Friday, October 16, 2015

On This Day 16 October

Awards, guest guitarists, a toast, and a request
1999 16 October On This Day Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes, Worcester MA at The Centrum

1999 16 October, with Joe Perry for encores

1999 16 October setlist

  • 1970 Led Zeppelin receive Gold and Platinum disc awards at London’s Savoy Hotel
  • 1988 Jimmy Page Outrider Tour - Bloomington, MN at Metroplitan Sports Center
  • 1995 Page & Plant Unledded Tour - Cleveland, OH at Gund Arena
  • 1999 Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes - Worcester, MA at The Centrum 

1970:
For the second time in less than 12 months, Led Zeppelin received awards for record sales. On this day, Peter Grant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant received Gold and Platinum disc awards from Anthony Grant (no relation to Peter Grant), the British Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade. The awards were for U.S. sales in excess of one million copies of Whole Lotta Love and for European sales of Led Zeppelin II, released in December 1969.

The previous year the boys had been awarded gold discs by a different parliamentary secretary, Gwyneth Dunwoody, who quipped, "you seem to be gas rockets rather than Led Zeppelins".

She was wrong. They were in a space ship, already having achieved warp speed.

1970 Led Zeppelin receive gold, platinum discs

1970 Led Zeppelin receive gold, platinum discs from Anthony Grant, UK parliamentary secretary for Board of Trade
1999:
In the video of Chris Robinson talking about working with Jimmy Page, Robinson says:  "Jimmy had done his thing with Robert and the Egyptian orchestra and stuff, but I don't think he maybe was fully satisfied with that..."

See?  I'm not the only one who thinks so.

On this day in 1999, Joe Perry showed up on stage to join in with the encore numbers, You Shook Me and Oh Well.  Videos of those two songs have been removed from the web.

2012 Jimmy Page with Ian Hunter at Mott the Hoople film premiere (Ross Halfin photo)



Request:
If you have links to music relevant to any On This Day post, please share it in the comments so we can all enjoy more music of Jimmy Page.  Thanks!

♫  Chris Robinson on playing with Jimmy Page
♪  Page & Plant (Cleveland, 16 October 1995) YouTube


[edited 10/16/20]

Thursday, October 15, 2015

On This Day 15 October

Hey hey what can I do? I didn't have time to finish this post.  But it will get done.
Note: Updated noonish, 10/15/15

1994 15 October On This Day Page & Plant press conference, Paris
  • 1974 Jimmy Page records Scarlet at Island Records (unreleased song)
  • 1994 Page & Plant – press conference, Paris at Cirque d’Hiver Bouglione
  • 1995 Page & Plant Unledded Tour – Detroit at Palace of Auburn Hills
  • 2012 Jimmy Page – Tokyo, Celebration Day movie premiere
1974:
The elusive Scarlet. There's some confusion about the origins of this never-released song and perhaps who's song it is: Jimmy Page's or the Rolling Stones'?

What we do know is that Jimmy Page, Keith Richards (yes, the same Keith Richards who doesn't love Jimmy Page's music these days), Ian Stewart (the "Stu" of Boogie With Stu), Rick Grech and Bruce
Rowland recorded a song on this day in 1974 that is called Scarlet.

Rick Grech (1946-1991), a bassist and violinist, had been wit Eric Clapton's one-shot band, Blind Faith, in 1969 (with Steve Winwood and Ginger Baker). He was later with Traffic and then performed with various groups that did or did not put out albums but that were the movers and shakers of the music world at that time.

Drummer and songwriter Bruce Rowland (1971-2015), was best known for his work with The Grease Band (Joe Cocker's backing band) and Fairport Convention, and drummed for Ronnie Lane.

In Cameron Crowe's famous interview of 1975 for Rolling Stone, Jimmy Page said about Scarlet, "It was Rick Grech, Keith and me doing a number called "Scarlet." I can't remember the drummer. It sounded very similar in style and mood to those Blonde on Blonde tracks. It was great, really good. We stayed up all night and went down to Island Studios where Keith put some reggae guitars over one section. I just put some solos on it, but it was eight in the morning of the next day before I did that."

The "staying up all night" took place at Ron Wood's house, The Wick (the house is currently owned by Pete Townshend). Island Studios is where Led Zeppelin IV was recorded in 1970. Jimmy Page would know the place well.  An Ian Stewart blogger says the recording took place at Olympic Studios, but every other source supports Island Studios. I do wonder, though, why they didn't just record it at The Wick, since Ron Wood had built a studio in the basement where he recorded his two solo albums, and where the Stones' single version of It's Only Rock 'n Roll was originally recorded. A fascinating point of Jimmy Page's history that we likely will never know the actual facts of.

But the recording studio isn't what we really want to know about. What we want to know is where, oh where, is Scarlet today? Who's got the tape, who's got the rights? Has Jimmy Page's daughter, for whom the song was named, ever gotten to listen to it?

Will we ever get to hear it?


1994 Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Paris press conference

1994 Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Paris press conference

2012 "Mr. Jimmy" Sakurai and the Original

2012 Jimmy Page, Tokyo, for Celebration Day movie premiere (Ross Halfin photo)



Sorry, no playlist today.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

On This Day 14 October

Jimmy Page Jimmy Page.  Can't get me enough Jimmy Page.
2014 14 October On This Day Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page open edition released

  • 1966 The Yardbirds- Blowup scene filmed in London, England at Elstree Film Studios
  • 1967 The Yardbirds - Cocoa Beach, FL, Fisher Park & Melbourne, FL at unknown venue
  • 1988 Jimmy Page Outrider Tour - Kansas City, KS at Memorial Hall
  • 1994 Page & Plant - No Quarter released
  • 1999 Jimmy Page - The Black Crowes - New York,NY at Roseland Theater (day 3)
  • 2014 Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page, open edition released 

1994 14 October On This Day No Quarter released
♪ Audio: City Don't Cry
1966:
The Yardbirds performed Stroll On in Michelangelo Antonioni's movie, Blowup, though they weren't the director's first choice. Steve Howe, the late guitarist for Yes and at the time with a band called Tomorrow (a.k.a The in Crowd) later told Pete Frame in Frame's book, Complete Rock Family Trees (1993), "We went on the set and started preparing for that guitar-smashing scene in the club. They even went as far as making up a bunch of Gibson 175 replicas ... and then we got dropped for The Yardbirds, who were a bigger name. That's why you see Jeff Beck smashing my guitar rather than his!"

Antonioni had wanted The Who for Blowup. If he couldn't have Pete Townshend, he still wanted the guitar-smashing routine. Ironically, although that scene was staged, Beck's violent temper-tantrums onstage would contribute to his leaving The Yardbirds less than two years later.
1966 Jimmy Page with The Yardbirds in Blowup
1988:
"We're going to do tunes from the past, the very distant past, the present and the future." Jimmy Page said at the Kansas City show.
At one point a sweat soaked Page raised the body of his guitar for all to see. Then he kissed it. The image shared significance with that of the Greek Olympian of antiquity, who would ceremoniously place the wreath of victory on his own head.
~ Kansas City Star, by Brian McTavish 10/16/88

1988 Outrider poster for Kansas City gig
1994:
No Quarter: Unledded. Robert Plant's project. I will say no more.
1994 No Quarter:Unledded promo poster
2014:
On this day the open edition of Jimmy Page's pictorial autobiography was released.

From his website:  "Jimmy has chosen every one of the 650 photographs. There are many rare finds, such as Led Zeppelin playing an impromptu gig in a nightclub in Jersey, or double-exposure shots of Jimmy and Brian Jones by Ian Stewart. Jimmy chose one of his favourite portrait shots for the book cover: a 1977 passport photo, shot by Neal Preston on board Led Zeppelin's private tour plane."

2014 Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page




♪  Blowup (Yardbirds scene, 1966) YouTube
♪  Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Page & Plant 1994) YouTube
♪  Friends (Page & Plant 1994) YouTube


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

On This Day 13 October

JP Anthology...

On This Day for 13 October published 2020


1995 13 October Page & Plant in Chicago
  • 1967 The Yardbirds - Tampa, FL at University of Tampa
  • 1995 Page & Plant Unledded Tour - Chicago, IL at United Center
  • 1999 Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes - New York, NY at Roseland Ballroom (day 2)

1995:
It's difficult to read the text for the On This Day for 1995, so here it is:
One of the high points of the Unledded tour was that we would combine with an orchestra in each major city and at this concert we had members from the Chicago Symphony, considered to be the best classical orchestra at that time. There was an alternative setlist available for this night, which wasn't used. I thought this would be interesting to include for people to see how we were thinking at that time.
Setlist
Alternate
1. Egyptian Intro/Immigrant Song/The Wanton Song 1. Thank You
2. Bring It On Home 2. Bring It On Home
3. Over The Hills and Far Away 3. Ramble On
4. Thank You 4. Shake My Tree
5. No Quarter 5. Lullaby
6. That's The Way 6. No Quarter
7. Hurdy Gurdy solo 7. Gallows Pole
8. Gallows Pole 8. Levee Breaks
9. Since I've Been Loving You 9. Hey Hey
10. The Song Remains The Same 10. Song Remains
11. Going To California 11. Since I've Been Loving You
12. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You 12. Friends
13. Four Sticks 13. Calling To You
14. Whole Lotta Love/Spoonful/Break On Through/Dazed and Confused 14. Four Sticks
15. In The Evening 15. In The Evening
16. Black Dog 16. Black Dog
17. Kashmir 17. Kashmir

In my (not so) humble opinion the orchestra, good as it is, is not necessary. In fact, I've had a hard time with the Page & Plant collaborations all along because so much of feels overblown, filling all the space, bludgeoning with quantity instead of stabbing with quality. The resulting reduction in contrast means there's little chance for the light/dark that Jimmy Page has always used so well.

Jimmy Page, October 1988 Guitar World



♪  Since I've Been Loving You (Page & Plant, Chicago 1995) YouTube
♪  Full set (Page & Plant, Chicago 1995) YouTube
♪  Since I've Been Loving You (Page, Plant, Jones, Jason Bonham, O2 2007) YouTube

Monday, October 12, 2015

On This Day 12 October

And now's the time, the time is now
1999 12 October Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes -  NY at Roseland Ballroom
  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - London, England at Lyceum Ballroom
  • 1995 Page & Plant Unledded Tour - Ames, IA at Hilton Coliseum
  • 1999 Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes - NY at Roseland Ballroom
  • 2012 Jimmy Page with Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham at Celebration Day London premiere 
Not that numbers matter to anyone who knows and loves Jimmy Page's music but...

1969:
Led Zeppelin was paid the highest fee for a one night performance in the UK at that time. Freddie Mercury was in the audience. 

1969 Led Zeppelin backstage at London's Lyceum Ballroom (Chris Walsh photo)
2012:
The initial screening of the Celebration Day movie in more than 1,500 theaters in 40 countries, grossed over $2 million US.
2012 Jimmy Page at the Celebration Day movie premiere in London

2012 Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and Jimmy Page at the London premiere of the Celebration Day movie



♪  Full set (Led Zeppelin, London 1969) YouTube
♪  Thank You (Page & Plant,  Ames IA 1995) YouTube
♪  Oh Well (Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes, rehearsal Roseland Ballroom 1999) YouTube
♪  Full set  (Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes, Roseland Ballroom 1999) YouTube
♪  Ramble On (Led Zeppelin, 1969/2014 remaster) YouTube
♫  Jimmy Page interview with Absolut Radio at London premiere of Celebration Day 2012
Note:  I've got Ramble On on this playlist just because I love it so much. Doesn't really have anything to do with today's On This Day but it rounds out the playlist nicely.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

On This Day 11 October

Kashmir. Let me take you there.

11 October 1994 Unledded premiers 
published On This Day 2020


1994 11 October Unledded Project premiers at Beacon Theater, NY
♪ Kashmir (Page & Plant) Soundcloud

  • 1988 Jimmy Page Outrider Tour - Oakland, CA at Oakland-Alamada County Coliseum Arena
  • 1994 Page & Plant Unledded Project premier - NYC at Beacon Theater and Londong at Planet Hollywood
1995:
The London Studios (a.k.a. The South Bank Studios, The London Television Centre and Kent House) is a TV studio complex in Central London, and are the main studios for ITV, the UK's main commercial TV network, and London Weekend Television (LWT).  The complex currently has six studios, but has housed up to nine in the past.  One of those studios was where Jimmy Page and Robert Plant recorded Kashmir for the Unledded Project.

Kashmir:
"It originated from playing around on the tuning," Jimmy Page said in It Might Get Loud.

Jimmy Page says he had a sitar before George Harrison did, though he acknowledged when he said it that Harrison was the better sitar player. Jimmy Page obtained a tanpura (stringed drone instrument) in India in 1967. Back in the UK he recorded White Summer on his Simon home recorder, playing and overlaying the other instruments. Jimmy Page then used a sitar on the Muareeny Wishful album (with folksinger John Williams and guitarist Big Jim Sullivan) released in 1968. He was no stranger to alternate tunings when he turned his genius loose on Led Zeppelin.

DADGAD tuning is credited to Davey Graham, a songwriter/musician, who was inspired by the oud music of Morocco. The open strings of DADGAD tuning evoke the drone of traditional Scottish and Irish pipe music, northern African music and the Indian sitar, depending on the song. With Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page used DADGAD tuning in Kashmir, Black Mountain Side, White Summer and the unreleased Swan Song (later released as Midnight Moonlight, with The Firm).

Thanks to Dave Lewis' TBL for this photo of Jimmy Page

Saturday, October 10, 2015

On This Day 10 October

Led Zeppelin, Page & Plant, Scarlett Sabet

2019  10 October Catalyst, by Scarlett Sabet released (produced by Jimmy Page)
published 2019, 2020


1969 10 October Led Zeppelin at Paris Olympia

  • 1969 Led Zeppelin - Paris, France at L'Olympia Music Hall
  • 1972 Led Zeppelin - Kyoto, Japan at Kyoto Kaikan Hall
  • 1995 Page & Plant Unledded Tour - Salt Lake City, UT at Delta Center 

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin, Paris




2012 (Ross Halfin photo)

2018 (Rebecca Cabage photo)



2019
Catalyst, a spoken word album written and performed by Scarlett Sabet and produced by Jimmy Page, is released today on a special 12-inch etched vinyl via JimmyPage.com.


[edited 10/10/20]