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Led ZeppelinThe Complete Guide

ContentsOverview 1

Led Zeppelin 1

Members 17Robert Plant 17Jimmy Page 28John Paul Jones 48John Bonham 58

Side-member 68Jason Bonham 68

Discography 71Led Zeppelin discography 71

Studio albums 79Led Zeppelin 79Led Zeppelin II 85Led Zeppelin III 90Led Zeppelin IV 95Houses of the Holy 100Physical Graffiti 103Presence 108In Through the Out Door 112Coda 115

Live albums 117The Song Remains the Same 117BBC Sessions 120How the West Was Won 123

Compilation albums 126Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 126Profiled 129Led Zeppelin Remasters 130Led Zeppelin Boxed Set 2 133The Complete Studio Recordings 135

Best of Led Zeppelin 138Mothership 140Definitive Collection Mini LP Replica CD Boxset 144

Singles 147"Good Times Bad Times" 147"Communication Breakdown" 152"Whole Lotta Love" 156"Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" 166"Immigrant Song" 169"Hey Hey What Can I Do" 176"Black Dog" 178"Misty Mountain Hop" 185"Rock and Roll" 188"Four Sticks" 194"Over the Hills and Far Away" 197"Dancing Days" 201"D'yer Mak'er" 204"The Crunge" 208"The Ocean" 211"Trampled Under Foot" 214"Black Country Woman" 217"Candy Store Rock" 220"Royal Orleans" 222"Fool in the Rain" 225"Hot Dog" 229

Songs 232"Achilles Last Stand" 232"All My Love" 235"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" 237"Baby Come On Home" 241"The Battle of Evermore" 243"Black Mountain Side" 247"Bonzo's Montreux 249"Boogie with Stu" 251"Bring It On Home" 253"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" 256

"Bron-Yr-Aur" 259"C'mon Everybody" 261"Carouselambra" 264"Celebration Day" 266"Custard Pie" 268"Darlene" 270"Dazed and Confused" 271"Down by the Seaside" 277"For Your Life" 279"Friends" 281"The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair" 284"Going to California" 286"Hats Off to (Roy) Harper" 289"Heartbreaker" 291"Hots On for Nowhere" 294"Houses of the Holy" 296"How Many More Times" 298"I Can't Quit You Baby" 301"I'm Gonna Crawl" 304"In My Time of Dying" 305"In the Evening" 309"In the Light" 311"Kashmir" 313"LA Drone" 320"The Lemon Song" 321"The Maid Freed from the Gallows" 323"Moby Dick" 329"Night Flight" 332"No Quarter" 334"Nobody's Fault but Mine" 337"Out on the Tiles" 340"Ozone Baby" 342"Poor Tom" 344"The Rain Song" 346"Ramble On" 348"The Rover" 353"Sick Again" 355"Since I've Been Loving You" 357

"Somethin' Else" 360"The Song Remains the Same" 363"South Bound Saurez 365"Stairway to Heaven" 367"Tangerine" 379"Tea for One" 381"Ten Years Gone" 383"Thank You" 386"That's the Way" 389"Travelling Riverside Blues" 391"Walter's Walk" 394"The Wanton Song" 396"We're Gonna Groove" 398"Wearing and Tearing" 399"What Is and What Should Never Be" 401"When the Levee Breaks" 403"White Summer" 407"You Shook Me" 409"Your Time Is Gonna Come" 412

Videography 414The Song Remains the Same 414Led Zeppelin 419

Bootlegs 422Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings 422Burn Like a Candle 427For Badgeholders Only 428Listen to This Eddie 430Live on Blueberry Hill 432Destroyer 433

Tours 434Led Zeppelin concerts 434Scandinavian Tour 1968 438United Kingdom Tour 1968 440North American Tour 1968-1969 442United Kingdom and Scandinavian Tour 1969 445

North American Tour Spring 1969 447United Kingdom Tour Summer 1969 449North American Tour Summer 1969 451European Tour Autumn 1969 454North American Tour Autumn 1969 456United Kingdom Tour 1970 458European Tour 1970 460North American Tour Spring 1970 463Tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany, Summer 1970 466North American Tour Summer 1970 469United Kingdom Tour Spring 1971 471European Tour 1971 473North American Tour 1971 475Japanese Tour 1971 478United Kingdom Tour Winter 1971 480Australasian Tour 1972 483North American Tour 1972 485Japanese Tour 1972 488United Kingdom Tour 1972-1973 490European Tour 1973 493North American Tour 1973 495North American Tour 1975 500Earls Court 1975 504North American Tour 1977 507Knebworth Festival 1979 511Tour Over Europe 1980 515Ahmet Ertegn Tribute Concert 518

Related articles 522Bron-Yr-Aur 522Caesar's Chariot 523Peter Clifton 524Richard Cole 526Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin 530Peter Grant 531Great Zeppelin: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin 536Hammer of the Gods 537Holy Haunted House 538

Headley Grange 539In the Name of My Father: The Zepset 541Joe Massot 542Mike Millard 542The Music Remains the Same: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin 543Mythgem Limited 544Page and Plant 545Pickin' on Led Zeppelin, Vol. 12 548Shark episode 549Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored 551The Starship 552Swan Song Records 554Three Week Hero 558Tribute to Led Zeppelin 559Tributes to Led Zeppelin 560When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin 563Zacron 564

ReferencesArticle Sources and Contributors 565Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 579

Article LicensesLicense 582

1Overview

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin live at Chicago Stadium, January 1975Background information

Also known as The New Yardbirds, The Nobs[1]

Origin London, England

Genres Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, folk rock

Years active 19681980(Reunions: 1985, 1988, 1995, 2007)

Labels Atlantic, Swan Song

Associated acts Page and Plant, The Honeydrippers, The Yardbirds

Website [ledzeppelin.com ledzeppelin.com]

Past members

Jimmy PageJohn Paul Jones

Robert PlantJohn Bonham

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 that consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer RobertPlant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones. With their heavy, guitar-driven blues-rock sound, LedZeppelin are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal[2] [3] and hard rock,[4] [5] even though the band'sindividualistic style drew from many sources and transcends any one music genre.[6] [7] Led Zeppelin did not releasesongs from their albums as singles in the United Kingdom, as they preferred to develop the concept ofalbum-oriented rock.[3]

More than 30 years after disbanding following Bonham's death in 1980, Led Zeppelin continue to be held in high regard for their artistic achievements, commercial success, and broad influence. The band are widely considered to be one of the most successful, innovative and influential bands in the history of rock music. Led Zeppelin have sold over 200million albums worldwide according to some sources,[8] while other sources state sales of more than 300 million records,[9] including 111.5million certified units in the United States,[10] making them one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, as well as the second best selling band of all time in the United States.[10] They have had all of their original studio albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard album chart in the US, with six reaching the number one spot.[11] Rolling Stone magazine has described Led Zeppelin as "the heaviest band of all time",[12]

Led Zeppelin 2

"the biggest band of the '70s"[13] and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history".[2] Similarly,the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described the band in the 1970s as being "as influential in that decade as The Beatleswere in the prior one".[14]

In 2007, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunited (along with John Bonham's son, Jason) for the AhmetErtegn Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London. The band was honoured with the "Best Live Act" prize for theirone-off reunion at MOJO Awards 2008,[15] where they were declared the "greatest rock and roll band of all time."[16]

History

FormationIn 1966, Jimmy Page joined the blues-influenced rock band The Yardbirds to replace bassist Paul Samwell-Smith.Shortly after, Page switched from bass to lead guitar, creating a dual lead-guitar lineup with Jeff Beck. Following thedeparture of Beck in October 1966, The Yardbirds, who were tired from constant touring and recording, began towind down.[17] Page wanted to form a supergroup with himself and Beck on guitars, and The Who's rhythmsectiondrummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle.[18] Vocalists Steve Winwood and Steve Marriott werealso considered for the project.[19] [20] The group never formed, although Page, Beck and Moon did record a songtogether in 1966, "Beck's Bolero", which is featured on Beck's 1968 album, Truth. The recording session alsoincluded bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones, who told Page that he would be interested in collaborating with him onfuture projects.[21]

The Yardbirds played their final gig in July 1968 at Luton College of Technology in Bedfordshire, England.[22] Theywere still committed to performing several concerts in Scandinavia, so drummer Jim McCarty and vocalist KeithRelf authorised Page and bassist Chris Dreja to use the Yardbirds name to fulfill the band's obligations. Page andDreja began putting a new line-up together. Page's first choice for lead singer, Terry Reid, declined the offer, butsuggested Robert Plant, a Stourbridge singer for the Band of Joy.[3] [23] Plant eventually accepted the position,recommending drummer John Bonham from nearby Redditch.[3] When Dreja dropped out of the project to become aphotographer (he would later take the photograph that appeared on the back of Led Zeppelin's debut album), JohnPaul Jones, at the suggestion of his wife, contacted Page about the vacant position.[24] Being familiar with Jones'credentials, Page agreed to bring in Jones as the final piece.The group played together for the first time in a room below a record store on Gerrard Street in London.[25] [26] Pagesuggested that they try playing "Train Kept A-Rollin'", a rockabilly song popularised by Johnny Burnette that hadbeen given new life by the Yardbirds. "As soon as I heard John Bonham play," recalled Jones, "I knew this wasgoing to be great... We locked together as a team immediately."[27] Shortly afterwards, the group played together onthe final day of sessions for the P.J. Proby album, Three Week Hero. The album's song "Jim's Blues" was the firststudio track to feature all four members of the future Led Zeppelin.[19] Proby recalled, "Come the last day we foundwe had some studio time, so I just asked the band to play while I just came up with the words... They weren't LedZeppelin at the time, they were the New Yardbirds and they were going to be my band."[28]

The band completed the Scandinavian tour as The New Yardbirds, playing together for the first time in front of a live audience at Gladsaxe Teen Clubs in Gladsaxe, Denmark, on 7 September 1968.[29] [30] Later that month, the group began recording their first album, which was based upon their live set at the time. The album was recorded and mixed in nine days, with all costs covered by Page himself.[31] After the album's completion, the band was forced to change their name after Chris Dreja issued a cease and desist letter, stating that Page was only allowed to use the New Yardbirds name for the Scandinavian dates.[32] One account of the band's naming has it that Keith Moon and John Entwistle, drummer and bassist for The Who, respectively, suggested that a possible supergroup containing themselves, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck would go down like a "lead balloon", a traditional joke describing disastrous results.[33] The group deliberately dropped the 'a' in lead at the suggestion of their manager, Peter Grant, to prevent "thick Americans"[21] from pronouncing it "leed".[34] The word "balloon" was transformed into "zeppelin", perhaps

Led Zeppelin 3

an exaggeration of the humour, and to Page the name conjured the perfect combination of heavy and light,combustibility and grace.[33]

Grant also secured for the new band an advance deal of $200,000 from Atlantic Records in November 1968, whichwas then one of biggest deals of its kind for a new band.[28] . Atlantic was a label known for a catalogue of blues,soul and jazz artists, but in the late 1960s it began to take an interest in progressive British rock acts, and signed LedZeppelin without having ever seen them, largely on the recommendation of singer Dusty Springfield.[26] [35] Underthe terms of the contract secured by Grant, the band alone would decide when they would release albums and tour,and had final say over the contents and design of each album. They also would decide how to promote each releaseand which (if any) tracks to release as singles, and formed their own company, Superhype, to handle all publishingrights.[36]

Early years (196870)The band officially declared they were changing their name to Led Zeppelin on 14 October 1968, and played theirfirst show under the new name at the University of Surrey in Guildford on 25 October.[37] This was followed by aUS concert debut on 26 December 1968 before moving on to the west coast for dates in cities including Los Angelesand San Francisco.[38] Led Zeppelin was released in the USA on 12 January 1969, while the tour was underway. Itdidn't appear in their native UK until 31 March 1969. The album's blend of blues, folk and eastern influences withdistorted amplification made it one of the pivotal records in the creation of heavy metal music.[3] Plant hascommented that it is unfair for people to typecast the band as heavy metal, since about a third of their music wasacoustic.[39] On their first album Plant receives no credit for his contributions to the songwriting, a result of hisprevious association with CBS Records.[40] By 1975, the album had grossed $7,000,000.[41]

Plant and Page performing at the Montreux JazzFestival in March 1970. The band would soonretire to the Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales to

record Led Zeppelin III.

In their first year, Led Zeppelin managed to complete four US and fourUK concert tours, and also released their second album, entitled LedZeppelin II.[28] Recorded almost entirely on the road at various NorthAmerican recording studios, the second album was an even greatersuccess and reached the number one chart position in the US and theUK.[42] The band further developed ideas established on their debutalbum, creating a work which became even more widely acclaimed andarguably more influential.[43] It has been suggested that Led Zeppelin IIlargely wrote the blueprint for heavy metal bands that followed it.[43][44]

Following the album's release, Led Zeppelin completed several moreUS tours. They played initially in clubs and ballrooms, then in larger

auditoriums as their popularity grew.[3] Some early Led Zeppelin concerts lasted more than four hours, withexpanded, improvised live versions of their song repertoire. Many of these shows have been preserved as LedZeppelin bootleg recordings. It was also during this period of intensive concert touring that the band developed areputation for off-stage excess.[45] One alleged example of such extravagance was the shark episode, or red snapperincident, which is said to have taken place at the Edgewater Inn in Seattle, Washington, on 28 July 1969.[21] [45]

For the composition of their third album, Led Zeppelin III, Page and Plant retired to Bron-Yr-Aur, a remote cottage in Wales, in 1970.[46] The result was a more acoustic sound which was strongly influenced by folk and Celtic music, and revealed the band's versatility.[36] The album's rich acoustic sound initially received mixed reactions, with many critics and fans surprised at the turn taken away from the primarily electric compositions of the first two albums. Over time, its reputation has improved and Led Zeppelin III is now generally praised.[47] [48] The album's opening track, "Immigrant Song", was released in November 1970 by Atlantic Records as a single against the band's wishes.[49] It included their only non-album B-side, "Hey Hey What Can I Do". Even though the band saw their albums as indivisible, whole listening experiences, and their manager, Peter Grant, maintained an aggressive

Led Zeppelin 4

pro-album stance, some singles were released without their consent. The group also increasingly resisted televisionappearances, enforcing their preference that their fans hear and see them in live concerts.[26] [50] [51]

"The Biggest Band In The World" (197175)

The four symbols on the label and inside sleeveof Led Zeppelin IV, representing Page, Jones,

Bonham and Plant.

Led Zeppelin were one of the most commercially successful andinfluential groups of the 1970s.[52] The band's popularity in the earlyyears was dwarfed by their mid-seventies successes and it is this periodthat continues to define them.[21] [45] The band's image also changed asmembers began to wear elaborate, flamboyant clothing. Led Zeppelinbegan traveling in a private jet airliner (nicknamed The Starship),[45]

rented out entire sections of hotels (including the Continental HyattHouse in Los Angeles, known colloquially as the "Riot House"), and became the subject of many of rock's mostrepeated stories of debauchery. One escapade involved John Bonham riding a motorcycle through a rented floor ofthe Riot House,[45] while another involved the destruction of a room in the Tokyo Hilton, leading to the band beingbanned from that establishment for life.[26] [53] Although Led Zeppelin developed a reputation for trashing their hotelsuites and throwing television sets out of the windows, some suggest that these tales have been somewhatexaggerated. Music journalist Chris Welch argues that "[Led Zeppelin's] travels spawned many stories, but it was amyth that [they] were constantly engaged in acts of wanton destruction and lewd behavior."[26]

Led Zeppelin's fourth album was released on 8 November 1971. There was no indication of a title or a band name onthe original cover, as the band disdained being labelled as "hyped" and "overrated" by the music press, and inresponse wanted to prove that the music could sell itself by giving no indication of who they were.[23] The albumremained officially untitled and is most commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, though it is variously referred toby the four symbols appearing on the record label, as Four Symbols and The Fourth Album (both titles were used inthe Atlantic Records catalogue), Untitled, Zoso, Runes, or IV.[54] Led Zeppelin IV is one of the best-selling albums inhistory and its massive popularity cemented Led Zeppelin's superstardom in the 1970s. To date it has sold 23millioncopies in the United States.[55] The track "Stairway to Heaven", although never released as a single, is sometimesquoted as being the most requested,[56] and most played[57] album-oriented rock FM radio song.

Plant and Page perform acoustically in Hamburgin March 1973, just before the release of Led

Zeppelin's fifth album, Houses of the Holy

Led Zeppelin's next album, Houses of the Holy, was released in 1973.It featured further experimentation, with expanded use of synthesisersand mellotron orchestration. The song "Houses of the Holy" does notappear on its namesake album, even though it was recorded at the sametime as other songs that do appear; it eventually made its way onto the1975 album Physical Graffiti.[21] The orange album cover of Houses ofthe Holy depicts images of nude children[58] climbing up the Giant'sCauseway (in County Antrim, Northern Ireland). Although the childrenare not depicted from the front, this was controversial at the time of thealbum's release, and in some areas, such as the "Bible Belt" and Spain,the record was banned.[59] [60]

The album topped the charts, and Led Zeppelin's subsequent concert tour of North America in 1973 broke recordsfor attendance, as they consistently filled large auditoriums and stadiums. At Tampa Stadium, Florida, they played to56,800 fans (breaking the record set by The Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965), and grossed $309,000.[21] Threesold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York were filmed for a motion picture, but the theatrical releaseof this project (The Song Remains the Same) would be delayed until 1976. Before the final night's performance,$180,000 of the band's money from gate receipts was stolen from a safe deposit box at the Drake Hotel.[61] It wasnever recovered.[62]

Led Zeppelin 5

In 1974, Led Zeppelin took a break from touring and launched their own record label, Swan Song, named after oneof only five Led Zeppelin songs which the band never released commercially (Page later re-worked the song with hisband, The Firm, and it appears as "Midnight Moonlight" on their first album). The record label's logo, based on adrawing called Evening: Fall of Day (1869) by William Rimmer, features a picture of Icarus.[63] The logo can befound on much Led Zeppelin memorabilia, especially t-shirts. In addition to using Swan Song as a vehicle topromote their own albums, the band expanded the label's roster, signing artists such as Bad Company, The PrettyThings, Maggie Bell, Detective, Dave Edmunds, Midnight Flyer, Sad Caf and Wildlife.[3] The label was successfulwhile Led Zeppelin existed, but folded less than three years after they disbanded.[21]

Led Zeppelin perform at Chicago Stadium inJanuary 1975, a few weeks before the release of

Physical Graffiti

In 1975 Led Zeppelin released the double album, Physical Graffiti,which was their first release on the Swan Song label. It consisted offifteen songs, eight of which were recorded at Headley Grange in 1974,the remainder being tracks previously recorded but not released onearlier albums. A review in Rolling Stone magazine referred toPhysical Graffiti as Led Zeppelin's "bid for artistic respectability",adding that the only competition the band had for the title of 'World'sBest Rock Band' were The Rolling Stones and The Who.[64] The albumwas a massive fiscal and critical success. Shortly after the release ofPhysical Graffiti, all previous Led Zeppelin albums simultaneouslyre-entered the top-200 album chart,[21] and the band embarked onanother North American tour, again playing to record-breaking crowds.In May 1975, Led Zeppelin played five sold-out nights at the Earls Court Arena in London, at the time the largestarena in Britain.[65]

Hiatus from touring and return (197577)Following these triumphant Earls Court appearances Led Zeppelin took a holiday and planned a series of outdoorsummer concerts in America, scheduled to open with two dates in San Francisco.[50] These plans were thwarted inAugust 1975 when Robert Plant and his wife Maureen were involved in a serious car crash while on holiday inRhodes, Greece. Robert suffered a broken ankle and Maureen was badly injured; a blood transfusion saved herlife.[21] Unable to tour, Plant headed to the Channel Island of Jersey to spend August and September recuperating,with Bonham and Page in tow. The band then reconvened in Malibu, California. It was during this forced hiatus thatmuch of the material for their next album, Presence, was written.By this time, Led Zeppelin were the world's number one rock attraction,[50] having outsold most bands of the time,including The Rolling Stones.[21] Presence, released in March 1976, marked a change in the Led Zeppelin soundtowards more straightforward, guitar-based jams, departing from the acoustic ballads and intricate arrangementsfeatured on their previous albums. Though it was a platinum seller, Presence received mixed responses from criticsand fans and some said the band's excesses may have caught up with them.[3] [66] The recording of Presencecoincided with the beginning of Page's heroin use, which may have interfered with Led Zeppelin's later live showsand studio recordings, although Page has denied this.[67]

Led Zeppelin 6

Plant and Page perform in Chicago in April 1977,during Led Zeppelin's last-ever North American

tour

Plant's injuries prevented Led Zeppelin from touring in 1976. Instead,the band finally completed the concert film The Song Remains theSame, and the soundtrack album of the film. The recording had takenplace during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in July1973, during the band's concert tour of North America. The filmpremiered in New York on 20 October 1976, but was given alukewarm reception by critics and fans.[3] The film was particularlyunsuccessful in the UK, where, after being unwilling to tour since 1975due to a taxation exile, Led Zeppelin were facing an uphill battle torecapture the public spotlight at home.[68]

In 1977, Led Zeppelin embarked on another major concert tour ofNorth America. Here the band set another attendance record, with76,229 people attending their Pontiac Silverdome concert on 30April.[69] It was, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the

largest attendance to date for a single act show.[50] Though the tour was financially profitable it was beset withoff-stage problems. On 19 April over 70 persons were arrested as about 1,000 ticketless fans tried to gatecrashCincinnati Riverfront Coliseum for two sold out festival seating concerts while some tried to gain entry by throwingrocks and bottles through glass entrance doors. On 3 June a concert at Tampa Stadium was cut short because of asevere thunderstorm, despite tickets printed with "Rain or Shine". A riot broke out amongst the audience, resulting inseveral arrests and injuries.[70]

After a 23 July show[71] at the Days on the Green festival at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, JohnBonham and members of the band's support staff were arrested after a member of promoter Bill Graham's staff wasbadly beaten during the band's performance.[21] [72] The following day's second Oakland concert[73] would prove tobe the band's final live appearance in the United States. Two days later, as the band checked in at a French Quarterhotel for their 30 July performance at the Louisiana Superdome, news came that Plant's five year old son, Karac, haddied from a stomach virus. The rest of the tour was immediately cancelled, prompting widespread speculation aboutthe band's future.[3] [26]

Bonham's death and break-up (197880)

After the death of Bonham (picturedin 1975) on 24 September 1980, theremaining members of Led Zeppelin

decided to disband the group.

November 1978 saw the group recording again, this time at Polar Studios inStockholm, Sweden. The resultant album was In Through the Out Door, whichexhibited a degree of sonic experimentation that again drew mixed reactionsfrom critics. Nevertheless, the band still commanded legions of loyal fans, andthe album easily reached number 1 in the UK and the US in just its second weekon the Billboard album chart. As a result of this album's release, Led Zeppelin'sentire catalogue made the Billboard Top 200 between the weeks of 27 Octoberand 3 November 1979.[50]

In August 1979, after two warm-up shows in Copenhagen, Led Zeppelinheadlined two concerts at the Knebworth Music Festival, where crowds of closeto 120,000 witnessed the return of the band. Plant was not eager to tour full-timeagain, and even considered leaving Led Zeppelin. He was persuaded to stay byPeter Grant. A brief, low-key European tour was undertaken in June and July1980, featuring a stripped-down set without the usual lengthy jams and solos. At

Led Zeppelin 7

one show on 27 June, in Nuremberg, Germany, the concert came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the third songwhen John Bonham collapsed on stage and was rushed to a hospital.[74] Press speculation arose that Bonham'sproblem was caused by an excess of alcohol and drugs, but the band claimed that he had simply overeaten, and theycompleted the show.[21] [75]

On 24 September 1980, John Bonham was picked up by Led Zeppelin assistant Rex King to attend rehearsals atBray Studios for an upcoming North American tour, the band's first since 1977, scheduled to commence on 17October.[26] During the journey Bonham had asked to stop for breakfast, where he downed four quadruple vodkas(450ml), with a ham roll. After taking a bite of the ham roll he said to his assistant, "Breakfast". He continued todrink heavily when he arrived at the studio. A halt was called to the rehearsals late in the evening and the bandretired to Page's houseThe Old Mill House in Clewer, Windsor. After midnight, Bonham had fallen asleep andwas taken to bed and placed on his side. At 1:45pm the next day Benji LeFevre (who had replaced Richard Cole asLed Zeppelin's tour manager) and John Paul Jones found him dead.[26] The cause of death was asphyxiation fromvomit, and a verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest held on 27 October.[26] An autopsy found no otherdrugs in Bonham's body. Bonham was cremated on 10 October 1980, and his ashes buried at Rushock parish churchin Droitwich, Worcestershire.The planned North American tour was cancelled, and despite rumours that Cozy Powell, Carmine Appice,Barriemore Barlow, Simon Kirke or Bev Bevan would join the group as his replacement, the remaining membersdecided to disband after Bonham's death. They issued a press statement on 4 December 1980 confirming that theband would not continue without Bonham. The statement said, "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dearfriend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that wecould not continue as we were," and was simply signed "Led Zeppelin".[26]

Post-breakup events

1980s

The first significant post-Led Zeppelin project was The Honeydrippers, a band formed in 1981 by Robert Plant andfeaturing Jimmy Page on lead guitar, along with an array of studio musicians and friends of Plant and Page,including Jeff Beck, Paul Shaffer, and Nile Rodgers. Plant intentionally chose to focus the band in a very differentdirection from Led Zeppelin, playing standards and more R&B style, highlighted by their cover of "Sea of Love",which peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts in very early 1985.[76]

Jimmy Page performs at the CowPalace in San Francisco, 1983

In 1982, the surviving members of the group released a collection of out-takesfrom various sessions during Led Zeppelin's career, entitled Coda. It includedtwo tracks taken from the band's performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970,one each from the Led Zeppelin III and Houses of the Holy sessions, and threefrom the In Through the Out Door sessions. It also featured a 1976 John Bonhamdrum instrumental with electronic effects added by Jimmy Page, called "Bonzo'sMontreux".

On 13 July 1985, Page, Plant and Jones reunited for the Live Aid concert at JFKStadium, Philadelphia, playing a short set featuring drummers Tony Thompsonand Phil Collins and bassist Paul Martinez. Collins had contributed to Plant's firsttwo solo albums while Martinez was a member of Plant's current solo band. Theperformance was marred by the lack of rehearsal with the two drummers, Page'sstruggles with an out-of-tune Les Paul and poorly functioning monitors, and byPlant's hoarse voice.[77] [78] Page himself has described the performance as"pretty shambolic"[79] and "clearly wasn't good enough,"[80] while Plant was

even harsher, characterising it as an "atrocity".[77]

Led Zeppelin 8

The three members reunited again on 14 May 1988, for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert, withBonham's son, Jason Bonham, on drums. The reunion was again compromised by a disjointed performance,particularly by Plant and Page (the two having argued immediately prior to coming on stage about whether to play"Stairway to Heaven"), and by the complete loss of Jones' keyboards on the live television feed.[78] [81] Page laterdescribed the performance as "one big disappointment", and Plant said unambiguously that "the gig was foul".[81]

1990s

The first Led Zeppelin box set, featuring tracks remastered under the supervision of Jimmy Page, introduced theband's music to many new fans, stimulating a renaissance for Led Zeppelin. This set included four previouslyunreleased tracks, including the Robert Johnson tribute "Travelling Riverside Blues". The song peaked at numberseven on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, with the video in heavy rotation on MTV. 1992 saw the release ofthe "Immigrant Song"/"Hey Hey What Can I Do" (the original B-side) as a CD single in the US. Led Zeppelin BoxedSet 2 was released in 1993; the two box sets together containing all known studio recordings, as well as some rarelive tracks.In 1994, Page and Plant reunited in the form of a 90 minute "UnLedded" MTV project. They later released an albumcalled No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, which featured some reworked Led Zeppelin songs, andembarked on a world tour the following year. This is said to be the beginning of the inner rift between the bandmembers, as Jones was not even told of the reunion.[24] [82] When asked where Jones was, Plant had replied that hewas out "parking the car".[83]

In 1995, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the United States Rock and Roll Hall of Fametheir first year ofeligibilityby Aerosmith's vocalist, Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry. Jason and Zoe Bonham also attended,representing their late father. At the induction ceremony, the band's inner rift became apparent when Jones jokedupon accepting his award, "Thank you, my friends, for finally remembering my phone number", causingconsternation and awkward looks from Page and Plant.[84] Afterwards, they played a brief set with Tyler and Perry(featuring Jason Bonham on drums), and with Neil Young and Michael Lee replacing Bonham.In 1997 Atlantic released a single edit of "Whole Lotta Love" in the US and the UK, making it the only Led ZeppelinUK CD single. Additional tracks on this CD-single are "Baby Come On Home" and "Travelling Riverside Blues". Itis the only single the band ever released in the UK. It peaked at number 21.[85] 11 November 1997 saw the release ofLed Zeppelin BBC Sessions, the first Led Zeppelin album in fifteen years. The two-disc set included almost all of theband's recordings for the BBC. Page and Plant released another album called Walking into Clarksdale in 1998,featuring all new material. The album was not as successful as No Quarter, and the band slowly dissolved.

2000s

In 2003 two live Led Zeppelin documents were released: the double live album How the West Was Won, and LedZeppelin DVD, a six-hour chronological set of live footage that became the best-selling music DVD in history.[86]

That same year the band received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In November 2005, it was announcedthat Led Zeppelin and Russian conductor Valery Gergiev were the winners of the 2006 Polar Music Prize. The Kingof Sweden presented the prize to Plant, Page, and Jones, along with John Bonham's daughter, in Stockholm in May2006.[87] In November 2006, Led Zeppelin were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame.[88]

On 27 July 2007, Atlantic/Rhino and Warner Home Video announced three new Led Zeppelin titles to be released in November 2007. First was Mothership on 13 November, a 24-track best-of spanning the band's career, followed by a reissue of the soundtrack to The Song Remains the Same on 20 November which includes previously unreleased material, and a new DVD.[89] On 15 October 2007, it was reported that Led Zeppelin were expected to announce a new series of agreements that make the band's songs available as legal digital downloads, first as ringtones through Verizon Wireless then as digital downloads of the band's eight studio albums and other recordings on 13 November.[90] The offerings were made available through both Verizon Wireless and iTunes. On 8 November 2007,

Led Zeppelin 9

XM Satellite Radio launched XM LED, the network's first artist-exclusive channel dedicated to Led Zeppelin. On 13November 2007, Led Zeppelin's complete works were published on iTunes.

Led Zeppelin performing at the Ahmet ErtegnTribute Concert in December 2007

On 10 December 2007, Led Zeppelin reunited for the one-off AhmetErtegn Tribute Concert, with Jason Bonham taking up his late father'splace on drums. According to Guinness World Records 2009, LedZeppelin hold the world record for the "Highest Demand for Ticketsfor One Music Concert" as 20million requests for the reunion showwere rendered online.[91] The concert was to help raise money for theAhmet Ertegn Education Fund, which pays for university scholarshipsin the UK, US and Turkey. Music critics praised the band'sperformance. Hamish MacBain of NME proclaimed, "What they havedone here tonight is proof they can still perform to the level thatoriginally earned them their legendary reputation... We can only hopethis isn't the last we see of them."[92]

In an interview promoting the release of the Mothership compilation in Tokyo early in 2008, Jimmy Page stated thathe was prepared to embark upon a world tour with Led Zeppelin, but due to Robert Plant's tour commitments withAlison Krauss, such plans would not be announced until at least September.[93] Showing enthusiasm for continuedperforming, in late spring Page and Jones joined Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkinsonstage at Wembley Stadium to perform Led Zeppelin tracks "Rock and Roll" and "Ramble On".[94]

After the BBC reported in late August that Page, Jones and Bonham were recording material which could become anew Led Zeppelin project,[95] rumours of a reunion began to accumulate through the remaining summer.[96] [97] [98]

On 29 September Plant released a statement in which he called reports of a Led Zeppelin reunion "frustrating andridiculous". He said he would not be recording or touring with the band, before adding, "I wish Jimmy Page, JohnPaul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects."[99] [100]

Following Plant's statement, authoritative but divergent views of the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour thenext year were offered by John Paul Jones and promoter Harvey Goldsmith. In late October, Jones confirmed toBBC Radio Devon in Exeter that he, Page, and Bonham were seeking a replacement for Plant. Goldsmithcommented on the prospect of a Led Zeppelin reunion, casting doubt on the possibility or wisdom of such a venture:"I think that there is an opportunity for them to go out and present themselves. I don't think a long rambling tour isthe answer as Led Zeppelin." The Ertegn Concert promoter felt the result of the ongoing plans of Jones, Page, andBonham would not be "called Led Zeppelin".[101] A spokesman for Page later confirmed this, telling Rolling Stonethat the name Led Zeppelin would not be used due to the absence of Plant.[102] Singers who auditioned for theproject included Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge.[103] In January 2009, Page'smanager Robert Mensch stated that the band had "tried out a few singers, but no one worked out, that was it. Thewhole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue."[104]

Led Zeppelin 10

Legacy

A Led Zeppelin T-shirt

Led Zeppelin are widely considered to be one of the most successful,innovative and influential bands in the history of rock music. Rockcritic Mikal Gilmore said, "Led Zeppelintalented, complex,grasping, beautiful and dangerousmade one of the most enduringbodies of composition and performance in twentieth-century music,despite everything they had to overpower, including themselves."[105]

Led Zeppelin are often cited as one of the key progenitors of heavymetal and hard rock.[4] [5] [106]

Led Zeppelin have influenced bands, from Black Sabbath[107] toMegadeth[108] [109] and Queen[110] to Velvet Revolver.[111] The bandhave influenced various progressive rock and progressive metalacts,[112] including Rush,[113] Tool[114] and Dream Theater,[115] as wellas influencing some early punk and post-punk bands, among them the

Ramones[116] [117] and The Cult.[118] [119] They were also an important influence on the development of alternativerock, as bands adapted elements from the "Zeppelin sound" of the mid-1970s,[120] [121] including The SmashingPumpkins,[122] [123] Nirvana,[124] Pearl Jam[125] and Soundgarden.[126] Bands and artists from diverse genres havealso acknowledged the influence of Led Zeppelin, such as Madonna,[127] Shakira,[128] Lady Gaga,[129] and KatieMelua.[130]

Led Zeppelin have been credited with a major impact on the nature of the music business, particularly in thedevelopment of album-oriented rock (AOR) and stadium rock.[131] [132] In 1988 John Kalodner, then-A&R executiveof Geffen Records, remarked that "In my opinion, next to the Beatles they're the most influential band in history.They influence the way music is on records, AOR radio, concerts. They set the standards for the AOR-radio formatwith 'Stairway to Heaven,' having AOR hits without necessarily having Top 40 hits. They're the ones who did thefirst real big arena concert shows, consistently selling out and playing stadiums without support. People can do aswell as them, but nobody surpasses them."[133] Andrew Loog Oldham, the former producer and manager of TheRolling Stones, commented on how Led Zeppelin had a major influence on the record business, and the way rockconcerts were managed and presented to huge audiences.[134] The band sold over 200million albums worldwideaccording to some sources,[8] while other sources state that they have sold in excess of 300 million records,[9]

including 111.5million certified units in the United States.[10] According to the Recording Industry Association ofAmerica, Led Zeppelin are the fourth highest selling music act in the US and one of only three acts to earn four ormore Diamond albums.[135]

Led Zeppelin also had a significant cultural impact.[136] Jim Miller, editor of Rolling Stone Illustrated History ofRock & Roll, argues "On one level, Led Zeppelin represents the final flowering of the sixties' psychedelic ethic,which casts rock as passive sensory involvement."[137] Led Zeppelin were pivotal in the transition of the late sixtiesrock movement from the central form of mass youth music to its macho, sexual "cock rock" form, as a male form ofexpression.[52] [137] [138] The band's fashion-sense has also been seminal; Simeon Lipman, head of pop culture atChristie's auction house, has commented that "Led Zeppelin have had a big influence on fashion because the wholeaura surrounding them is so cool, and people want a piece of that."[139] Led Zeppelin laid the foundation for the bighair of 80s bands such as Mtley Cre and Skid Row. Other musicians have also adapted elements from LedZeppelin's attitude to apparel, jewellery and hair, such as hipster flares and tight band t-shirts of Kings of Leon,shaggy hair, clingy t-shirts and bluesman hair of Jack White of The White Stripes, and Kasabian guitarist SergioPizzorno's silk scarves, trilbies and side-laced tight jeans.[139]

Led Zeppelin 11

Awards and accolades

Led Zeppelin were voted the "bestlive act" at 2008 MOJO Awards

A few of the awards the band have received include a Grammy LifetimeAchievement Award in 2005,[140] and the Polar Music Prize in 2006.[141] LedZeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995,[142] and theUK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.[143] The band are ranked number 1 on VH1's100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock[144] and Classic Rock's "50 Best Live Acts ofAll Time".[145] Led Zeppelin remain one of the most bootlegged artists in thehistory of rock music.[146]

Discography

Led Zeppelin (1969) Led Zeppelin II (1969) Led Zeppelin III (1970) Led Zeppelin IV (1971) Houses of the Holy (1973) Physical Graffiti (1975) Presence (1976) In Through the Out Door (1979) Coda (1982)

Notes[1] Greene, Andy (28 Feb 2011). "This Week In Rock History: Bob Dylan Wins His First Grammy and Led Zeppelin Become the Nobs" (http:/ /

www. rollingstone. com/ music/ news/this-week-in-rock-history-bob-dylan-wins-his-first-grammy-and-led-zeppelin-become-the-nobs-20110228). Rolling Stone. . Retrieved 24April 2011.

[2] "Led Zeppelin Biography" (http:/ / www. rollingstone. com/ music/ artists/ led-zeppelin/ biography). Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. .Retrieved 9 September 2009.

[3] Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Led Zeppelin Biography" (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ artist/ p4739). Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. . Retrieved11 November 2008.

[4] Susan Fast. "Led Zeppelin (British Rock Group)" (http:/ / www. britannica. com/ EBchecked/ topic/ 334473/ Led-Zeppelin). EncyclopdiaBritannica. . Retrieved 6 February 2011.

[5] Tim Grierson. "What Is Rock Music? A Brief History of Rock Music" (http:/ / rock. about. com/ od/ rockmusic101/ a/ RockHistory. htm).About.com. . Retrieved 6 February 2011.

[6] John Brackett (2008). "Examining rhythmic and metric practices in Led Zeppelins musical style". Popular Music 27(1): 5376.[7] Peter Buckley (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C) (3 ed.). Penguin Books. p.585.

ISBN1-85828-457-0. .[8] Thorpe, Vanessa (2007-07-29). "Led Zeppelin join the net generation" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ uk/ 2007/ jul/ 29/ musicnews. music).

Guardian. . Retrieved 2011-03-15.[9] Sorel-Cameron, Peter (2007-12-09). "Can Led Zeppelin still rock?" (http:/ / edition. cnn. com/ 2007/ SHOWBIZ/ Music/ 12/ 09/ led. zep/

index. html). CNN. . Retrieved 2011-02-17.[10] "Top Selling Artists" (http:/ / riaa. com/ goldandplatinumdata. php?resultpage=1& table=tblTopArt& action=). RIAA. . Retrieved 8 January

2011.[11] "Led Zeppelin Billboard Albums" (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ artist/ led-zeppelin-p4739/ charts-awards). Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. .

Retrieved 5 September 2010.[12] Led Zeppelin: The Heaviest Band of All Time - Metal, Black Magick and Sex (http:/ / www. led-zeppelin. org/ images/ news/

RS2006-07-28-slarge. jpg). Rolling Stone. July 28, 2006.[13] Mikal Gilmore. The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin. Rolling Stone (1006- August 2006). Retrieved 18 March 2011. "Savaged by critics,

adored by fans, the biggest band of the Seventies took sex, drugs and rock & roll to epic heights before collapsing under the weight of its ownheaviness."

[14] "Led Zeppelin Biography" (http:/ / rockhall. com/ inductees/ led-zeppelin/ bio/ ). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. . Retrieved 5 September2010.

Led Zeppelin 12

[15] Georgie Rogers (16 June 2008). "MOJO Award Winners" (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ 6music/ news/ 20080616_mojo. shtml). BBC. .Retrieved 8 December 2008.

[16] "Led Zeppelin Acceptance Speech MOJO Honours List 2008" (http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=xM3xxurMOZo& feature=related)(video). .

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277. ISBN978-0425182130. OCLC0330438591.[22] Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. p.1198. ISBN1843531054.[23] Dave Schulps (October 1977). "Interview with Jimmy Page" (http:/ / www. iem. ac. ru/ zeppelin/ docs/ interviews/ page_77. trp). Trouser

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TheCelebrityCafe.com.. . Retrieved 18 January 2011.[25] Liner notes by Cameron Crowe for The Complete Studio Recordings. The building has since been torn down, and the area has been

converted into London's Chinatown.[26] Chris Welch (1994). Led Zeppelin. London: Orion Books. pp.21, 28, 31, 37, 47, 49, 63, 68, 85, 92, 9495. ISBN1-85797-930-3.[27] Chris Welch; Geoff Nicholls (4 October 2001). John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums. Backbeat Books. ISBN978-0879306588.[28] Fred Dollar (2005). Led Zep were my backing band. p. 83.[29] "Gladsaxe Teen Clubs website: Led Zeppelin's first gig" (http:/ / www. teenclubs. dk/ Led_Zeppelins_first_gig_UK_version. html).

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rollingstone. com/ news/ story/ 11027261/ the_long_shadow_of_led_zeppelin/ print). Rolling Stone (2006). Archived from the original (http:/ /www. rollingstone. com/ news/ story/ 11027261/ the_long_shadow_of_led_zeppelin/ print) on 2007-12-12. . Retrieved 9 December 2007.

[106] Ellen Koskoff. Music cultures in the United States: an introduction (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=JfrG1IKZ9f8C& pg=PA89&dq=led+ zeppelin). Routledge.

[107] "MTV Black Sabbath: The Greatest Metal Bands of all time" (http:/ / www. mtv. com/ bands/ m/ metal/ greatest_metal_bands/ 071406/index2. jhtml). Mtv.com. 9 March 2006. . Retrieved 5 September 2010.

[108] "MEGADETH Frontman Dave Mustaine On 'Hangar 18' - "You Can Almost Hear THE BEATLES Influence And The LED ZEPPELINInfluence At The Front Of The Song"" (http:/ / www. bravewords. com/ news/ 147452). Bravewords.com. 30 September 2010. . Retrieved 20October 2010.

[109] Dave Mustaine Interviewed by Lisa Sharken (http:/ / www. seymourduncan. com/ artists/ interviews/ dave_mustaine_o/ ). Retrieved 6November 2010. My playing influences were guys like Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Ace Frehley and Michael Schenker.

[110] Mark Hodkinson. Queen: the early years (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=n84WbO8wiTQC& pg=PA127& dq=queen+ band+ Led+Zeppelin). Omnibus Press.

[111] Andrew L. Cope. Black Sabbath and the rise of heavy metal music (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=AfdTGdVhp7AC& pg=PA14&dq=velvet+ revolver#v=onepage& q=velvet revolver& f=false). Ashgate Publishing.

[112] Prog Rock Guides / What is Progressive Rock? (http:/ / www. progarchives. com/ Progressive-rock. asp). ProgArchives.com. Retrieved 14January 2010.

[113] Pete Prown, Harvey P. Newquist, HP Newquist and Jon F. Eiche (1997), Legends of rock guitar: the essential reference of rock's greatestguitarists, Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-7935-4042-9, p. 167.

[114] Jon Pareles. Lollapalooza's Recycled Hormones: Rebellion by the Numbers (http:/ / query. nytimes. com/ gst/ fullpage.html?res=9903EEDF1738F937A25754C0A961958260). The New York Times. Retrieved 4 December 2010.

[115] Ryan Sparks. Carpe Diem : An Exclusive Interview with Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater (http:/ / www. classicrockrevisited. com/interviewsportnoy. htm). Retrieved 14 December 2010.

[116] Conservative Punk's Interview with Johnny Ramone, conducted 2 April 2003 by telephone. Interviewer, Sgt. Robert Jones, U.S. Army,Fort Dix, New Jersey, with Johnny Ramone, at his home in Los Angeles. (http:/ / www. robertjonesphoto. com/ johnnyramone. html)Retrieved 2 December 2010. "The Ramones were never anti-Led Zeppelin. Maybe 'anti-groups-who-just-aped Led Zeppelin."

[117] Ramones: The True Story. Classic Rock Legends. B000CRSF6W.. "Johnny Ramone stated in the documentary "Ramones:The True Story"that he improved at his down-stroke picking style by playing the song [Communication Breakdown] over and over again for the bulk of hisearly career."

[118] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Cult - Biography" (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ artist/ p4001). Allmusic. . Retrieved 15 January 2007.."Picking up the pseudo-mysticism and Native American obsessions of The Doors [and] the guitar-orchestrations of Led Zeppelin ... The Cultgained a dedicated following in their native Britain."

Led Zeppelin 15

[119] Ian Astbury | Interview Allvoices.com (http:/ / www. sacredsoul. us/ cms/ index. php?option=com_content& task=view& id=410&Itemid=95). Retrieved 4 December 2010.

[120] Scott Witmer. History of Rock Bands (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=PpX6xBSj-MQC& pg=PT10& dq=led+ zeppelin). ISBN978-1-60453-692-8. ABDO Publishing Company.

[121] Perry Grossman. Alternative Rock (http:/ / findarticles. com/ p/ articles/ mi_g1epc/ is_tov/ ai_2419100030/ ). St. James Encyclopedia ofPop Culture 2002.

[122] Django Haskins. Stand Alone Tracks '90s Rock: Handy Guide, Book & CD (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=VwS-wUBRvnoC&pg=PR15& dq=smashing+ pumpkins+ led+ zeppelin). Alfred Music Publishing.

[123] Gustavo Turner. The L.A. Weekly Interview: Billy Corgan (http:/ / www. laweekly. com/ 2010-08-26/ music/the-l-a-weekly-interview-billy-corgan/ 3/ ). LA Weekly.

[124] Everett True. Nirvana: the biography (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=byoPYMdJ150C& pg=PA111& dq=led+ zeppelin). Da CapoPress.

[125] Scott Schinder and Andy Schwartz (2008), Icons of Rock: Elvis Presley ; Ray Charles; Chuck Berry ; Buddy Holly ; The Beach Boys ;James Brown ; The Beatles ; Bob Dylan ; The Rolling Stones ; The Who ; The Byrds ; Jimi Hendrix, Greenwood Publishing Group, ISBN0-3133-3846-9, p.405. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament told Rolling Stone that Led Zeppelin was "the band we always looked toward."

[126] Adam Budofsky. The drummer: 100 years of rhythmic power and invention (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=MWA6a9AKhzUC&pg=PA147& dq=soundgarden+ led+ zeppelin). Hal Leonard Corporation.

[127] "Madonna: CNN Interview" (http:/ / www. cnn. com/ SHOWBIZ/ Music/ 9901/ 19/ madonna. lkl/ ). Cnn.com. 19 January 1999. .Retrieved 5 September 2010.

[128] "The poet and the princess" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ lifeandstyle/ 2002/ jun/ 08/ shopping. colombia). London: Guardian. 8 June2002. . Retrieved 8 June 2002.

[129] Cochrane, Greg (23 January 2009). "Lady GaGa reveals her touring secrets" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ newsbeat/ hi/ music/newsid_7846000/ 7846658. stm). BBC. . Retrieved 13 March 2011.

[130] Led Zeppelin: Katie Melua on rock'n'roll riffs that rake the psyche (http:/ / www. independent. co. uk/ arts-entertainment/ music/ features/led-zeppelin-katie-melua-on-rocknroll-riffs-that-rake-the-psyche-763443. html). The Independent. Retrieved 5 March 2010.

[131] D. Bukszpan, The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal, (Barnes and Noble Publishing, 2003), ISBN 0760742189, p. 121.[132] S. Waksman, This Ain't the Summer of Love: Conflict and Crossover in Heavy Metal and Punk (University of California Press, 2009),

ISBN 0520253108, pp. 21-31.[133] Pond, Steven. "Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same", Rolling Stone 24 March 1988.[134] Rob Hughes, THE REAL JIMMY PAGE (http:/ / www. uncut. co. uk/ music/ jimmy_page/ special_features/ 12529), Uncut. Retrieved 31

May 2010.[135] "RIAA News Room" (http:/ / www. riaa. com/ newsitem. php?news_year_filter=& resultpage=109&

id=3E66A511-1B98-4B07-ECD3-174C7088CDB7). Riaa.com. 29 November 1999. . Retrieved 5 September 2010.[136] Michael Schuman. Led Zeppelin: Legendary Rock Band (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=8EIGOAAACAAJ& dq=led+ zeppelin&

lr=& cd=19). Enslow Publishers.[137] Simon Frith. On record: rock, pop, and the written world (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=WNubD3WKKDYC&

printsec=frontcover& dq=led+ zeppelin& source=bl& ots=Ssx_Y2YxOJ& sig=r5l15Sl8qT-mFRlPVDohJMbnFAY& hl=en&ei=5QAKTI7fGoH_8Abu8rSKBw& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=10& ved=0CEEQ6AEwCTge#v=onepage& q=led zeppelin& f=false). Routledge

[138] Susan Fast (2001). In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music. p.210. ISBN0-19-511756-5.[139] Carola Long, " Led Zeppelin: The enduring influence of flares and flowing locks (http:/ / www. independent. co. uk/ arts-entertainment/

music/ features/ led-zeppelin-the-enduring-influence-of-flares-and-flowing-locks-763442. html)", The Independent[140] "Lifetime Achievement Award" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080404013633/ http:/ / www. grammy. com/ Recording_Academy/

Awards/ Lifetime_Awards/ ). Grammy. 8 February 2009. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. grammy. com/ Recording_Academy/Awards/ Lifetime_Awards/ ) on 2008-04-04. . Retrieved 5 September 2010.

[141] "Polar Music Prize to Led Zeppelin and Russia's Valery Gergiev" (http:/ / www. monstersandcritics. com/ music/ news/ article_1165837.php/ Polar_Music_Prize_to_Led_Zeppelin_and_Russia_s_Valery_Gergiev:). Monstersandcritics.com. 22 May 2006. . Retrieved 5 September2010.

[142] "Inductee List: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" (http:/ / www. rockhall. com/ inductees/ inductee-list/ ). Rockhall.com. . Retrieved 5September 2010.

[143] "BBC:Led Zeppelin make UK Hall of Fame" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ 2/ hi/ entertainment/ 5338196. stm). BBC News. 12 September2006. . Retrieved 5 September 2010.

[144] "100 greatest artists of hard rock" (http:/ / www. rockonthenet. com/ archive/ 2000/ vh1hardrock. htm). VH1. . Retrieved 17 February 2010.[145] 50 Best Live Acts of All Time (April 2008) (http:/ / www. rocklistmusic. co. uk/ steveparker/ classicrock. htm). Classic Rock Magazine.

Retrieved 18 April 2010.[146] Heylin, Clinton (2004). Bootleg! The Rise & Fall of the Secret Recording Industry. Omnibus Press. ISBN184449151X.

Led Zeppelin 16

References Jon Bream (2008), Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time,

Minneapolis: Voyageur Press. ISBN 0-7603-3507-9. Richard Cole and Richard Trubo (1992), Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored, New York:

HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-018323-3. Stephen Davis (1985), Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga, New York: William Morrow & Co. ISBN

0-688-04507-3. Susan Fast (2001), In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music, New York: Oxford

University Press. ISBN 0-19-514723-5. Dave Lewis (1991), Led Zeppelin: A Celebration, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-2416-3. Dave Lewis (1994), The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN

0-7119-3528-9. Dave Lewis (2003), Led Zeppelin: Celebration II: The 'Tight But Loose' Files, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN

1-84449-056-4. Dave Lewis and Simon Pallett (1997), Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN

0-7119-5307-4. Luis Rey (1997), Led Zeppelin Live: An Illustrated Exploration of Underground Tapes, Ontario: The Hot Wacks

Press. ISBN 0-9698080-7-0. Keith Shadwick (2005), Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 19681980, San Francisco: Backbeat

Books. ISBN 0-87930-871-0. Mick Wall (2009), When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin, New York: St. Martin's Press.

ISBN 978-0-312-59000-0. Chris Welch (1994), Led Zeppelin, London: Orion Books. ISBN 1-85797-930-3. Chris Welch (2002), Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9195-2. Chris Welch (2006), Led Zeppelin: Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song, Thunder's Mouth Press.

ISBN 1-56025-818-7. Ritchie Yorke (1993), Led Zeppelin: the Definitive Biography, Novato, California: Underwood-Miller. ISBN

0-88733-177-7.

External links Official website (http:/ / http:/ / www. ledzeppelin. com) Led Zeppelin (http:/ / www. myspace. com/ ledzeppelin) at MySpace Led Zeppelin (http:/ / www. atlanticrecords. com/ ledzeppelin) at Atlantic Records Led Zeppelin (http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ ledzeppelin) channel on YouTube (Official)

17

Members

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant at Birmingham Symphony Hall (2010)Background information

Birth name Robert Anthony Plant

Born 20 August 1948West Bromwich, Birmingham, England

Genres Rock, hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, folk rock, world music, country rock

Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician

Instruments Vocals, harmonica, percussion, guitar, bass

Years active 1966present

Labels Atlantic, Swan Song, Es Paranza, Sanctuary, Mercury, Universal, Rounder

Associated acts Band of Joy, Led Zeppelin, The Honeydrippers, Page and Plant, Strange Sensation, Alison Krauss, The New Yardbirds

Website Official website [1]

Robert Anthony Plant, CBE (born 20 August 1948), is an English rock singer and songwriter, best known as thevocalist and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career. In 2007, Plant releasedRaising Sand, an album produced by T-Bone Burnett with American bluegrass soprano Alison Krauss, which wonthe 2009 Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards.[1]

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Plant is regarded as one of the most significant singers in the history ofrock music, and has influenced contemporaries and later singers such as Freddie Mercury and Axl Rose.[2] In 2006,heavy metal magazine Hit Parader named Plant the "Greatest Metal Vocalist of All-Time".[3] In 2009, Plant wasvoted "the greatest voice in rock" in a poll conducted by Planet Rock.[4] [5]

Robert Plant 18

Life and career

Early careerPlant was born in the Black Country town of West Bromwich (then in Staffordshire now in West Midlands) toparents Robert C. who worked as a civil engineer[6] and Annie C. (Cain) Plant, but grew up in Kidderminster, inWorcestershire. Plant gained an interest in singing and rock'n'roll music at an early age.

When I was a kid I used to hide behind the curtains at home at Christmas and I used to try and be Elvis.There was a certain ambience between the curtains and the French windows, there was a certain soundthere for a ten year old. That was all the ambience I got at ten years old... I think! And I always wantedto be a curtain, a bit similar to that.[7]

He left King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys in Stourbridge in his mid-teens and developed a strong passionfor the blues, mainly through his admiration for Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson and early rendition of songs in thisgenre.

I suppose I was quite interested in my stamp collection and Romano-British history. I was a littlegrammar school boy and I could hear this kind of calling through the airwaves[8]

He abandoned training as a chartered accountant after only two weeks to attend college in an effort to gain moreGCE passes and to become part of the English Midlands blues scene.[9] [10] "I left home at 16", he said "and I startedmy real education musically, moving from group to group, furthering my knowledge of the blues and of other musicwhich had weight and was worth listening to."[11]

Plant's early blues influences included Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Skip James, Jerry Miller, and Sleepy JohnEstes. Plant had various jobs while pursuing his music career, one of which was working for the major Britishconstruction company Wimpey in Birmingham in 1967 laying tarmac on roads. He also worked at Woolworths inHalesowen town for a short period of time. He cut three obscure singles on CBS Records[12] and sang with a varietyof bands, including The Crawling King Snakes, which brought him into contact with drummer John Bonham. Theyboth went on to play in the Band of Joy, merging blues with newer psychedelic trends. Though his early career metwith no commercial success, word quickly spread about the "young man with the powerful voice".

Led Zeppelin

Early years

Plant with Led Zeppelin

In 1968, the guitarist Jimmy Page was in search of a lead singer for hisnew band and met Plant after being turned down by his first choice,Terry Reid, who referred him to a show at a teacher training college inBirmingham where Plant was singing in a band namedHobbstweedle.[13] Page explained:

When I auditioned him and heard him sing, I immediatelythought there must be something wrong with himpersonality-wise or that he had to be impossible to workwith, because I just could not understand why, after hetold me he'd been singing for a few years already, hehadn't become a big name yet. So I had him down to my place for a little while, just to sort of check himout, and we got along great. No problems.[14]

According to Plant:I was appearing at this college when Peter and Jimmy turned up and asked me if I'd like to join The Yardbirds. I knew The Yardbirds had done a lot of work in America - which to me meant audiences who

Robert Plant 19

would want to know what I might have to offer - so naturally I was very interested.[11]

derivative of Plant's feather sigil used in the LedZeppelin IV album

Plant and Page immediately hit it off with a shared musical passion andbegan their writing collaboration with reworkings of earlier bluessongs, although Plant would receive no songwriting credits on theband's first album, allegedly because he was still under contract to CBSRecords at the time. Plant brought along John Bonham as drummer,and they were joined by John Paul Jones, who had previously workedwith Page as a studio musician. Jones called Page on the phone beforethey checked out Plant, and Page hired Jones immediately.

Initially dubbed the "New Yardbirds" in 1968, the band soon came tobe known as Led Zeppelin. The band's self-titled debut album hit thecharts in 1969 and is widely credited as a catalyst for the heavy metalgenre. Plant has commented that it is unfair for people to think ofZeppelin as heavy metal, as almost a third of their music wasacoustic.[15]

In 1975, Plant and his wife Maureen (now divorced) were seriously injured in a car crash in Rhodes, Greece. Thissignificantly affected the production of Led Zeppelin's seventh album Presence for a few months while he recovered,and forced the band to cancel the remaining tour dates for the year.

In July 1977 his son Karac died aged five of a stomach infection while Plant was engaged on Led Zeppelin's concerttour of the United States. It was a devastating loss for the family. Plant retreated to his home in the Midlands and formonths afterward he questioned his future.[16] Karac's death later inspired him to write the song "All My Love" intribute, featured on Led Zeppelin's final studio LP, 1979's In Through the Out Door.

Lyrics

Plant did not begin writing song lyrics with Led Zeppelin until the making of Led Zeppelin II, in 1969. According toJimmy Page:

The most important thing about Led Zeppelin II is that up to that point I'd contributed lyrics. Robert hadn'twritten before, and it took a lot of ribbing to get him into writing, which was funny. And then, on the secondLP, he wrote the words of Thank You. He said, "I'd like to have a crack at this and write it for my wife."[17]

Plant's lyrics with Led Zeppelin were often mystical, philosophical and spiritual, alluding to events in classical andNorse mythology, such as the "Immigrant Song", which refers to Valhalla and Viking conquests. However, the song"No Quarter" is often misunderstood to refer to the god Thor; the song actually refers to Mount Thor (which isnamed after the god). Another example is "The Rain Song".Plant was also influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, whose book series inspired lyrics in some early Led Zeppelin songs.Most notably "The Battle of Evermore", "Misty Mountain Hop", "No Quarter", "Ramble On" and "Over the Hillsand Far Away" contain verses referencing Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Conversely, Plantsometimes used more straightforward blues-based lyrics dealing primarily with sexual innuendo, as in "The LemonSong", "Trampled Under Foot", and "Black Dog".Welsh mythology also forms a basis of Plant's interest in mystical lyrics. He grew up close to the Welsh border and would often take summer trips to Snowdonia. Plant bought a Welsh sheep farm in 1973, and began taking Welsh lessons and looking into the mythology of the land (such as Black Book of Carmarthen, Book of Taliesin, etc.) Plant's first son, Karac, was named after the Welsh warrior Caratacus. The song "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is named after the 18th Century Welsh cottage Bron-Yr-Aur owned by a friend of his father; it later inspired the song "Bron-Yr-Aur". The songs "Misty Mountain Hop," "That's the Way", and early dabblings in what would become "Stairway to Heaven" were written in Wales and lyrically reflect Plant's mystical view of the land. Critic Steve

Robert Plant 20

Turner suggests that Plant's early and continued experiences in Wales served as the foundation for his broaderinterest in the mythologies he revisits in his lyrics (including those myth systems of Tolkien and the Norse).[18]

The passion for diverse musical experiences drove Plant to explore Africa, specifically Marrakesh in Morocco wherehe encountered Umm Kulthum.

I was intrigued by the scales, initially, and obviously the vocal work. The way she sang, the way she couldhold a note, you could feel the tension, you could tell that everybody, the whole orchestra, would hold a noteuntil she wanted to change.[19]

That musical inspiration eventually culminated in the classic track "Kashmir" (which is not in North Africa, butrather in India). Both he and Jimmy Page revisited these influences during their reunion album No Quarter: JimmyPage and Robert Plant Unledded in 1994. In his solo career, Plant again tapped from these influences many times,most notably in the 2002 album, Dreamland.Arguably one of Plant's most significant achievements with Led Zeppelin was his contribution to the track "Stairwayto Heaven", an epic rock ballad featured on Led Zeppelin IV that drew influence from folk, blues, Celtic traditionalmusic and hard rock among other genres. Most of the lyrics of the song were written spontaneously by Plant in 1970at Headley Grange. While never released as a single, the song has topped charts as the greatest song of all time onvarious polls around the world.Plant is also recognised for his lyrical improvisation in Led Zeppelin's live performances, often singing versespreviously unheard on studio recordings. One of the most famous Led Zeppelin musical devices involves Plant'svocal mimicking of band mate Jimmy Page's guitar effects. This can be heard in the songs "How Many MoreTimes", "Dazed and Confused", "The Lemon Song", "You Shook Me", "Nobody's Fault but Mine" and "SickAgain".He is also known for his light-hearted, humorous, and unusual on-stage banter, often referred to as "plantations."Plant often discusses the origin and background of the songs during his shows, and sometimes provides socialcomment as well. He frequently talks about American blues musicians as his inspiration, mentioning artists likeRobert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Blind Willie Johnson, and Willie Dixon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductionceremony and the 2007 Ahmet Ertegn Tribute Concert with Led Zeppelin.

Stage persona

Plant (left) with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page performing live

Plant enjoyed great success with Led Zeppelinthroughout the 1970s and developed a compellingimage as the charismatic rock-and-roll front man,similar to his contemporary in The Who, singer RogerDaltrey (who adopted the look in the late 1960s), MickJagger of the Rolling Stones, and his other fellowcontemporary, Jim Morrison of The Doors.[20] With hismane of long blond hair and powerful, bare-chestedappearance, Plant helped to create the "god of rock androll" or "rock god" archetype. On stage, Plant wasparticularly active in live performances, often dancing,jumping, skipping, snapping his fingers, clapping,making emphatic gestures to emphasise a lyric orcymbal crash, throwing back his head, or placing hishands on his hips. As the 1960s-1970s progressed he,along with the other members of Led Zeppelin, becameincreasingly flamboyant on-stage and wore more elaborate, colourful clothing and jewellery.

Robert Plant 21

According to Classic Rock magazine, "once [Plant] had a couple of US tours under his belt, 'Percy' Plant swiftlydeveloped a staggering degree of bravado and swagger that irrefutably enhanced Led Zeppelin's rapidly burgeoningappeal."[11] In 1994, during his "Unledded" tour with Jimmy Page, Plant himself reflected tongue-in-cheek upon hisLed Zeppelin showmanship:

I can't take my whole persona as a singer back then very seriously. It's not some great work of beautyand love to be a rock-and-roll singer. So I got a few moves from Elvis and one or two from Sonny BoyWilliamson II and Howlin' Wolf and threw them all together.[21]

Solo career (since 1982)

As a solo artist

After the break-up of Led Zeppelin in 1980 (following the death of John Bonham), Plant pursued a successful solocareer beginning with Pictures at Eleven in 1982, followed by 1983's The Principle of Moments. Popular tracks fromthis period include "Big Log" (a Top 20 hit in 1983), "In the Mood" (1983), "Little by Little" (from 1985's Shaken 'n'Stirred), "Tall Cool One" (a #25 hit off 1988's Now and Zen) and "I Believe" (from 1993's Fate of Nations), anothersong written for and dedicated to his late son, Karac. In 1984, Plant formed a short-lived all-star group with JimmyPage and Jeff Beck called The Honeydrippers, who had a #3 hit with a remake of the Phil Phillips' tune, "Sea ofLove" and a followup hit with a cover of Roy Brown's "Rockin' at Midnight". Although Plant avoided performingLed Zeppelin songs through much of this period, his tours in 1983 (with drummer Phil Collins) and 1985 were verysuccessful, often performing to sold-out arena-sized venues.Through the 1980s and 1990s, Plant co-wrote three solo albums with keyboardist/songwriter Phil Johnstone. Nowand Zen, Manic Nirvana, and Fate of Nations (featuring Mire Brennan of Clannad). It was Johnstone who talkedPlant into playing Led Zeppelin songs in his live shows, something Plant had resisted, not wanting to be foreverknown as "the former Led Zeppelin vocalist."Although Led Zeppelin split in 1980, Plant and Page occasionally collaborated on various projects, including TheHoneydrippers: Volume 1 album in 1984 (there has never been a Volume 2). In the spring 2 years later Robertperformed at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986. The pair again worked together in the studio on the1988 Page solo effort, Outrider, and in the same year Page contributed to Plant's album Now and Zen. Also, on 15May 1988 Plant appeared with Page as a member of Led Zeppelin (and in his own right as a solo artist) at theAtlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert.

As Page and Plant (1994-1998)

Page and Plant became a full-fledged performing act from 1994 through 1998, releasing the Unledded album in 1994and following with an enormously successful tour in 1995. Page and Plant recorded their only post-Zeppelin albumof original material on the 1998 album, Walking into Clarksdale, an effort that was unsuccessful commercially,leading Plant to return to his solo career. A song from this album, "Please Read the Letter", was re-recorded by Plantwith Alison Krauss, winning the 2009 Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

With Priory of Brion (1999-2000)

Starting in mid-1999, Plant performed until the end of 2000 at several small venues with his folk-rock band, namedPriory of Brion.In 1999, Plant contributed to the tribute album for Moby Grape co-founder Skip Spence, who was terminally ill. Thealbum, More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album (Birdman, 1999), with the album title referring to Spence'sonly solo album, Oar (Columbia, 1969), contained Plant's version of Spence's "Little Hands". Plant had been anadmirer of Spence and Moby Grape since the release of Moby Grape's eponymous 1967 debut album.[22]

Robert Plant 22

In 2001, Plant appeared on Afro Celt Sound System's album Volume 3: Further in Time. The song "Life BeginAgain" features a duet with Welsh folksinger Julie Murphy, emphasising Plant's recurring interest in Welsh culture(Murphy would also tour in support of Plant).In 2001 he also recorded 'No Quarter' with Jimmy Page: Fourteen years of speculation from their fans and occasionalsniping between the two former members ended when Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin reconvenedtheir former musical partnership to produce No Quarter. Having long resisted offers from MTV to reform to do anUnplugged show, they finally accepted as part of a deal that also allowed them to visit Morocco to record newmaterial. The album combines the results of both of these projects. The Led Zeppelin material features newarrangements and new instrumentation, including strings, Egyptian musicians and the haunting vocals ofBritish-Asian star Najma Akhtar.

With The Strange Sensation (2001-2007)

In 2002, with his then newly-formed band Strange Sensation, Plant released a widely acclaimed collection of mostlyblues and folk remakes, Dreamland. Contrasting with this lush collection of often relatively obscure remakes, thesecond album with Strange Sensation, Mighty ReArranger (2005), contains new, original songs. Both have receivedsome of the most favourable reviews of Plant's solo career and four Grammy nominations, two in 2003 and two in2006.

Plant and the Strange Sensation at the Green ManFestival, 2007.

As a former member of Led Zeppelin, along with Page and John PaulJones, Plant received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in2005 and the Polar Music Prize [24] in 2006.

From 2001 to 2007, Plant actively toured the US & Europe with TheStrange Sensation. His sets typically included recent, but not only, solomaterial and plenty of Led Zeppelin favourites, often with new andexpanded arrangements. A DVD titled Soundstage: Rober