In August 2008 Jimmy Page and singer Leona Lewis rode atop a double decker bus playing
Whole Lotta Love during the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.
Of the performance, Page wrote on his website last year:
On this day in 2008, I performed at the Olympic closing ceremony at Beijing, where the baton was passed on, so to speak, to London 2012. The cast members had been secretly rehearsing in London and Beijing. Armed with the double-decker bus, ballet, hip hop dancers and David Beckham, Leona Lewis and I performed ‘Whole Lotta Love’, augmented by Phillip Shepherd’s string arrangement and Prenderescki-like swoops. Along with many, I had been intoxicated by Leona’s performances on The X Factor and I was curious as to how she would approach ‘Whole Lotta Love’. Her classy delivery was sultry and impeccable, and her visual performance, dazzling to say the least! This was without doubt, one of the high points of my career, and it was one happy man who performed with such a remarkable talent.
As Page accepted the proverbial baton on behalf of London's 2012 Olympic Games, rumours of Led Zeppelin reuniting for the opening ceremonies on July 27th have been circulating. Last week, Jason Bonham told The Sun newspaper that it was unlikely Led Zeppelin would perform the ceremonies, as he hadn't even talked to Robert Plant in six months:
If you ask me today is it gonna happen immediately, well no, there is no talk of it...
Jimmy Page concurs, noting in a September interview that is making the rounds:
If they asked, it would be an honour.
They have not been asked, however, according to Page.
It seems entirely unlikely that Robert Plant would do the gig, it being the kind of performance that is likely to create as much criticism as praise for the band. As Page himself noted in the above mentioned interview:
We got so much criticism and I really don't know why. I think we did a great job - it was an honour to be there... we only had 10 minutes - what did people expect?
Page suggests if asked to reprise his role, he would be willing, but it certainly sounds like anyone trying to get tickets to the opening ceremonies based on a possible Led Zeppelin reunion should probably save their money and watch at home on TV, just in case Jimmy Page shows in a London taxi cab with Adele.
