Dave Lewis - Led Zeppelin: A Celebration

Copyright 2003 Omnibus Press
This edition 2012 Omnibus Press
(A Division of Music Sales Limited, 14-15 Berners Street, London W1T 3LJ)

EISBN: 978-0-85712-819-5

The Author hereby asserts his / her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with Sections 77 to 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages.

Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of the photographs in this book, but one or two were unreachable. We would be grateful if the photographers concerned would contact us.

Photo credits: Beer Davis: 16. George Bodnar: 38(3), 72. Camera Press: 29(3), 32(3). Carl Dunn: introduction, 4, 5(centre & bottom), 11(bottom), 13(left & right), 20, 24, 30(2&3), 31(6&7), 33(4&5), 42, 77(bottom), 119. Bob Gruen: 11(left), 44. Kobal: 18. LFI: vi, opposite 1, 6, 7, 8, 22, 26, 29(2), 30(4&5), 31(8&10), 33(7&8), 34/5, 36, 37(16), 38(1&2&4), 43, 76, 78, 88(b), 89, 115, 118, 120. Dave Lewis: 1, 3(bottom). Pic Photos: 74. Pictorial Press: 2, 3(top), 11(centre), 15, 19, 23, 25, 27, 28, 33(4), 39(5&6), 73(top & bottom), 80, 81, 82. Chuck Pulin: 63. Redfearns: 29(4), 30(1), 32(1), 33(6), 79. Relay: 12, 14, 17, 75(top), 83(bottom), 88(top), 93. Retna: 31(9), 77(top). Rex Features: 29(1), 32(2), 39(7&8), 73(centre), 83(top). Angelica Strilmothe: 70. M. Taylor: 37(7). Tyne Tees Television: 71. Chris Walter: 5(top).

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.

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Chapter 1THE MASTER AND HIS ART
Jimmy Page

Chapter 2EARLY PLANTATIONS
Robert Plant

Chapter 3LED ZEPPELIN IN THE STUDIO
Shall We Roll It Jimmy?

Chapter 4LED ZEPPELIN LIVE!
What Is And What Might Have Been

Chapter 5THE TEN ALBUM LEGACY
A Track By Track Analysis

Chapter 8WEARING AND TEARING: POST 1980
Led Zeppelin After Led Zeppelin

Chapter 9LED ZEPPELIN REMASTERED 1990
The Same Picture With A Different Frame

T his celebration would be a whole lot less complete without the invaluable assistance, advice and inspiration of the following people: Gary Foy, for his continued interest, Mary Hooton at Atlantic, Lee Ellen Newman at East West, Martyn Robinson and Roy Dougan at Warner Music, Peter Doggett at Record Collector, Phil Carson for his time and assistance, Howard Mylett and Robert Godwin for some sterling previous Zepp chronicles, Taylor at Zoso magazine for keeping it together every month (well worth a read), Matt Brown and Paul Brandreth for all their Mission info, Colin Davey, Nigel Glazier and Lee Sargent out in the field, Neil Boote in the office and all at OPM 163, Paul, Andrew, Caroline, Hilary and Sally at Omnibus, Terry Boud for guiding me through a night of Directors ale at the Nirvana celebration (cheers Terry!), Dave Collins for his computer know-how and some torrid running battles on the soccer field, the music of Nick Drake and Led Zeppelin for accompanying me during many late nights writing all this, all past Tight But Loose readers for sharing the original platform of communication.

And to my wife Janet for constant support and encouragement. To my family and close friends for sharing in my enthusiasm, especially my late mother Edith.

Very special thanks to Andy Adams. His vast Zepp archive and knowledge benefited this project greatly.

And to my editor Chris Charlesworth for making all this possible and realising that their popularity has obviously not waned!

Finally to a little girl whose timely arrival on the afternoon of June 4, 1990, coincided with the first Manic Nirvana tour date at Hammersmith. The only act Ive ever seen upstage Robert Plant.

Samantha Elizabeth Lewis this is for you.

DAVE LEWIS
December 1990.

T he original premise for this book was fairly simple. In the wake of the on-the-road-tales-of-debauchery-style Led Zeppelin books that were reaching the market, I felt the balance needed redressing. I saw it as a golden opportunity to celebrate the purely musical achievements of the group.

At the time A Celebration was first published, Zeppelins stock was just beginning to rise again. There had been a period of dinosaur bashing after their demise but towards the end of the Eighties their influence was again being felt. In the UK Goth bands like The Mission and The Cult were citing Zep as a key inspiration and over in America GunsNRoses and Nirvana were similarly soaking up the innovative riffs and dynamics to be found amid Zeppelins original ten album catalogue.

My timing could not have been better. As I toiled away at the book in the early months of 1990 Jimmy Page was simultaneously occupying himself overhauling that fabled body of work in a studio in New York. The result was the ground breaking box set and best of double set titled Remasters which quickly became the best-selling box set ever. When the book came out the following autumn the distinctive, slightly mysterious cornfield cover that housed the Remasters discs was lining the shelves of fans old and new throughout the globe. Led Zeppelins legacy was firmly re-established and since then its like theyve never been gone.

The reaction to A Celebration fulfilled my intention to produce a lasting companion to their music. It was also the catalyst for me to re-introduce my self-published Zeppelin magazine Tight But Loose and to embark on an ongoing mission to further chronicle, analyse and celebrate every aspect of the musical career of the group and its members.

Of course, since the 1991 publication of the original Celebration we now know so much more about their work. Page himself followed up the Remasters releases by compiling the excellent BBC Sessions double CD set in 1997 and he also began trawling their visual archives, initially for use in promotional videos. Several previously unheard, pristine quality out-takes and live tapes have also found their way onto various underground, unofficial CDs, throwing fresh light on Zeppelins recording and performing process.

We have also witnessed a long hoped for Page and Plant reunion, resulting in two world tours that became a mass celebration of the Zeppelin legacy. And far from being the forgotten man, John Paul Jones has carved out a solo career recording a pair of albums that confirmed his status as a vital part of the original Zep sound.