On this day 21 December

 Lucifer is the bringer of light to humankind, for which he has been vilified since day one.

December On This Day Winter Solstice
AUDIO Lucifer Rising

• 1971 Led Zeppelin - Salisbury, England at Salisbury City Hall
• 1993 Jimmy Page, Coverdale Page Tour - Osaka, Japan at Osaka Castle Hall
• 2012 Page and Plant interview on Charlie Rose CBS This Morning Show

Winter solstice 2023
A henge is a type of earthwork of the Neolithic period, generally consisting of a roughly circular bank with an internal ditch surrounding a central flat area that may or may not contain ritual structures of various kinds. About 8 miles north of Salisbury, England, where Led  Zeppelin played on this day in 1971, Stonehenge is aligned to the winter solstice. Although it is one of the most well-known henges, Stonehenge in fact atypical in that the ditch is outside the main earthworks.

Just like Jimmy Page:  He's a guitarist but atypical. Outside the norm. But you knew that.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year when the planet's polar cap is pointed farthest from the sun (December in the northern hemisphere, June in the southern). Festivals, religious ceremonies and rituals mark and celebrate the next morning's "rebirth" of the sun, or of deities, or simply of the hope for survival till warm weather arrives again.

In 2023, the exact winter solstice is Friday, 22 December 2023 at 03:27 UTC (21 December EST at 10:27 EST in the US). At Stonehenge that is the wee hours of the morning on the 22nd, but the celebration begins when the sun rises after the long, chilly night and lights the standing stones of the henge. Pass the time by listening to appropriate music. 

Remember, it wasn't Lucifer who kept humans in the dark, it has always been Lucifer's detractors who shrink from the light.

Welcome to the winter solstice!

2012 21 December Jones, Plant, Page on CBS Charlie Rose Morning Show

Stonehenge solstice (stonehengetours.com photo)

♪

♪  In The Light (Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti) YouTube

♪ It Might Get Loud movie

♪  Coverdale/Page (Osaka Japan at Osaka Castle Hall, 21 December 1993)
♫ Page/Plant/Jones interview on CBS TV 2012

On this day 06 December

 The boys were hot, weren't they!

1991 06 December On This Day Jimmy Page at Little Mountain Studios

• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Chatenay-Malabry, Paris at L'Ecole Centrale Chatenay-Malabry
• 1983 Jimmy Page ARMS Charity Concert - Inglewood, CA at The Forum (day 2)

1991

In March of 1991 Jimmy Page jammed with Les Paul at Paul's Fat Tuesday's gig and while in NYC Coverdale and Page began talking about a collaboration. They first got together to see if they could write new music at Coverdale's Lake Tahoe residence, resulting in "Absolution Blues". They moved to Barbados to continue the work until May, when they returned to Nevada. The two jammed in Reno with the band, Poison. JP fell into the stage pit - but climbed out and continued to play. There may have been chemical substances involved. At the end of May JP joined a local band, Solid Ground to play the whole set list. 

By November, Coverdale and Page had begun recording their first and only album, using analog equipment to get the sound they were looking for. Rhythm tracks were recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, vocals and overdubs were recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida. Additional recording took place at Abbey Road Studios in London, and Highbrow Productions, Coverdale's home studio in Nevada. 

Coverdale/Page was released 15 March 1993 to mixed reviews. Mage Music thinks it's a damned good album, for what that's worth.

♪

♪  Led Zeppelin (Chatenay-Malabry Paris at L'Ecole Centrale Chatenay-Malabry, 06 December 1969)

♪  Jimmy Page ARMS Charity Concert (Inglewood, CA at The Forum - day 2, 06 December 1983)

♪  Feeling Hot demo (Coverdale-Page, 06 December 1991) 

On this day 06 October

 He's the only one, no matter what

On this day in 1976

• 1966 The Yardbirds - Birmingham, England at Odeon Theatre
• 1972 Led Zeppelin visit Hong Kong (almost certainly incorrectly posted as 1976)

1972 vs 1976:

Although the jimmypage.com website has posted that Jimmy Page visited Hong Kong in 1976, it more likely during the Japan '72 tour. Jimmy Page said in the Led Zeppelin 1972 section (p. 203) of his photo autobiography Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page,  "I had this suit made in one of those 24-hour tailors on a visit to to Hong Kong", so we know he was in that city in 1972.  

Click on photo to read caption in Jimmy Page's autobiography

Jimmy Page also refers on his webpage to the "recently scuppered" ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth, which had been sold to a Hong Kong businessmen who had renamed the ship the Seawise University and who had begun to convert the ship into a floating university. In 1972 the Seawise University caught fire in the Hong Kong harbor and was capsized by the water used to fight the flames. Before 1976 the vessel had been declared a shipping hazard. It had already been dismantled for scrap and the remains of the hull were underwater by 1976, so Jimmy Page wouldn't have been able to take that photo of it shown on his webpage in that year.

October 1988 Guitar World Magazine

1988:
Jimmy Page was about one third of his way through the Outrider tour, in October 1988, so this seems to be a good time to post this Guitar World Magazine cover with a photo of Jimmy Page playing a harp-guitar [photo by Ross Halfin]. 

People talk about JP playing a harp guitar for Outrider or the Coverdale-Page collaboration, and there's a lovely promo video of him playing Coverdale-Page 's Take Me For A Little While. What we see isn't what we get to hear though. The harp guitars were photo props. We know for sure JP played his double neck to get the sound he wanted on the Coverdale-Page Japan tour.

JP using his doubleneck on Take Me For A Little While during the Japan tour

One final note on Coverdale-Page: the promo video for Take Me For A Little While features Coverdale sitting at a banquet table, a glass globe moving about in the air. To me it's clearly homage to the David Bowie movie, Labyrinth. JP's harp guitar becomes a Gibson Les Paul and then is a harp guitar during the course of the video. No doubleneck.

♫  8mm Hong Kong video (Jimmy Page 1972)  

♪ Liquid Mercury (Jimmy Page, Outrider 1988)
♪  The Only One (Jimmy Page, Outrider 1988) 
♪  Take Me For A Little While (Coverdale-Page promo video 1993)

On this day 30 August

 British cowboy playin' rock blues.  Yup.  Works for me.

1969 30 August On This Day Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY
♪  Worried Blues (Buddy Guy) Soundcloud

• 1966 The Yardbirds - San Jose, CA 
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Flushing Meadows, NY 

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

I put this Japanese promo poster for Coverdale-Page here because I've been listening to Coverdale-Page a lot lately.

1993 Japanese Coverdale-Page promo

♪

♪  Worried Blues (Buddy Guy, Folk Festival of the Blues, 1994) YouTube
♪  Jennings Farm Blues/Rough Mix (Led Zeppelin, Remaster) YouTube
♪  Travelling Riverside Blues (Led Zeppelin) YouTube
♪  Absolution Blues (Coverdale-Page) YouTube

March On This Day Index

Jimmy Page's On This Day index for March
Archive updated as needed only

On This Day 01 March

On This Day 02 March

On This Day 03 March

On This Day 04 March

On This Day 05 March

On This Day 06 March

On This Day 07 March

On This Day 08 March

On This Day 09 March

On This Day 10 March

On This Day 11 March

On This Day 12 March

On This Day 13 March

On This Day 14 March

On This Day 15 March

On This Day 16 March

On This Day 17 March

On This Day 18 March

On This Day 19 March

On This Day 20 March

On This Day 21 March

On This Day 22 March

On This Day 23 March

On This Day 24 March

On This Day 25 March

On This Day 26 March

On This Day 27 March

On This Day 28 March

On This Day 29 March

On This Day 30 March

On This Day 31 March

On This Day 21 December

Lucifer is the bringer of light to humankind, for which he has been vilified since day one.

December On This Day Winter Solstice
AUDIO Lucifer Rising

• 1971 Led Zeppelin - Salisbury, England at Salisbury City Hall
• 1993 Jimmy Page, Coverdale Page Tour - Osaka, Japan at Osaka Castle Hall
• 2012 Page and Plant interview on Charlie Rose CBS This Morning Show

1971 and today
A henge is a type of earthwork of the Neolithic period, generally consisting of a roughly circular bank with an internal ditch surrounding a central flat area that may or may not contain ritual structures of various kinds. About 8 miles north of Salisbury, England, where Led  Zeppelin played on this day in 1971, Stonehenge is aligned to the winter solstice. Although it is one of the most well-known henges, Stonehenge in fact atypical in that the ditch is outside the main earthworks.

Just like Jimmy Page:  He's a guitarist but atypical. Outside the norm. But you knew that.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year when the planet's polar cap is pointed farthest from the sun (December in the northern hemisphere, June in the southern). Festivals, religious ceremonies and rituals mark and celebrate the next morning's "rebirth" of the sun, or of deities, or simply of the hope for survival till warm weather arrives again.

In 2015, the exact winter solstice is just after 9 p.m. 21 December. EST. At Stonehenge that is 4 in the morning on the 22nd. There will be plenty of reason to rejoice when the sun rises after the long, chilly night. Pass the time by listening to appropriate music. Remember, it wasn't Lucifer who has kept humans in the dark, it has always been Lucifer's detractors who shrink from the light.

Welcome to the winter solstice!

2012 21 December Jones, Plant, Page on CBS Charlie Rose Morning Show

Stonehenge solstice (stonehengetours.com photo)

♪

♪  In The Light (Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti) YouTube

♫ Page/Plant/Jones interview on CBS TV 2012
♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube

On This Day 20 December

Train stopped a rollin'

1972 20 December On This Day Led Zeppelin at Brighton Dome

• 1968 Led Zeppelin - London at Fishmongers Hall
• 1972 Led Zeppelin - Brighton, England at Brighton Dome 
• 1993 Jimmy Page - Coverdale Page - Osaka, Japan at Osaka Castle Hall

1972:

The video featured in today's on this day is of the final run of the Brighton Belle train from Victoria Station to Brighton.  Peter Grant, the "someone" Jimmy Page mentions in the text, was one of the people featured in the newsreel footage, although Grant was not named.

1972 20 April - Peter Grant, from Brighton Belle video

1972 Brighton Dome

1972  Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin Brighton Dome

1993 Coverdale-Page, Osaka

♪

♪  Partial set (first songs missing) (Led Zeppelin, Brighton 1972) YouTube
♪  Full set (Coverdale/Page Osaka, Japan 20 December 1993)  YouTube
♫  1972 newsreel depicting the final run of the Brighton Belle all-Pullman electric service YouTube

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

On This Day 15 December

You never know where music will take you

2010 15 December On This Day Jimmy Page attends Gogol Bordello concert

• 1966 The Yardbirds - Kingston upon Hull, England at Hull University
• 1981 Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Peter Grant at the Golden Lion in Fulham for the Roadies Charity for Children raffle presentation.
• 1993 Jimmy Page and David Coverdale - Tokyo, Japan at Nippon Budokan (day 2) 

1981

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Peter Grant were at the Golden Lion Pub to give out prizes for the the Roadies Charity for Children Raffle. Dave Lewis was asked to help, and he provides his memories of the event at Tight But Loose.

1981 Roadies Charity for Children Raffle Prize night at Golden Lion Pub

1981 invitation to Golden Lion Roadies Charity event

2010
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from New York City.  The Artists Statement on their website says, "Gogol Bordello's task is to provoke audience out of post-modern aesthetic swamp onto a neo-optimistic communal movement toward new sources of authentic energy.  With acts of music, theatre, chaos, and sorcery..."

The band's lead singer, Eugene Hütz, co-starred with Elijah Wood in the 2005 film, Everything Is Illuminated, with the whole band appearing in one scene.  The band and various members have appeared in other movies as well, including an indie film directed by Madonna.  Elizabeth Sun, mentioned by Jimmy Page on this day, provides backing vocals, percussion, dance and general performance with Gogol Bordello.

2010 Jimmy Page with Eugene Hütz and Elizabeth Sun of Gogol Bordello

♪

♪  My Gypsy Auto Pilot (Gogol Bordello 2003) YouTube
♪  Coverdale Page Live in Japan 12.15.1993(Audio) YouTube
♪  Coverdale - Page playlist YouTube

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

On This Day 14 December

Hot. The music is hot. The boys aren't so bad, either.

1993 14 December On This Day Coverdale - Page tour begins in Japan
AUDIO: Saccharin (Coverdale/Page) Soundcloud

• 1993  Coverdale Page Tour - Tokyo, Japan at Nippon Budokan 

1993

Personnel on the Coverdale - Page tour: David Coverdale vocals, Guy Pratt bass, Brett Tuggle keyboards and Danny Carmassi drums.  Oh, and that guy on the guitar: Jimmy Page.

If you've been following this blog, you know I love the Coverdale - Page album.  The live shows a little less, because David Coverdale isn't my favorite frontman.  However, David Coverdale added a certain mature poignancy to the vocals that no other singer brought to Jimmy Page's guitar work, while at the same time diving in and mucking about in the bluesy grit of the music. The Coverdale - Page combination is almost indecent. 

For that alone, David Coverdale gets my respect. I still prefer Jimmy Page instrumentals, mind you, but I can happily listen to a lot of Coverdale - Page.

  

1993 Coverdale - Page Japanese promo

1993 Coverdale - Page

♪

♪  Saccharin (Coverdale/Page, unreleased track) YouTube
♪  Absolution Blues (Coverdale/Page, Tokyo 1993) YouTube
♪  Feeling Hot (Coverdale/Page 1993) YouTube

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

On This Day 06 December

1991 06 December On This Day Jimmy Page at Little Mountain Studios
Audio:  Feeling Hot (Soundcloud)

• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Chatenay-Malabry, Paris at L'Ecole Centrale Chatenay-Malabry
• 1983 Jimmy Page ARMS Charity Concert - Inglewood, CA at The Forum (day 2)

♪

♪  Feeling Hot (Coverdale-Page) YouTube

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

On This Day 30 August

British cowboy playin' rock blues.  Yup.  Works for me.

1969 30 August On This Day Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY
♪  Worried Blues (Buddy Guy) Soundcloud

• 1966 The Yardbirds - San Jose, CA 
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Flushing Meadows, NY 

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

1969 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at Flushing Meadow NY

I put this Japanese promo poster for Coverdale-Page here because I've been listening to Coverdale-Page a lot lately.

1993 Japanese Coverdale-Page promo

♪

♪  Worried Blues (Buddy Guy, Folk Festival of the Blues, 1994) YouTube
♪  Jennings Farm Blues/Rough Mix (Led Zeppelin, Remaster) YouTube
♪  Travelling Riverside Blues (Led Zeppelin) YouTube
♪  Absolution Blues (Coverdale-Page) YouTube

On This Day 18 April

On April 18 1993 Jimmy Page and David Coverdale were interviewed on Enëmmän tätä, Fin-TV, as part of the press junket for EMI promoting the Coverdale Page album.

1993 18 April - Coverdale-Page interviewed on Finnish TV

• 1968 Yardbirds - Winona State College, Winona Minnesota 
• 1985 The Firm - The Omni, Atlanta
• 1993 Coverdale/Page - Enëmmän tätä, Fin-TV interview

1993

I have to say, the 1993 Coverdale-Page is a fantastic album, totally underrated by those who can't get over that Jimmy Page could do something musically exciting without Robert Plant (no offense to Mr. Plant). David Coverdale brings the kind of gutsy, ballsy full commitment to the music of a song, not just to lyrics, that brings out the best in Jimmy Page and this album reflects it.

I love every song on this album. This the work of musicians who've got some miles behind them, and hard living has tempered their souls. You can hear it in the music. This is what blues is about. Coverdale-Page has an authenticity that can't be denied.

Yeah, yeah, I know that Mr. Coverdale might have let being on the stage with Jimmy Page get to his head, but forget that and listen to the music. The magic is there, people.

2019 addendum:  The album has only gotten better over the years. 

♪ Absolution Blues (Coverdale/Page 1993) Soundcloud  (one of my favorites on a whole album of favorites)

♫   Coverdale/Page - Enëmmän tätä, Fin-TV interview