MAGE MUSIC: On This Day 19 June

Friday, June 19, 2015

On This Day 19 June

Led Zeppelin! Outrider! It Might Get Loud! All of it such rude sound!

1969 19 June On This Day Led Zeppelin in Paris at Antenne Culturelle du Kremlin-Bicêtre

1969 Led Zeppelin, Paris at Antenne Culturelle du Kremlin-Bicêtre

1969 19 June On This Day Led Zeppelin - Paris, France at Antenne Culturelle du Kremlin-Bicetre
1972 Led Zeppelin - Seattle, WA at Seattle Center Coliseum
1977 Led Zeppelin - San Diego, CA at San Diego Sports Arena
1988 Jimmy Page - Outrider Album Released
2009 Premier of It Might Get Loud, Los Angeles

An outrider is someone who goes in front of or beside as an escort or guard, a forerunner, someone who announces or signals the approach of another. In his 1988 album, Outrider, Jimmy Page was saying he was still not part of the herd, was still out there pushing the envelope.

Jimmy Page recorded Outrider with a new label, Geffen Records, and at his own studio, The Sol (where he also recorded the soundtrack for Death Wish II and both of The Firm's albums). He also used different vocalists, drummers and bassists for the songs, and one third of the tracks are instrumentals (my favorite tracks on the album). The common thread on the various Outrider tracks, of course, is Jimmy Page's guitar. Jimmy Page is the outrider.

This was an entirely under-appreciated album. I suspect part of the problem was that Jimmy Page was riding out too far for the rest of the herd to keep up.

Side one
1. "Wasting My Time" (John Miles, vocals)
2. "Wanna Make Love" (John Miles, vocals)
3. "Writes of Winter" (Instrumental)
4. "The Only One" (Robert Plant, vocals)
5. "Liquid Mercury" (Instrumental)

Side two
6. "Hummingbird" (Chris Farlowe, vocals)
7. "Emerald Eyes" (Instrumental)
8. "Prison Blues" (Chris Farlowe, vocals)
9. "Blues Anthem (If I Cannot Have Your Love...)" (Chris Farlowe, vocals)
Outrider was to be a two album release but JimmyPage's house was broken into and burgled. The early tapes for Outrider were stolen along with Led Zeppelin masters. They have never been recovered.

1988 19 June Outrider released

1988 Promo shot for Jimmy Page's Outrider (Corbis Images)

The movie, It Might Get Loud, premiered in Los Angeles on 19 June 2009. Meant to be a documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians, Jimmy Page steals the show.