Julie Felix 1938 – 2020:
I was so very sad to hear the news of the passing of Julie Felix aged 81. Julie was always so supportive of my TBL work through her association with John Paul Jones and I did a couple of very memorable interviews with her. This photo was taken at the Royal Albert Hall after her performance at the Icons of The Hall event in May 2017. Julie shone such a light for the folk rock and protest movement over many decades and her BBC2 TV show …

Robert Plant – Digging Deep Singles Box Set
I’ve finally got around to assessing the contents of the recently released Robert Plant Digging Deep singles box set – so here’s my thoughts…
The Package:  
Sturdy singles size book format with front abstract cover artwork similar to that to the Shaken’n’Stirred album cover.
I am lucky enough to own a copy of the Digging Deep box set signed by Robert Plant.
Single size insert depicting the artwork for the I Believe single on the front with the contents credits listing. The eight singles are presented …

Reason prevails – this via BBC News website:
Led Zeppelin did not steal Stairway To Heaven riff, appeals court rules:
Led Zeppelin have triumphed in a long-running copyright dispute after a US appeals court ruled they did not steal the opening riff in Stairway To Heaven.
The British rock legends were accused in 2014 of ripping off a song called Taurus by the US band Spirit.
Taurus was written in 1968, three years before Stairway To Heaven.
Now, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has upheld a 2016 trial verdict that …

 
Robert Plant Q and A with Mat Everitt – Rough Trade East record shop London – Friday February 28, 2020:
With Adam looking after the good lady Janet last Friday I ventured into London for the Robert Plant Q and A at Rough Trade East record shop. I fared better than my last London visit.  I still felt anxious at times and was not 100 percent in the zone but it was an improvement. As for Robert Plant – a very engaging hour of chat with the excellent Mat Everitt – …

Robert Plant Uncut magazine front cover feature:

There’s an excellent extensive 13 page Robert Plant cover feature in the new issue of Uncut – timed to tie in with this Friday’s release of the Digging Deep singles box set. Alongside new interview quotes from Robert, there’s additional input from among others, former band members Jezz Woodroffe and Phil Johnstone plus producer Tim Palmer.
This all helps to flesh out what is essentially an overview of Robert’s post Zep career. Talking about his past work he says ‘’I’ve always spent so much time …

TBL Archive Special: 

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant – Teenage Cancer gig – Royal Albert Hall, February 9, 2002: 18 Years Gone…
It’s amazing to think that it’s all of 18 years today (Feb 9th) that Jimmy and Robert appeared separately on the Teenage Cancer gig at the Royal Albert Hall headlined by Paul Weller.
I remember the TBL meet in the pub beforehand as if it was yesterday –in fact I still have the LZ Club Italia membership card that the visiting Italian fans handed me. And of course it all occurred …

Catalyst: Poet Scarlett Sabet in conversation with Jimmy Page
Libreria Bookshop
65 Hanbury Street
London
Background details:
Having been hailed by Hunger Magazine as “one of the brightest new stars on the international poetry scene”, poet Scarlett Sabet has teamed up with legendary musician Jimmy Page to produce Catalyst, a radical sonic re-interpretation of work drawn from Sabet’s previous four collections, released digitally and on special edition vinyl last year (Oct 2019). Join Scarlett and Jimmy at Libreria where they’ll be discussing collaboration, the challenge of working across art forms, and the creative dynamic …

TBL Archive – it was 45 years ago…
TBL Led Zep 1975 Snapshot: Number Five
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6th,1975
MONTREAL, CANADA
MONTREAL FORUM
Set: Rock And Roll/Sick Again/Over The Hills And Far Away/In My Time Of Dying/The Song Remains The Same/The Rain Song/Kashmir/No Quarter/Trampled Underfoot/Moby Dick/Dazed And Confused (inc. San Francisco)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – Black Dog/Heartbreaker
Snapshot Listen:- How it sounds now :

I have this on the 1975 World Tour vinyl double album and the When The Levee breaks /World Tour ’75 CD set. I’ve always had a bit of affection for the World …

Led Zeppelin 1 – it was 51 years ago this week.. to mark the 51st anniversary of the debut Led Zeppelin here’s some facts, figures and thoughts on it all…

January 20, 1969 – Led Zeppelin debut album released:
Despite often being attributed to either Sunday, January 12, 1969 or Friday, January 17, 1969, the correct “official” release date of the debut album might well have been Monday, January 20, 1969. As Mike Tremaglio flagged to me – this release date was referenced in an Atlantic Records memo accompanying white label advance …

TBL Archive Special: 
TBL Led Zep 1975 Snapshot: Number Two
Snapshot Notes:
MONDAY JANUARY 20th, 1975
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
CHICAGO STADIUM

Set: Rock And Roll/Sick Again/Over The Hills And Far Away/When The Levee Breaks/The Song Remains The Same/The Rain Song/Kashmir/The Wanton Song/No Quarter/In My Time Of Dying/Trampled Underfoot/Moby Dick/How Many More Times/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – Black Dog/Communication Breakdown.
Robert ‘s flue is now in full effect and Jimmy is struggling with an injured finger. How Many More Times’ was recalled to the set to allow space for guitar improvisation. As Page told Chris Charlesworth …