29 February

NOTICE: Since jimmypage.com homepage now automatically diverts to shop.jimmypage.com/categories/shop and the website no longer displays On This Day updates I'm not doing daily On This Day posts here anymore. If he goes back to On This Day I will, too. 

• 1972 Led Zeppelin, Brisbane at Festival Hall
• 1996 Page & Plant, Melbourne at Tennis Centre 

1972 Led Zeppelin, Brisbane

1988:
On this day Robert Plant’s Now and Zen album was released with two tracks featuring Jimmy Page on guitar: Heaven Knows and Tall Cool One. Jimmy Page's contribution to the songs is noted with a Zoso symbol in the liner notes, but he's not shown in the videos (the link below doesn't include a video). No matter, I never look at the visuals anyway. Music is something perceived with ears, not eyes. And listening, seems to me that Tall Cool One reflects a bit of the late David Bowie. 

1996 Page & Plant, Melbourne

♪

♪  Led Zeppelin, Brisbane at Festive Hall, 29 February 1972) 
♪  Tall Cool One (Robert Plant, Now and Zen feat Jimmy Page guitar 1988) 

27 February

NOTICE: Since jimmypage.com homepage now automatically diverts to shop.jimmypage.com/categories/shop and the website no longer displays On This Day updates I'm not doing daily On This Day posts here anymore. If he goes back to On This Day I will, too.

• 1967 The Yardbirds - Glasgow, Scotland at Glasgow Locarno Ballroom
• 1972 Led Zeppelin - Sydney, Australia at Sydney Showground
• 1975 Led Zeppelin - Houston, TX at Sam Houston Coliseum
• 1996 Page & Plant Unledded Tour - Boondall, Australia at Brisbane Entertainment Centre
• 1998 Page & Plant - San Remo, Italy Festival di Sanremo at Theatro Ariston 

♪  Led Zeppelin (Sydney Australia at Sydney Showground, 27 February 1972) 

On this day 25 February

NOTICE: jimmypage.com's homepage is now his shop page. As it no longer displays On This Day updates I'm not doing daily On This Day posts here anymore either, except when I have news to share. If he goes back to On This Day I will, too.

Meanwhile:
Sometime after the Melbourne 20 February 1972 show Jimmy Page shaved off the beard he'd had for nearly two years. His first public appearance clean-shaven again was at the Auckland, New Zealand gig at  Western Springs Stadium. Robert Plant took a photo of him at the soundcheck.

Before...

After

♪

♪  Led Zeppelin (Auckland at New Zealand at Western Springs Stadium, 25 February1972) 

On this day 24 February

UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG. I'm working on another (time consuming) project that takes precedence because the deadline is all too soon! This means that some info on this page may not be fully updated yet and links may not work properly. Thank you for your patience.

Physical Graffi:  Possibly the most perfect album ever released

1975 24 February On This Day Physical Graffiti released
AUDIO Physical Graffiti source music (Soundcloud)

• 1967 The Yardbirds - Cardiff, Wales at Sophia Gardens
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England at Lafayette Club
• 1975 Physical Graffiti released
• 1996 Page & Plant - Sydney, Australia at Sydney Entertainment Centre (day 1 of 2)

1969:
The event was John Bonham's wife Pat's 21st birthday party.  From Bonzo's brother Mick's description:

" John took to the stage along with Jimmy, Robert, John Paul and they began to stun the audience with some superb music. They really were amazing and everyone was enthralled with this exhibition of unbridled talent. Like me, most people present had not seen the band before and were all amazed as I was.”
~ Mick Bonham

1975:
Led Zeppelin released their sixth album Physical Graffiti in the UK. Recording sessions had been disrupted when bassist and keyboard player John Paul Jones had proposed quitting the band, supposedly to become choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral, England, although in reality he just needed time to rest after Zeppelin's demanding tour schedule.

♪

♪  Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti 1975)  

On this day 23 February

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Photo + comments from Brian May's Instagram account. 

On this day 22 February

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On this day in 2024 Jimmy Page & friends at the opening of the Gibson Garage store in London

2024  (Dave Hogan Photo)

 

On this day 21 February

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There has been an extended intermission.

1998 21 February On This Day Page & Plant in Croatia

• 1993 Jimmy Page - New Orleans, Louisiana at The Howlin' Wolf
• 1998 Page & Plant - Zagreb, Croatia at Dom Sportova 

1993:
Jimmy Page has said he doesn't remember jamming with Mason Ruffner (American blues and rock singer, guitarist and songwriter) in New Orleans, but various people place him there on this day. Jimmy Page had jammed with him in 1985 as well. In the photo from that occasion, Ruffner was playing Jimmy's Les Paul and Jimmy Page was playing Ruffner's Strat. One source identifies the photo as having been taken by Patricia Ecker.  Ecker and Page married in 1986 and had a son, James Patrick Page III, in 1988. Patricia Ann Ecker Page died on October 30, 2020.

1998:
This was the first stop of the nine shows of the Page & Plant Mystic East Tour, including an appearance at the Festival di Sanremo in San Remo, Italy.

1998 Page & Plant in Croatia

♪

♪  Page & Plant, Zagreb Croatia 1998

On this day 20 February

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Melbourne 20 February 1972 - rain, wind, magic - and the last of the beard

Click to enlarge this photo of Led Zeppelin at Kooyong Stadium

♪ Led Zeppelin (Melbourne Australia at Kooyong Stadium, 20 February 1972)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xCOE8Nt7k8&list=PLf62FjbXtD1LU3_HiH7ZCK6Cv5XetRgds&index=94&t=2s&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB

 

On this day 19 February

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• 1972 Led Zeppelin - Adelaide, Australia at Memorial Drive Park
• 1993 Jimmy Page - New Orleans, Louisiana at Muddy Waters Club
• 1996 Page & Plant - Osaka, Japan at Castle Hall

♪  Led Zeppelin (Adelaide Australia at Memorial Drive Park, 19 February 1972) 

 

On this day 18 February

 UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG. I'm working on another (time consuming) project that takes precedence because the deadline is all too soon! This means that some info on this page may not be fully updated yet and links may not work properly. Thank you for your patience.

Photos are not from this day in 1983, just posted here today so there'd be cool pics to look at.

1983

On this day in On this day in 1975, JP went to Dominica between Led Zeppelin tours to meet up with beat poet Royston Ellis. JP recalls:

"He was residing and writing in a building catering as a cricket pavilion, rum bar and living quarters in Mero outside the capital Roseau.

Dominica's rum could be had straight up, with juices or with herb infusions. One of these brews was called Nani, another was called l'absinthe, with wormwood. I guess this was a follow through from the old French colonial rule and the penchant for absinthe. I have fond memories of the local 'joy juice'."

2015

On this day 17 February

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• 1970 Led Zeppelin - Edinburgh, Scotland at Usher Hall 

1971

On this day 16 February

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Get a haircut!

1972 16 February On This Day Led Zeppelin in Perth Australia
Read review

• 1968 The Yardbirds - London, England at Goldsmith College
• [1969 Led Zeppelin - Baltimore, MD at Baltimore Civic Center]
• 1972 Led Zeppelin - Perth, Australia at Subiaco Oval
• 1975 Led Zeppelin - St. Louis at St. Louis Arena

1969:
I have put the 1969 concert in brackets (above) because some sources say that Led Zeppelin played in Baltimore that night and others (including Dave Lewis) say no. Ads for the show puts Led Zeppelin there as support for Vanilla Fudge. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was billed as an added attraction.  The Gun, was awarded equal billing with Led Zeppelin (both referred to as the "hottest groups from England"). Two local bands were also scheduled. Quite a night if everyone showed up to perform.

One report's details make it sound quite credible that Led Zeppelin was there:
"My band "Lemon Lime" was the 4th band on the bill. After the death of Martin Luther King the summer before, Dick Klotzman put on a series of 5-band concerts at the Civic Center. Of note was that Zep played well past their allotted time and Fudge was miffed at getting 20 minutes to play before the curfew."

1972:

Long hair. The odd thing about the prejudice against it is that for most of humankind's history, everybody wore their hair long - male and female  Led Zeppelin was supposed to play in Singapore on Valentine's Day but they were refused entry because of local laws about long hair on men.  

Part way through the Australasian Tour tour Jimmy Page shaved off his nearly two-year-old beard. He had it in Melbourne on 20 February, but it is gone two days later. That was that for facial hair for Jimmy Page.

Meanwhile, long hair was associated with the evil of drugs, and so Led Zeppelin's welcome to Australia included a drug raid the morning after the Subiaco Oval show, where there had been rioting outside by fans who couldn't get tickets.

8 am Drug Raid on Top Pop Group
The Daily News
Thursday, February 17, 1972

Four drug special police today raided the visiting English pop group Led Zeppelin. The raid was carried out at a Scarborough hotel where the group was staying. Police woke the musicians and searched their baggage and belongings. No drugs were found. The raid followed last night's riot at Subiaco Oval. The group's lead guitarist, Jimmy Page, said he and the rest of the group were furious. They thought the raid was retribution for the concert trouble. He said the group had not seen the riot, but had only read a report in this mornings newspaper. Page criticised the police for leaving the group unprotected and allowing the stage to be mobbed at the end of the concert. "I'd like to now if today's raid was some sort of a rebuff for last night", he said. "We had nothing to do with any of what happened and then this morning, at some unearthly hour we were pulled out of bed and treated in a totally derogatory manner". He said the group had not got to bed until early this morning and then were dragged out of bed by police about 8:30 am.

Western Australia's Premiere John "Honest John" Tonkin was reported as saying that some aspects of the raid puzzled him and that he would investigate further.  "I am wondering that as they had not been able to find any drugs, what information they had acted on," Mr. Tonkin said about the police.

1972 Led Zeppelin, Perth Australia

1975:
Robert Plant's voice is a little froggy still from his bout with the flue but it sounds good. They all sound good!

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, St. Louis

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin, St. Louis

♪

Led Zeppelin radio interview, Perth 1972

♪  Led Zeppelin (St. Louis at St. Louis Arena, 16 February 1975) 

On this day 15 February

UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG. I'm working on another (time consuming) project that takes precedence. Note that info on this page has not been fully updated yet and links may not work properly. Thank you for your patience.

JP's website is down today, too!

Thee Mage Musician

1969 15 February On This Day Led Zeppelin at Thee Image, Miami FL (day 2) 

• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Miami, FL at Thee Image Club
• 1984 Jimmy Page - New York City at Glyn Johns’ 42nd Birthday 
• 1996 Page & Plant Unledded Tour - Osaka, Japan at Castle Hall

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Thee Image, Miami FL

1969 Led Zeppelin at Thee Image, Miami FL

1969 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Thee Image, Miami FL

1984:
Glyn Johns is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer, and is the author of Sound Man: A Life Recording Hits with The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Eagles , Eric Clapton, The Faces . . . On this day Jimmy Page celebrated Johns' 42nd birthday jamming with Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts, John Entwistle, and Louis Bertignac.

"I’d known Jimmy [Page] forever. We came from the same town, Epsom, Surrey, and we’d even had a little band together for about five minutes. I’d got him a few sessions in the past, and when eventually he decided to put Led Zeppelin together he asked if I was interested. The sessions were actually booked under the name of The Yardbirds and I had no idea what it would sound like, but when they started playing I was completely blown away. I don’t think I’ve come down yet from the buzz I got from being in the room, it was utterly inspiring and incredibly simple to record. They were well rehearsed and masters at what they did, which is why it took only nine days, including mixing.
~ Glyn Johns, Uncut interview

♪

♪  You Shook Me (Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin I 1969) YouTube
♪  Ten Years Gone (Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti 1975) YouTube
♪  Ten Years Gone (Page & Plant, Osaka 15 February 1996) YouTube

On this day 14 February

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Ladies and gentlemen: The Intergalactic Elephant Band

1974 04 February On This Day Jimmy Page at Roy Harper's Valentine concert

2015 14 February On This Day preview of Sound Tracks

• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Miami, FL at Thee Image Club
• 1974 Jimmy Page with Roy Harper - London at Rainbow Theatre 
• 1975 Led Zeppelin - Uniondale, NY at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (day 2)

1974: 

Jimmy Page, John Bonham and Robert Plant attended Roy Harper's Valentine Concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London. Jimmy Page joined Harper, Ronnie Lane, Keith Moon and Max Middleton for a few numbers, John Bonham made an appearance onstage to strum an acoustic guitar and Robert Plant took the mic at the end to announce "Ladies and gentlemen: Roy Harper!".  Harper named the one-time lineup The Intergalactic Elephant Band.

1974 Roy Harper's Valentine concert (Colin Curwood photo)

1974 Jimmy Page with "Harpic Award"

2014 Mark Oliver Everett (Eels) and Jimmy Page

2015:
Sound Tracks, previewed on Jimmy Page's website on this day, is a four-disc box set that brings together his scores for the movies Lucifer Rising and Death Wish II plus bonus discs with previously unreleased tracks. The 36 page booklet includes awesome original artwork.

Image from Sound Tracks booklet

“The archive material and work included here serve as an illustration of the ongoing process at the time of these two projects,” Page said in a press release.  Sound Tracks is available on Jimmy Page's website.

♪

♪  Male Chauvinist Pig Blues (The Intergalactic Elephant Band, Roy Harper's Valentine's Day Concert, London 1974) 
♪  Too Many Movies (The Intergalactic Elephant Band, Roy Harper's Valentine's Day Concert, London 1974) YouTube
♪  Home (The Intergalactic Elephant Band, Roy Harper's Valentine's Day Concert, London 1974) YouTube
♪ Sound Tracks preview excerpts (SoundCloud)

On this day 13 February

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Another day, another award, more glorious music

1972 13 February On This Day Led Zeppelin tourist stopover in Bombay
Jimmy Page's VIDEO (YouTube) 

• 1975 Led Zeppelin - Uniondale, NY at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
• 1992 Jimmy Page with Harry Connick Jr. for encore at James L. Knight Center, Miami
• 1996 Page & Plant Unledded Tour – Tokyo at Nippon Budokan
• 2005 Led Zeppelin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

1975:
An exciting show with some surprises:  an epic, 42 minute length Dazed and Confused, and a bit of theremin between Whole Lotta Love and Black Dog. Ron Wood joined Led Zeppelin for an encore of Communication Breakdown and Robert Plant sang a few lines from Roll Over Beethoven while the guitars got sorted out.

1975 Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, Peter Grant, Uniondale NY
(I always first think Ron is in handcuffs when I see this photo)

1992:
It's uncertain whether Jimmy Page, who was reportedly living on Florida's exclusive Jupiter Island at this time, attended  Harry Connick Jr's gig at the James L. Knight Center in Miami on 13 or 14 February - but it was definitely one of those two days.

"I'd been listening to his music, and I was keen to see what his concert would be like," says Page, 48, who was in Miami working on a new album. "We met before the concert, and Harry said, 'You should come up and play,' and I laughed. But I was sitting in the audience, and he suddenly said, 'We've got a really good friend here.... C'mon, Jimmy, come up and play with us.' I went up, and he put a guitar in my hands and said, 'Go ahead, it's your band.' So I did an improvised blues in B flat. I was so nervous! And he went over to the brass section and started singing these licks and cued them in." Would Page consider an encore? "Oh, yes, but I'll bring my own guitar the next time."
~ Jimmy Page interview

2002:
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement is a Special Merit Award, presented by vote of The Recording Academy's National Trustees to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Zoe Bonham and Jason Bonham accepted the award for Led Zeppelin.

2005 John Paul Jones & Jimmy Page at Grammy Awards

2005 John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Zoe Bonham and Jason Bonham
accept Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award from Neil Portnow,
president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

♪

♪  Led Zeppelin (Uniondale NY at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 13 February 1975) 
♪  Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin, with Ron Wood 1975) 

♪  Page & Plant Unledded Tour (Tokyo at Nippon Budokan, 13 February 1996)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1FyxCUM7Ls&list=PLf62FjbXtD1LDupHDsQYI3arCDZ2klemr&index=22&pp=gAQBiAQB8AUB
♪  Rain Song (Page & Plant, 13 February 1996, Japan) YouTube
(Just a cute brief clip of a funny moment)

On this day 12 February

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"Ladies and gentlemen of New York ... you're too much ... and we ain't so bad ourselves!"
~ Robert Plant, MSG 12 February 1975

1965 12 February On This Day Heinz and the Wild Boys release Digging My Potatoes
AUDIO: Digging My Potatoes (Soundcloud)

• 1975 Led Zeppelin - New York, Madison Square Garden
• 1996 Page & Plant Unledded Tour – Tokyo at Nippon Budokan 

1965:

Heinz Burt, a protégé of record producer and song writer Joe Meek, was the bassist for The Tornados, the band that released the multi-million dollar instrumental, Telstar, in 1962. With Meek's encouragement, Heinz Burt launched on a solo career, touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, but never quite successful on his own. Heinz asked Jimmy Page to do an overdub solo  on‘Digging My Potatoes’. It was recorded at Joe Meek's home studio in London. Two years later, Meeks was dead by suicide.

1975:
This was Led Zeppelin's third show at Madison Square Garden in February.  Robert Plant told the crowd that the band had to come four blocks through the snow to get there.  It might have been cold outside but the music was hot in MSG that night. Check out the awesome work when Jimmy Page takes off around 3:58 of Sick Again (below).

1975 12 February Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden

1975 Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden

2005:
American record producer Clive Davis hosted a pre-Grammy Awards party in Beverly Hills on this day. Led Zeppelin would be awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award the next night at the Staples Center ceremony.

2005 Jimmy Page & Ahmut Ertegun at pre-Grammy party (Ross Halfin photo)

2005 Jimmy Page at pre-Grammy party

♪

♪  Diggin' My Potatoes (Heinz and the Wild Boys feat Jimmy Page 1965) 
♪  Sick Again (Led Zeppelin, MSG 12 February 1975) YouTube
♪  Led Zeppelin (New York NY at Madison Square Garden, 12 February 1975) 
♫ 2005 Jimmy Page interview Grammy Awards party