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Zeppelin Mysteries Hosted by Steve A. Jones


SteveAJones

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glicine, this has been been discussed many times before on this forum...

As much as I admire Page, he should have never made this statement (in fact If he did, I don't know for sure). I don't take this statement at it's face value as if that is what HE for sure believed. Incidents of this nature happen to people when they become passionate about a certain way of life or thinking of another being...I will cut him a break...I think he was just young and passionate discovering life in all it's pros and cons...one has to value actions, not words...so far, I find him to be very classy about his relationships...

PlanetPage, i admire Jimmy too, but mostly as a musician. I don't see him being "young and passtionate" as the reason he talked about such things in an interview. Like the storm trooper outfit, those were mistakes he made, at least IMO. It's not always necessary to offer an explanation. But what does it matter actually? I don't see him as my morality standard.

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I know we tend t disagree re this stuff Chicago, so please don't take this personally - but I think this is a rather romanticised view. Jimmy didn't specifically choose to have time out to be with his growing family - in fact he isn't with them every day - and if at any point since the kids were born he had had the opportunity to go out on a tour with Led Zeppelin I bet my house he would have done. He was willing only recently to become what you call an "absentee parent" to take Led Zeppelin out on tour, I think it is stretching things a little to say he is not making music at the moment because he's chosen to be at home being a parent.

I can't speak for Chicago, but I was referring to the relatively inactive period of '00-'06.

The family situation has changed since then, as you know. I do agree home life would not have kept him from taking Led Zeppelin on tour at any point from '00 onwards if he had a genuine opportunity to do so. I also agree it isn't parental responsibilities which

explain why he is not making music now.

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I still don't see what's wrong with Cole's book. What is the BS in there? Some of our boys dabbled in hard drugs. So what. It's not like we didn't know. As for making Bonzo look like a creep in some parts, well that's part of who he was (at least when wasted). It doesn't make me look down at him whatsoever. We all know he was a loving family man who loved playing drums but overall, hated touring. I personally think that they hated that he let some details out that they had rather we would have not heard.

There's a time and a place for tell-all books, but less than five years after the end of

the group as they stuggled to find their own paths forward was obviously too soon.

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Ehmm, nothing against Jimmy but he said it himself that "Aleister Crowley doesn't have an high opinion of women and I don't think he is wrong".

But that was said in the bloom of youth, 30+ years ago. It would be interesting to hear

his comments about women now...or perhaps it's better to hold off on that one :unsure:;)

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But that was said in the bloom of youth, 30+ years ago. It would be interesting to hear

his comments about women now...or perhaps it's better to hold off on that one :unsure:;)

Well Steve, I see what you mean. And I just quoted one sentence he said, not really JUDGEd him by it. As I've said it in a post above here, I adore him as a musician. I don't need him to be my moral guide. B)

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I was unaware of this interview until now. I'd really like to get a copy of it, and may

contact WNEW directly to see if it's archived if no one else has it. Cole's book was

released in July 1992 and received mixed reviews.

As I try to recall this, as it was over fourteen years ago and I only heard it once, it didn't last all that long. With Carol Miller asking "the" question her reply to Jimmy's answer as he ended the interview was to try and cover her tracks and cause as little embarassment as possible. She said something along in response to Jimmy as I guess Jimmy isn't a fan of Richard Cole's book. One thing I've always gone by is to never state the obvious as it is so appropriate in this situation.

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There's a time and a place for tell-all books, but less than five years after the end of

the group as they stuggled to find their own paths forward was obviously too soon.

His book came out in the 90's. HOTG came out a few years after they broke up.

Edited by Wolfman
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Here's another one Steve. A friend of mine claimed to go a private show of the Crowes/Page in I believe San Francisco. The cool part is that he said there was no more than a few hundred people there and everybody sat real close to the stage. I'm guessing it was a rehearsal (like the Copenhagen shows in '79). Do you know what date this roughly was, what venue, and of course, is it available bootleg wise?

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His book came out in the 90's. HOTG came out a few years after they broke up.

Yes, but Richard Cole was the primary source for many of the sensational anecdotes which appeared in Stephen Davis' book Hammer of the Gods (1985). If I remember right Richard told all for a paltry $1,500. Anyway, if you look closely you'll see several HOTG anecdotes are in Cole's 'Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored' (1992).

Edited by SteveAJones
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Here's another one Steve. A friend of mine claimed to go a private show of the Crowes/Page in I believe San Francisco. The cool part is that he said there was no more than a few hundred people there and everybody sat real close to the stage. I'm guessing it was a rehearsal (like the Copenhagen shows in '79). Do you know what date this roughly was, what venue, and of course, is it available bootleg wise?

Page/Crowes never performed anywhere near San Francisco so far as I know. They were supposed to play the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mt. View on 8/22/00 but it was

cancelled on account of Jimmy's back injury. Perhaps he meant NYC, as there was the Roseland Ballroom gigs on Oct 12,13,14 1999.

If you can confirm the location I can tell you more.

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Now here's a bit o' mystery most have never known until now: Jimmy said he formed the idea of using a theramin in the 60s after seeing one used in the film 'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein'.

Edit: I'm going to purchase this film and review it over weekend. I'd been meaning to get it anyway, as I find all of Universal's classic monsters intriguing (hello, Wolfman!)

Edited by SteveAJones
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Steve,

can you tell me anything about this session???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L405D_m578

This isn't something I wrote - I can you PM you more details if you want, as this comes from a bootleg site. This is done in February 1965, so very soon after the session Jimmy and some others did with Sonny Boy Williamson in London.

front.jpg

London All Star - British Percussion Barclay BB-86 (1965)

It's always nice to share a rare record but what about an album that many cite as not existing at all!

Picture the scene, February 1965 and Eddie Barclay, the millionaire playboy owner of Eddy Mitchell's label, the eponimous French Barclay asked Bob Graham, the most prolific and often uncredited session drummer to emerge from the UK pop scene, to produce an album for the French market. Credited to Le London All Star, "British Percussion", released in September 1965, was a stereo showcase, and featured a stunning array of British musicians.

The higher calibre of studios and musicianship in London attracted many acts from abroad. The French pop star Eddy Mitchell was a regular visitor, recording at least eight EPs in London. For Mitchell's releases the session men were dubbed "The London All Stars". Graham recalls: "Charlie Katz rang - 'please be at Pye records, don't ask who the artist is'. I plodded along there, said to (engineer) Bob Auger 'who is it tonight?' - 'Eddy Mitchell', 'who the hell is Eddy Mitchell?". Every record on the Barclay label credited to The London All Stars features Graham, Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan. Other French acts like Francoise Hardy, Michel Polnareff, Eric Saint-Laurent and Sylvie Vartan would also record in London.

Graham used his session colleagues - guitarist John McLaughlin, bassist Alan Weighell, drummers Andy White and Ronnie Verrall. Jimmy Page's contribution was significant. He played lead on every track and co-wrote three with Graham. Before the album's release, Barclay offered Graham a job. "I was taken on as the head of Barclay Records UK. I didn't speak much French, I had an interpreter with me all the time. My job was to produce English artists for the French market. When I joined Barclay I began to stop playing, I just got so tired from the work load. I was tired of playing music I didn't like. Clem Cattini took on a lot of the drumming when I moved from session work".

Finding English language acts for the French market was a somewhat random process. "We put ads in the trade papers - 'artists wanted for auditions'. I produced the In-Betweens (the precursors of Slade) for Barclay at Pye Number 2. I also produced an EP from the singer from Billy Gray and the Stormers, he was called Le Frizzy One. That was Carter, Lewis and Jimmy Page". Ultimately, the French didn't take to the British acts: "You could not get anything English off the ground in France. I got pretty fed up flying backwards and forwards twice a week and I decided to call it a day with Barclay".

But what of the music I hear you ask. Well, it's a joy from start to finish. A bombastic blend of mod groovers that's hard to match - a supreme and swinging blend of jazz and R 'n' B. Banks of trumpets, trombones and french horns blare to the incessant "Mohawk" meanderings of Kenny Salmon's organ. Not only do we have Led Zep's Page on lead but an early outing for John McLaughlin on rhythm guitar makes this an important date. Mr.Page himself once stated,”No such record was made”, and numerous other collectors have also declared this record as myth.

Recorded in Pye Studios, London in a single session - this is history in the making. Their version of 'Image' is perhaps the finest I've ever heard. The real sound of "Swingin' London".

1) Stop The Drums

2) Mexican Shuffle

3) Coming Home Babe

4) Drum Stomp

5) Watermelon Man

6) More (Theme from Mondo Cane)

7) Beefeater

8) Image

9) Night Train

10) Spanish Armada

11) Lord Byron Blues

12) Salvation

LINE UP : Jimmy Page (Lead Guitar)

John McLaughlin (Rhythm Guitar)

Kenny Salmon (Organ)

Arthur Greenslade (Piano)

Andy White (Drums)

Arthur Watts (Bass)

Ray Davis (Trumpet)

Bill Skeets (Saxaphone)

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Otto's post basically tells the story. The session was held 2/23/65, during a break from the sessions for Eddy Mitchell's Du Rock N'Roll Au Rhythm N'Blues album. Jimmy is credited with co-writing 3 of the songs: "Stop The Drums (I Wanna Get Off)", "Drum Stomp" and "Lord Byron Blues".

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Steve, do you take requests?

I've read about Jimmy and Keith Richards collaborating on a track called "Scarlet" in the mid to late 70's. Has a bootleg ever surfaced of it? Or did it ever resurface in another form on any Stones albums? I've always wanted to hear what a Keith/Jimmy collaboration would sound like.

Thanks!

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Steve, do you take requests?

I've read about Jimmy and Keith Richards collaborating on a track called "Scarlet" in the mid to late 70's. Has a bootleg ever surfaced of it? Or did it ever resurface in another form on any Stones albums? I've always wanted to hear what a Keith/Jimmy collaboration would sound like.

Thanks!

Background:

October 15, 1974 Olympic Studios in Barnes

Page, Keith Richards, Rich Grech and drummer Rich Rowland record one track 'Scarlet', during an all-night session, with Jimmy recording his solos at 8 a.m.

It's never surfaced on bootleg or official release. If the master tape still exists it would almost certainly be in Keith Richards' possession. Jimmy has confirmed details of having

contributed but never claimed he had the tape.

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Anyone know why Ozone Baby was titled what it was? It doesn't seem to relate to the lyrics.

This is actually a great question for Robert. All I know is it's one of the few Led Zeppelin songs he recorded with harmonized vocals, so perhaps the title loosely relates to that?

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