On This Day 15 May

Session man on this day in 1964.

1964 15 May On This Day PJ Proby releases 'Hold Me" (Jimmy Page rhythm guitar, Big Jim Sullivan lead)

• 1964 PJ Proby releases Hold Me
• 1986 The Firm -  St. Paul MN at St. Paul Civic Center Arena
• 1988 Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary (continued). 

1964:

PJ Proby was one of a couple dozen who did a version of Hold Me, a 1933 song by Jack Little, David Oppenheim, and Ira Schuster. 

Proby began writing songs and recording demos for artists such as Elvis Presley and Bobby Vee in 1962. It was inevitable that Jimmy Page and Proby would meet, since Proby knew Jackie DeShannon. In 1964 Proby went to the UK on DeShannon's advice, appearing on The Beatles' television special and putting out top 20 hits over two years' time, including Hold Me (featuring session players Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar and Big Jim Sullivan lead).

1988:

The Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary show featured artists from the recording label’s early years to the latest pop stars. It was planned as a 12 hour event, beginning at 1:30 PM on Saturday May 14 and ending at 1:30 a.m. Sunday May 15 so technically it was two days. Scheduled to start at midnight, in fact, Page, Plant, Jones and Jason Bonham didn’t hit the stage till 1:30 on Sunday morning. This was not the most shining performance of the veteran musicians, though Jason came out looking good. Robert Plant later said, “The crazy thing is, at the soundcheck, it was spectacular… and the gig was foul.”

1988 15 May Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Celebration at MSG

1988 15 May Atlantic Records 40th anniversary celebration MSG.  (AP Photo/Mario Suriani)

1988 15 May Atlantic Records 40th anniversary celebration MSG.  (Photo Rita Barrows)

2014 15 May Jimmy Page in NYC for remaster interviews  Photo David Krieger

2014 15 May Jimmy Page in NYC for remaster interviews  Photo David Krieger

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♪ Hold Me (PJ Proby feat. Jimmy Page 1964) YouTube
♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube
♪ Page & Plant playlist at YouTube

On This Day 14 May

Who ever said it was easy being a rock god?

1991 On This Day Jimmy Page & David Coverdale,
jam with Poison, fall through stage floor

• 1967 The Yardbirds - London England
• 1973 Led Zeppelin - New Orleans LA at Municiple Auditorium
• 1986 The Firm - Kansas City MO at Kemper Arena
• 1988 Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham - New York City at Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary, Madison Square Garden 
• 1991 Jimmy Page, David Coverdale, with Poison - Reno NV at Lawlor Events Center 
• 2014 Interviews in NYC for Remasters releases

1973:

"Before Moby Dick Plant said: “I once heard a song called The Witch Queen of New Orleans. Well, tonight, I’m pleased to announce that John Bonham is The Drag Queen Of New Orleans!" Page laughs so much that he enters the piece late…"
~ From Dave Lewis’s Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, describing the 1973 show in New Orleans

After this show the band members attended a party at Cosimo Recording Studios (note that this event has been posted elsewhere as occurring in 1972, but in May 1972 the band was recording at Stargroves, Mick Jagger's country home, and subsequently at Olympic Studios in England).

1973 Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Ernie K-Doe, after-show party at Cosimo Recording Studios, New Orleans 

1988 Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham & Robert Plant, Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary, NYC at Madison Square Garden [not in photo: John Paul Jones]

1988 Jimmy Page& Robert Plant, Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary, NYC at Madison Square Garden

1991:
Jimmy Page and David Coverdale jammed with Poison during the American band's encore at their show in Reno.  Despite Jimmy Page's falling into the stage pit, he rallied to join in with Rock And Roll, The Rover and Stairway To Heaven.

On This Day text:
During the early part of May 1991, I had been writing with David Coverdale at his house in Nevada, in preparation for a joint project album. On May 14th, another act with his management, Poison, were playing at Reno. We took the evening off to go and see them. I wasn’t that keen, but was encouraged to come up and play someone else’s guitar on a version of 'Rock and Roll' with David on vocals. We were introduced stage centre and as the number began I started moving and playing to stage left out of the spotlight. I found myself falling through a pryo pit that was cut into the stage and nobody had warned me about it. I emerged with a few cracked ribs and a broken guitar but I still managed to carry on until the end of the song! Apart from a few twinges, this didn’t affect the ongoing writing process with David.

2014 Jimmy Page interview in New York City. Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun/QMI Agency

2014 14 May “I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t want anybody getting in the way of it.” ~ Jimmy Page
Credit: Damon Winter/The New York Times 

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♪ Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin New Orleans 1973)  YouTube
♪  Full set (Page, Plant, Jones & Jason Bonham, Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary 1988) YouTube

♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube
♪ Page & Plant playlist at YouTube