May 28, 2009
In this issue:
Spring has finally sprung and the forecast is for one very hot summer. Made that much hotter by all the sizzling Zep-related anniversary activity! Check it out.
40-30-30: Milestones and Memories
40 Years of Led Zeppelin
It’s hard to believe, but it was 40 years ago that Led Zeppelin really started to take flight. Although the band had performed 8 concerts in North America in December 1968, it wasn’t until January 9 at San Francisco’s Fillmore West that the group truly exploded on the music scene.
The band would release two studio albums that year: the self-titled debut album on January 12 and Led Zeppelin II on October 22. To put that achievement in perspective, some of today’s top acts take years to produce a single album. Zeppelin’s first two albums still sound as fresh as they did back in the day, thanks to Jimmy Page’s production expertise learned through studio session work. They’re still selling and the songs are being enjoyed by a whole new generation.
Whole Lotta Love from Led Zeppelin II recently took centre stage worldwide, with Adam Lambert’s rendition on American Idol. He also performed Black Dog from the group’s untitled fourth album on the Zodiac Show. Whether or not you like the glitz’n’glam modern interpretations of Zeppelin’s classics, you have to admit it’s pretty sweet that the band’s music is still resonating with people and inserting itself into pop culture.
Also, did you notice some of the comments on Idol? Paula Abdul asked, “How can you improve on a Zeppelin song?” and Simon Cowell called Whole Lotta Love “one of the greatest rock songs ever”.
Getting back to Zeppelin in 1969…In addition to producing and releasing two best-selling albums that year, the group had four major tours of North America and three UK/European tours. A whopping 150 concert dates in total. And those are just the ones we know about.
Shows were always added at the last minute, and in unexpected places in those days. It just made sense for the bottom line and to build awareness of/create demand for the band. There are probably a few other gigs whose existence will be up to future researchers.
This 40th anniversary year is a boon to Led Zeppelin fans around the world, with several new books out and extensive magazine coverage.
30 Years of Tight But Loose
Speaking of magazines, one of the best is Dave Lewis’ Tight But Loose. Since 1978, Dave has been chronicling the world of Led Zeppelin. He saw the band in concert 18 times. He’s written or co-authored many classic books in the Led Zeppelin literature. Interviewed ALL the band’s musicians and managers.
For this important anniversary year, Tight But Loose has several projects on the go. First, Dave’s taking a look back at 40 years of Led Zeppelin. In April, he issued his first of three editions celebrating Led Zeppelin’s astounding accomplishments of 1969. He also interviewed John Paul Jones about his current collaboration with Sara Watkins.
The mag also features two articles by Gerard Sparaco, whom I had the pleasure of meeting just last week. Gerard operates a website: http://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com and he’s an incredible source of information on the live recordings of various rock bands, not just Zeppelin.
One of his articles in Tight But Loose examines the bootlegged releases that document Zeppelin’s live concerts in 1969. The second is an update on the latest underground releases of the band’s music.
Please note: it is illegal to produce, sell and/or distribute unauthorized, unofficial releases or “bootlegs”. Neither Tight But Loose nor Enzepplopedia Publishing, Inc. participates in or condones such illicit activity.
I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Dave Lewis not long ago. The results of our incredible conversation will appear in some form soon, so stay tuned for that. You won’t want to miss it!
AND…if you’d like to subscribe to Tight But Loose (highly recommended), please go to http://www.tblweb.com.
30 Years Since Knebworth
In 1979, Led Zeppelin came home to the UK after a four year absence during which they had toured the world and recovered from personal tragedies that had befallen some of the band’s musicians. The last time they had performed on British soil had been at Earl’s Court in 1975.
On August 4 and 11, 1979, they took to the largest stage ever constructed to perform at Knebworth House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Critics and the band members themselves were less than thrilled with Zeppelin’s performances there. The massed fans were rather subdued but appreciative.
Although another European and North American tour had been scheduled for the fall, The Knebworth Festival would turn out to be Led Zeppelin’s British “swan song” – the last live UK concert of the band’s career with the original line-up that featured drummer John Bonham.
Dave Lewis (who attended both concerts) will be paying tribute to Knebworth in this year’s editions of Tight But Loose.
As well, Annie Hollinshead – who put together the “Memories in Music 1968-2008” tribute last year - is once again looking for artifacts and memorabilia for another exhibition at Knebworth House, this time specifically about the Knebworth Festival.
Annie’s event is a fundraiser in aid of the ABC Trust – Action for Brazil’s Children, a charity founded by Jimmy Page and chaired by Graeme Hutchinson. For more information, please visit http://www.memoriesinmusic.com
This just in!
An email just arrived from Graeme H. He has asked some of us to forward an invitation to Zep fans about a pub event that he and Dave Lewis would like to organize to celebrate Knebworth. If you live in the UK (or are going to be visiting this August), click here to read his invitation and kindly RSVP Dave Lewis if you plan to attend.
40 years of Led Zeppelin. 30 years of Tight But Loose. And 30 years since Knebworth.
It’s a great year for lovers of Led!
Access to our Enzepplozine Archives
While we were busy building our new website, http://www.learn-about-led.com, the archived editions from our enzepplopedia.com site were not available online.
Many of you new subscribers will have never seen this material. And some of our loyal readers from ‘way back will be pleased to see these articles again. There’s an incredible amount of information in these archived Enzepplozines. And they’re not JUST about that first year of Led Zeppelin’s existence.
So kick back and enjoy a few hours of reading about your favourite band. This material will disappear again in another month or so. Here’s the link:
http://www.enzepplopedia.com/enzepplozine/
Book Expo America Podcast
Enzepplopedia Publishing, Inc. sounds kind of corporate, but it’s really just yours truly and my sister/editor, Lou Anne. This year, we’re involved with over 20 book fairs and library shows, including last month’s London Book Fair, where Sonic Boom Volume 1 was displayed near the Earl’s Court entrance. How cool is that for a book on Zeppelin? LOL.
Our book was specifically designed for libraries and we’re very pleased that more and more of them have been in touch to order the book. Libraries base their purchasing on book reviews and reader requests. So, if you want to read Sonic Boom for FREE, please just ask your local library for it! (And kindly direct them to http://www.enzepplopedia.com. THANKS!)
From May 29 through 31, Sonic Boom Volume 1 will be on exhibit at Book Expo America. It’s being held at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. As a new author, I was interviewed for that and a podcast was made. You can hear it by clicking below. Hope you like it!
Click here to listen to the podcast.
That’s it until next month. Have a great summer!
Frank Reddon, Author
Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin Volume 1 – Break & Enter
Reminders
Want to learn about Led? Visit Learn-about-Led.com
Order Sonic Boom Volume 1 at Enzepplopedia.com.
And don't forget to tell us what's YOUR favourite Led Zeppelin album!