Wednesday, January 6, 2016

On This Day 06 January

Banned in Boston
1975 06 January On This Day Led Zeppelin caused a riot and they weren't even there
1975:
"Banned in Boston" is a phrase used to describe works of art (literature, music, movies or plays) that were prohibited from distribution or exhibition in Boston because of , "objectionable content", including but not limited to works with sexual content or foul language.  Remember, Boston was founded by Puritans, and artwork was banned in Boston as early as 1651.

On this day in Boston, events led to the band's being banned in Boston for five years, but it was Led Zeppelin shows rather than the music that was banned. 

It all started when Led Zeppelin was booked to play at Boston Garden on 04 February 1975.  The announcement of the concert, the “first monster rock show of the new year”, was made on December 31, 1974, and stated that tickets would go on sale the following Tuesday (07 January, 1975), with the show expected to be sold out immediately.

On the night of 06 January, Boston police (including a few from Boston's Tactical Patrol Force) were sent to Boston Garden to deal with a reported 3000 fans who had arrived in advance for the box office to open at 10 a.m. the next day and who were trashing the place.  Because of the cold, the doors had been opened to allow freezing fans to wait inside.  Somehow that act of mercy resulted in the fans running amok, vandalizing the building to the tune of about $30,000.  Police confiscated knives and martial arts implements from some of the rioters. 

In spite of the fact that Led Zeppelin had been booked for the show the concert had not actually been licensed by the Boston Licensing Board. Mayor Kevin White, reportedly a Stones fan, refused the permit for Led Zeppelin's show and they were banned in Boston for five years. 

1972 busted in Rhode Island but saved by Boston's mayor
Mayor White had personally got Keith Richards and Mick Jagger out of assault busts in Rhode Island in 1972 because fans who were waiting at Boston Garden would riot if the band didn't show up. Yet in June 1975 The Stones were booked for the Garden and they got their permit just fine. Talk about politics.


2012 January Classic Rock Magazine (Ross Halfin cover photo)



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♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

On This Day 05 January

On the road
1977 05 January On This Day Jimmy Page traveling to Mexico & South America
  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Los Angeles at Whisky A Go Go (day 4 of 4)


1977
While Jimmy Page may admire the music of Yma Sumac, it does nothing for me, so if you want to look at it you'll have to either go to Jimmy Page's website today while it's still there, or hunt for it on the web.

Aside from scattered guest appearances of individual members of the band, Led Zeppelin did not perform between 26 July 1977, the date of the death of Robert Plant's son, Karac, and 23 July 1979 in Copenhagen for a warmup for Knebworth.

1969 Led Zeppelin at Whisky a Go Go



♪ Rock and Ruin (Jimmy Page demo 1981) From 04 January Mage Music post

* The MP3 above may or may not be Rock and Ruin. The MP3 was provided to me with a different name and represented as Rock and Ruin. So maybe yes, maybe no.
♪  For Your Love (Led Zeppelin, Whisky A Go-Go January 5 1969) YouTube


♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube

Monday, January 4, 2016

On This Day 04 January

That party was over, but a great new one is going to start this year!


1981 04 January On This Day Jimmy Page XYZ sessions
Audio*: 
  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Los Angeles at Whisky A Go Go (day 3 of 4)
  • 1981 Jimmy Page with Alan White & Chris Squire   XYZ Sessions 

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Whisky a Go Go

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Whisky a Go Go

1981:
Called by some the "supergroup that never happened", it was more the "musicians who recorded while messing around and never released the tapes". Jimmy Page, Chris Squire and Alan White jammed at Jimmy Page's Sol Studios and recorded the demos but it went no further. Jimmy Page went on to record his soundtrack for Death Wish II in 1982 and toured in 1983 for the ARMS concert series.  The band Yes reformed itself in 1983.

Compare the demo below from the XYZ sessions to The Firm's Fortune Hunter.

1995 Jimmy Page



♪  XYZ Sessions demo (Jimmy Page / Chris Squire / Alan White 1981) YouTube
♪  Fortune Hunter (The Firm, Mean Business, 1986) YouTube

♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube

* The audio posted above may or may not be Rock and Ruin. The MP3 was provided to me with a different name and represented as Rock and Ruin. So maybe yes, maybe no.

Sunday, January 3, 2016

On This Day 03 January

Happy Birthday John Paul Jones, born on this day in 1946

1964 03 January On This Day Dave Berry's My Baby Left Me released
Audio: My Baby Left Me (Soundcloud)
  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Los Angeles at Whisky A Go Go (day 2 of 4) 
1964:
"Big" Jim Sullivan (1941 - 2012) on Jimmy Page (a.k.a. "Little Jim"):
"I'll always remember the first time I met Jimmy. We had a session at Decca studios for Dave Berry. It was the session for 'My Baby Left Me' and Jimmy played lead guitar and I played rhythm. I remember the great solo that he did on that session, it is one of the best constructed rock solos on record.

"The rhythm section that played on a lot of the 60's group record consisted of Jimmy, myself, John Baldwin or John Paul Jones as he liked to be called, and Bobby Graham on Drums. The amount of recordings we did together was amazing and when he said he and John were going to leave he said I should join them too. I said I was married and would stay in sessions a while longer."

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin Whisky a Go Go
1946:
On this day, John Baldwin was born.  Baldwin is, of course, better known today as John Paul Jones, bassist, keyboardist and composer with Led Zeppelin and now embarked on an independent musical career, including the 2009 band, Them Crooked Vultures, with Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme (and guitarist Alain Johannes during live performances).

Interestingly enough, the "other" John Paul Jones, born in 1747, was born John Paul and also adopted the last names "Jones".  However that JPJ did so to hide from law enforcement after winning a duel.

ca. 1965 John Paul Jones, session man

John Paul Jones / Led Zeppelin

2015 John Paul Jones



♪  Diamonds (Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, feat. Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones 1963) YouTube
♪  My Baby Left Me (Dave Berry, feat Jimmy Page guitar 1964) YouTube
♪  Hoochie Coochie Man  (Dave Berry, feat Jimmy Page guitar 1964) YouTube
♪  Celebration Day (Led Zeppelin, isolated bass, vocals & drum tracks) YouTube
♪  New Fang (Them Crooked Vultures) YouTube

♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube

Saturday, January 2, 2016

On This Day 02 January

The show must go on
1963 02 January On This Day Diamonds, featuring Jimmy Page acoustic guitar, released
AUDIO: Diamonds (Jet Harris, feat. Jimmy Page acoustic guitar 1963) YouTube

  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Los Angeles at Whisky A Go Go (day 1 of 4)
  • 1973 Led Zeppelin - Sheffield England at Sheffield City Hall

1969:
Led Zeppelin opened for Alice Cooper, and was promoted as “featuring Jimmy Page, formerly of the Yardbirds". Jimmy Page was sick with the flu but went onstage anyway with a raging fever. The band could only perform one set and were docked in pay. Alice Cooper recalled that there were only about 100 people in the audience, since no one had heard of either him or Led Zeppelin at that point. Cooper also recalls tossing a coin to see which act would perform first.


1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, Los Angeles at Whisky A Go Go 

1973:
According to Dave Lewis, John Bonham and Robert Plant drove together to the Sheffield gig in Bonzo’s Bentley, which broke down. The two were forced to hitchhike in the rain the rest of the way to the show. Unfortunately – and coincidentally, given the 1969 show on this day - Robert took sick from the adventure and had a rough time singing. The next two days’ shows were cancelled while he recovered.



Jimmy Page on stage - where we expect to see him in 2016



♪  Dazed and Confused  (Led Zeppelin, Sheffield England 1973) YouTube
♪  Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin, Sheffield England 1973) YouTube
♪  Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin, Sheffield England 1973) YouTube

♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube

Thursday, December 31, 2015

On This Day 31 December

New Year's eve - one step closer to new Jimmy Page music!
1968 31 December On This Day Jimmy Page on the road on New Year's Eve

2015 Classic Rock "Best of the Year" cover

2009 March Jimmy Page (Ross Halfin photo)






♫  BBC 2 Johnnie Walker interviews Jimmy Page 12/30/15 (MP3)

♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube