MAGE MUSIC

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The chocolate of music

I love chocolate ice cream, always have as far back as I can remember. I love ice cream in general, but chocolate is what I prefer. If not just plain chocolate, then chocolate ice cream enhanced with chunks of chocolate.

I do eat other ice cream. When I go someplace that offers multiple flavors, I get a three-scoop bowl: A scoop of rich chocolate, a scoop of cherry, and a scoop of mint chocolate chip. There's something about the combo that transports my taste buds.

But it's all based on chocolate. Has to be the right chocolate, too - not just any chocolate. It has to be rich, deep, almost bitter (not too sweet!) intense flavor. I don't eat wimpy chocolate ice cream. Why bother?

Personal choice

While I love my chocolate ice cream, I'm not saying I think anyone else should love chocolate ice cream like I do. Everyone's free to love the flavors they love. But me? Chocolate is where it all starts.

If I get a three scoop bowl, the other two flavors without the chocolate are merely ice cream, as superior as they might be. They just don't quite make it. If someone offered me high quality cherry or mint chocolate chip ice cream without any real chocolate ice cream, of course I'd accept and enjoy them. I do really like mint chocolate chip and lots of other flavors of ice cream, but they aren't chocolate. I'd eat them and enjoy them but in the back of my mind there'd be me going: it's not chocolate.

Chocolate music
It's the same with me and music (and aren't you surprised?). I love almost all music, and particularly Led Zeppelin, but it's the music of Jimmy Page I love the most. The four scoops of Led Zeppelin are the best combination in the world because of Jimmy Page. Without him, they're merely ice cream, as superior as they might be. Without him I listen and enjoy all kinds of music but I'm thinking: it's not Jimmy Page.

To put it simply, I listen to Jimmy Page's music almost exclusively because Jimmy Page is the chocolate ice cream of musicians for me.

♪ Ice Cream Dreams (Cartoones feat. Jimmy Page guitar, 1969) YouTube

On This Day 24 May

No more perfect choice to award the late, great B.B. King with the Polar Music Prize than Jimmy Page.

2004 24 May On This Day Jimmy Page presents B.B. King with Polar Music Prize

2004 Polar Music Prize guest list and seating.

1968 Yardbirds - San Francisco, California @ Fillmore Auditorium (day 2)
1969 Led Zeppelin - Chicago,IL US at Kinetic Playground (day 2)
1975 Led Zeppelin - London UK at Earls Court Arena (day 4)
2004 24 May On This Day Jimmy Page presents B.B. King with Polar Music Prize

Polar Music Prize press release for 2004 ceremony

This was day four of five for Led Zeppelin at Earls Court in 1975. Dave Lewis says in his book, Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, "Jimmy performed one of his best ever solos on Stairway to Heaven, building slowly before taking off on a seemingly never-ending spiral of virtuosity."

♪ Rock Me Baby (B.B. King) YouTube
♪ Rock Me Baby (Jimmy Page with Bad Company, Schaefer Music Festival NYC 1974) YouTube
♪ Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin - Earls Court 24 May 1975) YouTube
♪ Lux Aeterna (György Ligeti) YouTube

1975 Plant & Page of Led Zeppelin at Earls Court Exhibition Centre London - Urban Image photo

1975 Jimmy Page at Earls Court Exhibition Centre London - Urban Image photo

Saturday, May 23, 2015

On This Day 23 May

Day three of the Earls Court concerts in 1975 and, in 1969, two concerts half a continent apart in one day. Let no one say it's all fun and games and Riot Houses in the life of rock stars.

1968 23 May On This Day The Yardbirds - San Francisco,CA at Fillmore Auditorium

In 1969 Led Zeppelin performed two shows, one in San Jose CA and one in Chicago, thanks to a Lear jet provided by the promoters of the Santa Clara Pop Festival to fly the band to Chicago after their festival performance.

Even though Led Zeppelin only had one album out at this time, they appeared with some big names. The three-day festival lineup included: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, The Chambers Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Eric Burdon, Spirit, Canned Heat, Buffy Sainte-Marie, The Youngbloods, Steve Miller, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Taj Mahal, Noel Redding, Lee Michaels, Blues Image, Santana, Aum, Elvin Bishop, Poco, People!, Lynn County, The Loading Zone, Sweet Linda Divine, Cat Mother, Doc Watson & New Lost City Ramblers. Eric Burdon wound up not appearing.

1967 The Yardbirds - Bristol,England at The Corn Exchange
1968 23 May On This Day The Yardbirds - San Francisco,CA at Fillmore Auditorium
1969 Led Zeppelin - (show 1 of 2 this day) San Jose, CA at Santa Clara Pop Festival
1969 Led Zeppelin - (show 2 of 2 this day) Chicago,IL at Kinetic Playground
1973 Led Zeppelin - Albequerque,NM at University Arena
1975 Led Zeppelin - London,England at Earls Court Exhibition Hall
1976 Page and Plant jam with Bad Company at the LA Forum
1986 The Firm - Costa Mesa,CA at Pacific Amphitheatre
1995 Page & Plant (Unledded Tour ) Portland,OR at Portland Memorial Coliseum
1998 Page & Plant (North America Tour) at Jacksonville,FL at Coliseum
2012 Page at Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee party

♪ No Quarter (Led Zeppelin, Albuquerque 1973) YouTube

1975 Led Zeppelin - London,England at Earls Court Exhibition Hall - Melody Maker front page 24 May

1975 Led Zeppelin - London,England at Earls Court Exhibition Hall - NME front page 24 May

1976 Page and Plant jam with Bad Company at the LA Forum

2012 Jimmy Page at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee party at the Royal Academy

Friday, May 22, 2015

Rude World

By the way, have you read my brief Amazon review of Rude World? It's Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's contribution to the Album The Inner Flame - A Tribute to Rainer Ptacek.

♪ Rude World YouTube

1926 Silent Movie Based on Aleister Crowley

Reviewed at Dangerous Minds, the 1926 silent movie, The Magician, was adapted by Rex Ingram from the novel of that name written by W. Somerset Maugham. The main character, Haddo, was based on Aleister Crowley (1875-1947).

One sentence Mage Music review: The Magician is not the Star Wars of the silent movie era, but it has some historical value.

1926 silent movie based on Aleister Crowley

Crowley was not happy with the book. He filed an injunction against the French premier of the movie, holding out for publicity and power after being offered a settlement. Crowley lost.

Irish film director, producer, writer and actor Rex Ingram (1892-1950) made only one "talkie" but he was considered one of the top creative people of his day. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

German actor Paul Wegener as Oliver Haddo, portraying Aleister Crowley

Paul Wegener (1874-1948) was a German actor, writer and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. He started out as a law student, which may have prepared him for his acting career.

This was before Jimmy Page's time, of course. Now back to your regular musical programming.

♪ Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light) (Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti 2014 remaster) YouTube
♪ Shining in the Light (Page & Plant)YouTube

On This Day 22 May

Awards, accolades and just plain fine music on this day.

2006 22 May On This Day Led Zeppelin receive Polar Music Prize

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson, publisher, lyricist and manager of ABBA. The prize was named for Anderson´s record label, Polar Music. The Polar Music Prize is one of the most prestigious and unique music prizes in the world, awarded to individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements.

Led Zeppelin recorded In Through The Out Door at Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden November - December 1978.

1967 Yardbirds - London, England at BBC Radio
1973 Led Zeppelin - San Antonio, Texas at HemisFair Convention Center Arena
1977 Led Zeppelin - Fort Worth TX US at Tarrant County Convention Center
1985 The Firm – London at Wembley Arena
1986 The Firm - Inglewood, California at The Forum
1995 Page & Plant (Unledded North American Tour), Landover MD at Air Arena
1998 Page & Plant (North American Tour) - Miami, FL at Miami Arena
2006 22 May On This Day Led Zeppelin receive Polar Music Prize
2014 Jimmy Page attends the Ivor Novello Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England.

♪ 1977 White Summer/Black Mountain Side (Led Zeppelin - Fort Worth 1977) YouTube

1973 Led Zeppelin - San Antonio Photo: Carl Dunn

1985 Jimmy Page with The Firm at Wembley

The Times review of The Firm – 22 May 1985 London at Wembley Arena

2014 Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck at Beck's Ivor Novello Award Photo: Dave J Hogan

Thursday, May 21, 2015

On This Day 21 May

Session man 1965

1965 21 May On This Day Jimmy Page session for Vashti Bunyan

1965 - Other tracks Jimmy Page played on during the week of May 21

Vashti Bunyan is a British singer-songwriter who in 1965 was under contract to Andrew Oldham (manager and producer of The Rolling Stones at that time). Even having Jimmy Page on guitar didn't help her gain popularity back then. Over thirty years later her debut 1970 album (which didn't include the song with Jimmy Page) garnered a cult following and Bunyan was able to renew her musical career.

Bunyan talks about recording 'Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind’ in a March 2001 interview

"I was in heaven during the recording. This was especially so during the recording of my own song, hearing it arranged by David Whittaker and played by 'real' musicians. Nicky Hopkins and Big Jim Sullivan. Jimmy Page was a session musician then and was in there too."