SteveAJones Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 (edited) Led Zeppelin's Party at Cosmo's Studio The year was 1972 (or 1973) and Atlantic Records was experiencing a banner year when the company's brass decided to throw a party for the label's hottest band, Led Zeppelin. This gathering wasn't your average cocktail party but instead a clamorous event for the bad boys of heavy metal. Plus, the party wasn't held at your traditional location like a ballroom or ritzy restaurant but instead it was located at the famous Cosmo's Recording Studio in downtown New Orleans. Cosmo's was a studio that produced many music legends. As you had it, Led Zeppelin were true proponents of Rhythm & Blues Music and Cosmo's Recording Studio provided the perfect ambiance for such an event. Although the press hadn't been complimentary to Led Zeppelin up to this point, it didn't really matter because Cosmo's was packed with media people from newspaper and radio plus many local celebrities were in attendance. While arriving at the recording studio's second floor facilities via an open-sided freight elevator, you could smell the delightful fragrance of Red Beans and Rice being catered by renowned Buster's Restaurant. In attendance were such artist as; Ernie K-Doe ("Mother-in-Law"), Professor Longhair ("Go to Mardi Gras"), Earl King ("Trick Bag"), Willie Tee ("Teasing You") and Roosevelt Sykes ("Honeydrippers"). Party hosts Jimmy Page and Robert Plant listened intently to a story being told by Soul Legend Ernie K-Doe. Throughout the evening flashbulbs were going off like fireworks while lovely ladies sa-shayed by for all to view. Also in attendance at Cosmo's was New Orleans favorite son Professor Longhair along with Atlantic Records Chairman Ahmet Ertegun. An interesting side-story was Ertegun's instructions for me to man-the-studio-entrance and greet all party guests at the door on behalf of the Regional Representative for Atlantic. What wasn't told to me was Ertegun's private joke being played on Robert Plant responding to his request to have in attendance "lots of flat-chested little birds." Upon Plant's request, Ertegun arranged to have four taxi cabs filled to capacity and drive up to the entrance of the studio and unloaded several dozen Brownie Girl Scouts that were encouraged to attend the party upon his invitation. Thus Plant's request to be surrounded with "flat-chested little birds." Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones requested that the party be frequented by Bourbon Street drag-queens on his behalf. Go figure. The party went until the wee-hours of the morning and later resumed at the band's hotel. That's where I'll stop this story. You dig? Phillip Rauls ----------------------------- Note: Richard Cole said a similar party took place May 15th 1973 at Jazz City in New Orleans so it's possible this is the same event, with one of the two authors mistaken on the location. Edited November 27, 2007 by SteveAJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiotHouse Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Chatting with New Orleans soul singer Ernie K-Doe. Anymore photos from this party?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted December 23, 2008 Administrators Share Posted December 23, 2008 Anymore photos from this party?? http://www.ledzeppelin.com/image/photos-ho...rleans-73-party http://www.ledzeppelin.com/image/photos-ho...eans-party-73-1 http://www.ledzeppelin.com/image/photos-ho...rleans-party-73 http://www.ledzeppelin.com/image/photos-ho...eans-party-73-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiotHouse Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Hi Sam, who is the gentleman with the glasses on in that first photo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted December 23, 2008 Administrators Share Posted December 23, 2008 Hi Sam, who is the gentleman with the glasses on in that first photo? Professor Longhair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 Chatting with New Orleans soul singer Ernie K-Doe. Great find! So it seems Phillip Rauls mispelled it as "Cosmo" throughout his article ...Cosimo's Recording Studio it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 24, 2008 Author Share Posted December 24, 2008 (edited) On 5/14/73, the band were booked into the Royal Orleans hotel prior to their Municipal Auditorum concert that night, and Page & Plant conducted their first interview with Lisa Robinson by the rooftop pool. They played the gig and must have gotten offstage around 11pm. Lisa said the band attended a gig by crooner Frankie Ford before moving on to a club called Deja Vu, where the owner asked them to imprint their hands in cement…Lisa was there and she also recalled there was a full moon. Since she did not mention the Ertegun party I assume she didn't go (as it sounds as it was the following evening). Also of note, sometime during this stay in New Orleans Jimmy gave an interview to Chris Donovan of 'Disc'. Edited December 24, 2008 by SteveAJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiotHouse Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Could these be more pictures from this party... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_72 Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Great find and thanks for the pics! Wish I could've been at that party, it sounded like they had a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 (edited) These photos are really great, RiotHouse - thanks a lot for posting them! But they're not from the New Orleans party. Robert is differently attired than in the pictures we already know to be from that party, and Bonzo is wearing a different jacket. I am leaning towards these being from the LA party on Bonzo's birthday later that same month - to be more exact, it was held at Laurel Canyon. Robert was wearing that same shirt at the time, and Bonzo the exact same jacket, too. Note the absence of Jimmy from the pictures - his hand was injured by the May 31 party. Here's a photo taken in LA at about that time: Edited December 28, 2008 by Otto Masson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 As an aside, Robert seems to be wearing a similar scarf in these pics as the one Jimmy wore so often in 1975. Perhaps it's the same scarf. They would also sometimes wear similar shirts, but never at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Masson Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Some more from the party in New Orleans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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