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Jimmy Page in Beijing


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About all the talk of miming and this being beneath Led Zeppelins legacy.

I hate miming. When I first heard about it I posted dismay. THEN I saw the youtube of it and thought Jimmy played at least SOME of what I was hearing. And its hard to tell about the vocals. I just dont know if she sang live or not.

I agree with Del for the most part about this. After reading so many posts it looks like about 90% of the people here are MORE into the spectacle and presence of Jimmy Page than the performance. I lean toward the performance but, of course, still like seeing Jimmy. But this spectacle to me was cheeeeeeeesy!!!!!!!!

Not everyone thinks that the presentation was 100% mimed and Ive said previously, it sure would be nice to hear from Jimmy himself if any of it WAS live. The music is more important than the fan worship by far.

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I wasn't sure that I would be able to see this on television but my husband and I did make it home in time to watch it. I'm glad we saw it and it was good to see that Jimmy seemed to enjoy performing in front of a worldwide audience. For me, because Jimmy's public (musical) performances are so infrequent, it's always a bit of a shock and somewhat surreal for me to see him.

After the performance ended, my husband asked, "Is that it?" I felt the same way - it went by so fast - we almost expected that Jimmy and Leona would descend back into the bus and then emerge through the doors to perform a few more songs together. I told my husband "That's it for now but who knows what's to come in the near future?"

This photo, posted by "3hrsoffluancy" on RO, shows Jimmy's harness:

JPOlympicsStraps.jpg

My husband and I have visited London together more than a few times and we've always had a fantastic time there so it was fun to see the little show. On our trips to London, we've enjoyed West End theatre and the dancing characters reminded me of that.

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I was on my way home from vacation (I live in Eastern Canada), driving for 7 hours, and figured I missed it. I was unloading the car when my wife said the closing ceremonies were on. I mentioned to her about JP and LL and didn't bother to check (figuring I missed it). She mentioned the the London handover was happening, I rush in just in time to catch the show.

Leading up to this point, I thought this was going to be awful and made no effort to race home to watch it. But I was surprisingly pleased with the performance. I enjoyed how the animation sequence transitioned to the live double-decker bus and all the great culture of the UK represented in that montage. I liked how LL sang this song the way she did and kind of looked like her and JP were light-heartly flirting through the music (considering the meaning of the song). I did expect miming, so I was not upset about that, but it appeared to me that the solo was live. For most of the performance, JP was only viewed from the waist up until the solo (at least what I was watching from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), maybe I was so immersed in his performance, that I only saw what I wanted to see.

Keep in mind, this montage was to represent the UK, and it did so with snippets of UK culture even down to the London Underground stop-signs. As much of a JP fan as I am, this was not all about him. I would have chosen a more suiting song, but then again, I am not the organizer.

Cheers

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Hi all,

Of course it counts for something.

However, good discussion of particulars is important too. Blind worship, an its all good approach is not very level headed.

Critique of the performance and show should be welcomed. All opinions.

Danke!

Am I hindering this disussion,by stating my worthless opinion?It's not blind worship,they could have asked anyone and there is alot to chose from.Is Sir Paul on tour,Elton(Vegas?)?Mick?Eric?Peter Framton,Bruce Dickerson,Tony Iommi,Ozzy,Jeff Beck?Shall I go on? :blink:

It wasn't a -preformance- it was a show,an Olympic closing.

KB

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Does any one know the real scoop about how it was done? Mimed, partially mimed?

It was all "mimed" as in pre-recorded. How do you think they are going to handle situations like that? Pre-record only portions of it?

Sorry Charlie, it doesn't work that way.

You don't put an amp on top of a bus in front of 90,000-plus and broadcast to untold millions in an event with such broad exposure as the Olympics and take a chance on something malfunctioning.

No need to wait for official word.

You heard it here first.

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It's all relative. This was several cuts above Page on Wall Street, and for me more enjoyable than the Foos. The solo is tight, pre-recorded or not, and it is recent. Leona Lewis appeared to be singing live to pre-recorded backing tracks that also sounded like her. Jimmy Page is clearly plugged into something. Live, perhaps not, but the presentation looked and sounded great. Page wins on a risky hand. He seems to not be shying away from big, high profile events as a performer. Thats pretty exciting. Who was the band???

I started the year wishing the US would boycott. I evolved into thinking that it serves the greater good to preserve some lines of communication, interaction and engagement though cultural exchange. I feel the same about the Olympics as I do about Zeppelin. Why not preserve a few places where we can be around each other without the political labels front and center.

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Hi all,

Danke!

Am I hindering this disussion,by stating my worthless opinion?Its not blind worship,they could have asked anyone and there is alot to chose from.Is Sir Paul on tour,Elton(Vegas?)?Mick?Eric?Peter Framton,Bruce Dickerson,Tony Iommi,Ozzy,Jeff Beck?Shall I go on? :blink:

It wasnt a -preformance- it was a show,an Olympic closing.

KB

Show, performance, whatever. I wasnt necessarily addressing just YOUR post. I dont know how much youve read, but there are ALOT of blind worship posts all over the board here. People caring NOT at all about the performance. It WAS a performance that was at least in part mimed. I still think some of his solo was possibly live though.

If its all ONLY about show, so what?

Go to Las Vegas. :rolleyes:

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Thats been said before, you are not the first.

I will hold out my complete personal decision till it IS official. :P

The last couple pages are still full of debate.

And you can hold out as long as you want but don't hold your breath.

Mimed.

Lip-synced.

Every note.

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Show, performance, whatever. I wasnt necessarily addressing just YOUR post. I dont know how much youve read, but there are ALOT of blind worship posts all over the board here. People caring NOT at all about the performance. It WAS a performance that was at least in part mimed. I still think some of his solo was possibly live though.

If its all ONLY about show, so what?

Go to Las Vegas. :rolleyes:

Viva!

<_<

Edited by zepyep
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Usually the "backdoor man" is only there for sex, if you understand the blues meaning behind the term.

Or "backdoor woman" as the case may be, anyway I'll pass on the blues terminology lesson. :o

Well then you just don't know me too well. ;)

Nor you me! ;)

Only if it is excellent, like the O2 performance was. And probably would still need to go beyond a reunion type show too. I've said it before, but a Led Zeppelin tour would need to support new material as well in my opinion, less they just become only a fading example of what they once were. Trust me when I say, that after a time all these so called 'reunion tours' just become a commercial money grab lacking in depth and soul. Even the Stones and The Who have attempted to support new material. It may not be to the level of what it once was, but at least a performer should try to move forward... even if they are covering other material or genres (like Plant has done).

Agreed.

I agree that there were other songs that could have been better. But thank God it wasn't R&R or STH, right? Immigrant Song for me. Let those Chinese bastards choke on those lyrics. :lol:

Everyone would have their own personal favourite, too hard to pick that one.

As a lifetime fan of Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page's guitar playing. I still stand by the opinion that the performance was beneath him and the Led Zeppelin legacy. A scheme thought up by some goofy event organizer --- "hey, wouldn't it be great to have Jimmy Page play guitar and pop out of a bus full of dancers!"

Yeah sure <_<

...And it would be great... but only if it was great. The darn performance was almost as goofy as one of those parades that they do at Disneyworld. The ones with Mickey Mouse waving to the crowd from the top of a float.

Anybody else agree with me, or am I the only one who thinks this?

There was always a risk of miming with only an eight minute window and censorship issues.

Handover previews tend to be rather kitschy and somewhat over the top.

I think that the opening ceremony in London would probably be mimed too, I would like to be wrong about it though.

Beneath them?

Personally I don't think so, however, it was something out of left field and took me by surprise.

I admire your passion on this but in the grand scheme of things it ain't such a big thing.

At the end of the day it was Jimmy's decision and he obviously knew what he was doing.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and life choices.

We shall agree to disagree, on some things.

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He said the intial inquiry concerned only the use of the song, and then it was suggested he could perform it if he was receptive to doing so. After he agreed to performing it live

he was informed Leona Lewis would be singing. Undoubtedly, given his extensive knowledge of production techniques he made sure to know before leaving England if he was to mime or if it would be a live feed. His travel itinerary afforded ample opportunity to participate in production rehearsals. It should be mentioned so far as I know he's yet to say publicly to what extent - some, all or none - he mimed. It's pretty clear there was at least some miming involved -- reminded me of Coverdale/Page photo shoots :)

The performance was arranged and rehearsed extensively between Jimmy and Leona in London well before anyone flew to China. They knew exactly what they would be doing.

What do people think they mimed to? This is bizarre to me - are people suggesting they got to China, were told they would have to mime, and threw together some music to mime to - or just called it up out of thin air? A recorded track was used obviously - recorded by Jimmy and Leona - recorded after rehearsals, and recorded in the UK.

And as for the use of "Whole Lotta Love" - as I said in another thread - BTW what a lot of people probably don't get is that "Whole Lotta Love" is a hugely well-known riff here in the UK even to people who don' know Zeppelin. It was the theme tune for our biggest TV music show "Top of The Pops" (which attracted massive audiences and was an institution) for the majority of its 30+ year run (little forrays into things like Lynotts "Yellow Pearl" notwithstanding) and was in the top 10 in two versions OTHER THAN Zeppelin's (Alexis Korner's CCS and Blonde on Blonde). Its a completely unsurprising choice.

Edited by Knebby
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For someone who spouts off so much about National pride Del, you sure don't seem to understand it at all.

Hey Kneb, I understand the pride thing, and I think the London Olympics are going to be SPECTACULAR if I know anything about Londoners (did I spell that right?) and the pride of the British people.

I am actually looking foward to it with great anticipation. Especially since I did not watch or endorse this 'fake' Chinese dislplay of what greatness is about. And as a 'cousin' to the British people, I will take pride as well in your Olympics in 2012.

My complaint about this closing performance is not a slam against the British. First of all I don't like the RED Chinese and I didn't like seeing any American or American company supporting it either. With the dismal human rights record of China and the oppression of Tibet and other nations, I don't believe that China deserves the world's respect or attention (the U.K. Olympics will not be like that, obviously).

But as a Led Zeppelin fan, I did not like seeing Page's involvment in this, or the way it came off as a performance either. I would have said the same of an American performance in the same circumstances. Just like I hated Aerosmith's SuperBowl show a few years ago.

I am confident that the 2012 opening ceremonies will rival the 1984 opening in Los Angeles. The British really know how to put on a good show. :D

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Gosh that was a respectful reply Del. I'm stunned. ;) And posts like that, I can relate to, and understand, and even agree with a little.

It's just the posts like your last one that make me wanna ram my fist down your throat.

But you'd probably like that wouldn't you? :)

Edited by Knebby
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Gosh that was a respectful reply Del. I'm stunned. ;) And posts like that, I can relate to, and understand, and even agree with a little.

It's just the posts like your last one that make me wanna ram my fist down your throat.

But you'd probably like that wouldn't you? :)

Fair enough. But only if I can ram something down your throat too....

:wub:

:D

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