Led Zeppelin on David Letterman

Lots of complaints today about Letterman and his interview style. Maybe I'm used to it - I used to watch Letterman quite a lot back in his NBC days - but it seemed to me he did a reasonable job. His job is to get the guests, and the guys can be reticent, to talk. He does that, not by having all the answer at his fingertips, but by asking open ended questions.

For Plant, Page and Jones, the three looked relaxed, had some fun and seemed to enjoy themselves.  Watch the very beginning when Plant starts to laugh as he and Jimmy take the seats farther away, leaving Jones in the seat next to Letterman. An interesting comment, Letterman, on talking about the Kennedy Center Honors Gala, pointed out that Jimmy said to him during the show, "musicians like playing Led Zeppelin music."

Ramble On Radio's good friend Steve, The Lemon, Sauer was at the taping of the show. His report on it was posted on FBO.

Here's the Led Zeppelin portion of last nights David Letterman Show.

Zepperman

This weekend the three original members of Led Zeppelin will get together in Washington for the Kennedy Center Honors. Along with Buddy Guy, Dustin Hoffman and David Letterman, the Zeppeliners will receive Kennedy Center Medallions from President Obama tomorrow (Saturday Dec 1). Sunday night sees the Honors Gala, a "star studded celebration" that takes place at the Kennedy Center Opera House. The Gala will be shown on PBS on Dec 26th.

On Monday, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones will be interviewed on fellow honoree David Letterman's late night television show. It seems unlikely they will play on the show, and a rumour that they were scheduled to play an acoustic version of Stairway to Heaven has already been put to rest. However, Plant and Paul Schaffer have a relationship that goes back to his Honeydrippers album, and if there is any member that would be indifferent to performing it is likely Plant.

Whether they play or not, it's a good extended weekend to be a Led Zeppelin watcher.

Robert Plant on Lettermen: The Video Evidence

Robert Plant tells the story about meeting Elvis.



More about Plant's appearance on Letterman here.



"THAT, is music!"

Robert Plant on David Letterman

Robert Plant entered the Late Night With David Letterman soundstage on Broadwayand 54th street to the sound of Good Rockin’ at Midnight. “The Honeydrippers, I played on that with Robert,” said Late show bandleader Paul Schaffer.

Plant talked about his early influences, hearing himself on the radio for the first time (“hey, that’s me,”) and meeting Elvis Presley. Elvis, he told Letterman, was very aware of his imitators. I could relate, he told Letterman:

Through the 70’s everybody took their shirt off, but they just didn’t have the chest for it.

The story ends with Plant and Presley singing to each other, a few sentimental tears being shed.

After a break, Plant sang House of Cards. Somewhat unusually for Letterman’s show, he did not sing with Shaffer’s house band but was joined onstage with his own Band of Joy.

“That is music,” Paul Schaffer said when they were done, while Letterman had an offer for mandolin playing Buddy Miller: “you come work for me,” he told him, “I’ll buy you a real guitar.”