On This Day 30 April

1985 30 April Jimmy Page with Jaco Pastorius and Chris Slade in NYC

1985 30 April Jimmy Page with Jaco Pastorius and Chris Slade in NYC

• 1967 Yardbirds - Muguet de Chaville, Paris FR
• 1985 Jimmy Page - Lone Star Cafe with Jaco Pastorius, New York City NY USA
• 1986 The Firm - University of Illinois Assembly Hall, Champaign IL USA

1985

John Francis Anthony Pastorius III (1951 – 1987), a.k.a. Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician, composer, big band leader and electric bass player. He played with Weather Report from 1976 to 1981.

"His playing was known for its highly technical, Latin-influenced 16th-note funk, lyrical soloing on fretless bass, bass chords and innovative use of harmonics. He was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only seven bassists so honored (and the only electric bass guitarist).

"After sneaking onstage at a Carlos Santana concert on September 11, 1987, and being ejected from the premises, Pastorius made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida. After reportedly kicking in a glass door, having been refused entrance to the club, he was engaged in a violent confrontation with the club bouncer, Luc Havan. Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and injuries to his right eye and left arm."  [source: Wikipedia]

He fell into a coma and died from a massive brain hemorrhage a few days later.

♪ Jimmy Page & Jaco Pastorius -[4.30.85] - Fannie Mae (Part 1)  YouTube
♪ Jimmy Page & Jaco Pastorius -[4.30.85] - Fannie Mae (Part 2)  YouTube
♪ Jimmy Page & Jaco Pastorius -[4.30.85] - Fannie Mae (Part 3)  YouTube


Also on this day in 1977, Led Zeppelin played to the largest audience ever for a single-act rock show at Pontiac Silverdome, making the Guinness Book of Records. "Largest audience ever" has of course changed with the advances in technology (e.g. giant video screens and improved sound systems). Today's concerts can attract audiences in the millions, but of course only so many of those people actually are near the stage to see the musicians with their own eyeballs.

1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

Backstage 1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

The crowd 1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

1977 30 April Led Zeppelin at Pontiac Silverdome

On This Day 29 April

Jimmy Page's The Firm was at Purdue University, Indiana on this day. in 1986.

On This Day 1986 29 April The Firm at Purdue University, Indiana

• 1985 The Firm - Madison Square Garden, New York City NY USA
• 1986 The Firm - Purdue University Elliott Hall of Music, West Lafayette IN USA
• 1995 Page & Plant - Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont IL USA

On This Day 1986 29 April The Firm tour dates

Jimmy Page has stated that The Firm was never meant to put out more than the two albums they did. The albums' names give the idea of the deliberateness of the idea:  The Firm and Mean Business. Limiting the scope of their association would free them all to go on with other projects, which is actually a good idea for musicians -- if they're good enough to know there will be other projects.

The Firm: Jimmy Page, Chris Slade, Paul Rodgers, Tony Franklin

The vocalist is usually the frontman for a band.  Even though Paul Rodgers did that job for The Firm, it's cool to see Jimmy Page at the microphone more often than in the past.

1986 03 March The Firm at Daytona

♪ Dreaming (The Firm: Mean Business) YouTube

On This Day 28 April

On This Day published 2019

1990 28 April Bonham- Charteris wedding reception jam with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.  

• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Richfield Coliseum, Richfield OH USA
• 1990 Page, Plant, Jones -- Jason Bonham/Jan Charteris wedding, Kidderminster England
• 1995 Page & Plant - Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont IL USA

1990
Jason Bonham and Jan Charteris were married on this day in 1990 in Stone, Kidderminster, England. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones played a set at the reception, with Jason on drums.

1990 28 April Bonham- Charteris wedding 

1990 28 April Bonham- Charteris wedding reception jam 

1990 28 April Bonham- Charteris wedding reception jam 

Happy Anniversary Jason and Jan!

On This Day 27 April

In 1977 Led Zeppelin was at the Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland and in 1985 The Firm performed there. Also on this day in 1969, Led Zeppelin was at Fillmore West for the last of their 4-day San Francisco run of performances.

1977 27 April Led Zeppelin in Cleveland

• 1968 Yardbirds - Brown University Wriston Quadrangle, Providence RI USA
• 1968 Yardbirds - Clarkson College, Potsdam NY USA
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Fillmore West, San Francisco CA USA
• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Richfield Coliseum, Richfield OH USA
• 1985 The Firm - Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati OH USA

Cleveland Press 04/28/77 photo of Led Zeppelin

1985 March Pop Rock magazine (Canada)

1969 April 24 and 27 Led Zeppelin at Fillmore West
Jimmy Page and his dragon Telecaster

♪ Going to California (Led Zeppelin) YouTube
♪ Satisfaction Guaranteed (The Firm) YouTube

On This Day 26 April

Led Zeppelin played day two of a two day engagement at Winterland on 26 April 1969.

1969 26 April Led Zeppelin at Winterland

• 1968 Yardbirds - Cincinnati Convention Center, Cincinnati OH
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
• 1985 The Firm - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI
• 1995 Page & Plant - Market Square Arena, Indianapolis IN

Theremin

According to Dave Lewis' Led Zeppelin: The Concert File (a book every Zep fan should have) this show was Led Zeppelin's biggest of their career to date. Jimmy Page was now using the Theremin during Dazed and Confused.

The Theremin was invented by Léon Theremin. An electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact, two metal antennas sense the relative position of the musician's hands and send electronic signals to an amplifier based on the position of the hands. The distance from the antenna determines frequency (pitch) and amplitude (volume). Higher notes are played by moving the hand closer to the pitch antenna. Louder notes are played by moving the hand away from the volume antenna.

Because of the way the Thermin is played, the musician must actively control the rests (space between the notes) as well as the notes themselves.  The Theremin is an instrument well suited for a musician like Jimmy Page who has always been concerned with visual arts as well as musical, and who understands the value of light and shade.

Jimmy Page plays Theremin 1975 03 February MSG 

Lev Termen (Léon Theremin) demonstrating Termenvox, c. December 1927

On This Day 25 April

Jimmy Page recorded the video portion of These Arms of Mine with Paul Rogers on April 25 1985.

1983 25 April These Arms Of Mine recorded

• 1968 Yardbirds - WUAB-TV Studios, Cleveland OH
• 1968 Yardbirds - Cleveland Palace Theater, Cleveland OH
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco CA
• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Freedom Hall Kentucky Fairgrounds & Expo, Louisville KY
• 1985 Willie & The Poor Boys -- album released
• 1986 The Firm - U.N.O. Lakefront Arena, New Orleans LA 
• 1995 Page & Plant - Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati OH

1983 [2020 edit]

It's complicated.  The first ARMS benefit took place at the Royal Albert Hall on September 20 of 1983.  Later, Bill Wyman asked Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers to contribute to a couple of the songs for the Willie & The Poor Boys album.

The audio recordings were done two weeks in November 1984, and one week in early January 1985 at Jimmy's studio, The Sol, in January 1985.  All records for the album show a release date in the UK on this day in 1985 and in the US two days earlier.

According to Wyman's website, the video was filmed afterwards, on June 24, 1985 at Fulham Town Hall . 

 
The band, Willie and the Poor Boys, is not to be confused with Willy & The Poor Boys, a 1970 album by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The Willie and the Poor Boys band was a side project of Bill Wyman's, formed in November 1974. Mr. Wyman explained to Dave Letterman on August 1985 "When we were at school, they used to call me little Willie. I never quite worked that one out, I didn't understand - it looked alright to me, you know..."



♪ Yardbirds (Cleveland Palace Theater, Cleveland OH, 1968 - audience recording, poor quality)YouTube

♪ 1977 Led Zeppelin (Freedom Hall Kentucky Fairgrounds & Expo, Louisville KY) YouTube

♪ These Arms of Mine YouTube

On This Day 24 April

Today was the first day of a four day run of Led Zeppelin concerts in San Francisco in 1969: this day and the last at Fillmore West, and the two middle days at Winterland.

1969 24 April Led Zeppelin at Fillmore West

• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Fillmore West, San Francisco
• 1985 The Firm - Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL

1969

By April of 1969 Led Zeppelin had come a long way since half a year before at their first ever concert in Denmark (as the Yardbirds). They were already the Real Deal, and San Francisco knew it.  The opening medley of the show demonstrates how tight they were, even when jamming. 

This particular show had equipment problems that Robert Plant refers to in his chats between songs.  

Ah, we seem to always have this cock up every time we come here. This is the second time we've been here. Good evening from Led Zeppelin. Let's see if we can get it ... all. No cock ups now.
~ Robert Plant lead-in to The Killing Floor

♪  The Killing Floor YouTube

Artist Randy Tuten, who did the avocado poster, was one of the original San Francisco psychedelic rock poster artists.  He began producing posters for Bill Graham's organization in 1969.

The first Led Zeppelin concert poster he did featured a car on it. The next was an update of an avocado art piece he created in college.  After then Tuten began to use the blimp in his Led Zeppelin posters.

♪  Led Zeppelin (Fillmore West, San Francisco 1969) YouTube