Robert Plant and Alfie Boe: Fair or Foul

Even though the official release date is still a few days away, if you live in the UK you can download the Alfie Boe and Robert Plant duet, Song to the Siren, from iTunes now.

As it's not available by means fair or foul outside the UK, here in Canada I can only speculate that it is a surprisingly good duet. Boe is a magnificent singer, and Song to the Siren is in his wheelhouse.

The revelation is Plant. Not that he can sing, of course, but that his voice works so well in the style with which this song is done.  Plant has changed his singing style dramatically over the last ten years - maybe it's even fair to say five. Nowhere does the positive aspects of that change come across as well as it does singing next to a very musical operatic singer.

An Alfie Boe and Robert Plant duet is, to use a phrase I frankly don't like, outside the box. Yet it works far better than I expect most fans of either artist expected it to. Wether Alfie Boe can sing Black Dog remains to be seen, but this combination works.

At least that's what I might say, if I had means to access the iTunes download. If only I had relatives in the UK to do a £1 favour for me.

Jimmy Page Joins Roy Harper

If you came by this site Friday and read about Jimmy Page playing at Roy Harper's 70th birthday celebration, then went and bought a ticket based on that article, your welcome.

If you didn't, here's what you missed:


As per usual, if it happens in London, Dave Lewis was there.

Ramble on Radio Interviews James Dylan

Jimmy Page to Release Lucifer's Rising Soundtrack

What Soundtracks does Jimmy Page have hiding in the vault? According to his “On This Day” feature at jimmy page.com, Page plans to release the soundtrack to the Kenneth Anger movie, Lucifer’s Rising, “and other soundtracks.”

The Lucifer Rising prohject dates from the Led Zeppelin days, when Page agreed to do the soundtrack to fellow occult’s Anger’s defining movie. The finished project never happened, and Anger and Page’s collaboration ended in acrimony.

The soundtrack has seen the light of day as a bootleg, but it is unknown if what appears on bootleg is all there is, or if there is more. Page’s release of the music will be the first official release of the music.

But what of that cryptic phrase, and other soundtracks? Page has already announced that The Death Wish II Soundtrack will be given a limited re-release through his web page. As far as I know, there is no other known full Jimmy Page soundtracks. Is he implying there is more in the vault that have been heretofore unknown?

More likely, Lucifer's Rising is incomplete, and not enough material for a full album, so Page will add in some other songs, such as Come With Me from the Godzilla Soundtrack, some unreleased music that made it on to Death Wish III, and songs on which he performed on John Paul Jones' Scream For Help.



However, like Page promises to release material in the past, how seriously should we take these announcements anyway? When his website announced his Death Wish II Soundtrack re-release on September 15, it promised more information "over the coming weeks." It's now been 8 weeks and no new information has come out about this release, never mind the release itself. When you heard about the re-issue on September 15th, how many thought it would be out in time to surprise your favourite Zeppelin fan by Christmas?  Instead, it is 7 weeks from Christmas, and nothing except a vague promise to release yet another old soundtrack album. And, of course, "further information," on the Lucifer's Rising Soundtrack will be "in the coming weeks." Where have I heard that before?

Jimmy Page with Roy Harper

Roy Harper is celebrating his 70th birthday with a concert this weekend at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre in London. The concert will feature Harper and special guests.

[caption id="attachment_1547" align="alignright" width="199" caption="Jimmy Page & Roy Harper, 2005"][/caption]

According to Nech Tytlia, guru of FBO, one of the guests will be Jimmy Page. If he does appear, it will be the third such appearance this year, after his impromptu performance with the Black Crowes in August, and helping Donovan re-create his Sunshine Superman album by performing on the title track of that album.

However, Tytlia goes further, emphasising it will be Page and special guests.  That leaves things open to speculation as to who the other special guests might be. Will John Paul Jones or Robert Plant also show up? Plant seems unlikely as he is reported to be recently married and living in Texas, and he will be in Los Angeles Friday at a press conference with Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey. That leaves John Paul Jones as a potential special guest.

One person we know won’t be there is Jason Bonham, as he is scheduled to be at Casino Rama in Orillia with his Led Zeppelin Experience, hanging out with yours truly - at least that’s the plan.

If you are in London and can't make it to Orillia, you may want to help Roy Harper celebrate his 70th birthday. Who knows, Jimmy Page might just be there.

Robert Plant and Patty Griffin Married?

This site is not, nor has it ever intended to be a gossip site, intent upon the personal lives of the musicians of Led Zeppelin. However, some stories of a personal nature are certainly of interest to Led Zeppelin fans, and if they have potential impact on future musical decisions of band members, relevant.

With that caveat in, a report emerged last week that Robert Plant and his Band of Joy singing partner, Patty Griffin, have married. Nech Tytlia, co-administrator and guru of For Badgeholders Only, considered by myself to be a reliable source, sent a message to subscribers last week. The content of the posting was a simple acronym SSIA (Subject Says It All).

So it would appear that Plant and Griffin, long rumoured to be romantically attached, have exchanged matrimonial vows, although no official word or announcement has emerged as of yet.

Assuming the report to be true, what does it say about Plant’s future musical plans?

Last month he appeared a the El Cosmico for the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music & Love, in Marfa, Texas, with Griffin and a new band, called Crown Vic. They played old rock standards, including some reworked Led Zeppelin songs, in a similar vein to Band of Joy. Plant was also reported to have bought a place in Texas, near the members of Crown Vic (Griffin also resides in Texas).

Based on the marriage report and the report of him moving to Texas, it seems reasonable to assume that Robert Plant’s next project going forward will be Crown Vic, with Griffin.

However, at the Americana Music Awards last month, Plant said of guitarist Buddy Miller, “... I'm never gonna go anywhere without Buddy Miller, ever."

As available evidence suggests that Crown Vic is, in fact, Plant’s next thing, it may be that Plant had already decided not to work with Buddy Miller on his next project. Miller is, however, a busy in demand musician with his own projects, and it may be that Miller was unavailable for a period.

Whether it's with Crown Vic, the Band of Joy, or something entirely new, one thing seems likely, wherever Plant goes in the next few years, Patty Griffin will too.





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Update: A number of sites have picked up this story, including Classic Rock and Blabbermouth. They are also citing sources as saying Plant and Griffin are sporting wedding rings. Robert Plant, however, is apparently denying they are married.
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Update #2: A picture of the couple giving out Halloween treats is currently making the rounds. It is very low def, however, it appears Griffin is wearing a ring on her left hand ring finger

Sunshine Sketches of Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience

Jason Bonham rolls into Central Ontario this weekend, playing Casino Rama in Orillia. Orillia’s claim to fame is the home of Canadian author and humourist Stephen Leacock, and the setting of his most famous book, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Townis reputed to be Orillia.

Heading into the show, Toronto Sun’s Darryl Sterdan has a short interview that is full of information. Bonham tells Sterdan that, should there be another Led Zeppelin Reunion, he’ll find out when we all find out:

When I was last with those guys they said, ‘You will always be the last to know of anything from now on because you can’t keep your mouth shut.’

He adds defeatedly, “They said ‘What are you going to do? Say no?’”

There are a few more very interesting tidbits in the interview, including that the band had to learn “the entire catalogue.” These guys are prepared to play any Zeppelin song (note to Bonham: Fool in the Rain on Saturday Nov 5, please).

As well, he Bonham reports that Black Country Communion will be recording ‘3’ sometime next year. This was reported previously, but Glenn Hughes has since announced he’s recording a solo album and doing a world tour in 2012, which seemed to preclude also doing a BCC album.

Hopefully Black Country Communion doesn't have the same "don't tell Jason rule" as Led Zeppelin does.