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So is 1968 or 1969 the first year of Led Zeppelin?


AlexKx

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And it was August when Plant took Grant and Page to see Bonham, according to Mick's book. :beer:

I show Page, Grant, and Dreja went on Plant's advice to the Hampstead Country Club in Hamstead (London) England on July 31 1968 to meet with John Bonham and watch his performance with Tim Rose. I don't think Robert went with them as he may have still been touring the Midlands (but I could be mistaken on that).

Edit: I just found a reference to a 1988 Chris Tetley interview with Robert that I have. My notes show during this interview Robert said he and Jimmy met John Bonham in London before a performance with Tim Rose. Perhaps this was Jimmy's second meeting with Bonzo? Just to add to this, the Dec 1994 issue of 'The Lemon Tree' fanzine says on August 3, 1968 Robert took the train in from London to ask John Bonham (performing with Tim Rose) if he's interested in joining The New Yardbirds. This meeting occured at The Factory in Birmingham. Back to Mick's book, it also says Robert attended a Joe Cocker gig (July/Aug '68?) and confided to Mac Poole he was considering different drummers for Page.

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Yeah, I know Clem Cattini was considered for the chair as well. But getting back to the question, are we talking Zep's birthdate or it's first full year together? That is the question. Are we talking about the name or the band itself?

Were Led Zeppelin under the "New Yardbirds" not Led Zeppelin? Were "The Nobs" not in fact Led Zeppelin?

IS Led Zeppelin's 40th anniversary this year or next? That is what's being asked, afterall.

I know it's semantics, and a silly argument. I'd really like the initial poster to clarify, however. Otherwise, the debate is pointless.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see! :lol:

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Jimmy has said that the New Yardbirds thing was only because they had already sold tickets so it was just for that Scandinavian Tour only. And they pretty much knew their band name as Led Zeppelin at that time. They weren't going to ever go by "The New Yardbirds"

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cool. Thanks for clearing up the 7/7/68 thing, guys.

Much appreciated.

Yes. I know Plant was into Love's music and covered it on a few occasions (on some solo tours and all)... then the first Strange Sensation recording and tour.

I would probably agree with y'all that the 40th anniversary is this year, since they were LZ in the latter half of 1968.

R B)

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Jimmy has said that the New Yardbirds thing was only because they had already sold tickets so it was just for that Scandinavian Tour only. And they pretty much knew their band name as Led Zeppelin at that time. They weren't going to ever go by "The New Yardbirds"

Essentially correct; contracts for the Scandanavian Tour were already lined up.

IMHO, Led Zeppelin began on Monday, August 12th 1968 with the first note of their first formal rehearsal at 39 Gerrard Street in London. The first song they attempted that day was 'Train Kept A Rollin' and "the room just exploded" -- John Paul Jones. The four knew they really had something. Led Zeppelin's origins? Well, you could take that all the way back to the first breath of the first man, the Delta Blues, Jimmy's birth, The Yardbirds era, whatever.

Insofar as the name Led Zeppelin, well this could be debated forever. Suffice to say they knew when they returned from Scandanavia in September 1968 a name change was needed. On Fri, October 18 1968 George Hardie met with Jimmy Page and Peter Grant in an upstairs room of The Marquee prior to that night's performance and Jimmy showed George the image of the Hindenburg in flames and explained his idea for their first album cover. At this point they had only performed once in England - The Mayfair

in Newcastle on Oct 4th.

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Cheers! :beer:

StPaddys2.jpg

First thing that popped in my head when I saw this...

"Don't Come Around Here No More..."

That and a sudden fear of becoming a human-sized cake!

Oh... and on the topic, I got into it with my History of Rock and Roll teacher over this. I said 1968 was when they started, but he said 1969 would be considered "official" since that was when their first album came out. I still disagree with him!

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he said 1969 would be considered "official" since that was when their first album came out.

Following his logic, if a band does not release an album then they never existed... :blink:

Following his logic, Led Zeppelin has yet to disband as of 2007 (Mothership)... :blink:

Album release dates are far too arbitrary to be used for defining any band's history.

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1. 1900.07.02 (my birthday)- In the sky over Germany's Lake Constance, Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, a retired Prussian army officer, successfully demonstrates the world's first rigid airship. The 420-foot, cigar-shaped craft was lifted by hydrogen gas and powered by a 16-horsepower engine.

2. 1937.05.06 LZ 129 Hindenburg went up in flames and was destroyed while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Thirty-six people died in the accident.

3. 1968.09.20-1968.10.10- Olympic studios - London, England, Led Zeppelin I is recorded.

4. 1968.10.25 - Surrey University, Surrey, U.K. - Debut as "Led Zeppelin" (as Humbucker stated). The group would go on to perform 15 shows, including this one, under the name Led Zeppelin in 1968.

Nick, LZ performed 14 shows from 1980.06.17 to 1980.07.07.

My god, you're old. :blink:

:D

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I'm not angry at all. It's 90 degrees and the pool's open in sunny SoCal. I have nothing to be angry about. :D

And no, I won't be wearing the hat! :hysterical:

I have other hats by the way.

For your enjoyment, cause I like to be silly! :P

Mad Hatter:

GoinDownTheRabbitHole.gif

Laurel and Hardy:

ImSorryOllie.gif

Mafioso:

WantHimDead.gif

Gotta have humor, right? Positively GOTTA! :D

:)

Evster, have you considered a career in acting?

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Interesting thought that Plant sang "7 and 7 Is" and that Led Zeppelin's last gig was 7/7/80 (and as mentioned above 7/7/68 being their first gig (not sure about that, though)).

R B)

I never said it was Zeppelins first performance. I said it was the last Yardbirds performance.

kinda funny how the last Yardbirds gig was on the same date as the last Zeppelin gig. that's what I was refering to.

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That's what I was trying to say, but before I could edit it, there were too many responses, so I just the train keep a rollin'.

My thought was about "7 and 7 is" (by Love).... That Plant covered it (and that both dates: Yardbirds and Zeppelin's last were 7/7 (like you thought).

It's all good.

R B)

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I show Page, Grant, and Dreja went on Plant's advice to the Hampstead Country Club in Hamstead (London) England on July 31 1968 to meet with John Bonham and watch his performance with Tim Rose. I don't think Robert went with them as he may have still been touring the Midlands (but I could be mistaken on that).

Edit: I just found a reference to a 1988 Chris Tetley interview with Robert that I have. My notes show during this interview Robert said he and Jimmy met John Bonham in London before a performance with Tim Rose. Perhaps this was Jimmy's second meeting with Bonzo? Just to add to this, the Dec 1994 issue of 'The Lemon Tree' fanzine says on August 3, 1968 Robert took the train in from London to ask John Bonham (performing with Tim Rose) if he's interested in joining The New Yardbirds. This meeting occured at The Factory in Birmingham. Back to Mick's book, it also says Robert attended a Joe Cocker gig (July/Aug '68?) and confided to Mac Poole he was considering different drummers for Page.

yea, this whole bit confuses me big time! in Keith Shadwicks book he says that Relf and McCarthy flew back to London on June 6th, and Page stayed. he has Jeff Beck playing the Filmore East on June 14-15. but he said later that Page flew back to London on the 15th. after saying he watched the shows with Grant! now how could have Page stayed for a few more days after the Beck show if he flew back on the 15th?....

maybe I miss read it, but I will be home in a while and I will read that part over.

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ok...... it seems that Page was at the show on the 14th. and left on the 15th, because he waited in NY for Peter Grant. and after the first Beck show they celebrated and the show got rave reviews. and then Page flew back to london.

does that sound right? :huh:

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That's what I was trying to say, but before I could edit it, there were too many responses, so I just the train keep a rollin'.

My thought was about "7 and 7 is" (by Love).... That Plant covered it (and that both dates: Yardbirds and Zeppelin's last were 7/7 (like you thought).

It's all good.

R B)

oh....sorry :D

I should have known better. your a smart poster.

that's pretty weird though isn't it. :o

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Yeah, I know Clem Cattini was considered for the chair as well. But getting back to the question, are we talking Zep's birthdate or it's first full year together? That is the question. Are we talking about the name or the band itself?

Were Led Zeppelin under the "New Yardbirds" not Led Zeppelin? Were "The Nobs" not in fact Led Zeppelin?

IS Led Zeppelin's 40th anniversary this year or next? That is what's being asked, afterall.

I know it's semantics, and a silly argument. I'd really like the initial poster to clarify, however. Otherwise, the debate is pointless.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see! :lol:

I'm going by the first time the boys plugged in and played together. I think it was just a little to late in the year to be considered thier first year. but it really doesn't matter. it's just the way I look at it :D

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Essentially correct; contracts for the Scandanavian Tour were already lined up.

IMHO, Led Zeppelin began on Monday, August 12th 1968 with the first note of their first formal rehearsal at 39 Gerrard Street in London. The first song they attempted that day was 'Train Kept A Rollin' and "the room just exploded" -- John Paul Jones. The four knew they really had something. Led Zeppelin's origins? Well, you could take that all the way back to the first breath of the first man, the Delta Blues, Jimmy's birth, The Yardbirds era, whatever.

Steve, do we know with 100% certainty that 8/12/68 was the date of the first rehearsal? I'm not doubting that it was, but I'm just curious as to where the source of this date came from. Barney Hoskyns' "Led Zeppelin IV (Rock of Ages)" book mentions the date of their first rehearsal as Monday, 8/19/68. I'm more inclined to go with the 8/12/68 date since it seems to be more in line with the timeframe of everything else (Jimmy seeing Robert play for the first time on 7/20; everyone seeing Bonzo playing with Tim Rose on 7/31; Robert visiting Jimmy).

As for 39 Gerrard Street, that was the location of the ORIGINAL Ronnie Scott Jazz Club. Here's a 1963 photo of 39 Gerrard Street:

39GerrardStreet-RonnieScotts1963.jpg

Here's a recent picture of 39 Gerrard Street in Chinatown (notice the similarity in the facade):

39GerrardStreettoday.jpg

Here's an August 1968 ad for the rehearsal room at 39 Gerrard Street:

68-08-XX39GerrardStreetrehadedited.jpg

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ok...... it seems that Page was at the show on the 14th. and left on the 15th, because he waited in NY for Peter Grant. and after the first Beck show they celebrated and the show got rave reviews. and then Page flew back to london.

does that sound right? :huh:

I contacted Greg Russo, reknowned author and a close associate of The Yardbirds. He

said he has no confirmation of Jimmy having attended either of Jeff Beck's gigs in NYC.

Obviously, we do know Jeff performed at the Fillmore East on June 14th & 15th 1968.

Greg added some of the confusion comes from 'Jeff's Book',which apparently includes

conjecture (possiblies, probablys, maybes, and rumors have it). That book states Beck supposedly met with Page and Grant the night before the first Fillmore East show and "rumors have it" Page was backstage for the June 14th concert. Greg notes he was

originally told prior to its publication that Jimmy left for England on the 13th. Greg is inclined to believe Peter Grant attended both shows because Grant was also Jeff's manager, but again there is no confirmation (yet) that Jimmy attended either show.

Another mystery (for now)!

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Steve, do we know with 100% certainty that 8/12/68 was the date of the first rehearsal? I'm not doubting that it was, but I'm just curious as to where the source of this date came from. Barney Hoskyns' "Led Zeppelin IV (Rock of Ages)" book mentions the date of their first rehearsal as Monday, 8/19/68. I'm more inclined to go with the 8/12/68 date since it seems to be more in line with the timeframe of everything else (Jimmy seeing Robert play for the first time on 7/20; everyone seeing Bonzo playing with Tim Rose on 7/31; Robert visiting Jimmy).

My reference notes show it's 8/12/68 in Dave Lewis 'The Concert File' among wherever

else I may have verified it against.

I show that two weeks after Page & Plant's first meeting on 7/20/68 (with Grant and Dreja present) Robert took the train to Jimmy's boathouse in Pangbourne. Robert stayed

the night and returned to the Midlands the second day. Since I also have Robert Plant taking the train back from London to Birmingham on Saturday, August 3rd I'm almost certain this Pangbourne vist was August 2nd & 3rd. As soon as Robert got to Birmingham he met up with John Bonham at The Factory (Bonzo was still touring with Tim Rose) to ask him if he was interested in joining Jimmy's group.

I have seen various references to a get together and perhaps some rehearsing held at Jimmy's boathouse, and I believe this very well may have been the following weekend,

as I don't show anyone holding any studio or tour commitments by that time. Naturally,

if this is true then come Monday, August 12 they convened in London at 39 Gerrard Street for their first formal rehearsal.

Before or after, John Paul Jones was hired as the musical director for PJ Proby's 'Three Week Hero' album, but the actual session(s) at Landsdowne Studios in London were almost certainly held after August 12th as prior to the first rehearsal they had little first hand experience of their capabilties, with the exception of Jimmy and JPJ who had done sessions together in the past. Bear in mind JPJ got the other three in on those sessions as it was "easy money to be made".

When you take into consideration their Scandanavian tour began September 7th 1968 in Gladsaxe, Denmark I can't see any reason why Jimmy would have wasted August 12-18

doing no formal rehearsals. Doing so would have left him less than three weeks to form

his new band (which he'd been attempting since June 1968) and for them to finish their session work with PJ Proby.

Edit: At the time of their first rehearsal, 39 Gerrard Street was rehearsal space to let. Apparently, this area housed a number of studio rehearsal spaces for musicians. Peter

Grant ( and certainly Jimmy Page) would have been familiar with the area as he worked

in Soho during his younger days and his office at 154 Oxford Street was basically just

down the road.

Note: The Chinatown district within which 39 Gerrard Street is located did not exist until several years after their first rehearsal. I've added this here solely for the benefit

of any misguided souls out there who truly believe Jimmy is 1/8 Chinese. <_<

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