Interview with an ex-Led Zeppelin publicist

[Cat]

The Boston Globe carries a fascinatingly frank interview with an ex-Led Zeppelin publicist...

Good times bad times

Plymouth retailer Unity MacLean has keen insights on Led Zeppelin. After all, she was once its publicist.

By Mark Pothier, Globe Staff, 11/11/2003

PLYMOUTH -- Unity MacLean leans against the counter of her Plymouth shop and with a plush Oxford accent chats about drugs and decadence as if she is recounting a day at the office. But at her former place of employment, a productive week was one that ended in chaos before calamity, and the bottom line became a bottomless supply of cocaine. "When I look back at it, I was in a very dangerous situation," she says. "It was quite nasty at the end."

Today, MacLean deals in such Anglo essentials as Yorkshire pudding, Cornish pasties, and Walkers potato crisps at British Imports, which she opened 21 years ago.

Some regular customers swear that the Court Street store's stock of Cadbury chocolates is surpassed only by its owner's sweetness. Few realize that this short woman with a long laugh is a walking "Behind the Music" episode.

From 1975 until after drummer John Bonham's death in 1980, MacLean worked in a two-story building on London's Kings Road as Led Zeppelin's publicist. They were the waning years of an era when rock stars were treated like deities, except God did not electrify his pearly gates to repel fans. Zeppelin hoarded the trappings of 1970s excess, including their own record label (Swan Song), a commercial-size Boeing, willing girls of hazy ages, and enough illegal substances to finance a South American dictator.

MacLean had an advantage over other applicants for the publicist's position: She was qualified. "I was in the A&R Department at CBS Records, and the people [Zeppelin] had working for them up until that point were mostly hangers-on, drug dealers, or people they liked the look of," she says.

Richard Cole, the band's longtime tour manager and coauthor of "Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored," says MacLean remained calm amid the maelstrom. "Unity had an impossible task. You couldn't get anything done," he says by telephone from Los Angeles. "But she was always the same -- very polite." (In the book's first chapter, Cole sweats out heroin in a Rome jail while reading a letter from MacLean about Bonham's fatal vodka binge.)

MacLean and her husband, Bruce, came to the United States in 1982 to be near his ailing mother in Hingham. They live in Plymouth, and have two children -- Luke, 22, and Alexandra, 17 -- neither of whom is a music "disciple" like their parents were, Bruce says. Unity has not spoken with the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin since leaving England. "They were in one country, I was in another. You just tend to lose touch with people," she says. "There wasn't a falling out."

And while it has been a long time since she rock 'n' rolled, MacLean's past persists like a live-album drum solo. "How the West Was Won," a collection of previously unreleased California concert performances from 1972, topped the CD charts earlier this year. Jimmy Page guitar riffs are an academic requirement in the Jack Black film "The School of Rock." And Lisa Robinson writes in the November issue of Vanity Fair that a "new generation has discovered the band" through Cadillac commercials fueled by the 32-year-old song "Rock and Roll."

"It's really quite amazing to go into a store and see a 17-year-old wearing a Led Zeppelin T-shirt," MacLean says.

The fans she remembers were not as well-heeled as the Escalade drivers lip-synching to Robert Plant ("Those people probably have never heard that music in their lives"), but MacLean, 54, can identify with the television spot's soft-sell affluence. She was born in Windsor, England, and grew up in the Buckinghamshire countryside. Her mother's family owned two estates and an apartment. Her father was a nationally known cricket player "who loved the press." She, her sister, and two brothers delighted in his television interviews because Dad had a secret signal. "He would pull on his ear or scratch his nose, and that was the `Hello, kids,' " she says.

The family moved to London's rarefied St. John's Wood section when MacLean was 14. She soon discovered a less sedate neighborhood. "I met a girl at the bus stop, and she said she was going down to Kings Road for some coffee. All these bohemian people were around there, and they seemed to have such exciting lifestyles. We made one cup of coffee last four hours."

To her parents' dismay, the Hurst Lodge girls' school in Sunningdale (which Duchess Sarah Ferguson also attended) and a six-month stay in Australia failed to douse her fascination with counterculture. By age 17, there was "a break in family relations, and I was out on the street, living with a girlfriend."

For the next 15 years, MacLean traveled a fast lane crowded with celebrities and wrecks.

Joining the band

She spent several years working as a real estate agent before turning a temporary position into a career. Bruce MacLean knew CBS's Dave Margereson (best known as manager of the band Supertramp) and in 1971 heard he was looking for a fill-in secretary. Unity was hired, impressed Margereson, and stayed at CBS until 1975. Early on, she forged a casual friendship with a regular visitor to the office -- Bob Marley, protege of singer Johnny Nash. In 1972, Nash's version of Marley's "Stir it Up" became an international hit.

"Bob used to sit around the office, and everyone was extremely rude to him," she says. "I liked him, although he did speak with an awfully weird patois."

The Who's Keith Moon attended her 1972 wedding. Moon's affection for alcohol and hurling large objects from windows made him a high-risk guest, but he was "a perfect gentleman," MacLean says. "Keith came in and said, `Oh, you don't seem to have a lot to drink here.' He got us bottles and bottles of champagne."

Eventually, MacLean secured an interview with Peter Grant, Zeppelin's manager. Grant's size (almost 300 pounds) matched his reputation for intimidation.

"He was a creep," says Cynthia Sach, 63, speaking from her London home in a raspy voice reminiscent of Keith Richards's growl. "He had to wield his power over people." Sach worked alongside MacLean, and they have kept in contact through the years. "We were quite strong people, so we could handle [Grant], whereas other people buckled under," she says. "Unity is a strong Scorpio."

Grant, who died from a heart attack in 1995, ran the business "like the mob," according to Bruce MacLean, who sometimes worked with obscure bands being considered for Swan Song recording contracts. "He thought he was the godfather." One of Grant's tactics was to maintain job insecurity in the organization.

"I was always fired anytime Peter got angry with me," Unity says. "I used to phone up Richard [Cole] and he'd say, `Oh, take no note. Peter will forget about it in the morning. See you in the office, luv, bye.' "

Mornings did not usually begin until afternoon for Grant. He would arrive with "bagfuls of smack and cocaine, stick an ordinary key in some cocaine, and put it under your nose," MacLean says. "There were huge rocks -- he'd never bother to chop them -- and his little group of thugs would get more fired up as they did more coke."

One of her responsibilities was to keep such scenes out of the London tabloids. In fact, she says, Grant ordered her to avoid publicizing the band altogether, reckoning that the absence of information would enhance its "mystique." Press releases were supplanted by tales of sexual escapades and Page's obsession with the occult (mere curiosity, according to MacLean).

"Mayhem used to come to that office," Cole says. "All the time."

The haze of fame

On a Saturday afternoon at British Imports, MacLean straightens a stack of PG Tips tea while "Hey Jude" hovers a notch above background volume. Zeppelin is "too much for the customers" she says, especially the first two albums, her favorites. Elaine and Errol Finkelstein, a Welsh couple who two years ago moved to Duxbury from South Africa, have popped in for Irish sausage. Until now, they had not heard about MacLean's previous life.

"Well, I hope you were their financial manager," Errol says, as if he is expecting someone to let him in on a joke.

After they leave, MacLean talks about the band members, whom she calls "ordinary blokes trying to make a living."

John "Bonzo" Bonham treated his body like the drum kits he pummeled and was prone to binges and blackouts. "When he was in a good mood he was a pussycat, very gregarious, generous to a fault," she says. "He'd always be the one to say to me, `You're doing a great job, we really appreciate having you here.' But he was not the sort of person you'd want to be around when he was angry. Sometimes you thought he must be joking because he was so angry."

John Paul Jones -- like Bill Wyman in the Rolling Stones and John Entwistle in the Who -- played the strong, silent type. "They called him `Gentleman Jonesy,' " MacLean says. "He'd always be presentable, in tiptop form. Just a kind of ordinary guy."

"Robert [Plant] wore fancy turquoise jewelry and big belts and looked very dapper when he came in, whereas Jimmy would ask the girls in the office to hem his pants because they'd be dragging along the ground."

Bonham, Jones, and Plant were "beholden" to Page despite his "waiflike" appearance, she says. But his business sense and musical agility dissipated as his drug intake mushroomed (speedballs, an injected combination of cocaine and heroin, were preferred). It created scenarios that rivaled "This Is Spinal Tap" for absurdity.

"Jimmy was so lost in his haze that it was difficult to know how he would be from one day to the next. He could be hours, days late for rehearsal. It got to the point where Robert would say, `We're going to start at 2, which means Jimmy won't be there until 5, so we won't get there until 5.' When Jimmy worked that out, he didn't get there until 7. It was a bit of a game."

Cole, who has become a drug counselor and drives Sharon Osbourne's father around Los Angeles, says, "You would never get them in one place at one time." On a 1977 West Coast tour, he recalls, "They decided they each wanted assistants, and therefore I had to have an assistant to speak to their assistants."

MacLean admits to using cocaine "after business hours" but says being a witness to the downward spiral of Zeppelin's inner circle kept her in check. An incident at a Christmas office party typified the unstable atmosphere: "There was a commotion in the hall downstairs. Jimmy's girlfriend Charlotte had been looking everywhere for him, and he was saying, `Tell her I'm not here.' When she saw Jimmy she whacked him across his face. Blood was all over the wall because she had thick rings on. I was amazed at the violence."

On Sept. 25, 1980, Bonham's body was discovered in Page's Windsor home. He was 32. MacLean was at work when she heard the news from reporters. Grant ordered the office closed, she says, and "the color drained out of my cheeks."

"I waited three months and quit. I was pregnant with Luke and didn't want to bring a child into a world surrounded by people who were dying or hellbent on killing each other."

Two summers ago, the MacLeans saw Plant perform at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield. "He was awful," Bruce says. Unity prefers to remember a younger version "preening in front of a mirror." They did not attempt to go backstage.

"I haven't had a dull life," MacLean says with a smile that crinkles her face. "I'm glad I did all those things."

But her gaze is not fixed on the old days. She is content to relive Led Zeppelin through the music and occasional story requests from fans who were not born when the band died. Twenty-three years later, a storefront on Court Street suits her better than a stairway to heaven.

[Mattmc1973]

Oh boy, I have a feeling this article is gonna ruffle some feathers here on the board, the "Hammer Of The Gods" haters especially, since her account of things seems to jive pretty well with that book's portayal of the band...

[Bilbo the Rover]

Interesting interview, it's all one person's perception of course, but interestng none the less. We have to take every opinion with a grain of salt. Thanks for posting it !

[MadScreamingGallery]

The Boston Globe carries a fascinatingly frank interview with an ex-Led Zeppelin publicist...

Thanks for posting, Cat. I do wonder what compels someone to speak to the press about certain things, decades after they occurred. Some people who were around the band back in the 70's observed certain things that, out of respect for the band members and their families, they would never discuss. Not everything is meant for public consumption.

[FireOpal]

An incident at a Christmas office party typified the unstable atmosphere: "There was a commotion in the hall downstairs. Jimmy's girlfriend Charlotte had been looking everywhere for him, and he was saying, `Tell her I'm not here.' When she saw Jimmy she whacked him across his face. Blood was all over the wall because she had thick rings on. I was amazed at the violence."

Wow, disturbing. Interesting article though -- thanks for sharing.

[nirvana]

Once the fog clears, it is obvious that life in the Zeppelin circle wasn't always pretty.

As a matter of fact, besides the magic of the music, it must have been down right ugly at times.

Too much money, drugs, hangers-on, and power.

Robert suffered tradgedy after tradgedy, Jimmy was a mis-begotten addict, Jonesy was an insider that was treated like an outsider, and Bonzo - well, he was a good guy and family man that had an anger inside of him that he couldn't always control...and this was the most famous band in rock history.

Through it all though, their survival mode and inner resolve came thru. It is a real tribute to their character that they survived what would have killed most, and the music continues to be foremost in their legacy.

As a fan, although I love their music, but I wouldn't want to have had their lives for one micro-second.

We all somehow survived the seventies, it wouldn't have been the same w/o Zeppelin - the highs and the lows.

[Evster2012]

Too much attention is payed to certain aspects of the band's environment IMO. Things went on, yes, but it's only a part of the picture. When I was in my 20s, it was party, party. Party hardy! These Zep tales were our model and we emulated those behaviors as much as we could manage (thanks Creem and Rolling Stone, lol!). Jimmy once said he never thought he'd make it to 30 years old. I thought the same at the time. But it wasn't what defined us, and it isn't what defines them. And from what I heard, Peter Grant's heavy-handedness only applied to the hucksters that were trying to get a piece of his boys. To those not sharks in the pool he was a genuinely sweet man from all I've heard who'd known him. Same goes for Bonzo. Those specific incidents that are trotted out so often were isolated moments over a span of 10 years. 98% of the time, he was the joy in the room. The warm beating heart of the band.

[Dharmabum]

Wow, a little Wizard of Oz action. Not that it's necessarily all true but it does offer a peak behind the curtain so to speak. The music may be divine but the music makers are most likely human.

[Evster2012]

Wow, a little Wizard of Oz action. Not that it's necessarily all true but it does offer a peak behind the curtain so to speak. The music may be divine but the music makers are most likely human.

Are you suggesting I'm seeing the world through rose colored glasses (or ruby slippers)?

I never suggested that these things didn't go on, but rather that there's more to it and I think too much attention is payed to that "peek behind the curtain" and not enough to the whole of it. It's a bigger picture, but if the scandalous tabloid speak is all that interests you, enjoy. I frankly prefer the recollections of my friends who know and knew the band who saw both sides. It's not just the aggressive sexuality, groupies, drugs, televisions thrown from windows, etc. There's another side that should have light shined on it. I guess the fact that at times they were sweet gentlemen is lost on some people.

[Robert's Plant]

Are you suggesting I'm seeing the world through rose colored glasses (or ruby slippers)?

I never suggested that these things didn't go on, but rather that there's more to it and I think too much attention is payed to that "peek behind the curtain" and not enough to the whole of it. It's a bigger picture, but if the scandalous tabloid speak is all that interests you, enjoy. I frankly prefer the recollections of my friends who know and knew the band who saw both sides. It's not just the aggressive sexuality, groupies, drugs, televisions thrown from windows, etc. There's another side that should have light shined on it. I guess the fact that at times they were sweet gentlemen is lost on some people.

well put.

[Evster2012]

well put.

Why the smiley?

[ninelives]

Too much attention is payed to certain aspects of the band's environment IMO. Things went on, yes, but it's only a part of the picture. When I was in my 20s, it was party, party. Party hardy! These Zep tales were our model and we emulated those behaviors as much as we could manage (thanks Creem and Rolling Stone, lol!). Jimmy once said he never thought he'd make it to 30 years old. I thought the same at the time. But it wasn't what defined us, and it isn't what defines them. And from what I heard, Peter Grant's heavy-handedness only applied to the hucksters that were trying to get a piece of his boys. To those not sharks in the pool he was a genuinely sweet man from all I've heard who'd known him. Same goes for Bonzo. Those specific incidents that are trotted out so often were isolated moments over a span of 10 years. 98% of the time, he was the joy in the room. The warm beating heart of the band.

I think that's what it is that's bothering me about the interview. I hesitated to comment at first because I couldn't put my finger on it. I'm a bit surprised she chose to recall those moments (sounded like a bit cleaner versions of some of Richard Cole's stories). I am sure there was shit that happened - as Robert said, you give four young guys a credit card and a lot of people offering to do anything for them while on the road for 6 months, what do you think might happen. But those incidents shouldn't and aren't the defining moments of a band who's music left an indelible mark on generations of fans and musicians. It'd be nice I think if someone in that sort of position to have worked with them offered up the other side of things. Magical moments on stage, being in the studio and seeing some of those songs unfold etc.

But sadly as we see with what makes headlines today, scandal sells, real or otherwise.

[rogerthat]

As usual, Evster nails it.

I've read this piece about Unity before. The first time, I was appalled, but not surprised. It does not take a lot of imagination to realize that these musicians, who realized unprecedented power and wealth (along with complete creative control) allowed things to fly so far out of their control.

Jimmy was the leader of the band - and therefore the multi-million dollar organization. How well things functioned (or didn't) likely followed his sobriety, or the lack of it. Clearly, he was addicted. Consider the behavior this situation enables. Think about why people like Bindon were being hired. The strain on relationships, the lying and deceit that is part of addictive behavior. The weight it placed on their friendships (everyone gets an assistant), their marriages, on their creativity and musical skills, the physical, mental and spiritual toll. Holy cow.

Bonzo, of course, DIED from substance abuse. Drug abuse destroys lives. It is a horrible, ugly process. She was smart to get away from the situation, especially with a bun in the oven.

Unity's story, while a bitter pill to swallow as we read it, is but one glimpse into a conflicted world where our heroes are moving through the worst part of their young lives while enjoying increasing financial rewards and more adulation with each (infrequent, relatively speaking) tour and/or album.

Led Zeppelin essentially operated in a sort-of vacuum: Atlantic CONTRACTUALLY could not tell them what to do. They were not benefiting from any external or objective management that could warn them of their unsteady direction. Having Cole, Bindon and Grant around made it a VERY heavy organization. They did scare people. They intended to. Imagine thinking you are powerful (and you indeed are) and then snorting a six-inch line of coke JUST TO START YOUR DAY.

And it ain't like there were robust substance abuse treatment resources scattered hither and yon about this time. As Diamond Dave liked to say, at the time, know one knew it was BAD for you (yeah, right). I have always thought that the worst details were still untold, and just as well.

It remains a fascinating story - not because it's so tawdry (those are a dime-a-dozen in this business) , but because the story doesn't stop there. It goes on, still to this day, all the way up to the O2, a sober, amazing, powerful, dangerous display of the creative synergy Led Zeppelin were (and still are) so capable of. They remain for me a titanic force of nature.

Renewed, revitalized, respectful of each other, the Bonham family and of course, Ahmet, the three of them came out the other side. Certainly not without ugly scars and heart-breaking loss, but they did. They reached out to Jason when he was ready (he experienced his own journey through an alcoholic fog at a young age). They played and rehearsed and became this tight unit once again, playing for a charity that was a legacy of their old mentor.

And it was the blood, thunder, and the hammer of the gods.

For me, that's the story: The wild ride from forming from the ashes of the Yardbirds through to The End, a glimpse of which we get from the tale Unity tells and on to the O2.

I love happy endings.

[Dharmabum]

Are you suggesting I'm seeing the world through rose colored glasses (or ruby slippers)?

I never suggested that these things didn't go on, but rather that there's more to it and I think too much attention is payed to that "peek behind the curtain" and not enough to the whole of it. It's a bigger picture, but if the scandalous tabloid speak is all that interests you, enjoy. I frankly prefer the recollections of my friends who know and knew the band who saw both sides. It's not just the aggressive sexuality, groupies, drugs, televisions thrown from windows, etc. There's another side that should have light shined on it. I guess the fact that at times they were sweet gentlemen is lost on some people.

Actually, my comments weren't addressed to you specifically so I'm not really suggesting anything personal. That said, I'm totally into the whole of it, which includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not the tabloid version mind you but the authentic version whatever that might be. I suppose there is a lot of idol-worship going on around here, which is totally expected and something that I'm sure I participate in but let's not forget the inner turmoil and addiction that brought the band down is part of the whole too.

[Evster2012]

^^Hi, I agree all facets are a part of the picture, and I'm not soap-boxing that they're not worthy of discussion, I guess I'm just playing Oprah here.

What I mean is that I'm not saying these topics are taboo. I'm no censor! But rather that people shouldn't let that define the band. People tend to gravitate to the sordid naturally, but there's more and I think it should be reminded. I don't know if you were directing your remark regarding "hero-worship" to me specifically. Believe me, I know things I cannot tell, told to me by people who were participants and have entrusted me to keep it between us. I'm not painting the band as angels by any means. I just wish to remind people that it wasn't just "mild barbarians" to quote Jimmy. There's another side that should be represented. Many sides actually.

[Planted In My Mind]

We all somehow survived the seventies,

We did, and sometimes I find that amazing. The situations we put ourselves in.... I have a nine-year-old now, and I thank god things are a little less "free" than in my day

I made it through to my late 40s without any VD or long-lasting effects while still experiencing most of the what the decades had to offer. Whew

[Planted In My Mind]

As usual, Evster nails it.

I've read this piece about Unity before. The first time, I was appalled, but not surprised. It does not take a lot of imagination to realize that these musicians, who realized unprecedented power and wealth (along with complete creative control) allowed things to fly so far out of their control.

Jimmy was the leader of the band - and therefore the multi-million dollar organization. How well things functioned (or didn't) likely followed his sobriety, or the lack of it. Clearly, he was addicted. Consider the behavior this situation enables. Think about why people like Bindon were being hired. The strain on relationships, the lying and deceit that is part of addictive behavior. The weight it placed on their friendships (everyone gets an assistant), their marriages, on their creativity and musical skills, the physical, mental and spiritual toll. Holy cow.

Bonzo, of course, DIED from substance abuse. Drug abuse destroys lives. It is a horrible, ugly process. She was smart to get away from the situation, especially with a bun in the oven.

Unity's story, while a bitter pill to swallow as we read it, is but one glimpse into a conflicted world where our heroes are moving through the worst part of their young lives while enjoying increasing financial rewards and more adulation with each (infrequent, relatively speaking) tour and/or album.

Led Zeppelin essentially operated in a sort-of vacuum: Atlantic CONTRACTUALLY could not tell them what to do. They were not benefiting from any external or objective management that could warn them of their unsteady direction. Having Cole, Bindon and Grant around made it a VERY heavy organization. They did scare people. They intended to. Imagine thinking you are powerful (and you indeed are) and then snorting a six-inch line of coke JUST TO START YOUR DAY.

And it ain't like there were robust substance abuse treatment resources scattered hither and yon about this time. As Diamond Dave liked to say, at the time, know one knew it was BAD for you (yeah, right). I have always thought that the worst details were still untold, and just as well.

It remains a fascinating story - not because it's so tawdry (those are a dime-a-dozen in this business) , but because the story doesn't stop there. It goes on, still to this day, all the way up to the O2, a sober, amazing, powerful, dangerous display of the creative synergy Led Zeppelin were (and still are) so capable of. They remain for me a titanic force of nature.

Renewed, revitalized, respectful of each other, the Bonham family and of course, Ahmet, the three of them came out the other side. Certainly not without ugly scars and heart-breaking loss, but they did. They reached out to Jason when he was ready (he experienced his own journey through an alcoholic fog at a young age). They played and rehearsed and became this tight unit once again, playing for a charity that was a legacy of their old mentor.

And it was the blood, thunder, and the hammer of the gods.

For me, that's the story: The wild ride from forming from the ashes of the Yardbirds through to The End, a glimpse of which we get from the tale Unity tells and on to the O2.

I love happy endings.

okay I'm a wuss

Very well said, very thoughtful and very true.

[Dharmabum]

I'm not painting the band as angels by any means. I just wish to remind people that it wasn't just "mild barbarians" to quote Jimmy. There's another side that should be represented. Many sides actually.

I agree completely but you're preaching to the choir around here. In fact, I believe the forum comments are overwhelmingly positive when it comes to the band. Does the media-at-large dwell too much on the negative? Perhaps but there is a difference between responsible news and tabloid sensationalism. The interview in question didn't strike me as the latter.

[myledzep]

^^Hi, I agree all facets are a part of the picture, and I'm not soap-boxing that they're not worthy of discussion, I guess I'm just playing Oprah here.

What I mean is that I'm not saying these topics are taboo. I'm no censor! But rather that people shouldn't let that define the band. People tend to gravitate to the sordid naturally, but there's more and I think it should be reminded. I don't know if you were directing your remark regarding "hero-worship" to me specifically. Believe me, I know things I cannot tell, told to me by people who were participants and have entrusted me to keep it between us. I'm not painting the band as angels by any means. I just wish to remind people that it wasn't just "mild barbarians" to quote Jimmy. There's another side that should be represented. Many sides actually.

Nice to see you in these parts again Ev! You're spot on as usual.

[Evster2012]

I agree completely but you're preaching to the choir around here.

"Around here"? An interesting phrase on a four month old forum.

[Dharmabum]

"Around here"? An interesting phrase on a four month old forum.

How so? What does the forum age have anything to do with our discussion?

[Cat]

I think that's what it is that's bothering me about the interview. I hesitated to comment at first because I couldn't put my finger on it. I'm a bit surprised she chose to recall those moments (sounded like a bit cleaner versions of some of Richard Cole's stories). I am sure there was shit that happened - as Robert said, you give four young guys a credit card and a lot of people offering to do anything for them while on the road for 6 months, what do you think might happen. But those incidents shouldn't and aren't the defining moments of a band who's music left an indelible mark on generations of fans and musicians. It'd be nice I think if someone in that sort of position to have worked with them offered up the other side of things. Magical moments on stage, being in the studio and seeing some of those songs unfold etc.

But sadly as we see with what makes headlines today, scandal sells, real or otherwise.

I'm sure no one even remotely considers LZ as choir boys, but isn't the good and the bad which shapes our personalities? For some it may be the raunchy behavior that makes the band, et al, all the more fascinating. Personally, I'm interested in what happened on and off stage. It's the entire experience which made Zep what they are. You cannot have one without the other.