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Robert Plant - Pre-Zep History


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Oh, I see. Makes perfect sense and insofar as Chris Welch having said Robert joining The Tennessee Teens resulted in a name change to Listen it is quite conceivable it was not instantaneous...TTT gigs may already have been booked...etc.

These might help-

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Gig is Saturday 23rd October 1965 so it might not be Mr Plant.

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Gig is Saturday 6th February 1966..I assume Mr Plant is earning his keep..but then..

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The date on top of the article suggests that either they have become Listen within 2 weeks of the Blue Flame gig or that the Blue Flame gig was contracted as the Teens and they were already calling themselves Listen.

At least it narrows down the date of Listens debut slightly.

Edited by Blocoboy
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These might help-

The date on top of the article suggests that either they have become Listen within 2 weeks of the Blue Flame gig or that the Blue Flame gig was contracted as the Teens and they were already calling themselves Listen. At least it narrows down the date of Listens debut slightly.

Agreed, the existence of the flyers coupled with these articles strongly suggests the name change occured in Feb 1966.

Nice detective work, blocoboy.

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bestman.jpg

Taken at my wedding in September 1969. Robert was my best man and had just returned from the first USA tour.

I spoke to Beresford "Bes" du-Cille via some email conversations. He was a schoolmate of Robert Plant and other members of The Band of Joy in the 1960s.

This is what he had to say.

*I actually went to school with Chris Brown (Band of Joy's keyboard player) I met Robert thru him, though I used to see RP passing the gas station where I

had a part time job(I was still at school-about 1966).

*I went with Rob to see The Way of Life to have a look at Bonham-he was awesome and drowned out the band he was so loud!! I have to say he was a serious boozer even then and he and RP were always arguing-JB did not drive and always needed a lift home to Dudley (5 miles)-RP who had an old Morris Minor would never take him and made him go by bus!!!

*I was an occasional roadie for the band - I never drove so I humped gear-RP and Paul drove mainly a very old grey Light Delivery van.I used to give RP my old clothes-actually some of my newer ones as he was very persuasive!!!

*Pop Brown -Chris' Dad-was BOJ's manager that sacked Rob (from the first BOJ).

*When Rob was sacked from BOJ he formed another BOJ with a Band from Wolverhampton called THE PAPER (not the Paint as I have - read elsewhere AND pre Bonham,Gammond) RP encouraged them to paint their faces (he never did) and they used ordinary lipstick which after a weekend on skin was almost impossible to remove-one of the guys was a bank clerk and had to go to work like it!!! Cannot remember their names now but they were a nice bunch. I have a vague inkling that the original BOJ changed their name when RP left (The Good Egg?)

*I remember meeting Dave Pegg to talk about joining BOJ but it came to nothing.

*I may be wrong but I never remember Noddy Holder (Slade) being a roadie for BOJ (it was a LONG time ago.)

*I last saw Rob when I supplied him with a tape of the BOJ's Demos for his 66 to Timbuktu cd. All the band had demo acetates but had lost or broken them!! I was the only person with a complete tape!! [Jeff edit: Bes' tape sounds EXACTLY like what is on the 66 To Timbuktu CDs] I went to his home in Shatterford (about 20 miles away) and had a meal and went out for a drink with Rob and Lyndon Laney (Laney amps). Laker as he is known lives a few hundred yards from RP and I was a good friend of his too when we were at Grammar School in West Bromwich. He also played bass with BOJ for a time and his first big commission for equipment was from TRAFFIC - he made it all at home at first.

*As for the Hobstweedle setup that came about as far as I know when RP and the Band of Joy (RP,Bonham, Gammond,Lockey and Brown) split just before a gig at West Mids College of Education where I was training to be a teacher. Fellow students and I had lobbied the Entertainment Committee to book them (BOJ) and then to my dismay the split was sprung on us. However RP got some friends from Kidderminster Art College to fulfil the gig . They didn't go down too well with the students who were expecting The Band of Joy whose reputation had preceded them.Hobstweedle played heavy Blues. Unknown to me at the time, this was where Jimmy Page and Peter Grant came to check Rob out.

*The Korner gigs I only ever heard about from Rob.

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LAST "THE TENNESSEE TEENS" CONCERTS?

Following on from when The Tennessee Teens merged in Listen, I enclose a flyer from my collection dated Wednesday 2nd March 1966 at The Plaza Dance & Social Club Old Hill, under the header "Bargin Night" !!

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NB supporting The Move on 28th February 1966....2nd last gig ??

THE FIRST LISTEN CONCERT ?

I have another flyer stating Listen playing 2 days later on Friday 4th March 1966 at The Ritz Dance & Social Club. Surely this must be the Listens first gig ??

Trying to post a copy on the flyer but reached my 100k quota....sorry new to this.

LISTEN WITH ROBERT PLANT

I also have a fantastic simple black & white flyer dated 21st March 1966 which has written " Rob Plant's Great New Rave Group "LISTEN" at the Corn Exchange, Kidderminster. This is the first flyer which actually mentions Robert's name.

Therefore I feel confident that The Tennessee Teens merged into Listen on the 4th March 1966. But if anyone has differing information it would be great to know.

I'll try and get these other 2 flyers on the website. Off to sort out the technical side of uploading....back tomorrow with the 2 missing flyers.

Edited by theroveraa
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Therefore I feel confident that The Tennessee Teens merged into Listen on the 4th March 1966. But if anyone has differing information it would be great to know.

The article about Listen having stuff nicked from them is dated 17th Feb 1966 which indicates they were using the name a couple of weeks before 4th March but as already suggested perhaps TTT had a few pre booked dates to fulfill..Mr Plant needs to be asked methinks :rolleyes:

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The article about Listen having stuff nicked from them is dated 17th Feb 1966 which indicates they were using the name a couple of weeks before 4th March but as already suggested perhaps TTT had a few pre booked dates to fulfill..Mr Plant needs to be asked methinks :rolleyes:

Same thing with The Band of Joy and Obs'Tweedle showed up

Same thing with The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin showed up

History was doomed to repeat itself

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This is such a great thread - thanks to all the contributors (especially Blocoboy). It would be great if someone could track down some info on Robert's gigs with Alexis Korner. Also, I wonder if the admins might consider renaming this thread as "Robert Plant's pre-Zep History" (although there is also info on Bonham's bands as well) given the significance of all the great new info that's come to light.

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This is such a great thread - thanks to all the contributors (especially Blocoboy). It would be great if someone could track down some info on Robert's gigs with Alexis Korner. Also, I wonder if the admins might consider renaming this thread as "Robert Plant's pre-Zep History" (although there is also info on Bonham's bands as well) given the significance of all the great new info that's come to light.

Or at least correct the name to Obs-Tweedle.

Meg

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*As for the Hobstweedle setup that came about as far as I know when RP and the Band of Joy (RP,Bonham, Gammond,Lockey and Brown) split just before a gig at West Mids College of Education where I was training to be a teacher. Fellow students and I had lobbied the Entertainment Committee to book them (BOJ) and then to my dismay the split was sprung on us. However RP got some friends from Kidderminster Art College to fulfil the gig . They didn't go down too well with the students who were expecting The Band of Joy whose reputation had preceded them.Hobstweedle played heavy Blues. Unknown to me at the time, this was where Jimmy Page and Peter Grant came to check Rob out.

Steve: If you were to take this at face value, it sounds like the gig where Page & Grant saw Plant for the first time WAS at the West Midlands College of Education. That was what was originally thought, however, the gig was then thought to be played at the Shenstone Training College in Bromsgrove (based on interviews you mentioned). This is pretty compelling evidence that the West Midlands College attribution was correct (even if it really wasn't the "true" Obs Tweedle band).

Edited by mikezep61
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This is such a great thread - thanks to all the contributors (especially Blocoboy). It would be great if someone could track down some info on Robert's gigs with Alexis Korner. Also, I wonder if the admins might consider renaming this thread as "Robert Plant's pre-Zep History" (although there is also info on Bonham's bands as well) given the significance of all the great new info that's come to light.

From what I can gather, Robert Plant took the BOJ demos to London to try and get a record deal and by chance jammed a few times with Alexis Korner in London. The answer lies in London.

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Hi, I am "Mr. duCille and can confirm it is me with RP. Wearing the worst made suit in Christendom!!!!

Mr. duCille -

Welcome to the forum. Could you kindly confirm the date of the wedding and the name/location of church? If there was a reception did Robert Plant attend? If so could you kindly confirm that location and if he performed or not? Thank you.

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*When Rob was sacked from BOJ he formed another BOJ with a Band from Wolverhampton called THE PAPER (not the Paint as I have - read elsewhere AND pre Bonham,Gammond) RP encouraged them to paint their faces (he never did) and they used ordinary lipstick which after a weekend on skin was almost impossible to remove-one of the guys was a bank clerk and had to go to work like it!!! Cannot remember their names now but they were a nice bunch. I have a vague inkling that the original BOJ changed their name when RP left (The Good Egg?)

Hello Bes,

Earlier in this thread Blocoboy posted an article from October 1967 which indicated that Mickey Cox formed The Good Egg after members of the original Band Of Joy defected to Robert's band. The article lists The Good Egg as:

Mickey Cox (vocals, guitar)

Keith Belmore (lead guitar) <-- might he be the same person as Keith Law?

Keith Langsford (bass)

Plug Pemberton (drums) <-- might he be the same as Peter Robinson?

Meanwhile, the same article lists the new Band Of Joy lineup as:

Robert Plant (vocals)

Keith Hammond (guitar) <-- I presume that this was actually Kevin Gammond

Chris Brown (organ)

Paul Lockey (bass)

John Thompson (drums) <-- might he be the same person as John Trickett?

The article does not specify if Belmore, Langsford or Pemberton had previously been members of The Band Of Joy.

Ironically, Cox and former BOJ roadie Harold Barber would later form a group called "Paint" (I wonder if it had any connection to "The Paint", which supposedly featured Plant?)

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Hello Bes,

Earlier in this thread Blocoboy posted an article from October 1967 which indicated that Mickey Cox formed The Good Egg after members of the original Band Of Joy defected to Robert's band. The article lists The Good Egg as:

Mickey Cox (vocals, guitar)

Keith Belmore (lead guitar) <-- might he be the same person as Keith Law?

Keith Langsford (bass)

Plug Pemberton (drums) <-- might he be the same as Peter Robinson?

Meanwhile, the same article lists the new Band Of Joy lineup as:

Robert Plant (vocals)

Keith Hammond (guitar) <-- I presume that this was actually Kevin Gammond

Chris Brown (organ)

Paul Lockey (bass)

John Thompson (drums) <-- might he be the same person as John Trickett?

The article does not specify if Belmore, Langsford or Pemberton had previously been members of The Band Of Joy.

Ironically, Cox and former BOJ roadie Harold Barber would later form a group called "Paint" (I wonder if it had any connection to "The Paint", which supposedly featured Plant?)

Mickey Cox and Keith Law were in The Paint, which then evolved into Jardine. They recorded one album in 1969. Keith Law prior to The Paint, was previously in a Walsall group called Love and Understanding. I don't think Keith Belmore was the same person.

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