It has been an absolutely amazing journey, as a Zeppelin fan, to follow the career of Jimmy Page. The Yardbirds' debut with Page was powerhouse and the transition to Led Zeppelin is iconic in the definition of eternal electric blues rock. The tragic ending of Zeppelin after John Henry Bonham's death lead to a vigilant appreciation for the band which continues to strengthen as the generations discover it. Jimmy Page's guitar wizardry, production leadership and wisdom, mixed with persistence, lead to world wide musical change and a strong record label presence - not to mention the private jet Starship, also known as the Mothership. Zeppelin stayed close to their mystical legendary, offering just a few reunion gigs as the decades rolled on. In th meantime, the Firm and Pagey's solo projects kept fans in awe of his endless well of writing for the guitar and musical arrangements, as well as stage showmanship. Mastering the blues, the electric and acoustic guitars, the theramin and exquisite song productions, Jimmy Page's brilliance shines on everything he pens with his bow and otherwise. And the lore that was written surrounding Led Zeppelin, with it's lush colors and literary mystique was communicated by Page's sense of intuition and talisman journeys, so the music could transcend sound, time, space and generations.
Mr. Page with The Firm:
The Atlantic Records 40th Reunion Announcement:
Performance:
The Ahmet Ertequn Tribute in London.
Led Zeppelin Reunion at the O2 London, December, 2007
And Outrider, and tireless touring with Robert Plant during the Walking Into Clarksdale period for Plant/Page during the 1990's.
Our favorite Zep song that is signature Jimmy Page is "Ten Years Gone" from Physical Graffiti:
What fun, on Mr. Page's birthday, Ultimate Guitar featured a lost promotional track where Jimmy contributed as a session musician, which is now being used as a weather station commercial at the BBC:
The 1965 track "I've Got Everything You Need Babe" was recorded by the Fenmen and featured Page as a session musician. As Mojo notes (via HenneMusic), the guitarist had forgotten about the session's existence until he heard the track on TV:
"I heard the track the other day while I was watching TV. I thought, 'Oh. That sound familiar.' Then, all of a sudden there's a solo that comes in and I go, 'That is me! ' It's something that I would have forgotten about had I not heard it again. In fact, if they hadn't left the solo on the trailer, I may not have known I'd even played on that track."
Before joining The Yardbirds in 1966, Jimmy Page was one of the most regarded session players in the U.K. He appeared on records by acts such as the Who and the Kinks, as well as a number of lesser known acts:
"I did so many sessions and not all of them were big. But I was on all of those big sessions with Tony Hatch and I did a string of records with Petula Clark that did really well. You know what? I think I might even have been on a Benny Hill track, that's how varied things were!"
Read the article here.
