"Frail Page Rocks With Stairway"

[Cat]

Frail Page Rocks With Stairway

Daily Herald | Chicago, Illinois | Monday, October 10, 1983

by Lisa Robinson

Even though Robert Plant said that he'd never play it again, Jimmy Page played "Stairway to Heaven" two weeks ago at London's Royal Albert Hall in a special charity concert to benefit the Ronnie Lane Multiple Sclerosis Fund.

The band assembled was quite a collection of aging British rockers — and at one time Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Jeff Beck, Charlie Watts, Kenny Jones and Jimmy Page were all playing at once.

Page received the most applause when he came on stage, and although he looked somewhat frail, he managed to perform three numbers — including the instrumental version of "Stairway to Heaven."

In the audience were those well known hard-rock fans — Prince Charles and Lady Diana — who went

backstage during intermission to meet the musicians.

[SteveAJones]

Frail Page Rocks With Stairway

Daily Herald | Chicago, Illinois | Monday, October 10, 1983

by Lisa Robinson

Jimmy was swizzle stick thin and obviously nervous. Saturday night concert was a

Princes Trust Benefit Concert and Sunday night an ARMS Benefit. Jimmy played the same set both nights. The ARMS Benefit is available on Rhino Home Video & DVD.

It's great!

[Cat]

I've seen some clips from the tour (not sure exactly which show) and I found it painful to watch. It's interesting that JP said after he'd watched the footage he knew his life had to change.

[zeppelin fanatic]

Jimmy was swizzle stick thin and obviously nervous. Saturday night concert was a

Princes Trust Benefit Concert and Sunday night an ARMS Benefit. Jimmy played the same set both nights. The ARMS Benefit is available on Rhino Home Video & DVD.

It's great!

I saw Page perform with Paul Rogers in 1983 at the Arms Concert in Los Angeles at the the LA Forum. I also have the show at the Albert Hall on DVD as well as a terrible quality DVD from the show in San Francisco. I think they only did a few North American cities; San Francisco: Los Angeles and I think Dallas.

I will never forget the audience reaction from the show in Los Angeles. I had pretty good seats and Jimmy walked on stage in almost slow motion...he knew what the reaction was going to be by then as I think they had already performed in Dallas and San Francisco by the time they did the Forum show.

I remember reading an interview by Pete Townshend where he said everyone would stand backstage to watch Jimmy walk on stage because the crowd wold go absolutely wild like nothing they had ever seen before. Townshend said it brought tears to his eyes because it was so obvious how much Jimmy's fans love him.

Anyway, Jimmy's performance in Los Angeles was fantastic compared to the RAH show in London. I remember watching that RAH show on MTV thinking wow am I the only one who thinks he's playing horribly? But I'm such a huge fan and apologist I never admitted it until now. LOL!

Anyway, Page and Rogers debut Midnight Moonlight that night in Los Angeles, at least to the LA audience, and from there The Firm was born and Jimmy brought the band back to LA Forum twice and I saw them both times. They were GREAT!!

[mos6507]

The band assembled was quite a collection of aging British rockers — and at one time Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Jeff Beck, Charlie Watts, Kenny Jones and Jimmy Page were all playing at once.

Funny how they considered these guys "aging" in 1983 when some of these guys were still in their 30s.

[lucyinthesky]

Wasn't that the time when he gave up Heroin?

[SteveAJones]

9/20/83 London, England Royal Albert Hall

Soundcheck rehearsal then Jimmy pleaded with a constable not to tow his illegally-parked car, which didn't help his nerves. Tonight's concert was a Princes Trust benefit.

9/21/83 London, England Royal Albert Hall

ARMS Benefit concert

Sep/Oct 1983

Jimmy and Paul Rodgers wrote 'Midnight Moonlight'; it was performed live for the first time on the ARMS tour in America

Nov 1983

Jimmy rang up Paul to inquire if he fancied joining him on the ARMS tour in America…Paul accepted

11/26/83

Jimmy arrived at the Hotel Paradise in Dallas and went straight to his room. Julie Welch of 'Feathers In The Wind' fanzine was granted an in-room interview. Jimmy came down and drank with fans in hotel bar. He had done "two or three day of rehearsals"

11/27/83

Jimmy was driven back to the Hotel Paradise following his sound-check for tomorrow's show

11/28/83 Dallas, TX Reunion Arena

11/29/83 Dallas, TX Reunion Arena...at the hotel after the show he said farewell to his fans

11/30/83

Jimmy was flown from Dallas to San Francisco. He was nervous...checked in to his hotel and seldom ventured out to socialize with the other musicians.

12/1/83 Daly City, CA Cow Palace

12/2/83 Daly City, CA Cow Palace

12/3/83 Daly City, CA Cow Palace

12/4/83

Jimmy checked in to the Sunset Marquis near the Sunset Strip, registering as "James McGregor"...he places a call to Richard Cole (currently residing in Hollywood). That

night he and his entourage went to the Rainbow Bar & Grill...he signed autographs and conversed with fans…departed in a limo

12/5/83 Inglewood, CA The Forum Cole reunited with Jimmy this day and attended. The after-show party was at The Roxy.

12/6/83 Inglewood, CA The Forum Miss Pamela and Michael DesBarres reunited with Jimmy backstage. During his time in LA Jimmy reunited with Lori Maddox...they returned

to his hotel room for a long talk and he confided in her he was off drugs. He cautioned her

to take care of herself

12/8/83 New York, MY Madison Sqaure Garden

12/9/83 New York, MY Madison Sqaure Garden

[california girl]

Frail Page Rocks With Stairway

Daily Herald | Chicago, Illinois | Monday, October 10, 1983

by Lisa Robinson

Even though Robert Plant said that he'd never play it again, Jimmy Page played "Stairway to Heaven" two weeks ago at London's Royal Albert Hall in a special charity concert to benefit the Ronnie Lane Multiple Sclerosis Fund.

The band assembled was quite a collection of aging British rockers — and at one time Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Jeff Beck, Charlie Watts, Kenny Jones and Jimmy Page were all playing at once.

Page received the most applause when he came on stage, and although he looked somewhat frail, he managed to perform three numbers — including the instrumental version of "Stairway to Heaven."

In the audience were those well known hard-rock fans — Prince Charles and Lady Diana — who went

backstage during intermission to meet the musicians.

He may have been at his lowest point, but he still rocked. That's what I like about him. He never gave up. He's a survivor. He survived Glandualr Fever, he survived Robert's losses, bad press, and he survived his addiction. He's a fighter. That's what I like about him. He's a fighter!

[luvlz2]

9/20/83 London, England Royal Albert Hall

Soundcheck rehearsal then Jimmy pleaded with a constable not to tow his illegally-parked car, which didn't help his nerves. Tonight's concert was a Princes Trust benefit.

 

9/21/83 London, England Royal Albert Hall

ARMS Benefit concert

 

Sep/Oct 1983

Jimmy and Paul Rodgers wrote 'Midnight Moonlight'; it was performed live for the first time on the ARMS tour in America

 

Nov 1983

Jimmy rang up Paul to inquire if he fancied joining him on the ARMS tour in America…Paul accepted

 

11/26/83

Jimmy arrived at the Hotel Paradise in Dallas and went straight to his room. Julie Welch of 'Feathers In The Wind' fanzine was granted an in-room interview. Jimmy came down and drank with fans in hotel bar. He had done "two or three day of rehearsals"

 

11/27/83

Jimmy was driven back to the Hotel Paradise following his sound-check for tomorrow's show

 

11/28/83 Dallas, TX Reunion Arena

 

11/29/83 Dallas, TX Reunion Arena...at the hotel after the show he said farewell to his fans

 

11/30/83

Jimmy was flown from Dallas to San Francisco. He was nervous...checked in to his hotel and seldom ventured out to socialize with the other musicians.

 

12/1/83 Daly City, CA Cow Palace

 

12/2/83 Daly City, CA Cow Palace

 

12/3/83 Daly City, CA Cow Palace

 

12/4/83

Jimmy checked in to the Sunset Marquis near the Sunset Strip, registering as "James McGregor"...he places a call to Richard Cole (currently residing in Hollywood). That

night he and his entourage went to the Rainbow Bar & Grill...he signed autographs and conversed with fans…departed in a limo

 

12/5/83 Inglewood, CA The Forum Cole reunited with Jimmy this day and attended. The after-show party was at The Roxy.

 

12/6/83 Inglewood, CA The Forum Miss Pamela and Michael DesBarres reunited with Jimmy backstage. During his time in LA Jimmy reunited with Lori Maddox...they returned

to his hotel room for a long talk and he confided in her he was off drugs. He cautioned her

to take care of herself

 

12/8/83 New York, MY Madison Sqaure Garden

 

12/9/83 New York, MY Madison Sqaure Garden

Thanks Steve for that timeline information. Is there any unofficial video of The Prince's Trust Benefit concert out there that you have ever heard about? Or for that matter if there any unofficial recordings of any of the rehearsals or soundchecks from any of the ARMS concerts that you may ever have known about?

[Stairway is NOT stolen]

9/20/83 London, England Royal Albert Hall

Soundcheck rehearsal then Jimmy pleaded with a constable not to tow his illegally-parked car, which didn't help his nerves. Tonight's concert was a Princes Trust benefit.

I thought Page couldn't drive? 

[White Phone]

The thing I love best about the commercial video of the RAH ARMS show (I love it all, warts and all) is during Tulsa Time.  Clapton plays his usual tasteful solo, then nods at Beck for him to take his.  Beck plays a nice, typical left of center Beckian solo.  Then Clapton nods at Jimmy, and Jimmy ROARS out of the gate with a monster run on the Tele, blowing the other two guitarists off the stage.  Even at his lowest point, he was still the man.

Nice stuff on his hassle after rehearsal with the constable, thanks Steve.  If memory serves, there was a photo from (what I assume must have been) that moment in Circus or Creem back in the day.  It pictures Jimmy speaking in the street with a constable.  But I never knew what it was all about until now (again, assuming the photo depicted is from the same moment/incident).

 

[dave2007]

He was not pleading with policeman not to tow his car.  It was not his car and he was not driving...the driver was sat in the car a mere few yards away..why would Jimmy be the one pleading the case and not the actual driver?

I was there at the time..... Jimmy had just left the building after the soundcheck and was mobbed by about 70 fans as he walked along. He got a bit nervous and quickened his pace...he saw the policeman who had just walked around the corner into all this...and Jimmy veered towards him. The conversation was more like Jimmy describing the car he was looking for.... I took a photo of this and have already posted it here somewhere ( sorry am no good on the search function) 

Just a few minutes prior to this we had watched Jimmy do a blistering Stairway to Heaven to an empty arena....great day!

[luvlz2]

He was not pleading with policeman not to tow his car.  It was not his car and he was not driving...the driver was sat in the car a mere few yards away..why would Jimmy be the one pleading the case and not the actual driver?

I was there at the time..... Jimmy had just left the building after the soundcheck and was mobbed by about 70 fans as he walked along. He got a bit nervous and quickened his pace...he saw the policeman who had just walked around the corner into all this...and Jimmy veered towards him. The conversation was more like Jimmy describing the car he was looking for.... I took a photo of this and have already posted it here somewhere ( sorry am no good on the search function) 

Just a few minutes prior to this we had watched Jimmy do a blistering Stairway to Heaven to an empty arena....great day!

Hi dave2007. I did spend some time searching last night for information about the ARMS shows and did come across it and did copy it, is this your picture that you are talking about?

Edited December 8, 2015 by luvlz2

[dave2007]

Hi,  yes, that is the pic I took.

[in_the_evening]

The thing I love best about the commercial video of the RAH ARMS show (I love it all, warts and all) is during Tulsa Time.  Clapton plays his usual tasteful solo, then nods at Beck for him to take his.  Beck plays a nice, typical left of center Beckian solo.  Then Clapton nods at Jimmy, and Jimmy ROARS out of the gate with a monster run on the Tele, blowing the other two guitarists off the stage.  Even at his lowest point, he was still the man.

Nice stuff on his hassle after rehearsal with the constable, thanks Steve.  If memory serves, there was a photo from (what I assume must have been) that moment in Circus or Creem back in the day.  It pictures Jimmy speaking in the street with a constable.  But I never knew what it was all about until now (again, assuming the photo depicted is from the same moment/incident).

 

Had to go back and watch the clips on Youtube.  I have always disliked JP's Telecaster time, thought the sound was too thin and reedy.  But you are 100% spot on here, he plays with a strength that is impressive.  What's cool, is Clapton is just all smiles during the whole thing.

[White Phone]

Thanks for the clarification, dave (and nice photo, an opportune snap, thanks for finding it and reposting luvlz2!).  Great story on having just watched him play Stairway!  Wonder why the driver wasn't more on top of the situation, leaving the guy wandering around in the street trying to figure out where the car was...that could have gotten really dicey very quickly.

To your point, in_the_evening, I'm also not a big fan of the Tele era.  But I consider it part of his overall evolution.  He pretty consistently tinkered with his guitar sounds over the years, and with each Zeppelin tour/era, he would change things up and try to find fresh sounds and approaches.  He and the Tele didn't always hit the mark in this era, but when he returned in 88 on the Outrider tour, he was displaying a more muscular sound and style.  In fact, Firm era pieces like Tear Down The Walls and Someone To Love were completely different and very powerful on the Outrider tour imo.