On this day 11 November

 ...a different smile like that of one who knows.

1966 11 November On This Day The Yardbirds on Milton Berle scheduled, actually aired 02 December

• 1966 The Yardbirds – Indianapolis at Indiana Fairgrounds Coliseum
• 1967 The Yardbirds - Vancouver, Canada at PNE Garden Auditorium
• 1971 Led Zeppelin - Newcastle upon Tyne, England at Newcastle City Hall 
• 1988 Jimmy Page Outrider Tour - Portland, ME at Cumberland Civic Center
• 1994 Page & Plant - Later with Jools Holland scheduled on BBC
• 1997 Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions released
• 1997 The Girl I Love / Whole Lotta Love single released
• 2014 Jimmy Page book event, Los Angeles at Barnes and Noble 
• 2015 Led Zeppelin - Classic Rock Reissue of the Year award

1966:

The filming that took place in October was scheduled to be aired on the Milton Berle Show on this day actually was telecast on 02 December.

1969/1997:

The Girl I Love was recorded in 1969 but was released on the BBC sessions and as a single in 1997.  Compare to Moby Dick.

1971 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin - Newcastle upon Tyne, England at Newcastle City Hall

2014:
Terry Reid, the vocalist who turned down the Led Zeppelin offer, came to Jimmy Page's book event in Los Angeles. How different things would have turned out. Not necessarily better, just different.

2014 Jimmy Page & Terry Reid at book event, Los Angeles (Ross Halfin photo)

2015:
Photos & video from the Classic Rock Awards.  Jimmy Page accepted the Reissue of the Year award for Led Zeppelin.

2016
Classic Rock Awards Tokyo

♪

♪  Happenings Ten Years Time Ago (Yardbirds - lipsynched - for Milton Berle Show 1966) 
♪  The Girl I Love (Led Zeppelin, BBC Sessions)  
♪  Moby Dick (Led Zeppelin How the West Was Won 1972) 
♪  Led Zeppelin (Newcastle at Newcastle City Hall, 11 November 1971) 
♪  Jimmy Page Outrider (Portland ME at Cumberland Civic Center, 11 November 1988)

On this day 20 September

 A call to ARMS

1983 20 September On This Day Jimmy Page at Royal Albert Hall, ARMS benefit

• 1968 Led Zeppelin begins recording first album at Olympic Studios
• 1983 Jimmy Page - Royal Albert Hall, London for ARMS Concert

1971

Led Zeppelin in Japan. Great audiences, lots of sightseeing, a benefit for Hiroshima, and a relaxed and happy Jimmy Page.

Jimmy Page, Japan September 1971
Photo credit:  Koh Hasebe-Shinko Music/Getty Images

1983:
The ARMS Charity Concert started out with the idea for a single performance at Royal Albert Hall in London in support of Action into Research for Multiple Sclerosis (ARMS).  The concert was the brainchild of Ronnie Lane, former bassist for The Small Faces and The Faces, who had himself been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

The concert was such a success that it was decided to perform a further nine concerts in the US. These performances included Joe Cocker, with Paul Rodgers replacing Steve Winwood in Jimmy Page's set. 

There are a lot of nay-sayers out there who have decided that Jimmy Page was no good at the ARMS concerts. I simply say perhaps these people are "listening" with their eyes or their prejudices - and not their ears.

1983 20 September On This Day text

1983 Royal Albert Hall ARMS benefit musicians

1983 Jimmy Page, Royal Albert Hall ARMS benefit

1983 Jimmy Page, Royal Albert Hall ARMS benefit

1983 Jimmy Page, ARMS benefit

♪

♪  Prelude/City Sirens/Who's To Blame/Stairway to Heaven (Jimmy Page, ARMS RAH 1983) YouTube
♪   Layla (finale with all musicians, ARMS RAH 1983) YouTube
♪  Full concert with Ronnie Lane footage (ARMS RAH1983) YouTube

On this day 10 September

 The show must go on.

1966 10 September On This Day The Yardirds - Baltimore, MD at Baltimore Civic Center

• 1966 The Yardirds - Baltimore, MD at Baltimore Civic Center
• 1971 Led Zeppelin - Syracuse, NY at Onondaga War Memorial

1966:

You can never predict what the consequences of an action might be. Whether Jeff Beck was recovering from surgery or was, as Jimmy Page hints at On This Day, playing hooky, the result was that it would not be long before our Mr. Page was sole lead guitarist for The Yardbirds. And of course, the next step after that was a big one.

1966 Yardbirds Baltimore

1971

"...Led Zeppelin came to Syracuse Friday night, and their performance before an entranced mass of young people, proved that they will be with us for some time to come. Their music is haunting and different, and they were a big hit with those in attendance."
   - Andrew Reschke (Sept. 1971, Syracuse Journal)

1988:

A bit of trivia about the beginning of the Outrider Tour, though not so trivial at the time: Jimmy Page had abdominal surgery during the week of 21 August 1988. The opening night of the tour was to have been at the Sun Dome in Tampa on 31 August, only ten days post-surgery, so that gig was cancelled and the Miami Arena date was changed from 2 September to the 8th.  He flew from London to Atlanta on 31 August and, after three days of rehearsal at The Omni, the tour opened.

A far cry from Jeff Beck's tonsillitis - know what I mean?

2009 Fall Guitar Aficionado Magazine (Ross Halfin Photo)

2015 September special Led Zeppelin collectors edition published by Bob Guccione

♪

♪  No Excess Baggage (The Yardbirds feat. Jimmy Page guitar 1967) You Tube
♪  Sick Again (Led Zeppelin, MSG 1975) YouTube
♪  One Hit To The Body (Rolling Stones feat. solo by Jimmy Page 1986) YouTube
♪  For Your Life (Page/Plant/Jones/Jason Bonham, O2 2007) YouTube

On this day 25 August

  was going to let my ghostwriter take over today so I could take a break, but oops - I don't have a ghostwriter.  So I'm taking a break anyway.  Today we have just a few photos and a playlist with a few songs related to nothing in particular, because why not.

1970 25 August On This Day Led Zeppelin, Nashville, TN at Nashville Municipal Auditorium
♪  Noshville Katz - parody of Nashville Cats (Lovin' Cohens) YouTube

• 1966 The Yardbirds - San Francisco, CA at Carousel Ballroom
• 1967 The Yardbirds - New York, NY at Village Theater
• 1970 Led Zeppelin - Nashville, TN at Nashville Municipal Auditorium
• 1994 Page & Plant Unledded Project - London, England at London Studios (recording and filming without orchestras in front of a select audience)

1970:
Terry Manning (then recording engineer, along with Andy Johns) delivered the Led Zeppelin III masters to Peter Grant while the band was in Nashville. The first pressings of the album included the phrases "So mote be it" and "Do what thou wilt" inscribed on the lacquer by Manning.

1967 The Yardbirds - New York, NY at Village Theater

1970 Nashville show promo

1994 Unledded - Robert Plant, Jimmy Page

♪

♪  Who's To Blame (Jimmy Page with Steve Winwood) YouTube

♪  Everything I Do Is Wrong (Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, John Paul Jones) YouTube

♪  Gonna Shoot You Right Down (Jimmy Rogers, Page, Plant, Clapton) YouTube

♪  Chuckles (Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck) YouTube

On this day 20 August

 Happy birthday, Robert Plant.  And happy day, Jimmy Page.

1948 20 August On This Day Robert Plant was born
♪ Happy birthday!

1990 20 August On This Day Jimmy Page with Aerosmith at Marquee Club

• 1966 The Yardbirds - Oklahoma City, OK at Wedgewood Amusement Park
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Schenectady, NY at Schenectady Aerodrome
• 1970 Led Zeppelin - Oklahoma City, OK at Oklahoma State Fair Arena
• 1971 Led Zeppelin - Seattle, WA at Seattle Center Coliseum (unconfirmed)
• 1990 Jimmy Page with Aerosmith - London, England at Marquee Club 

1990:

Train Kept A-Rollin' has been around a while. It was first recorded in 1951 by Tiny Bradshaw as a jump blues song (up-tempo blues that became popular in the 1940s, the precursor to rhythm and blues and rock and roll). The Johnny Burnette Trio added a repeating three-note minor key guitar line with intentionally distorted guitar (achieved by loosening a tube in the guitar amp), leading the way for The Yardbirds in 1965.

With The Yardbirds the song became Stroll On, as seen in the movie Blowup, with Jimmy Page on bass. He took the song with him to Led Zeppelin, reverting to the song's original name and, of course, to the guitar. When the four who were to become Led Zeppelin rehearsed together for the first time in 1968, the first song they took on was Train Kept A Rollin'.  

John Paul Jones:  

"...we did 'Train'... It was there immediately. It was so powerful that I don't remember what we played after that. For me it was just like, 'Crikey!' I mean, I'd had moments of elation with groups before, but nothing as intense as that. It was like a thunderbolt, a lightning flash – boosh! Everyone sort of went 'Wow'."
~ Mick Wall, When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin 2009

Aerosmith adopted Train Kept A Rollin' early on for their own set lists, recording it for their second album, Get Your Wings (1974, remastered 1993).

1990 Jimmy Page with Aerosmith at Marquee Club

1990 Jimmy Page with Aerosmith at Marquee Club

 Happy Birthday Robert Plant
10 Best Robert Plant Songs (post-Led Zeppelin), by Matthew Wilkening

Happy birthday, Robert Plant!

Jimmy and Robert

♪ Train Kept A Rollin' (Johnny Burnette Trio 1956) YouTube

♪ Stroll On (The Yardbirds, from the movie Blowup, 1966) YouTube

♪ Train Kept A Rollin' (Led Zeppelin, Frankfurt 1980) YouTube

♪ Train Kept A Rollin’ (Jimmy Page with Aerosmith, Marquee Club 1990) YouTube

♪ Train Kept A Rollin (Metallica, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Ronnie Wood, Flea, Jason Newsted at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2009) YouTube 

Jimmy Page at ARMS

The ARMS concerts were a series of ten fundraisers for Action into Research for Multiple Sclerosis that took place from September through December 1983.  What was planned as a one-off at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 September, became a tour of nine shows with changing line-ups across North America.

History
Ronnie Lane, an English bass guitarist and founding member of the Small Faces (1965-69) and the Faces (1969–73) was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 1970s.  In 1983 Ronnie Lane's girlfriend, Boo Oldfield, approached producer Glyn Johns with the idea of a fundraiser to benefit ARMS, a group that was treating Lane for MS.  Johns was already producing a Prince's Trust Rock Gala (a youth charity) featuring Eric Clapton at Royal Albert Hall on 21 September 1983.

Setlist
At the initial ARMS show each of the star artists performed mini-setlists. The show ended with three songs that all the ARMS musicians joined in.  The third and final song at RAH, Goodnight Irene, featuring Ronnie Lane.

Eric Clapton

•  Everybody Oughta Make A Change
•  Rita May
•  Lay Down Sally
•  Ramblin' On My Mind/Have You Ever Loved a Woman
•  Cocaine

Andy Fairweather Low

•  Man Smart (Woman Smarter)

Steve Winwood with Eric Clapton
•  Roadrunner
•  Take Me To The River
•  Slowdown Sundown
•  Gimme Some Lovin'

Intermission

Jeff Beck
•  Star Cycle
•  The Pump
•  Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Led Boots
•  Hi Ho Silver Lining

Jimmy Page

•  Prelude (with James Hooker)
•  City Sirens (with Steve Winwood )
•  Who's To Blame (with Steve Winwood )
•  Stairway to Heaven (Instrumental)

All
•  Tulsa Time
•  Layla
•  Goodnight, Irene (with Ronnie Lane)

Michael Palin said of Jimmy Page in his book Halfway to Hollywood: Diaries 1980--1988 (p 271),

"I am tempted by a phone call from Ray Cooper to attend the first of a two-night concert in aid of Multiple Sclerosis, in which many great rock stars of the '60's, all friends of Ronnie Lane who has MS, will be appearing, including Ray [on drums]...
...But even Ray is upstaged by the extraordinary appearance of Jimmy Page, who weaves his way around the stage like a man who has been frozen in the last stages of drunkenness, before actually falling over. He sways, reels, totters, bends, but still manages to play superbly."

Note that the second night's show was a charity concert, but not part of ARMS.





ARMS concert series
During the US tour Joe Cocker took lead vocals on With a Little Help from My Friends (Joe Cocker had recorded the Beatles cover in 1968 with Jimmy Page on guitar).  Steve Winwood was unable to do the tour, so Paul Rodgers was Jimmy Page's vocalist, which led to the later formation of The Firm.

Jimmy Page's sets during the US tour included:
•  Prelude
•  Who's To Blame
•  City Sirens
•  Boogie Mama
•  Bird On A Wing
•  Stairway To Heaven
•  Layla
•  With A Little Help From My Friends
•  Goodnight Irene

Venue	City	Date
Royal Albert Hall	London	21 Sep 1983
Reunion Arena	Dallas	28 Nov 1983
Reunion Arena	Dallas	29 Nov 1983
Cow Palace	San Francisco	01 Dec 1983
Cow Palace	San Francisco	02 Dec 1983
Cow Palace	San Francisco	03 Dec 1983
Forum	Los Angeles	05 Dec 1983
Forum	Los Angeles	06 Dec 1983
Madison Square Garden	New York	08 Dec 1983
Madison Square Garden	New York	09 Dec 1983

Ronnie Lane emigrated to the US for his health in 1984. Lane continued to perform and record until 1992. Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood funded his medical care while Lane was in the US because no royalties were paid from the ARMS concerts until after Lane's death in 1997.  

On This Day 22 May

Awards, accolades and just plain fine music on this day.

2006 22 May On This Day Led Zeppelin receive Polar Music Prize

2006 22 May On This Day Led Zeppelin receive Polar Music Prize

• 1967 Yardbirds - London at BBC Radio
• 1973 Led Zeppelin - San Antonio TX at HemisFair Convention Center Arena
• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Fort Worth TX at Tarrant County Convention Center
• 1985 The Firm – London at Wembley Arena
• 1986 The Firm - Inglewood CA at The Forum
• 1995 Page & Plant Unledded North American Tour - Landover MD at Air Arena 
• 1998 Page & Plant North American Tour - Miami FL at Miami Arena
• 2006 Led Zeppelin receive Polar Music Prize
• 2014 Jimmy Page attends the Ivor Novello Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England.

1973 Led Zeppelin - San Antonio Photo: Carl Dunn

1973 Led Zeppelin - San Antonio Photo: Carl Dunn

1985 Jimmy Page with The Firm at Wembley 

The Times review of The Firm – 22 May 1985 London at Wembley Arena

2006:
The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson, publisher, lyricist and manager of ABBA.  The prize was named for Anderson´s record label, Polar Music. The Polar Music Prize is one of the most prestigious and unique music prizes in the world, awarded to individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements.

Led Zeppelin recorded In Through The Out Door at Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden November - December 1978.

2014 Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck at Beck's Ivor Novello Award  Photo: Dave J Hogan

♪

♪ Dazed and Confused (The Yardbirds 1967) YouTube
♪ 1977 White Summer/Black Mountain Side (Led Zeppelin, Fort Worth 1977) YouTube
♪  Full set (Page & Plant, Miami 1998) YouTube
♫ Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck PRS interview, Ivor Novello Award


♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube
♪ Page & Plant playlist at YouTube