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Fan Q&A w/ DICK CARRUTHERS


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Dick Carruthers has graciously replied to fan questions posted here a couple of weeks ago.

-Sam

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Q from Reggie29 - Is there any unreleased footage in the vault?

D.C. - IF YOU MEAN ZEPPELIN OVERALL - YES SOME – OBVIOUSLY THE STUFF WE DID NOT USE, CLEAN UP AND RE-EDIT FROM EARL’S COURT OR KNEBWORTH, AS THEY PLAYED WHOLE GIGS THERE. ITS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOUGH THAT THE DVD WAS METICULOUSLY PLANNED AND THE BAR SET HIGH, THE SOUND AND PICTURE WORKED ON- SO THAT WAS WAS RELEASED WAS THE BEST STUFF AND WHAT JIMMY AND THE BAND WANTED.

IN REF TO MADISON SQ FOOTAGE SEE BELOW

Q - Tom Lozupone - Why are yourself, Dick, still involved with Led Zeppelin?

D.C. - THEY KNOW WHERE I LIVE!

SERIOUSLY – I WOULD SAY ITS FROM BUILDING A STRONG LEVEL OF TRUST AND EXPERIENCE WITH THEM ACROSS CERTAIN DISCIPLINES – IMAGES AND LIVE MUSIC – AND SEVERAL PROJECTS; SO MAKING DVDS AND SHOOTING LIVE ( TWO OF MY ALLEGED AREAS OF EXPERTEASE!) WHERE THERE IS STUFF TO BE DONE.

Does the band as a collective entity want you to produce more videos for them in the future?

D.C. - WELL I CERTAINLY HOPE SO.

Could the TSRTS been made into a "real documentary" from leftover footage of the 1973 tour?

I WOULD SAY NO – REALLY JUST THE GIGS AND BACKSTAGE AT MSG WERE SHOT AND A BIT OF TEST FOOTAGE AND BACKSTAGE FOOTAGE AT ONE OTHER VENUE

And, thank you for excellant vision, taste, and spirit in presenting Led Zeppelin (again, and hopefully again, wink, wink).

 


D.C. - THANK YOU

Q - Mad Screaming Gallery - Do outtakes, unseen/unreleased footage, or still photos from the three nights at MSG in ’73 that weren't included in TSRTS exist?

D.C. - YES – NOT AWARE OF PHOTOS, BUT THE 35MM NEG AND POS – NOT SO MUCH OUTTAKES- MORE ACCURATE TO CALL THEM RUSHES REALLY - ARE WHAT WE MADE THE OCEAN, MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP, AND NEW VERSIONS OF BLACK DOG AND SINCE I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU FROM. – IN 2003 WE LATER WENT BACK TO THESE RUSHES ( WHICH WERE METICULOUSLY AND LABORIOUSLY RE-JOINED, CLEANED AND TELECINED TO DIGITAL FORMAT IN 2003); TO MINE AND MAKE OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY, AND CELEBRATION DAY FOR THE SRTS DVD RE-RELEASE LAST YEAR, AND THE MENUS FOR THE SAME DVD.

Are there additional scenes of the audience and of the LZ members backstage that were edited out and saved in archives?

D.C. - NOT THAT I HAVE SEEN. JUST SOME MUTE RUSHES.

Does the original concert footage that was replaced by the scenes that were filmed at Shepperton still exist?

D.C. - KINDA DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT – NOTHING WAS “REPLACED” THERE IS JUST THE FOOTAGE THAT THERE IS ,

Who owns the rights to the unseen/unreleased film footage and is it likely that any of this footage will ever be released?

 


D.C. - I WOULD GUESS ITS WARNERS AND I’M PRETTY SURE IT WON’T BE RELEASED – SINCE “RELEASED” MEANS SOMETHING WOULD NEED TO BE MADE OUT OF IT YOU SEE… OTHERWISE ITS JUST SNIPPETS,- AS THERE WOULD BE FROM ANY PRODUCTION. IF I SHOOT A GIG WITH 12 CAMERAS , WHAT YOU SEE IN THE FINAL CUT IS NECESSARILY ONLY A 12TH OF WHAT WAS SHOT… BUT TO CREATE THE FILM THE REST IS THROWN AWAY. IT WOULD BE INACCURATE TO THINK YOU ARE MISSING SOME ABSOLUTE GEMS IN THAT SCENARIO OR WITH SRTS- THE JOB OF THE EDITOR AND DIRECTOR IS TO CRAM ALL THE BEST SHOTS IN!

Q - Steve A Jones - The shot of Jimmy alongside the moat at Plumpton Place reveals an all-seeing eye on his shirt in the center of his back, just before he turns to face the camera with red eyes. The next shot of Peter Grant shows him on the telephone at Horselunges Manor, and there is an all seeing eye in the tapestry above his head. I happen to believe TSRTS is an occult film. With this in mind, was the inclusion of the all seeing eye in both scenes deliberate
or merely coincidental? 
 
 
Three lucky fans being granted free access to a Led Zeppelin concert just for the asking is the stuff of teenage fantasy. Was that scene staged? 


 


D.C. - MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT TSRTS IS NOT IN AND OF ITSELF AN OCCULT FILM, AND MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT THE 3 FANS BEING LET IN WAS REAL- THOUGH THE CAMERAS BEING THERE MAY HAVE INFLUENCED THE COPS’ NICENESS OF COURSE!

Q - Tara - Did the band get picky about how they looked in shots, was that a big consideration for how the movie was cut (and is it true that that's why they don't wanna release the O2 footage?).

D.C. - I DOUBT IT, AND NO THAT’S NOT TRUE AT ALL.


 
 


Q - Rockarolla - How do I tell Jimmy @ Sheperton from Jimmy @ MSG?


D.C. - YOU COULD PICK IT APART IF YOU TRIED IN TERMS OF SCRUTINISING CONTINUITY, BUT I HAVE TO SAY I THINK THAT’S MISSING THE PURPOSE REALLY – AS WITH ANY MOVIE. IT’S NOT BRECHTIAN CINEMA!

Q - BigZepFan - What was it about working with Led Zeppelin made them stand out more than any other bands you have worked with?

D.C. - 1. THEIR DYNAMIC. 


2. SIMPLY PUT THE AWESOME POWER OF THEIR MUSIC AND THEIR VERSATILITY AND IMPROVISATION WITHIN IT 
 


Q - Ghostboogie66 - What is the biggest Myth about the film that you can debunk?

THE BIGGEST MYTH I CAN DE-BUNK I THINK IS THAT THE ROBBERY WAS STAGED. IT WASN’T. AND THAT WAS WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE BAND THAT WE SHOWED MORE NEWS FOOTAGE FROM THE TIME , AS AN EXTRA ON THE 2007 DVD RELEASE, ABOUT THE ROBBERY.

Q - Beatbo - after putting together the dvd that was released and working with footage of the band throughout their entire career, how do you think the concert footage from 'tsrts' rates in comparison-and if you were able to go back in time and film the band on any tour or year, which incarnation of the band would you choose?

D.C. - INTERESTING QUESTION.

THE FACT THAT IT WAS SHOT 35MM IS A HUGE STARTING BONUS, SO ITS TERRIFIC FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. THAT SAID THE DIFFERENT FORMATS OF SUPER 8, ANALOGUE PAL AND NTSC GAVE US DIFFERENT TEXTURES ; “LIGHT AND SHADE” TO WEAVE THE LED ZEPPELIN DVD TOGETHER, AS A SORT OF CONTINUOUS LIVE NARRATIVE

Q - Adam - Are there any future plans to produce a documentary about the making of The Song Remains The Same? (With possible additional footage and explanations into each sequence.)

D.C. - NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF.

Q - Roxie - What are the chances of TSRTS being released into movie theatres one more time?

D.C. - POSSIBLY – BUT HOW MANY MOVIES GET RE-RELEASES LIKE THAT? I THINK IT PROBABLY PLAYS AT EVENTS LIKE THIS ONE AND FILM FESTIVALS – AND IN ITS ORIGINAL INCARNATION. THERE ARE STRICT LAWS ABOUT NOT ALTERING A MOVIE ONCE ITS BEEN RELEASED.

Q - Knebby - I've repeatedly seen the fantasy sequences ridiculed on this Zeppelin fan forum and elsewhere. I personally love them, and feel that they are what sets this movie apart from a standard "roccumentary".

I THINK I AGREE WITH THAT.

When you worked on the re-packaged version of the movie, did you get any feedback from the band re these sequences?

AS I SAID ABOVE THIS WAS NOT REALLY AN ISSUE AS THE FILM HAD TO STAY EXACTLY AS IT WAS.

Do you feel that they regretted their inclusion in the movie or felt embarrassed by them at all - as people seem to think they should do?

D.C. - MY PERSONAL OPINION IS NO.

Q - Black Dawg - Why was footage that was filmed at other venues such as the Baltimore Civic Center not given credit?

D.C. - I AM NOT SURE….PERHAPS TO IMPLY THE WHOLE MSG RUNTIME WAS CONTINUOUS?

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Great stuff to all involved. B)

Wouldn't it be a great thing to be able to do this sort of thing with the band members themselves, even if its only by email if there are no face to face interviews. Mind you I would be more than happy to volunteer to ask the questions face to face :DB)

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Sam, thanks again for giving us the opportunity to submit our questions about TSRTS to Dick Carruthers.

Knebby, thanks to you too for your role in this.

Many, many thanks to Dick Carruthers for so graciously and thoughtfully answering our questions. It was wonderful for me to read Dave’s very informative answers to my own questions.

:D Woohoo!! Mad, he liked your questions!!!! :D

Very nice of Dick to answer all of these.

Mucho Thanx.

:) Hotplant, it was so cool to read his answers to things I’ve wondered about, not just from the time of the ’76 release of TSRTS, but also from the time of those three nights in ’73.

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I'm surprised Steve A. Jones asked a question. Im surprised he admitted he doesn't know everything.

I asked at least two questions, and both were graciously responded too. I openly admit I don't know everything, but I do aspire to be the figure on the mountaintop. I must be going now, for the moon is full and I've got some climbing to do.

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Thank you Mr. Carruthers, Sam, Knebby, and all those who submitted such excellent questions, this is a treat.

FWIW, the fantasy sequences, although clearly of their time, are fun and have deeper meaning than most give them credit for. Glad to hear the band are ok with them, still.

I've always been impressed with Plant's horsemanship when his mount gets into a bog there for a bit... :D Sorry I missed this opportunity to ask about the filming of that!

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Is that why his horse keeps going round in circles? I've always wondered about that.

No, I think he's pulling the horse's head around in that, camera's above and pretty close, right? Probably keeping the horse in frame, there. (My impression anyway.)

A little later, in a long shot, the horse actually sinks pretty deep into some mud and starts floundering. Lots of riders would've panicked, but Plant gives the horse its head and encourages it with his legs to find its way out.

Always makes me go "whew!" :)

And they just keep right on filming... in the spirit of "nah, leave it, yeah" I guess. I love that.

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No, I think he's pulling the horse's head around in that, camera's above and pretty close, right? Probably keeping the horse in frame, there. (My impression anyway.)

A little later, in a long shot, the horse actually sinks pretty deep into some mud and starts floundering. Lots of riders would've panicked, but Plant gives the horse its head and encourages it with his legs to find its way out.

Always makes me go "whew!" :)

And they just keep right on filming... in the spirit of "nah, leave it, yeah" I guess. I love that.

The first time I saw the movie I was convinced Robert was going to get bucked right into the water :lol: But I like the fact they left it in - made it a bit more real if that makes sense.

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RE: Brechtian Cinema:

From the Wikipedia entry on Bertolt Brecht:

Brecht created an influential theory of theatre, the epic theatre, wherein a play should not cause the spectator to emotionally identify with the action before him or her, but should instead provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the actions on the stage.

For this purpose, Brecht employed the use of techniques that remind the spectator that the play is a representation of reality and not reality itself [...]. Such techniques included the direct address by actors to the audience, exaggerated, unnatural stage lighting, the use of song, and explanatory placards.

A perfect example of this is Dogville, starring Nicole Kidman.

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RE: Brechtian Cinema:

From the Wikipedia entry on Bertolt Brecht:

Brecht created an influential theory of theatre, the epic theatre, wherein a play should not cause the spectator to emotionally identify with the action before him or her, but should instead provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the actions on the stage.

For this purpose, Brecht employed the use of techniques that remind the spectator that the play is a representation of reality and not reality itself [...]. Such techniques included the direct address by actors to the audience, exaggerated, unnatural stage lighting, the use of song, and explanatory placards.

A perfect example of this is Dogville, starring Nicole Kidman.

Good thing Mr Carruthers said that's what TSRTS wasn't, then! :D

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Is that why his horse keeps going round in circles? I've always wondered about that.

Excerpt from 'Tie Dye On The Railway' by Neil Jeffries of Kerrang! (April 1988):

The conversation rolls on as the train hurtles north. We laugh about the portions of his fantasy sequence from 'Rain Song' in 'The Song Remains The Same' now used in he introduction for 'Immigrant Song' "Yeah, isn't that funny?" You've just done it for a giggle? "Oh, sure! Sure, Olive!" he adds, aping Fred Flintstone. "That's the ultimate preposterous hard rock gesture, isn't' tit? That horse - I had to have a box to stand on it. He was a 17 hand block steeplechaser, and so f**kin fast…It was filmed at a place called Dylfe (edit: Dyfed?) in Wales. The horse wouldn't go in the water, I remember."

"Then we were doing this scene at Lake Bala in North Wales where - very environmentally conscious - we sprayed petrol or kerosene onto the lake and set fire to it at sunset, and we had the sword on the beach in silhouette. Look what we did for your magazine! We gave you a license for a lifetime, didn't we? There was me there with the sword, but thinking, If the Wolves don't score a f**kin' goal this Saturday, I'm not going again!"

What powered the boat? Cos there you were up in the front, but it didn't have a sail! "I'm pushing very hard to get the out-takes from 'The Song Remains the Same' put into film form and tied together with some soundtrack. On the out-takes you would see the captain of the boat, with his hat on, keep popping his head up. Cos he's lying down operating the tiller at the back. And I'm just standing there, like your average Black Country guy flying through the water near Aberdovey!

"But that's it! Didn't we create the ultimate rock gesture? There's Pagey crawling up his mountain, Jonesy looking for the wife, Bonzo with his car, and me with my search for truth - and the woman who vanishes at the end. Actually, that was quite neat. We couldn't use a dissolve, I wanted her to turn into china clay and disappear. Film techniques were too expensive. But it wasn't supposed to be, 'I can pull any chick in the world, man,' it was, 'That which is most beautiful and you strive hardest for should always be too far away to get.' Like this career!

"The crazy thing about it is, the sound was never mixed and it sounds so f**kin bad! There's no effect on my voice, some of it's out of tune, but it was just, 'Oh that'll do!" That was one of the most courageous things about Zep - 'F**k the mistakes…" 'Physical Graffiti' has got quite a few errors but we were just going for it."

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