On This Day 04 February

Away to Bombay

1967 04 February On This Day Jimmy Page visits Bombay
AUDIO: White Summer with sitar edits (Soundcloud) 

• 1975 Led Zeppelin - Uniondale, NY at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
• 1995 Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes - Paris, France at LeZenith de Paris 

1967:

Bringing home large, awkward items picked up while visiting foreign countries seems to be something that Jimmy Page enjoys doing. On this day in 1967 he talks about a tanpura and some tablas (drums) that he brought home from India. At some point he also obtained a sitar, which he is shown playing in the photo below, and which is featured in the audio White Summer with sitar edits. A tanpura is a 4 stringed drone instrument used to back up vocalists, whereas a sitar is a multi-stringed, fretted instrument meant for carrying melody. 

ca. 1967, Jimmy Page with sitar

Tanpura, sitar and tablas

1975:
Led Zeppelin had been scheduled to play at the Boston Garden on this day, but as has already been described on this blog, the show was cancelled and the band was banned in Boston.  Those who had purchased tickets for the Boston show were mailed tickets to the 04 February Uniondale show, which had been scheduled as a replacement.  That was a good thing for the Boston fans because tickets for all the New York venues in February (including MSG) sold out immediately (and not without some arrests of over-enthusiastic fans).

Led Zeppelin would return to Uniondale for the previously scheduled 13 and 14 February shows after this added-on 04 February date.

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Uniondale NY

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Uniondale NY

1995:

According to Dave Lewis in his Led Zeppelin: The 'Tight But Loose' Files,  Robert Plant was the one to introduce Jimmy Page to The Black Crowes at the band's show at Royal Albert Hall in January 1995. Apparently Jimmy Page was impressed enough to join the Black Crowes in Paris for a couple of songs. The Page & Plant Unledded Tour continued in the US at the end of February, but Jimmy Page was to hook up again with The Black Crowes to begin a US tour in the fall of 1999.

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♪  Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin, Uniondale 04 February 1975) YouTube
♪  In My Time of Dying (Led Zeppelin, Uniondale 04 February 1975) YouTube
♪  Shake Your Money Maker (Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes, Paris 1995) YouTube
♪  Mellow Down Easy (Jimmy Page with The Black Crowes, Paris 1995) YouTube

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

On This Day 03 February

I wonder if Joe Walsh ever inquires about the health and happiness of Jimmy Page's #1?

2001 03 February On This Day Jimmy Page went to Joe Walsh show in Miami FL

• 1975 Led Zeppelin - New York City at Madison Square Garden
• 1986 The Firm - Mean Business released 

1969:

Four shows in New York City were cancelled when John Bonham flew back to England because Bonham's three year old son, Jason, was ill.  The shows weren't rescheduled.  Jason, as we all know, recovered quite nicely.

1975:

Jimmy Page's smashed finger (he slammed his ring finger in a train door in England prior to leaving for the US Tour, breaking the tip) was well enough for the band to return Dazed and Confused to the set list, dropping How Many More Times.  

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden

1975 Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden

1986:

The Firm's Mean Business didn't shake the music world, but it's a solid album. Paul Rodgers is a great singer, but if you've been reading this blog all along, you know I've never felt he was right for Jimmy Page's music. According to Jimmy Page, The Firm had never been meant to stay together forever and that was just fine with me.

2001:

There are all kinds of stories out there about how the Gibson Les Paul guitar went from Joe Walsh's possession to Jimmy Page's. I'll say this, if the two men have been friends this long, whatever the details of the exchange it is fine with both of them today.  

"I like to give people equipment and stuff,” Walsh said in a 2012 Guitar World interview. “For me, it’s a kind of payback. Anyone who is an influence or hero for me, I’m always concerned with how I can balance the karma.”

2012 Joe Walsh & Jimmy Page in NYC (Ross Halfin photo)

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♪  Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh 1973) YouTube
♪  Tear Down The Walls (The Firm, Mean Business 1986) YouTube

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

On This Day 02 February

"Jimmy Page is not yet in Eric Clapton's class".  Oh yeah?

1969 02 February On This Day Led Zeppelin at the Rock Pile, Toronto

• 1967 The Yardbirds - Auckland, New Zealand at Auckland Town Hall
• 1969 Led Zeppelin – Toronto Canada at The Rock Pile

1969:
There has been some discussion about Jimmy Page's reference to Ritchie York (sic) as having capitalized from Led Zeppelin by writing an unauthorized book. In my opinion this was not a slur on Yorke, who was Led Zeppelin's "man in Toronto", who toured with the band, and was regularly granted interviews with them.

Yorke, a journalist, has written at least three books on Led Zeppelin:  The Led Zeppelin Biography (1976), Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography (1994) and Led Zeppelin: the Definitive Biography (1999 update to the 1994 book). Although Yorke's 1994 book claims to be "authorized" (the word is in quotes on the back cover) that's not actually true. The band's having freely offered the interviews and not objecting to the book is not the same thing as Led Zeppelin's officially approving or endorsing it.

Truly, you could say that every book and website and blog (including this one) is actually capitalizing on Led Zeppelin or the individual members. Some, of course, are better than others.

Yorke's books are generally considered to be the most accurate and least fabricated of all the books written about the band, however, that Ritchie Yorke ever wrote "Jimmy Page is not yet in Eric Clapton's class" makes me have serious doubts about the journalist's aesthetic appreciation and critical thinking capabilities.

My personal favorite book is George Case's Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man: An Unauthorized Biography because it focuses on Jimmy Page rather than Led Zeppelin. I highly recommend it.

1969 Ritchie York review of Toronto show

1969 John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Toronto

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, Toronto

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♪  Full set (Led Zeppelin, Toronto Rock Pile 1969) YouTube

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

On This Day 01 February

I'm sorry, the dog ate my homework.

1970 01 February On This Day Screaming Lord Sutch: 'Cause I Love You / Thumping Beat
AUDIO: Thumping Beat (Soundcloud)

• 1967 The Yardbirds - Hamilton, New Zealand at Founder's Theatre
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - New York City at Fillmore East (day 2 of 2, 2 sets)
• 1975 Led Zeppelin - Pittsburgh, PA at Pittsburgh Civic Center 

1969:

The band started out with White Summer Black Mountain Side rather than Train Kept A Rollin’

“We’re sorry about the delay," Robert Plant tells the audience, "but because we’re all a bit stupid, we forgot the bass player’s guitar! Would you believe that! So we’re gonna open up without the bass player. We’re gonna feature Jimmy Page. This is a thing that was very popular when he was with The Yardbirds.”

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, Fillmore East (day 2)

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, Fillmore East (day 2)

1970:
More about Screaming Lord Sutch

1970 Screaming Lord Sutch and Jimmy Page in recording session

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, Pittsburgh PA

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♪  1969 Full set (Led Zeppelin, Fillmore East 01 February 1969) YouTube
♪  Thumping Beat (Screaming Lord Sutch feat. Jimmy Page & John Bonham 1970) YouTube

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

On This Day 31 January

Whole lotta music at Fillmore East

1969 31 January On This Day Led Zeppelin at Fillmore East (day 1 of 2, 2 sets/show)

• 1967 The Yardbirds - Wellington, New Zealand at Town Hall,Cuba Street
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - New York City at Fillmore East (day 1 of 2, 2 sets)
• 1975 Led Zeppelin – Detroit MI at Olympia Stadium

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Fillmore East

1969 Led Zeppelin at Fillmore East

1969 Led Zeppelin at Fillmore East

1975 Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones / Led Zeppelin at Detroit

1975:
"...primal energy stored in the gut, and spilled out in a visceral surge by Zeppelin's muse. "
~ John Laycock, The Windsor Star.  February 1, 1975

2008:
Somewhere out there are some clips from a Japanese Television show, Can you speak English?, with guitarists Marty Friedman and Rolly Teranishi interviewing Jimmy Page.  It was filmed on this day in 2008 and broadcast 25 February 2008. If anyone's got a working link for it, please share!

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♪  How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin, Fillmore East 1969) YouTube
♪  Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin, Olympia Stadium 1975) YouTube

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

On This Day 30 January

1995 30 January On This Day Led Zeppelin receives American Music International Artist award
VIDEO

• 1967 The Yardbirds - Christchurch, New Zealand at Theatre Royal
• 1973 Led Zeppelin - Preston,  England at Preston Guildhall, Grand Hall
• 1995 Led Zeppelin American Music International Artist award 

1973 backstage, Preston UK

1995:
The American Music International Artist Award for Led Zeppelin was accepted by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Jason Bonham in London, and by John Paul Jones in Los Angeles. Black Dog had been recorded five days previously in London.

1995 Jimmy Page accepts AMA International Artist award

1995 Page & Plant / Black Dog recorded for AMA

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♪  Black Dog (Led Zeppelin, Preston UK 1973) YouTube
♪  Black Dog (Page & Plant, prerecorded for AMA awards 1995) YouTube

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

On This Day 29 January

Pretty in pink. Or any other color.

2011 29 January On This Day Jimmy Page loans guitars and costumes for Japanese exhibition

• 1975 Led Zeppelin - Greensboro, NC at Greensboro Coliseum 

1975:
Greensboro. Chris Charlesworth describes near-combat conditions on his Just Backdated blog.

"... outside the venue a shortage of tickets has caused violence to erupt. About five hundred fans have attempted to storm the rear of the building, throwing broken bottles, stones and pieces of scaffolding. Three of the five limousines, those parked outside, become severely damaged.

"...the drivers of the three limos parked outside, fearing further damage to them, have removed their cars and the other two drivers, whose cars are parked inside, want to take theirs away too. This, of course, would leave the Led Zeppelin entourage stranded when the concert is over..."

Peter Grant attempts to buy the limos. In the end, he simply commandeers two.

"The huge stadium doors open and the angry mob of fans who didn’t make it into the show surge forward into our path. Grant blasts a way through, his horn blaring, we follow, and the crowd parts like the Red Sea. Our truncated convoy reaches speeds of up to 70 mph in a heavily built-up area with Grant leading the way, driving his car through red lights and on the wrong side of the road through the town of Greensboro. Our car, crammed, follows in hot pursuit. Good grief, I think, this is far more exciting than any rock concert.

"Then, when we reach the point at the airport where the Starship is waiting, a funny thing happens. Instead of stopping as we have done, Grant drives round and round the huge aircraft, tyres screeching, faster and faster, burning rubber. When he finally skids to a stop the four members of Led Zeppelin tumble out, hysterical with laughter..."
~ Chris Charlesworth, Just Backdated

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Greensboro (Neal Preston photo)

2011:
We all know about Jimmy Page's famous Gibson doubleneck, but some folks might not be familiar with that oddly shaped white guitar pictured on this day.  It is a 12 string Vox Phantom XII that Jimmy Page first used on stage with the Yardbirds in 1967 and in the studio for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor from the Yardbirds' album Little Games.  Jimmy Page also used it for Thank You on Led Zeppelin II in 1969.  

According to advertising posters, the photos of the guitars were taken by Scarlet Page.

2011 Jimmy Page's guitars, as shown in exhibition brochure

1967 Jimmy Page / Yardbirds using Vox Phantom XII guitar

2011 Photo from the exhibition brochure (photo taken 1974 at Swan Song launch party

Jimmy Page photo from exhibition brochure

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♪  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor (The Yardbirds, Little Games 1967) YouTube
♪  Thank You (Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II 1969) YouTube
♪  Thank You (Led Zeppelin, backing track 2014 remaster) YouTube
♪  Trampled Underfoot (Led Zeppelin, Greensboro 1975) YouTube

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