Jimmy and the Black Crowes

[Knebby]

Does anyone have handy the stuff Chris Robinson said after the whole thing with Jimmy? The bitchy stuff? I was just talking to a mate about it, but don't have the quotes at hand to show him. Would appreciate any input!

[eternal light]

How did your collaboration with Jimmy Page in 2000 come about?

CHRIS:

We knew Jimmy; he sat in with us in Paris many years ago when a benefit came up and we played four or five songs together. It went really well and they were like, let's do some more dates. It just kind of happened like that. People started to say, "we can sell this." So they did. It was all right.

NYROCK:

It must have been unbelievable playing with Page.

CHRIS:

It was probably more fun for the other people. I didn't really have that much fun doing it. I mean it was all right and Jimmy's a phenomenal guitarist, but to me it was just a job. I'm not a big fan of Robert Plant's lyrics or his singing, so that part of it was a little boring for me.

www.nyrock.com

[Knebby]

Thanks Honey.

[Knebby]

www.nyrock.com (Excerpt below):

How did your collaboration with Jimmy Page in 2000 come about?

CHRIS:

We knew Jimmy; he sat in with us in Paris many years ago when a benefit came up and we played four or five songs together. It went really well and they were like, let's do some more dates. It just kind of happened like that. People started to say, "we can sell this." So they did. It was all right.

NYROCK:

It must have been unbelievable playing with Page.

CHRIS:

It was probably more fun for the other people. I didn't really have that much fun doing it. I mean it was all right and Jimmy's a phenomenal guitarist, but to me it was just a job. I'm not a big fan of Robert Plant's lyrics or his singing, so that part of it was a little boring for me.

--------------------------

The Robinson Brothers granted an interview to MTV (post-2000) and Chris said something to the effect of he didn't know what he was singing because Robert's

lyrics are all about witches and elves and battleships.

And thanks SAJ!

[nirvana]

"....Witches, elves, and battleships....??? Huh? Sorry Chris, maybe your lyrics are deeper and have more to do with world peace - yea, right!!

Chris is pissed off because Robert never gave him any props for his singing abilities with Jimmy.

I heard it was the rest of the Crowes that had a problem with Jimmy's continuing to tour with them. They got sick of hearing the crowd yell for more Zeppelin tunes than Crowes' songs. Also, Rich Robinson was ticked because his guitar playing wasn't being showcased due to calls for Jimmy to solo.

Can't blame the poor chap, he is a decent player, but next to Jimmy he was over-shadowed big time!

Believe me Chris Robinson never seemed happier than when he was the stand-in singer for the "Led Crowes"...but he rips Robert's lyrics because he never matched his equal.

[Cactus]

Also, Rich Robinson was ticked because his guitar playing wasn't being showcased due to calls for Jimmy to solo.

Sounds a little far fetched to me - you don't invite Page to play with you and then get upset when people want to hear him play.

[kirchzep27]

on one hand, disappointing.

on the other, its something to talk about.

the shows i saw were really good. 99jeez....

[beatbo]

on one hand, disappointing.

on the other, its something to talk about.

the shows i saw were really good. 99jeez....

i liked it myself, if for no other reason, i got to see page play my favorite zeppelin song 'ten years gone'. the 2nd night of the mini-tour in NY was electric. my god, the spirits were high, the energy was supersonic and so were the fat riffs. pagey stepped up everytime those kids gave him a crack and we would go wild. i called all my friends the next day and tried like hell to get us all tickets to boston and even rode the train there with no guarantee.

i was a crowes fan before this happened, but jimmy really hooked them up in my opinion...

[Strider]

I too will always have fond memories of the two Page/Black Crowes concerts

I saw at the Greek...which I believe were the first ones ever, right?

And as much as it was great hearing Ten Years Gone and other Zep classics with

all the guitar parts done live for the first time, I got just as much a kick at seeing

some of the Black Crowes songs transformed...No Speak No Slave I remember

being absolutely MASSIVE with all three guitars screaming in unison!

As for Chris' quotes...meh, no biggie...and I'll cut him some slack as it

is possible he was drunk and/or out of his mind on substances when he

gave this interview, and was just taking the piss.

[beatbo]

I too will always have fond memories of the two Page/Black Crowes concerts

I saw at the Greek...which I believe were the first ones ever, right?

And as much as it was great hearing Ten Years Gone and other Zep classics with

all the guitar parts done live for the first time, I got just as much a kick at seeing

some of the Black Crowes songs transformed...No Speak No Slave I remember

being absolutely MASSIVE with all three guitars screaming in unison!

As for Chris' quotes...meh, no biggie...and I'll cut him some slack as it

is possible he was drunk and/or out of his mind on substances when he

gave this interview, and was just taking the piss.

my 1st ticket was for the roseland ballroom on 10/14, it was the second night, i think boston was two nights later, then two at the greek.

this on CNN right after the 2000 tour was cancelled:

Black Crowes learn from guitar great Jimmy Page

Guitar great Jimmy Page reworked Led Zepplin songs for a tour this year

September 25, 2000

(CNN) -- Few bands have made their mark on rock music like Led Zeppelin. Their heavy blues-inspired material has become a staple for today's artists almost 20 years after the group's last album, "Coda." Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has been revitalizing some of the band's most famous numbers along with a new generation of rockers, The Black Crowes.

A back injury to Page may have led to the cancellation of the remainder of his world tour with the Crowes, but his influence on band members has been "more than they could ever convey with words," says guitarist Rich Robinson.

"It's just, it's a privilege and a thrill to play with someone like Jimmy," Robinson says. "He's unbelievable. ... It's just an amazing opportunity for all of us."

The feeling is mutual, Page says. Playing with the group allowed him to experiment and grow, he says.

"One of the things ... that supports my playing is that I try and change what I'm doing, basically, every night, in subtle ways and sometimes more radical ways," he says. "Basically, that becomes a learning process."

Picking freedom

Rich's brother and band mate Chris dismisses any generation gap between the Crowes and Page. He says they have the same goal: soul.

Jimmy Page had to cancel a tour with the Black Crowes due to an injury

"We're still interested in the soul," he says. "We're still interested in that divine thing that gives something a vibration as opposed to just some things that lay there."

Page's guitar prowess filtered into the Crowes' performances, especially "Wanton Song," Rich Robinson says.

"'Wanton Song,' that was one of those that we felt could be really cool with all the guitar parts," he said, "I think it really suited this whole thing."

"It's really good to be able to have all of those guitar parts come in for long, which is has been unheard before," Page says.

Having that freedom to create brings back memories of being with Led Zeppelin.

"We could go off and record in a house and have a mobile truck and put on the album -- whatever we wanted to put on -- and you had that freedom," Page says. "And there wasn't anybody, nobody, not a soul, who was going to say anything to you about it.

"That wasn't just the clout of Led Zeppelin. It was just the way things were at that point in time."

[mos6507]

"....Witches, elves, and battleships....??? Huh? Sorry Chris, maybe your lyrics are deeper and have more to do with world peace - yea, right!!

Chris is pissed off because Robert never gave him any props for his singing abilities with Jimmy.

I heard it was the rest of the Crowes that had a problem with Jimmy's continuing to tour with them. They got sick of hearing the crowd yell for more Zeppelin tunes than Crowes' songs. Also, Rich Robinson was ticked because his guitar playing wasn't being showcased due to calls for Jimmy to solo.

Can't blame the poor chap, he is a decent player, but next to Jimmy he was over-shadowed big time!

Believe me Chris Robinson never seemed happier than when he was the stand-in singer for the "Led Crowes"...but he rips Robert's lyrics because he never matched his equal.

It's really quite silly. What the hell did they think was going to happen by bringing Jimmy onboard? I also remember a radio interview with them together where they all seemed thrilled to be hanging out. So all this backroom tension is a mystery to me. Then again, there has been no shortage of tension withing the members of the Crowes themselves.

[ally]

Man, could you imagine Page, JPJ, Jason, Chris and his brother hooking up. It would be incredible. I for one think that what Chris said was no big deal, said at the moment, probably out of context. People can get over stuff, just look how JPJ is back on board now.

I don't really want to see Jimmy with another player on stage. No offence to the Crowes but I just want Jimmy Page.....Live and in living colour

[beatbo]

I don't really want to see Jimmy with another player on stage. No offence to the Crowes but I just want Jimmy Page.....Live and in living colour

i'm with ya on this. page-onstage all the rage with 14 guitars and john paul jones. ok, the other two can come...

[beatbo]

Chris's brother could play rythem guitar and Page could play all the rest. It would be great. When do the shows start, I want to get my tickets.

esssseaessss

[BUK]

Let me preface what I am about to say, being I am a BIG Black Crowes fan and an eevn bigger Zep fan; saw three dates of the BC&JP tour and they got better and better. By the time they played in Camden, NJ they were very tight and sounded absolutely massive. In the Light was INCREDIBLE! Barring the excitement of the REAL Zep tour back in the day, it was the finest aural rendering of Zep tunes I ever heard. The multi-guitar approach really makes you realize that Jimmy is primarily a master composer, not a player. Steve Gorman and Eddie Harsch were fantastic.

I hate to say this, but direct from one of the horses mouths, my sister sat with Rich Robinson on the Atlantic City Boardwalk before the show they did at AC. It was a total chance meeting, she being a total BC fan recognized him and didn't get all stupid on him. They chatted for quite a while about family, sobriety and the music biz. Rich was newly sober and much more introspective than "ROCKnROLL!" at that point in his life. His solo CD of course was years away, yet reflects much of what Rich was aiming at, at that time.

AANYYWAY, the gist of his take on playing with Jimmy was that it was fantastic, when Jimmy was sober. Jimmy was always trying to manage his drunk. He at the time was drinking for courage and as the night progressed would get sloppy. At times he would peak too early, a trait that Jimmy himself mentioned in regards to the Atlantic 40th Anniversary Show. The tour was doomed to fall apart. (Obviously, not just because of Jimmy, since the Crowes are/were famous for dysfunction.

Nothing smarts more than seeing one of your heroes as human. I think Rich's newfound sobriety at that time opened his eyes to a scene he was not too happy with. Since then I think Jimmy has gotten himself together and seems on his game. Only time will tell. Addiction/alcoholism is a mutha******!

[beatbo]

Let me preface what I am about to say, being I am a BIG Black Crowes fan and an eevn bigger Zep fan; saw three dates of the BC&JP tour and they got better and better. By the time they played in Camden, NJ they were very tight and sounded absolutely massive. In the Light was INCREDIBLE! Barring the excitement of the REAL Zep tour back in the day, it was the finest aural rendering of Zep tunes I ever heard. The multi-guitar approach really makes you realize that Jimmy is primarily a master composer, not a player. Steve Gorman and Eddie Harsch were fantastic.

I hate to say this, but direct from one of the horses mouths, my sister sat with Rich Robinson on the Atlantic City Boardwalk before the show they did at AC. It was a total chance meeting, she being a total BC fan recognized him and didn't get all stupid on him. They chatted for quite a while about family, sobriety and the music biz. Rich was newly sober and much more introspective than "ROCKnROLL!" at that point in his life. His solo CD of course was years away, yet reflects much of what Rich was aiming at, at that time.

AANYYWAY, the gist of his take on playing with Jimmy was that it was fantastic, when Jimmy was sober. Jimmy was always trying to manage his drunk. He at the time was drinking for courage and as the night progressed would get sloppy. At times he would peak too early, a trait that Jimmy himself mentioned in regards to the Atlantic 40th Anniversary Show. The tour was doomed to fall apart. (Obviously, not just because of Jimmy, since the Crowes are/were famous for dysfunction.

Nothing smarts more than seeing one of your heroes as human. I think Rich's newfound sobriety at that time opened his eyes to a scene he was not too happy with. Since then I think Jimmy has gotten himself together and seems on his game. Only time will tell. Addiction/alcoholism is a mutha******!

if this is true and it certainly sounds like it, then the behavior of the crowes since has been genuinely been above and beyond the call of duty....

being a crowes fan before this tour myself, i wouldn't have expected any less.

[kirchzep27]

i liked it myself, if for no other reason, i got to see page play my favorite zeppelin song 'ten years gone'. the 2nd night of the mini-tour in NY was electric. my god, the spirits were high, the energy was supersonic and so were the fat riffs. pagey stepped up everytime those kids gave him a crack and we would go wild. i called all my friends the next day and tried like hell to get us all tickets to boston and even rode the train there with no guarantee.

i was a crowes fan before this happened, but jimmy really hooked them up in my opinion...

roseland...great shows! was working in the city at the time, went right over after work. i think i was one of the only people in office attire there? took off my tie ofcourse.

[Reggie29]

Let me preface what I am about to say, being I am a BIG Black Crowes fan and an eevn bigger Zep fan; saw three dates of the BC&JP tour and they got better and better.

It was Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes.

They were his backing band no more, no less.

I have a VHS video of them playing YTIGC and being interviewed on Conan O'Brien's show.

They all seemed very appreciative of each other, at the time.

As for Chris Robinson's comments, he was probably upset about being dumped by Kate Hudson.

[Reggie29]

I wouldn't say they were his backing band. Anyway, Chris made his comments before his marriage to Kate was on the rocks.

What would you call them, then?

The Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes "official" CD I have has 13 Led Zeppelin, 6 Blues & 1 Yardbirds songs, NIL Black Crowes.

Hardly equal billing.

I know it was before the break up, hence the emoticon.

Some people on this forum need to invest in a sense of humour instead of being uptight

all the time.

In the grand scheme of things it isn't all that serious.

[SteveAJones]

What would you call them, then?

The Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes "official" CD I have has 13 Led Zeppelin, 6 Blues & 1 Yardbirds songs, NIL Black Crowes. Hardly equal billing.

I'd call it a pairing. While the setlist from their last public concert (below) shows just four Black Crowes songs were performed bear in mind all the material was played by Jimmy with The Black Crowes

Set List: Celebration Day, Wanton Song, Misty Mountain Hop, Custard Pie, No Speak No Slave, Sick Again, What Is & What Should Never Be, Horsehead, Oh Well, Ten Years Gone, In My Time Of Dying, Your Time Is Gonna Come, Remedy, Lemon Song, In The Light, Shapes Of Things, Nobody's Fault But Mine, Heartbreaker

Encore: Bring It On Home, She Talks To Angels, Out On The Tiles, Whole Lotta Love

[Bitchin Soul]

I read somewhere Chris Robinson said he respected Jimmy Page as a musician but not as a man or something to that effect. I know everyone around here is about facts but I do not remember exactly where I read it. I remember it because I was shocked and taken back by such a ugly remark.

[MadScreamingGallery]

[...]

I hate to say this, but direct from one of the horses mouths, my sister sat with Rich Robinson on the Atlantic City Boardwalk before the show they did at AC. It was a total chance meeting, she being a total BC fan recognized him and didn't get all stupid on him. They chatted for quite a while about family, sobriety and the music biz. Rich was newly sober and much more introspective than "ROCKnROLL!" at that point in his life. His solo CD of course was years away, yet reflects much of what Rich was aiming at, at that time.

AANYYWAY, the gist of his take on playing with Jimmy was that it was fantastic, when Jimmy was sober. Jimmy was always trying to manage his drunk. He at the time was drinking for courage and as the night progressed would get sloppy. At times he would peak too early, a trait that Jimmy himself mentioned in regards to the Atlantic 40th Anniversary Show. The tour was doomed to fall apart. (Obviously, not just because of Jimmy, since the Crowes are/were famous for dysfunction.

Nothing smarts more than seeing one of your heroes as human. I think Rich's newfound sobriety at that time opened his eyes to a scene he was not too happy with. Since then I think Jimmy has gotten himself together and seems on his game. Only time will tell. Addiction/alcoholism is a mutha******!

Great post. Thanks for sharing all of that with us. There is nothing like hearing something "direct from one of the horse's mouths." Your sister sounds very cool - a girl after my own heart in that she doesn't "get all stupid" around rockers. I remember seeing Jimmy when he wasn't together and seemingly not on his game and, as you say, there aren't many things that come close to the ache you feel when you watch someone who had been one of your heroes stumble. I never battled an addiction or alcoholism but I've been around enough people who have to see the pain it inflicts on them and on the people around them. As with everyone else here, I am so glad that Jimmy has "gotten himself together and seems on his game." Yep, time will tell. <fingers crossed>

[Cactus]

Unfortunately for us Page fans, some great opportunities in terms of collaboration and new work from Page has been lost due to his abuse/addictions. However, Jimmy would not be the person he is now were it not for his past. It appears he is now sober (he has said so in at least one interview) and his new approach to life may have given him the impetus to make the O2 show work, for example.

[BUK]

Yeah, when my sister shared this with me, my heart sank. No one wants to hear what future masterpieces Jimmy has up his sleeve more than me and at the time it just seemed like another good thing gone bad.

It's tough to get people to back you/commit to you when your track record over the recent past is spotty. We all want to see Jimmy operate with the confidence, dignity and grace that his gift deserves.

A good friend of mine is friends with a famous old band (I know this is vague), so consequently gets to travel backstage and visit the parties that ensue. It's mostly a lot of "one last time get togethers" and the like. There's nothing more pitiful than a 60 something with a teenager's maturity.

He got out of the Biz many years ago and has rebuilt his life. He's taken it as his mission to help some of these old children. The years of bad road and abuse have not been kind to them and a lot of them are just lost souls. That "RocknRoll will never die" stuff doesn't cut it when you are a second tier road vet and all the AARP ills are beginning to come upon you. You can ignore reality for just so long; eventually you've just gotta deal with your life. I'm glad he's got a heart for these guys and some of them seem to be responding.

Hopefully I can come up with more depressing thoughts to bum out your day.....

[ally]

Yeah, when my sister shared this with me, my heart sank. No one wants to hear what future masterpieces Jimmy has up his sleeve more than me and at the time it just seemed like another good thing gone bad.

It's tough to get people to back you/commit to you when your track record over the recent past is spotty. We all want to see Jimmy operate with the confidence, dignity and grace that his gift deserves.

A good friend of mine is friends with a famous old band (I know this is vague), so consequently gets to travel backstage and visit the parties that ensue. It's mostly a lot of "one last time get togethers" and the like. There's nothing more pitiful than a 60 something with a teenager's maturity.

He got out of the Biz many years ago and has rebuilt his life. He's taken it as his mission to help some of these old children. The years of bad road and abuse have not been kind to them and a lot of them are just lost souls. That "RocknRoll will never die" stuff doesn't cut it when you are a second tier road vet and all the AARP ills are beginning to come upon you. You can ignore reality for just so long; eventually you've just gotta deal with your life. I'm glad he's got a heart for these guys and some of them seem to be responding.

Hopefully I can come up with more depressing thoughts to bum out your day.....

Wonderful posts BUK. I think most of us mature fans can totally appreciate the difficulties that these rockers will or have faced . Just like regular folk, lifes abuses come back and kick you usually when you least expect it. Having a commited peer or two that are willing to address the uniqueness of the R&R lifestyle can only be a positive. All too often we as fans forget that these rockers have lives of they're own, family to deal with, health issues etc that at the end of the day makes them just as fragile as the rest of us. In all these cases it is my personal opinion that if they need to trade off the music buisness to maintain a healthy normal life then....they should.