Monday, December 21, 2015

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)


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

Sunday, December 20, 2015

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

Saturday, December 19, 2015

On This Day 19 December


1978 19 December On This Day In Through The Out Door at Polar Studios
  • 1968 Led Zeppelin - Exeter, England at Exeter Civic Hall
  • 1974 Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones encore with Bad Company & Duster Bennett - London, at Rainbow Theatre
  • 1986 Jimmy Page joins Robert Plant during Honeydrippers benefit show, Stourport at Civic Center


♪  In The Evening - Rough Mix (Led Zeppelin In Through The Out Door  Remastered) YouTube
♪  All My Love (Led Zeppelin, In Through The Out Door) YouTube
♪ I'm Gonna Crawl (Led Zeppelin, In Through The Out Door) YouTube

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

Friday, December 18, 2015

On This Day 18 December

Some people smash guitars. Others just smash the boundaries of music.
1966 18 December On This Day Blow Up premieres in New York
Note:  I'm still dealing with all kinds of uproar in my personal life right now, so Mage Music posts remain.... um... basic.  That's it.  Basic.









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

Thursday, December 17, 2015

On This Day 17 December


1987 17 December On This Day Outrider sessions begin at Jimmy Page's Sol Studios
Sorry - life is interfering with my maintaining this blog. Posts will be limited for a while.




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

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

On This Day 16 December

Where's Jimmy?
1968 16 December On This Day Led Zeppelin at Bath

  • 1968 Led Zeppelin - Bath, England at Bath Pavilion
  • 1972 Led Zeppelin - Birmingham, England at Birmingham Odeon Theatre 

1968
This is one of those times when you have to read carefully. Led Zeppelin didn't play Bath three years in a row on this day, but at three different times in those three years. But that's OK.

Dave Lewis reports in his excellent reference, Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, that Robert and Jimmy learned about what roadies were able to do at the 1968 venue at Bath while they were watching the support band, Yellow Brick Road (not to be confused with the more recent band of that name).  As reported by Dave, that band's roadie ran onto the stage to replace a busted drum.  Prophetically, perhaps, Robert commented, "Jimmy, we must remember that."

It's hard to remember there was ever a time when the boys of Led Zeppelin were still new at their game.


1972 Led Zeppelin at Birmingham Odeon
2007
Yeah, I know that the O2 was over by this point, but the celebration goes on. Nobody minds looking at more photos, right?
2007 09 December Jimmy Page at O2 rehearsal (Ross Halfin photo)

2007 09 December O2 rehearsal (Ross Halfin photo)


I've included links today to a few songs from BBC Sessions in addition to a couple from the 1972 show.  Just because.


♪  Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin Birmingham 1972) YouTube
♪  Over the Hills and Far Away (Led Zeppelin Birmingham 1972) YouTube
♪  How Many More Times (Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions 1997 release) YouTube
♪  Whole Lotta Love / Medley (Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions 1997 release) YouTube
♪  Thank You (Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions 1997 release) YouTube

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

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

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