The Led Zeppelin Podcast Episode 121

In the recent episode of Ramble on Radio I spend some time discussing the The Complete BBC Sessions. You can download to the episode here, or listen below below.





As well I discussed two new books. Led Zeppelin - Day by Day by Marc Roberty was released in July and is available to order now. Here's what Amazon says about the book:

The year 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Led Zeppelin's formation. From their first rehearsal in a small dingy space in Soho in 1968 until their last concert in 1980, the band conquered the world. Their grueling concert work schedule captured young people's imagination around the globe. Unique inventiveness and originality guaranteed huge album sales and sold-out concerts. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were the charismatic front men, backed by the superhuman rhythm section of John Bonham and John Paul Jones. Together they produced some truly timeless music, which continues to endure today. Their huge popularity, however, inevitably came at a cost when drugs and alcohol abuse in the last few years of the band's existence started to stifle their creative force, and the untimely death of drummer John Bonham signaled the end of the band. This day-by-day book details all of the concerts the band performed with set lists (where known) and includes reviews of several significant shows throughout their career. Recording sessions for each album and session work undertaken by individual members are listed in chronological order. The book also corrects previously undetected mistakes as well as providing new information. Quotes from recording engineers and studio staff help paint a true picture of what it was like being in the studio with the band.

No Quarter: The Three Lives of Jimmy Page by Martin Power won't be available until October 11, but will probably be the hottest Led Zeppelin book this holiday season.

The new biography of the leader of the rock band Led Zeppelin, who is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time.
A major biography of Jimmy Page―the first since 2009 (Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page was primarily a photo book), No Quarter is a comprehensive account of the life and times of a legendary musician and celebrity. From his time as a session guitarist in the ‘60s, working with legendary rock groups like The Kinks and The Who, to his time with the Yardbirds and his eventual founding on Led Zeppelin and his post-Zeppelin career, this book is a rich, insightful telling of Page’s story. It has all the sex and drugs you’d expect from a rock icon, but Page is widely considered to be a mysterious figure and Martin Power’s biography will shed light on 50 color and b&w photographs

The Three Lives of Jimmy Page is available to pre-order now.







You can download the podcast at Podbean or Spreaker. If you go to Spreaker, be sure to follow the episode.

You can also subscribe on iTunes. If you subscribe via iTunes, be sure to leave a review.



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BBC Sessions Reissue

Product links for a new, remastered BBC Sessions on Vinyl and CD was released on Amazon. The links show the BBC sessions getting the full re-release treatment, including 5-LP, 3-CD Deluxe Edition, currently priced at $180US.

Alternate "reverse" cover for BBC sessions.

The remasters will be released September 16 and come in a 5-LP 180 Gram Vinyl Edition ($100), a 3-CD Edition ($25) as well as a Super Deluxe Edition 3-CD/5-LP Edition. The Deluxe Edition has a 48-page booklet and presumably there will be a corresponding digital release, and currently iTunes is showing no listing for this album whatsoever. The set was remastered by John Davis and Jimmy Page.

Word has it that Tight But Loose's Dave Lewis wrote "session-by-session notes" for the liner notes.

Here's the tracklising for the 3-CD, 5-LP deluxe edition. You can extrapolate trackless for the individual releases from this:

Disc: 1 (CD-1)

1. You Shook Me (23/3/69 Top Gear)
2. I Can't Quit You Baby (23/3/69 Top Gear)
3. Communication Breakdown (22/6/69 Pop Sundae)
4. Dazed And Confused (23/3/69 Top Gear)
5. The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair (22/6/69 Pop Sundae)
6. What Is And What Should Never Be (29/6/69 Top Gear)
7. Communication Breakdown (29/6/69 Top Gear)
8. Travelling Riverside Blues (29/6/69 Top Gear)
9. Whole Lotta Love (29/6/69 Top Gear)
10. Somethin' Else (22/6/69 Pop Sundae)
11. Communication Breakdown (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
12. I Can't Quit You Baby (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
13. You Shook Me (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
14. How Many More Times (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)

Disc: 2 (CD-2)

1. Immigrant Song (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
2. Heartbreaker (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
3. Since I've Been Loving You (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
4. Black Dog (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
5. Dazed And Confused (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
6. Stairway To Heaven (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
7. Going To California (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
8. That's The Way (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
9. Whole Lotta Love (Medley) [1/4/71 Paris Theatre]
10. Thank You (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)

Disc: 3 (CD-3)

1. Communication Breakdown (23/3/69 Top Gear)
2. What Is And What Should Never Be (22/6/69 Pop Sundae)
3. Dazed And Confused (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
4. White Summer (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
5. What Is And What Should Never Be (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
6. Communication Breakdown (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
7. I Can't Quit You Baby (14/4/69 Rhythm & Blues Session)
8. You Shook Me (14/4/69 Rhythm & Blues Session)
9. Sunshine Woman (14/4/69 Rhythm & Blues Session)

Disc: 4 (LP-1)

1. You Shook Me (23/3/69 Top Gear)
2. I Can't Quit You Baby (23/3/69 Top Gear)
3. Communication Breakdown (29/6/69 Top Gear)
4. Travelling Riverside Blues (29/6/69 Top Gear)

Disc: 5 (LP-2)

1. Whole Lotta Love (29/6/69 Top Gear)
2. How Many More Times (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
3. Communication Breakdown (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
4. I Can't Quit You Baby (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)


Disc: 6 (LP-3)

1. Immigrant Song (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
2. Heartbreaker (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
3. Since I've Been Loving You (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
4. Black Dog (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)


Disc: 7 (LP-4)

1. Whole Lotta Love (Medley) [1/4/71 Paris Theatre]
2. Thank You (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
3. That's The Way (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)

Disc: 8 (LP-5)

1. What Is And What Should Never Be (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
2. Communication Breakdown (1/4/71 Paris Theatre)
3. I Can't Quit You Baby (14/4/69 Rhythm & Blues Session)
4. White Summer (10/8/69 Playhouse Theatre)
5. Sunshine Woman (14/4/69 Rhythm & Blues Session)


With thanks to James Cook at LedZeppelinNews, who has been releasing this story all morning.



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Page and Plant win Stairway to Heaven Plagiarism Lawsuit

By a count of 12-0 Led Zeppelin are deemed not to have taken the opening chord progression to Stairway to Heaven from Spirit's Taurus. After the verdict plaintiffs council Francis Malofiy claim they lost on a technicality, acting as though the entire lawsuit was not based on a technicality. The fact is if the first four notes of both songs where as similar as the next 12, there would never have been a lawsuit. This case boiled down to who owns the Am arpeggio in the 5th position? Answer, not Francis Malefic.


Here's Led Zeppelin's official statement about today's verdict:

We are grateful for the jury's conscientious service and pleased that is has ruled in our favour, putting a rest to questions about the origins of 'Stairway to Heaven' and confirming what we have known for 45 years. We appreciate our fans' support, and look forward to putting this legal matter behind us.

And Warner Brothers official statement:

At Warner Music Group, supporting our artists and protecting their creative freedom is paramount. We are pleased the the jury found in favour of Led Zeppelin, re-affirming the true origins of Stairway to Heaven. Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands in history, and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are peerless songwriters who created many of rock's most influential and enduring songs.

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Stairway to Heaven v. Taurus Lawsuit Has Gone to the Jury

A lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant plagiarized part of Stairway to Heaven from the Spirit song Taurus (I know, never heard of them either), has finished and a decision now rests with the jury.

The lawsuit claims Page took the opening four bars of Stairway from a similar sequence in Taurus, written by late Sprit Guitarist Randy California (nee Wolfe). The suit saw all three surviving members of Led Zeppelin taking the stand.

During testimony Jimmy Page claimed to have never heard Taurus, John Paul Jones claims never to have heard Spirit, and Robert Plant laughingly stated he had no recollection of Spirit or "mostly anybody I've ever hung out with." As well, early recordings from Headley Grange in 1971 featuring Page playing the parts of Stairway to the rest of the band, plus an early run through with incomplete lyrics were played in the courtroom.

While the opening sequence of Stairway does bear similarity to Taurus, it is not the same melody or chords, merely the descending bass line over Am chord, a sequence that appears often in musical history, dating back to the 16th century. Such 20th century standards as My Funny Valentine and Chim Chim Cher-ee use the same sequence. I have more thought and see audio examples on Episode 118 of The Ramble on Radio Podcast.




Reporter Pamela Chenin has been doing a phenomenal job of covering the trial via twitter.

The Jury is expected to have a verdict tomorrow, although they could in theory take much longer. Follow Pamela Chenin or Ramble on Radio on twitter for the verdict as it happens.




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Train - You Shook Me

From Does Led Zeppelin II :

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Ramble On Radio Episode #118

In 118th Episode of Ramble on Radio, I sit with my guitar and examine the similarities and differences between Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and Spirit's Taurus. I also look at some other examples of this appreciated chord pattern, dating back to the 17th century.




You can download the podcast at Podbean or Spreaker. If you go to Spreaker, be sure to follow the episode.

You can also subscribe on iTunes. If you subscribe via iTunes, be sure to leave a review.

Ramble on Radio is also on Stitcher Radio.



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Robert Plant Austin City Limits Performance

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters recording Austin City Limits on Monday.


 


 
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