Fundraising and 100,000 downloads

March is fundraising month here at Ramble on Radio, but as long time listeners know, I am a terrible procastinto, so by March I mean April. 

But first, some good news. The podcast reached 100,000 downloads. That's, by the way, an average of 637 downloads per episode. Over 600 Led Zeppelin fans listening to a podcast aimed directly at them. So if you have some a Led Zeppelin story, or something your selling, it's not a bad place to get your message out. 

   

The podcast is available on Podbean, Google, Apple, Stitcher Radio and Verbl. If you wish to further support Ramble on Radio, you can do so by subscribing to Patreon. There are three levels of Patronage you can choose, with bonus material available at each level. 

 As well, you can donate through PayPal:

And of course, you can e-transfer to rambleon@briangardiner.ca

The Led Zeppelin Podcast - Episode 146

I had a wonderful opportunity to talk to Mark Blake, author of Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin, and Beyond--The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager. Mark was fun, engaging and passionate about his subject.

You can buy Mark's book through Amazon. Be sure to visit Mark's own website at MarkBlake.com.





You can download Ramble on Radio at Podbean, or stream the podcast through the Podbean app.

You can also listen to and stream The Led Zeppelin Podcast at Stitcher Radio, or listen through the Stitchers app.

You can subscribe on iTunes. If you subscribe via iTunes, be sure to leave a review.  Ramble on Radio is now also available on “Google Play





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For certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

Bring It on Home

It always seems as though there’s nothing more to say, nothing more to learn, about Led Zeppelin. And then along comes a book like Mark Blake’s Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin, and Beyond--The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager, and you learn something new.

In Bring It On Home, Blake draws from new and historical interviews, his own notes and, perhaps most importantly, Grant’s personal papers which Blake was offered a chance to view from Grant’s children, Warren and Helen Grant. It is through those papers and his research we learn a new name in the Led Zeppelin tale, Herb Akin, and that Akin and long-time Zeppelin lawyer Steve Weiss had attempted a late 70’s coup of the band’s management.

But it’s not just a book about Grant’s time with Led Zeppelin and the section on Grant touring with the out of control Gene Vincent gives you perspective on what kind of experience you need to manage a personality like John Bonham, a band like Led Zeppelin.

But mostly, Bring It On Home is an entertaining and very readable book, not always so in a complex biographical subject like Grant. The Peter Grant story is an interesting one almost from the beginning, and with Bring it on Home the story is getting the telling it deserves.

If your looking for what made the man behind Led Zeppelin tick, Bring It On Home may well be the definitive source.








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For certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin

As much as they were a band about the music, Led Zeppelin always understood the importance of the visual experience. From the beginning the band was highly photogenic, and highly photographed. So it’s entirely appropriate that the fiftieth anniversary of Led Zeppelin began with the publication of a pictorial autobiography of the band, Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin.The book, similar in style and size to the earlier book Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page,offers a history of the band through pictures and, to a very minor degree, the bands own words.

The book is laid out chronologically by years (1968-69, 1970-73 &tc.) and sub-categorically by album. From the first show in Denmark in 1968, to the last at the O2 arena in London in 2007, Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin delivers a visual treat for fans. Promotional shots, pictures of the band backstage, on the plane and mostly onstage, including some great action shots, the 400 page coffee table book doesn’t miss much.

Many of the pictures have been seen before, but the size and clarity brought out here make them seem like new. Conversely, there are shots I had never seen before that were fabulous. That’s not to say every picture is a gem . There’s a few that are out of focus, or from an angle that makes you wonder why the photographer bothered to hit the shutter. But in the context of this book, even those pictures add to the tale.

The book is by no means perfect, The section marked 1979-82 is really 1979-80, plus a one page picture of the Coda album cover from 1982. The book then skips right to 2007, missing Live Aid, The Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary show and Jason Bonham’s wedding (wouldn’t you love to have seen some snap shots from the wedding jam?). But overall, it’s hard to complain with so much good material, so many pictures of the band in their prime.

If the music that Led Zeppelin puts out for the fiftieth anniversary matches the quality of this book, the next year promises to be a good one for Led Zeppelin fans. And even if not, Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelinis a first rate addition to any Zeppelin fans library.





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For certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

No Led Zeppelin on Record Store Day

The Black Friday Record Store Day list has just been released and at a casual glance there is no Led Zeppelin related items this time round.

In April, of course, we got the Sunset Studio remix of Rock and Roll, with Friends on the b/side. Other years we have had Jimmy Page era Yardbird releases, a Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes release and others. This Christmas, however, the list looks light on Led Zeppelin items.

Here's the list for your perusal.

It should be noted that some items do get added after the list is first release, and furthermore there has been some items in the past that had either Jimmy Page or John Paul Jones on the sessions for the recording, so a connection is still possible. But it looks as though a Led Zeppelin Christmas song will have to wait for another year.

For certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

The Led Zeppelin Podcast Episode 144

Dave Lewis has been on the show three times now, stretched over 4 episodes. This first time in April 2014 covered the then freshly announced remasters program, his book Then as it Was and Tight But Loose #33.  It appeared in episode 56 which is not currently available to listen to.

The second time was in July 2015, and the interview was long enough that I spread it out over both episode 100 and 101. In that interview we discussed, among other things Earls Court and Dave's book, Over Europe 1980.

Last week I talked to Dave for the third time, where we discussed the new the Led Zeppelin downloads and The Song Remains the Same remaster.  However, what we really talked about was Dave's two new books, Evenings with Led Zeppelin: The Complete Concert Chronicle 1968-1980, with co-author Mike Tremaglio which was released in July. His new photobook, Led Zeppelin Live ’75-‘77 (UK Amazon link only), features the photography of Terry O'Neill, Michael Brennan and Baron Wolman. You can hear the interview on Episode 144.




You can get more information on all things Dave Lewis at his website Tight But Loose.









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For certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

And it Begins

Led Zeppelin today announced three digital releases in conjunction with the bands 50th anniversary celebrations. The three releases are a comprehensive career spanning collection, an introduction to Led Zeppelin and a digital release of last years Record Store Day single.

Here they are one by one.

The career spanning retrospective titled Led Zeppelin X Led Zeppelin is a 30-song retrospective covering the majority of their catalogue. Click to buy or stream here.

The track listing is:

1.“Immigrant Song”
2.“Rock And Roll” (Sunset Sound Mix)
3.“Whole Lotta Love”
4.“Black Dog”
5.“Stairway To Heaven”
6.“Good Times Bad Times”
7.“Going To California”
8.“Ramble On”
9.“Kashmir”
10.“Over The Hills And Far Away”
11.“Hey Hey What Can I Do”
12.“D’Yer Maker”
13.“When The Levee Breaks”
14.“All My Love”
15.“Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”
16.“Heartbreaker”
17.“Dazed And Confused”
18.“The Song Remains The Same”
19.“Fool In The Rain”
20.“The Ocean”
21.“What Is And What Should Never Be”
22.“Houses Of The Holy”
23.“Since I’ve Been Loving You”
24.“Misty Mountain Hop”
25.“Communication Breakdown”
26.“Thank You”
27.“No Quarter”
28.“Trampled Under Foot”
29.“I Can’t Quit You Babe”
30.“In The Evening”

Note, I mentioned the majority of their catalogue, as their is no songs from Presence on the list. 

An introduction to Led Zeppelin features the first ten songs on the Led Zeppelin X Led Zeppelin collection, complete with Sunset Sound mix of Rock and Roll.  Click to buy or stream here.

Finally we get the Sunset Sound mix of Rock and Roll with the Olympic Studio mix of Friends. This set was available as a 45 RPM single on Record Store Day on April 21st this year. This is, as are all releases announced today, digital download only. You can buy or stream it here.









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For certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair