Jimmy Page - Founding Member Of Led ZeppelinJimmy Page is the founding member of Led Zeppelin and if you’ve been a Zeppelin fan for a long time, you may already know quite a bit about him. But I’ll bet many of you are just learning about Led – and Mr. Page! It’s important to understand his musical background to truly appreciate the virtuosity of his guitar playing and his technical prowess in the recording studio. These attributes are largely responsible for the timeless, enduring quality of Led Zeppelin’s music. Jeffrey Morgan, Canadian editor of Creem Magazine, explained it to me this way. He said Page took an influential pop band on its way out (referring to The Yardbirds) and created his vision of the ultimate rock’n’roll band: Led Zeppelin. He said that Jimmy Page didn’t need a producer like The Beatles needed George Martin. He had acquired all the necessary studio expertise from his days as the top session guitarist in England. The debut Led Zeppelin LP proved it. Morgan also says that technical proficiency and quality songwriting combine to make a great first impression, but it’s impossible to fake authentic heart and soul. Page had it all. And that’s what ultimately led to the longevity of Zeppelin’s music. The Guitar God’s Early DaysJames Patrick (Jimmy) Page was born on January 9, 1944 in Heston, Middlesex, England – a rural area. When he was eight years old, he and his parents moved to Epsom, a suburb of London near Heathrow Airport. Although he sang in a church choir, he wasn’t really interested in music until he was twelve. Inspired by Elvis Presley’s song, Baby Let’s Play House, he picked up a Spanish guitar someone had given his family. A classmate showed him some chords and the rest is history! He and three friends formed the James Page Skiffle Group. You can see their early performance on a BBC-TV variety show called All Your Own, hosted by Huw Wheldon. Jimmy Page had a couple of friends who would come to his house on weekends to jam: Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Eventually, all three would play as part of The Yardbirds and come to rank among the world’s best guitarists. Good Times, Bad Times On TourWhen he was only fifteen, Jimmy Page joined a local London band called Neil Christian and the Crusaders. The group was successful enough to go on tour but Page was often ill when the band travelled. He gave up touring to attend art college. In many photos, you’ll see him playing guitars with colourful designs that he himself painted on them. Rock photographer, Jørgen Angel, told me an amusing story about one of them. One time when Page was to be away, he entrusted his “dragon” Telecaster to a friend. When Jimmy’s chum returned his guitar, a brand-new design had been painted over it! Jørgen sensed that Jimmy never fully got over the shock. Session Work: Crucible For GreatnessIn a very short time, Jimmy Page became one of the most in-demand session guitarists in England. There was a lot of work in those days. He played everything from elevator music to songs by The Kinks and The Who. George Chkiantz worked as a tape operator for recording several Zeppelin albums at Olympic Studios. He told me that Page often played on sessions with bass guitarist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, who was in even higher demand for his arranging skills. When a position in The Yardbirds opened up, Jimmy leapt at the chance to explore his creativity in a band format again. Although the studio work’s monotony had ultimately bored him, its discipline had forged a super musician. Here’s a more detailed account of Page’s days with The Yardbirds. For now, just know that The Yardbirds disbanded in July 1968. Page formed The New Yardbirds with the line-up we know as Led Zeppelin.
The New Yardbirds Flock TogetherWith a contract for a short Scandinavian tour in the fall of 1968 to honour, Jimmy Page had to put a new band together in a hurry. John Paul Jones heard he was looking for musicians and asked to join. When their first choices for vocalist and percussionist turned them down because of other commitments, Jimmy and John Paul recruited Robert Plant as their singer and front man. Plant suggested his mate from the Midlands, John Bonham, for drum duty. Page and Plant seemed to share the same musical passions, most notably a fascination with folk and world music. Jones and Bonham found common ground in their love of soul music, swing and jazz. All four adored the blues. Shifting alliances of interest and influence would become the various threads that tied the group together as a remarkably cohesive whole. All the studio and touring savvy lay with Page and Jones. Plant and Bonham were brand-new to those experiences. The Launch Of The Mighty ZeppelinJimmy Page and his New Yardbirds played their first-ever gig on September 7, 1968 at GladsaxeTeen Club in Copenhagen, Denmark. A second performance that same evening took place at the nearby Brøndby Pop Klub. The new band was a huge hit throughout that Scandinavian jaunt. But, coming home to England, the group realized they needed a new name and a debut album. They decided on “Led Zeppelin” as the title for both! In October, they went into Olympic Studios in Barnes, London, England. Although George Chkiantz wasn’t involved with the recording of that first album, he was there at the time. He confessed that he didn’t care for Zeppelin’s aggressive sound! Thanks to the business acumen of the band’s manager, Peter Grant, Atlantic Records gave Led Zeppelin a very large advance for those days to sign with its label. Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler were the executives brokering the deal. Led Zeppelin: Flying High, Crashing HardJimmy Page’s new group really took off for greatness when the band embarked on its first U.S. and Canadian Tour of 1968/69. You’ll find lots of info about that and other milestones on this website. Led Zeppelin’s first concert on US soil took place in Denver, Colorado on December 26, 1968. The group opened for Spirit whose song, Taurus, many claim inspired Stairway to Heaven. We’ll also explore that further. Page’s band would go on to become one of rock’n’roll’s premier super groups. When drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham tragically died on September 25, 1980, the group’s time had come. Led Zeppelin officially disbanded in December of that year. It’s almost impossible to separate James Patrick Page from the rest of Led Zeppelin throughout the band’s twelve year career. You can read about different aspects of that throughout this website. I hope you will. There’s a lot to learn! His Life After Led ZeppelinIf you want to find out more about Jimmy Page and his amazing career after Led Zeppelin, please bookmark this page. I have so much more to share with you! Watch for future updates and postings. We’ll talk about: How Page spent his time in the years immediately after Bonham’s passing and what prompted him to pick up the guitar again His guest appearances with Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Foreigner, Paul Rodgers, Roy Harper The formation of his new bands, The Firm, The Black Crowes and their tours plus the Page/Plant tour reunions, MTV Unplugged and LiveAid His work with David Coverdale, Jason Bonham, Long John Baldry and others His meticulous work in remastering and releasing compilations of archived Led Zeppelin material The 02 Reunion with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin and Jason Bonham His appearance at the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and star turn in the film, It Might Get Loud.
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