Saturday, September 5, 2015

On This Day 05 September

...a traveler of both time and space, to be where he has been...
1966 05 September On This Day Jimmy Page recorded A Degree of Murder soundtrack with Brian Jones
♪ A Degree of Murder (Brian Jones) Soundcloud

  • 1966 Jimmy Page recorded A Degree of Murder soundtrack with Brian Jones.
  • 1969 Tous En Scene TV show, filmed June 19, aired on French TV
  • 1971 Led Zeppelin - Chicago, IL at International Amphitheatre
  • 1998 Page & Plant - Vancouver, Canada at General Motors Place
  • 2008 It Might Get Loud premiers at Toronto Film Festival
  • 2013 Jimmy Page at London launch of Lou Reed limited edition book, Transformer
It's all connected:
Jimmy Page was employed as producer, session musician and A&R scout for Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records label in 1965. Jimmy Page produced and played on Nico’s 1965 singles for Immediate, I'm Not Sayin' / The Last Mile.

Oldham was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963 to 1967. Brian Jones was the founder and original bandleader of the Rolling Stones, and in 1966 Jimmy Page worked with Brian Jones recording the soundtrack to the 1967 movie, A Degree of Murder. Jones' broke up with his girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg, and shortly after was seen enjoying the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967 with Nico.

Nico had met Bob Dylan a few years before and had traveled with him around Europe while Dylan worked on songs for his fourth album, 1964's Another Side of Bob Dylan.  During that time Dylan wrote a song for Nico's 1967 Chelsea Girl album called I'll Keep It With Mine.  Chelsea Girl was released in October 1967 by Verve Records, The Velvet Underground's label. According to some sources, Bob Dylan had introduced Nico to Andy Warhol, who had done a "screen test" of Dylan in 1965 or 1966, and Warhol introduced her to Lou Reed's band, The Velvet Underground.
  
The album The Velvet Underground & Nico was produced in 1972 by Andy Warhol. While it didn't sell many copies at the time, even Rolling Stone magazine has ranked it number thirteen on their list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".  But then Rolling Stone, ranked Led Zeppelin's first album only 29th, and none of their other albums appear in the top 50.  The magazine's music critics never has much liked Led Zeppelin, so take their ranking for what it's worth.

To continue...
Transformer was Lou Reed's second solo studio album. One of the tracks, Walk On The Wild Side, became Lou Reed's signature song. The 1972 album was produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, and the cover art photography was by Mick Rock, David Bowie's official photographer.  Rock continued photographing Lou Reed and other musicians over the decades.

Mick Rock has put out a number of photographic books. He and Lou Reed launched a Genesis Publications limited edition book, Transformer, in London in September 2013. Jimmy Page was at the event. Reed died October 27, 2013.  
"The Yardbirds used to cover I'm Waiting For My Man a lot; we used to drop it into the middle of  I'm A Man. I'm pretty certain we were the first people to cover The Velvet Underground."  ~Jimmy Page, Julian Marszalek interview, Quietus November 2014

1966 recording A Degree of Murder soundtrack

1966 recording A Degree of Murder soundtrack

1966 recording A Degree of Murder soundtrack

1966 recording A Degree of Murder soundtrack

1966 recording A Degree of Murder soundtrack

2008 Jimmy Page at It Might Get Loud premier, Toronto Film Festival

Jimmy Page, in It Might Get Loud

Jimmy Page, in It Might Get Loud

2013 Jimmy Page and Lou Reed at launch of Reed's limited edition book, Transformer



Friday, September 4, 2015

On This Day 04 September

Jimmy Page, here, there and everywhere
1964 04 September On This Day Joe Cocker singles released
♪ I'll Cry Instead (Joe Cocker feat. Jimmy Page guitar, 1964) Soundcloud

  • 1966 The Yardbirds - Honolulu, HI at International Center, Exhibition Hall
  • 1970 Led Zeppelin - Inglewood, CA at The Forum
  • 1970 Led Zeppelin with Fairport Convention - West Hollywood, CA at Troubadour Club 
  • 1971 Led Zeppelin - Toronto, Canada at Maple Leaf Gardens
  • 1974 Jimmy Page with Bad Company - Central Park, NYC at Schaefer Music Festival
  • 1998 Page & Plant - Vancouver, Canada, rehearsal at General Motors Place 
1970:
Following the show at the Forum, the four members of Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant showed up at the Troubadour Club for Fairport Convention 's second set and jammed with them. Sandy Denny was Fairport Convention's singer. Denny was later to contribute vocals on Led Zeppelin's The Battle of Evermore. She was the only guest vocalist Led Zeppelin ever recorded with. During later live performances of the song John Paul Jones sang Denny's vocals, with sometimes John Bonham joining in.

During the jam, Bonham attacked Dave Mattacks' drums with his usual enthusiasm. Later Mattacks had to repair the kit and replace the heads. It was reported that the bass drum jumped forward three or four inches with Bonzo's first strike.

The story goes that after the Fairport/Zeppelin jam they all moved to the after hours bar, Barney's Beanery, where Janis Joplin was hanging out. A drinking contest between Fairport's Dave Pegg, Bonham and Janis Joplin ensued. No report of a winner has surfaced.

The jam was taped, and according to Dave Lewis, it ended up in Peter Grant's possession. That recording has not surfaced, either.

1970 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at LA Forum
1974
Bad Company had only begun performing live in May of 1974.  Their first album, Bad Company, was released by Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label.  Jimmy Page joined Bad Company for an encore of Rock Me Baby at the Shaefer Music Festival in New York's Central Park on September 4, 1974.  

In 1983, Jimmy Page appeared with the ARMS charity concert series.  Steve Winwood provided vocals for Jimmy Page's set at the first shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Paul Rodgers, of Bad Company, replaced Winwood for the four-city ARMS tour in the United States.  Rodgers joined Jimmy Page in The Firm in 1985 and 1986.  

1974 Jimmy Page with Bad Company, Schaefer Music Festival NYC

1974 Jimmy Page with Mick Ralphs of Bad Company, Schaefer Music Festival NYC

1974 Jimmy Page with Bad Company, Schaefer Music Festival NYC


♪  I'll Cry Instead (Joe Cocker feat. Jimmy Page guitar, 1964) YouTube
♪   Those Precious Words (Joe Cocker feat. Jimmy Page guitar, 1964) YouTube
♪  Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin, LA Forum 1970) YouTube
♪  Thank You (Led Zeppelin, LA Forum 1970) YouTube
♪  Full set (Led Zeppelin, LA Forum 1970) YouTube
♪  Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin, Toronto 1971) YouTube
♪  Full Set (Led Zeppelin, Toronto 1971) YouTube
♪  Rock Me Baby (Jimmy Page with Bad Company, New York 1974) YouTube




Thursday, September 3, 2015

On This Day 03 September

Sometimes it really is as hard, hard, hard as it seems...
1998 03 September On This Day Page & Plant arrive in Vancouver
  • 1966 The Yardbirds - Salem, OR at Salem Armory Auditorium
  • 1970 Led Zeppelin - San Diego, CA at San Diego Sports Arena
  • 1971 Led Zeppelin - New York, NY at Madison Square Garden
  • 1998 Page & Plant arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia
1970 Led Zeppelin San Diego bootleg insert

1971:
"I'm Scott Muni, from WNEW-FM. They take a poll over in England every year. For the second time, the greatest rock and roll band in the land, LED ZEPPELIN!"
"...the stage collapsed. Plant and Page made their way to the top of the stacks of amps, then crawled down and off stage. The house lights came up and the P.A. announcer asked for calm and for everyone to return to their seats."
~ A.J. Crandall report on his experience of the 1971 show
1971 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin MSG

1971 Led Zeppelin MSG



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TntuvGvJB8Q&list=PLf62FjbXtD1IcycLpMqc9G02lED9LyE13&index=1
♪  Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin, San Diego 1970) YouTube
♪   Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin, MSG 1971) YouTube
 ♪  Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin, MSG 1971) YouTube



Wednesday, September 2, 2015

On This Day 02 September

Jimmy Page's On This Day for 2020
Well, maybe not on THIS day...
1970 02 September On This Day Jimmy Page records Baby Who's Driving Your Car with John Williams vocals
(Note that Led Zeppelin is well documented to have been performing in Oakland On This Day)
♪ Download .wav file (zip file)
  • 1970 Jimmy Page with John Williams record Baby Who's Driving Your Car (incorrect date)
  • 1970 Led Zeppelin - Oakland,CA/Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
  • 2008 Led Zeppelin - GQ Outstanding Achievement Award winners

1970:
John Williams was a vocalist and bass player for the rhythm and blues group, The Authentics. Also in that band was John's younger brother, Bernie, who had briefly been with Neil Christian & The Crusaders. (Jimmy Page had been in Neil Christian's band in 1960).

In 1965, Page worked with Andrew Loog Oldham as a talent scout & producer for Immediate Records. John Williams was signed to Immediate shortly thereafter. Probably Williams recorded The Maureeny Wishfull Album featuring Jimmy Page (guitar & sitar) and Big Jim Sullivan (guitar) sometime between 1965 and 1967, although the album was released in 1968.

The sixth Led Zeppelin US Tour was from the beginning of August 1970 through the middle of September 1970, so whenever Baby Who's Driving Your Car actually was recorded, it wasn't at Jimmy's house in England on this day in 1970. Interestingly enough even though John Williams was more of a folk singer his voice and presentation works well with the intensity of this song. But then we know who was driving that car, don't we.

1970 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin Oakland

2008 Jimmy Page at GQ Men of the Year Awards at the Royal Opera House on September 2, 2008 in London, England.  (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

2014 Jimmy Page (Ross Halfin photo)



♪  Baby Who's Driving Your Car (Jimmy Page feat. John Williams vocals, 1970) YouTube
♪  The Maureeny Wishfull Album (John Williams, feat. Jimmy Page guitar & sitar 1968) YouTube
♪ Led Zeppelin (Oakland 02 September 1970) YouTube
♪  Dazed and Confused (Led Zeppelin, Oakland 1970) YouTube
♪  Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin, Oakland 1970) YouTube
♪  Bron-Yr-Aur (Led Zeppelin, Oakland 1970) YouTube


[edited 09/02/20]

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

On This Day 01 September

I can't believe it...
1974 01 September On This Day Jimmy Page with Bad Company, encore at Austin Pop Festival
  • 1966 The Yardbirds - Stockton,CA at Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium
  • 1970 Led Zeppelin - Seattle,WA at Seattle Center Coliseum
  • 1971 Led Zeppelin - Hollywood,FL at Hollywood Sportatorium
  • 1974 Jimmy Page with Bad Company - Austin,TX at Austin Pop Festival
1974 Jimmy Page with Bad Company, encore at Austin Pop Festival

1974 Jimmy Page with Bad Company, Lisa Robinson review

1974 Peter Grant & Jimmy Page, backstage with Bad Company at Austin Pop Festival

1974 Peter Grant & Jimmy Page, backstage with Bad Company at Austin Pop Festival
I can't believe I didn't come across anything to create a playlist for this day, but I confess I was in a rush and didn't look hard, either at my own music stash or online. Sorry!


Monday, August 31, 2015

On This Day 31 August

"A substantial bill of performing artists..."
1969 31 August On This Day Led Zeppelin at Texas International Pop Festival
♪ Watch video (YouTube)
♪ Audio: Janis Joplin (Soundcloud)

  • 1966 The Yardbirds - Pismo Beach, CA at Rose Garden Ballroom
  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Lewisville, TX at Dallas International Motor Speedway
  • 1970 Led Zeppelin - Milwaukee, WI at Milwaukee Arena
  • 1971 Led Zeppelin - Orlando, FL at Orlando Sports Stadium 
“The tours took a lot ... well, did it take a lot out of me? I don’t know whether it did. It gave as much to me as it took out. It was like being on a permanent adrenalin drip, do you know what I mean? [Playing live was] to be right on the edge of the moment.”
~ The Times 2010 (possibly the London Times, 22 August 2010)

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Texas International Pop Festival (Carl Dunn photo)

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Texas International Pop Festival (Carl Dunn photo)

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Texas International Pop Festival (Jay Dickman photo)


Sunday, August 30, 2015

On This Day 30 August

British cowboy playin' rock blues.  Yup.  Works for me.

1969 30 August On This Day Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY
♪  Worried Blues (Buddy Guy) Soundcloud

  • 1966 The Yardbirds - San Jose, CA 
  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Flushing Meadows, NY 

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY
I put this Japanese promo poster for Coverdale-Page here because I've been listening to Coverdale-Page a lot lately.

1993 Japanese Coverdale-Page promo