Richard Feynman

[bongos1000]

Does anyone know the truth about Richard Feynman playing bongos on "Fool in the Rain?"

Richard Feynman was a brilliant physicist and supposedly an accomplished bongos player.

[jsj]

i've just finished reading a book called "surely you're joking mr feynmam" which is a book about his life and in it he does discuss his percussive adventures. there is no mention of him playing on the track or indeed any other track, or knowing zeppelin or any other rock bands

i seem to recall that someone outside the band did blow the whistle in the song that precedes the carnival section. i cant remember who that would have been offhand and i may be wrong, obviously

[mad dog]

Interesting...Feynman, cool dude. I kinda doubt he played on Fool though. If you have something to back it up that would be great. It would be cool to know he played on it. Everytime I hear that song I am just amazed....spectacular arragement, cool drums, sophistication, just brilliant. I would assume Jonesy had a large role in this song.

[Stargroves Tangie]

i seem to recall that someone outside the band did blow the whistle in the song that precedes the carnival section. i cant remember who that would have been offhand and i may be wrong, obviously

I had heard one time that it was harmonica virtuoso Norton Buffalo who blew the whistle but I seriously doubt it since there's no mention of it on the sessions & guest appearances section of his website.

[glicine]

I can tell you who blew the whistle - Mick Bonham, John's older brother. So far as I know John did all the percussion work himself, to include the "bongos" and latin

rhythms, which were inspired by them having watched on the telly the 1978 FIFA

World Cup, held in Argentina between June 1st - 25th.

Sorry Steve, isn't Mick John's younger brother?

[SteveAJones]

Sorry Steve, isn't Mick John's younger brother?

Yes, of course! Three years younger. Original post corrected.

[MadScreamingGallery]

Well, I never would have imagined that the name Richard Feynman would appear on a Zep board. My husband and I had long admired Feynman, read his books, followed his lectures, etc. I was befriended/mentored by an older man who took an interest in my work and this man (who was originally from New Orleans) happened to have been a colleague of Feynman's at Caltech. This man and his wife used to have my husband and I to their home quite frequently for dinner. We had many common interests (travel, art, history, and science) and talked about all sorts of things, including Feynman - but never rock music and never Zep. The man did tell us that Feynman was a "trickster" and shared some of the things that he did but there was never a mention of Feynman's playing on a Zep song. I wonder if the rumor got started because it was something that Feynman might have told someone in jest and it became a "folktale".