is meant to be viewed from behind where they are standing - it is above the reception desk. The picture has been reversed - they are not left handed.

Oh well, I was close.

[mos6507]

Here is something that's been nagging me. Jimmy has said on several occasions that he put away his guitars after John Bonham died for a long stretch of time and the ARMS concert was what pulled him out of inacivity. But he actually had a lot to do during those first few post-Zep years. There was finishing up Coda (not sure how much guitar work was involved). There was the XYZ sessions, and there was Death Wish II. So I'm wondering whether Jimmy was exaggerating or there really is a long stretch there where he had his guitars in storage with no break inbetween and exactly WHEN that was?

Secondly, has anyone actually tried to deconstruct Jimmy's solo songs to figure out which songs and portions of songs has him playing guitar synthesizer? I have a pretty good idea which bits on Death Wish II feature it. Outrider and C/P it's a little harder to figure out. Some of the synth parts are keyboards so it's a little hard to distinguish between the two. But with the GR-300 and the GR-700, more of the string technique bleeds through so you can tell, vs. later Roland synths that merely translate pitch to MIDI. I've often heard that Death Wish II had a combination of GR-300 and GR-700 but if the soundtrack was recorded in 1981 or 1982, the GR-700 hadn't yet been released (unless Jimmy got a prototype model). There is a photo of him playing the GR-700 taken from a high angle that is hard to find online. I don't know the date on that one. I've never seen it in high resolution. He also did a print ad endorsing the VG-8 but I have no documentation of him ever using one in the studio or live. He eventually stopped using guitar synths and stuck to the Transperformance instead. He gave an audio interview for the Transperformance guys where he talked about his frustrations trying to get good tracking on guitar synths.

[SteveAJones]

Here is something that's been nagging me. Jimmy has said on several occasions that he put away his guitars after John Bonham died for a long stretch of time and the ARMS concert was what pulled him out of inacivity. But he actually had a lot to do during those first few post-Zep years. There was finishing up Coda (not sure how much guitar work was involved). There was the XYZ sessions, and there was Death Wish II. So I'm wondering whether Jimmy was exaggerating or there really is a long stretch there where he had his guitars in storage with no break inbetween and exactly WHEN that was?

Secondly, has anyone actually tried to deconstruct Jimmy's solo songs to figure out which songs and portions of songs has him playing guitar synthesizer? I have a pretty good idea which bits on Death Wish II feature it. Outrider and C/P it's a little harder to figure out. Some of the synth parts are keyboards so it's a little hard to distinguish between the two. But with the GR-300 and the GR-700, more of the string technique bleeds through so you can tell, vs. later Roland synths that merely translate pitch to MIDI. I've often heard that Death Wish II had a combination of GR-300 and GR-700 but if the soundtrack was recorded in 1981 or 1982, the GR-700 hadn't yet been released (unless Jimmy got a prototype model). There is a photo of him playing the GR-700 taken from a high angle that is hard to find online. I don't know the date on that one. I've never seen it in high resolution. He also did a print ad endorsing the VG-8 but I have no documentation of him ever using one in the studio or live. He eventually stopped using guitar synths and stuck to the Transperformance instead. He gave an audio interview for the Transperformance guys where he talked about his frustrations trying to get good tracking on guitar synths.

Suffice to say Jimmy's recollection of not having played guitar for over a year (or words to that effect) is patently false:

In regards to the XYZ sessions, which commenced Feb 28, 1981, I believe that was primarily Alan White & Chris Squire of Yes writing and recording about seven tracks for

a proposed project with Page which Jimmy could not convince Robert to participate in. Have never seen any evidence to suggest Jimmy contributed anything to those sessions beyond the use of his Sol Studio. Jimmy actually did use some of Squire's ideas for The Firm years later.

The fact is his first confirmed public performance following the demise of Led Zeppelin was during an encore jam on 'Going Down' with Jeff Beck at the Hammersmith Odeon on March 10, 1981. Jimmy was mobbed by fans afterwards at the stage door as he and Jeff were leaving to meet up with Pete Townsend for a drink at The Venue, located in New Cross (London).

Jimmy's studio work on the 'Death Wish II' Soundtrack for his neighbor, film director Michael Winner, was completed on time in eight weeks (September/October 1981).

He delivered the masters to the film studio in December 1981 and remained in L.A. to devote most of the following month to remixing and reworking the monaural masters into stereo.

His next confirmed public performance occured because he had been busy working on the soundtrack album and Robert had been busy working on his solo album. So they fancied going somewhere to have a break and they went to Munich, where they jammed

during an encore of 'Lucille' with Foreigner at the Sports Arena on May 12 1982.

His next confirmed public performance was an encore jam session on 'Roll Over Beethoven', 'Further On Up The Road', & 'Cocaine' with Eric Clapton at the Civic Hall in Guildford on May 24, 1983.

He played the first charity performance to benefit Action For Multiple Sclerosis at the

Royal Albert Hall on Sept 20, 1983, and a charity performance to benefit The Prince's Trust at the same venue the very next day with his family in attendance.

Jimmy and Paul Rodgers wrote 'Midnight Moonlight' in Sep/Oct '83. Jimmy rang Paul up in Nov '83 to inquire if he would join him on the ARMS tour in America…Rodgers accepted. Jimmy would later say Paul's courage to do so was "quite valiant, really", but it was even more so for Jimmy to return to touring. When that brief six-date tour ended, he and Paul put together The Firm, with Jimmy essentially holding what amounted to four months of open rehearsals starting in Jan '84.

Having said all that, it's important to note he was shattered by the loss of John and he

could not pick up his instrument without reflecting on that devestating loss for quite some time. I believe this is precisely what he means when he comments on not having

played his guitar for an extensive period. I remember he also said the first time he sent someone to get his guitar out of storage when they opened the case it was missing and

he took it as an omen. Fortunately, it turned up safe and sound shortly thereafter.

In regards to the acquisition of a synthesizer, I do have some notes available and I will

post those details as soon as I can.

Edited January 3, 2009 by SteveAJones

[Cecil.]

Here is something that's been nagging me. Jimmy has said on several occasions that he put away his guitars after John Bonham died for a long stretch of time and the ARMS concert was what pulled him out of inacivity. But he actually had a lot to do during those first few post-Zep years. There was finishing up Coda (not sure how much guitar work was involved). There was the XYZ sessions, and there was Death Wish II. So I'm wondering whether Jimmy was exaggerating or there really is a long stretch there where he had his guitars in storage with no break inbetween and exactly WHEN that was?

Secondly, has anyone actually tried to deconstruct Jimmy's solo songs to figure out which songs and portions of songs has him playing guitar synthesizer? I have a pretty good idea which bits on Death Wish II feature it. Outrider and C/P it's a little harder to figure out. Some of the synth parts are keyboards so it's a little hard to distinguish between the two. But with the GR-300 and the GR-700, more of the string technique bleeds through so you can tell, vs. later Roland synths that merely translate pitch to MIDI. I've often heard that Death Wish II had a combination of GR-300 and GR-700 but if the soundtrack was recorded in 1981 or 1982, the GR-700 hadn't yet been released (unless Jimmy got a prototype model). There is a photo of him playing the GR-700 taken from a high angle that is hard to find online. I don't know the date on that one. I've never seen it in high resolution. He also did a print ad endorsing the VG-8 but I have no documentation of him ever using one in the studio or live. He eventually stopped using guitar synths and stuck to the Transperformance instead. He gave an audio interview for the Transperformance guys where he talked about his frustrations trying to get good tracking on guitar synths.

I do recall the the Roland ads Jimmy wore the same clothes for both ads, thought the first Gr 303? 1981 Gr 700 late 1983