With the 49th anniversary of Led Zeppelin’s activities in 1975 upon us -I will be celebrating this era with a series of TBL Led Zep 1975   Snapshots – these will take the form of postings covering specific gigs and events from the era, with particular spotlight on the period January to May 1975.

This is designed to track the progress of the year as it unfolded. I will also be listening to the relevant bootleg of the chosen gig on the day to add a perspective of how it sounds 49 years on.

This is where things really get going…

TBL Led Zep 1975 Snapshot: Number 5

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12th, 1975

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN 

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 (inc. That’s Alright Mama).

Background Details:

Whilst in New York, for recreation, Jimmy went to see Linda Ronstadt in New Jersey with ex-James Gang member Joe Walsh.

Writer and future film director Cameron Crowe is travelling with the band with a view to arranging a cover story for Rolling Stone magazine. Crowe builds up a good rapport with the group (he later contributes the sleeve notes to The Song Remains The Same soundtrack album) and interviews all four members, finally capturing Page at the Plaza Hotel during their Madison Square stint. Page, though none too happy with the paper’s previous coverage of the group, reluctantly agrees to a group photo session after much persuasion.

Cameron Crowe remembers: “Time was running out but I got Ben Fong Torres at the magazine’s office to hold the cover. Photographer Neal Preston reserved a room at the Plaza and set up a backdrop. It was the band’s day off (February 11). The members were informed of the afternoon shoot but mysteriously that morning Page disappeared from the hotel. Plant was first to arrive at 4PM, his shirt ‘accidentally’ open, his hair ‘accidentally’ perfect, then Jones and Bonham. Joe Walsh was there with his then manager Irving Azoff to help their friend Jimmy through this most tender ordeal. Page was still nowhere to be seen.

“Finally, Page arrived. In his arms were two bouquets of dead roses – his defiant statement for the cover of Rolling Stone. He explained his delay: ‘I was looking for black roses. They exist you know!’ He looked around the room. ‘Let’s do this quickly!’

“The session began. Three of the four members of Led Zeppelin struck a conciliatory pose, but the fourth Jimmy Page – held roses and stared through the camera. It was his chilling look that made the photo. The film was rushed to the lab and I flew home to San Francisco to write up the story. I had decided it would be a question and answer feature – that’s how good the interviews were.

“The call came early next day. There had been an equipment malfunction. The film was unusable; barely exposed was a dark silhouette of what might have been a Rolling Stone cover to rival the best. The cover was hastily switched to a tinted live Preston shot. That turned out nicely – and the issue with Zeppelin on the cover was a huge seller. It’s just a shame Page’s defiant stance was never seen.”

Snapshot Listen:- How it sounded today:

I’ve had this show for some years on the audience recording Can’t Take Your Evil Ways (Diagrams Of Led Zeppelin). In 2001 it then surfaced on the Empress Valley label as Flying Circus as a very well balanced soundboard recording. This was a revelation at the time and I recall a very excited Mark Harrison ringing me to tell me how good it was. And it is good -very good indeed and playing it today the whole thing sounded great. This is the point where the US tour really began to take off.

Robert is quick to comment on the snow that was surrounding the city at the time: “We came four blocks in the snow to get here… you realise that? People were calling me on the telephone today and saying ‘Is it gonna be on?’ For a minute I was wondering about my anatomy, then I realised there was some discrepancy about the weather. Isn’t it good though that it snows? Doesn’t it change the vibe of the city? I think it’s great!”

No Quarter expands with a lovely electric piano sequence and a wah wah fest from Page that has the feel of the electric fusion Miles Davis pioneered on the likes of Bitches Brew. Trampled Underfoot has a particularly expressive solo from Page.  Dazed And Confused continues to extend with the San Francisco sequence sounding very spaced out and brief section from Walter’s Walk which would eventually surface on Coda. The outro features those West Side Story licks.

Thee final encore of Heartbreaker is preceded by some lines from You Shook Me- during the solo they move into an impromptu version of That’s Alright Mama’ A perfect end to a perfect party. Plant: “Ladies and gentlemen of New York… you’re too much… and we ain’t so bad ourselves!”

Indeed they were not….

TBL Led Zep 1975 Snapshot: Number 6:

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13th, 1975

UNIONDALE , NEW YORK

NASSAU  VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM

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/Roll Over Beethoven/Communication Breakdown.

Snapshot Listen:- How it sounded today:

I have this on the Throwing The Wild Seeds box set. Another fine performance. Dazed And Confused contains much improvisation. Page’s injured finger is causing less problems now. Whole Lotta Love tonight includes the theremin for the first time on the tour during a funky interlude prior to leading into ‘Black Dog’.

Ronnie Wood then on tour with The Faces, comes on for the final encore of ‘Communication Breakdown’. Robert sings a few lines of Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven while the guitars are being sorted out. Communication Breakdown itself is greatly extended and clocks in at over nine minutes with both guitarists taking solos. One of the all time great Zep jams.

 TBL Led Zep 1975 Snapshot: Number 6:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 1975

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK

NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM

Set: Rock And Roll/Sick Again/Over The Hills And Far Away/In My Time Of Dying/Since I’ve Been Loving You/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.

Background Info: Mike Tremaglio recalled: One of my friends saw this show from the 14th row.Unfortunately he could not score tickets for my brother and I – not that I held it against him as I got him tickets for the June 7 1977 New York show. We asked him to log down all the details of the Nassau show  and we  did get a blow by blow account of the new songs from Physical Graffiti a full two weeks before it was released in the U.S. His recall was tremendous and I can remember him describing  In My Time of Dying and Kashmir in real detail.

……………………..

Snapshot Listen:- How it sounds now:

I have this on the Nassau 1975 (TheDiagrams Of Led Zeppelin) audience version. I’ve been listening to this show today via the soundboard recording that surfaced a few years back as released on the Scorpio label and as part of the Godfather Throwing The Wild Seeds box set .

It’s one of my favourite performances of the 1975 US tour.

Plant is just about regaining his vocals strength after the problems of the past weeks. He is also on his spieling best form developing one of those band to audience rapports he was so good at.

Witness his opening statements:

“Today is one of the last of the pagan traditions that is carried on into the 20th Century. It’s the day for throwing the wild seeds. In fact, now they call it St. Valentine’s Day… so, happy St. Valentine’s Day! I think we should dedicate this whole show to St. Valentine.”

“Tonight, we intend to take a knife and cut right through the glorious ice cream of Led Zeppelin. You get a little bit of vanilla, a little bit of chocolate, a little bit of colour and a little bit of everything”

And more..

“We came here in a state of ah, Jimmy managed to get to sleep at three o’clock this afternoon, and he was up again at four thirty. So we didn’t really know whether we had the strength to walk on the stage, but we have, and it’s feeling good. We were, we spent a few hours with St. Valentine last night, you see?”

The playing throughout is wonderfully loose and informal and there’s another great moment as Plant is introducing No Quarter” Page plays the opening notes to Train Kept A-Rollin.  “We’re going through our whole live history here, just flashing on different numbers” Plant adds.

The set list is notable for the inclusion of Since I’ve Been Loving played live for the first time since the 1973 US tour. Plant: “Who knows what it’s gonna sound like, but it’s something we really used to dig playing”. There’s a masterful ad-lib during the song where he sings the ‘I’m about to lose my worried mind” refrian and adds ”I seem to remember I used to say for five minutes”

”This is one that regulars that come here know quite well…but you’ve still yet to hear the recorded version…this is a track about another of life’s journeys that never end..this time in Kashmir”

Kashmir was a number that they were obviously itching to play live and with Plant’s voice suitably recovered they turned in a majestic Valentines’ Day performance in Nassau. Page strumming down relentlessly on the Gibson behind Bonham’s castinet like drumming.

Plant showing renewed confidence to throw in the echoed vocal nuances that became such an Earls Court trademark. Listening to this delivery re emphasis my opinion that the best live versions of Kashmir  were all played in the year it was released on record.

No Quarter features John Paul Jones at his best tonight and his improvisation takes the number to 20 minutes in duration.

Dazed And Confused is a marathon 30 minute plus excursion and the encore delivery of Heartbreaker leads into an impromptu version of Elvis’ Mess Of Blues

Tangerine was of course a surprise inclusion at the Earls Court shows performed as a four part harmony. However perhaps they were already toying with the idea of bringing it back during the American tour. For on this night prior to Stairway To Heaven Plant let out a few lines from the long deleted Zep III stage fave. ”Measuring a summers day”…adding ”I’ve forgotten the words”. It was a brief teaser for a song that would again light up those memorable May days to come.

The prelude to Earls Court was on – and the prospect was a very favourable one …

Dave Lewis –February 9 2023

To be continued…

Robert Plant

Robert Plant added another US tour date with Alison Krauss

There still hasn’t been any official announcement of Robert Plant’s 2024 US tour with Alison Krauss, even though three tour dates are now confirmed.

The tour will begin in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 2 and will also include performances on both June 18 and June 19 in Vienna, Virginia. The first show on June 18 was rescheduled from June 29, 2023. The second show on June 19 is a new show that was quietly added to both the venue and Plant’s websites this week.

When will the tour be officially announced? LedZepNews did some digging and our best guess is we see an announcement next week, potentially as soon as tomorrow. That’s because tickets for the two Vienna, Virginia shows go on sale on February 16, according to the venue’s website.

If February 16 is the date when all tickets for Plant and Krauss’ 2024 US tour go on sale, then an announcement next week is looking likely. Robert Plant announced his October tour of Italy with Saving Grace four days before tickets went on sale and his 2024 UK tour with Saving Grace four days before tickets went on sale.

However, his November 2023 UK tour with Saving Grace was announced three days before tickets went on sale, as was his 2023 Italy tour with Saving Grace.

Last year, Plant and Krauss announced their 2023 US tour just two days before tickets went on sale.

So we could see confirmation of the tour any day between tomorrow and Wednesday, based on past tour announcement timings.

Andy Taylor prize draw is extended and expanded

A prize draw to meet Robert Plant and Andy Taylor and win a Banksy print has been extended and expanded. The charity prize draw in aid of The Cancer Awareness Trust was originally for a prize of a Banksy print and meeting Plant and Taylor in London in December.

However, the draw has now been expanded to include flights and a hotel in London. It’s now scheduled to end on February 29 with a winner announced on March 1.

Upcoming events:

• February – A deluxe, limited edition version of “The Beach Boys” by The Beach Boys, including a contribution by Jimmy Page, will be published.
• February 16 – “Pictures At Eleven: Robert Plant Album By Album” by Martin Popoff will be published.
• February 29 – The prize draw to meet Robert Plant and Andy Taylor and win a Banksy print will end.
• March 1 – The winner of the prize draw to meet Robert Plant and Andy Taylor and win a Banksy print will be announced.
• March 13 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Bristol, UK.
• March 14 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Ipswich, UK.
• March 17 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in London, UK.
• March 18 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Tunbridge Wells, UK.
• March 20 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Peterborough, UK.
• March 21 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Nottingham, UK.
• March 22 – John Paul Jones will perform at the Big Ears music festival in Knoxville, Tennessee.
• March 23 – John Paul Jones will perform at the Big Ears music festival in Knoxville, Tennessee as part of Sons Of Chipotle and Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Hastings, UK.
• March 24 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace at the Teenage Cancer Trust “Ovation” event in London, UK.
• March 26 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Liverpool, UK.
• March 27 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Sheffield, UK.
• March 29 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Blackburn, UK.
• April 2 – “The Beach Boys” by The Beach Boys, including a contribution by Jimmy Page, will be published.
• April 5 – “Led Zeppelin: A Visual Biography” by Martin Popoff will be published.
• April 6 – The exhibition “The Wiltshire Thatcher – a Photographic Journey through Victorian Wessex” featuring the original photograph from the cover of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album will open at Wiltshire Museum.
• April 30 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Harrogate, UK.
• May 1 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Stockton, UK.
• May 3 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Coventry, UK.
• May 4 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace at Cheltenham Jazz Festival in Cheltenham, UK.
• June/July – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will tour the US.
• June 2 – Robert Plant will perform with Alison Krauss in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• June 18 – Robert Plant will perform with Alison Krauss in Vienna, Virginia.
• June 19 – Robert Plant will perform with Alison Krauss in Vienna, Virginia.
• July 23 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Southend, UK.
• July 24 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Woking, UK.
• July 25-28 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace at the Cambridge Folk Festival in Cambridge, UK.
• September 15 – The exhibition “The Wiltshire Thatcher – a Photographic Journey through Victorian Wessex” featuring the original photograph from the cover of Led Zeppelin’s fourth album will close at Wiltshire Museum.
• October 8 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Bari, Italy.
• October 9 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Naples, Italy.
• October 11 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Rome, Italy.
• October 12 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Florence, Italy.
• October 14 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Bologna, Italy.
• October 15 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Turin, Italy.
• October 17 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Como, Italy.
• October 18 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Bolzano, Italy.
• October 20 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Padua, Italy.
• October 21 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Trieste, Italy.
• October 23 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Brescia, Italy.

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More Valentine’s Day:

February 14th has been the date of a fair few Zep related happenings over the years, not least for it being the second night of the aforementioned and rightly acclaimed Nassau Coliseum gigs in 1975. This show has been released as a soundboard recording, notably on Godfatherecords recent box set Throwing The Wild Seeds. The 6 CD box set also has the previous night’s recording when they were joined on stage by Ronnie Wood for an encore performance of Communication Breakdown

Exactly a year previously in 1974 Jimmy took to the stage to join Roy Harper. I did consider going to this but was slow on the tickets and had to make do with the consolation of Roy’s very fine album Valentine which I purchased the day it came out ( I need to sort that one out and play it today) – Here’s the gen from this one:

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14 1974 – LONDON RAINBOW THEATRE

Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Bonham are all in attendance for Roy Harper’s St. Valentine’s Day concert. Jimmy, resplendent in a Chinese jacket decorated with hummingbirds, joins Roy’s all star band comprising Keith Moon (drums), Ronnie Lane (bass) and Max Middleton (keyboards) for numbers including ‘Same Old Rock’ (playing a Martin acoustic), ‘Male Chauvinist Pig Blues’ and ‘Home’ (playing the Gibson Les Paul) and ‘Too Many Movies’. ‘Home’ includes a cameo appearance from John Bonham who comes on strumming an acoustic guitar, dressed in a red jacket and black tights and sporting a pork pie hat. Finally, Robert Plant strolls on at the end to act as MC to declare to the crowd: “Ladies and Gentlemen – Roy Harper!!”

Some of this set was later issued on Roy’s ‘Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion’ double album. Harper dubbed this one-off line-up as The Intergalactic Elephant Band.

Jimmy Page: “We maybe played a few wrong notes here and there, but what the hell -the spirit of the thing was great.”

……………

Fast forward to Valentine’s Day 2007. On that day Robert Plant regrouped The Honeydrippers for a special charity and birthday performance for long time soundman the late great Roy Williams. Staged at the JB’s club in Dudley, it was a memorable night which I was lucky enough to attend. This piece is dedicated to Roy who sadly passed away in 2020.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14TH 2007. RETURN OF THE HONEYDRIPPERS –JB’S DUDLEY

Set List:

Mess Of Blues, Little Sister, She Little Sheila, Gonna Work Out Fine, Black Magic Woman, I’ve Been Loving You, Put A Spell On You, Big Log, Down In The Bottom,Can’t Be Satisfied, Rattlesnake Shake, Crossroads, Big Hunk Of Love, Daddy Rolling Stone, Encores: Stormy Monday/ I Can’t Quit You Babe, I’m Comin’ Home, What I’d Say.

Here’s the DL diary entry from the day after:

Honeydrippers Rockola and surprise Beckola in the Midlands:

Just back from a whirlwind stop over in Dudley to catch The Return Of The Honeydrippers charity show at JB’s Club. And quite a night it was. Mike Sanchez and The Big Town Playboys got the evening off to a suitably rocking start with an hour long set of pure roughshod rock’n’roll aided by Ricky Cool and Andy Silvester. Before the main event there was a real surprise. Jeff Beck strolled on the stage, white Statocaster in hand to perform three instrumental jams supported by a two man rhythm section with the Playboys Ian Jennings on bass. Looking for all the world like he’d stepped off the set of that famous Yardbirds club appearance in the Blow Up film, he proceeded to deliver those familiar guitar histrionics that has carved his legend. The total surprise element in viewing one of the pioneering guitarists of all time, right there just a few feet away was absolutely startling. Scrubbing the axe for all it’s worth, finger picking up the fret – this was a masterclass of electric guitar playing. This man still has it … In droves.

Then followed the return of The Honeydrippers. Witnessing the singer back among friends, effortlessly guiding the enthusiastic audience through the backwaters of his record collection was a total joy. Highlights: The back to back Elvis Mess of Blues/Little Sister opening, Robert taking a backing vocal role to Mo Birch’s lead on Gonna Work Out Fine, a beautifully laid back Black Magic Woman, a nostalgic Big Log with Robbie Blunt recreating the spirit of ’83, Muddy’s Just Can’t Be Satisfied with Robert on harp and a vibrant Daddy Rolling Stone with great back up vocals from Mo and Nadia Pearson. In the encores they even did a version of Delaney And Bonnie’s Comin’ Home, one of my all time faves and a single I brought when it first came out back in 1970.

Forget The Police and anyone else rumoured to be reforming … 26 years to the day of their first gig, The Honeydrippers made this the only reunion worth talking about around these parts … and provided a memorable 60th birthday for sound engineer Roy Williams.

DL – February 15th 2007.

The latter statement was a bit of a long shot because at the time there were no rumours of what was to follow come December. Little did I realise the extraordinary events that would unfold in the coming months – with all roads eventually leading to the 02 Arena and that night of nights..…

More feedback of the gig via these original TBL website tour watch posts:

This review by Colin Martin Rumors were flying all day as who would be performing alongside Robert on the 26th anniversary of the first Honeydrippers concert. Jimmy Page? Jeff Beck? Inside JB’s watching people mingling around. I soon spotted Bernie Mardsen and then Bev Bevan. After asking Bev was he performing he said no and Bernie said maybe. Soon The Big Town Playboys and MIke Sanchez (featuring Clive Deamer on drums) were blazing away through their own brand of rock and roll songs when Jeff Beck was spotted walking up the stairs alongside the stage. After agreat set by the Playboys the MC announces a special guest slot. On walks Jeff Beck along with bassist and drummer and precedes to play some storming guitar work. Its amazing to see the speed of his fingers over the strings.

In no time at all his short set was over and finished. And then the headliner strolls on to stage. Looking relaxed and slimmer that at Kidderminster. Soon talking to the crowd about the various songs and the association Robert has to them. Same musicians as at Kidderminster, however, it was featuring more front line vocals from Mo Birch. Robert and Mo had to switch microphones at one stage as she still had Robert’s mic after her lead. Again highlight of the evening was the interaction between Robert and Robbie Blunt on Big Log. Before the band kicked off again with the encores Robert wished soundman Roy Williams a happy birthday. The only question left was who would play on the encores and the answer was only a guest drummer, an unannounced youngster. And then it was all over until next time. See expressandstar.com for photos and film of the show. In the report it states Clive Deamer played with Jeff Beck. This is incorrect. Drummer was unannounced.

This review by Trevor Wilkinson Good to see you at JB’s and what a great show! Mike Sanchez at his usual greatness rocking the house and then a fantastic surprise as Jeff Beck appeared and blew the audience away. RP was very relaxed and obviously enjoying himself performing music from his roots, he also looked fitter and somewhat leaner than he’s been for a while so maybe he’s been taking advantage of the mild spells over the last couple of months and playing a bit of tennis in Stourbridge. Big Log and a few musical Zep references were well received by the capacity audience. After show party was nice and laid back with some tasty crisps and munchies as well as plenty of Midlands musos and the Strange Sensation lads in attendance. Hope there’s gonna be some more real soon.

……………………………

 And yet more Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Day TBL Playlist… 

I  have a playlist that that randomly sequences the more wistful and romantic  side of Zep, Page & Plant moments – it includes

Tangerine, Moonlight In Samosa, Wonderful One, The Greatest Gift, That’s The Way, When I Was A Child, Like I’ve Never Been Gone, Ten Years Gone, Come Into My Life, Down By The Seaside, Stick With Me Baby, Blue Train, I’m Gonna Crawl, Heart In Your Hand, Thank You, The Rain Song, Song To The Siren, Going To California, In The Light, I Believe, Ship of Fools, Sea Of Love, Please Read The Letter, Our Song, All My Love, Thank You etc – you get the idea.

Aside from Zep, I’d list Frank Sinatra’s In The Wee Small Hours, Burt Bacharach’s Hitmaker, Otis Redding Otis Blue, Dusty Springfield In Memphis and David Bowie’s Young Americans as definitive Valentine’s Day play.

In the light of all that here’s the DL Valentine’s playlist –  some of the most romantic and deeply touching love songs ever written in the view of your TBL editor:

Ten Years Gone – Led Zeppelin

True Love Ways -Buddy Holly

Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley

Full Moon –Sandy Denny

Lay Lady Lay – Bob Dylan

Northern Sky –Nick Drake

Oh My Love –John Lennon

Come In To My Life – Robert Plant

Cupid – Sam Cooke

Our House – Crosby Stills Nash & Young

Tangerine –Led Zeppelin

I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing – Aerosmith

If I Can’t Have You -Yvonne Elliman

You Make Loving Fun – Fleetwood Mac

Kate Bush – The Man With The Child In His Eyes

And I Love Her – The Beatles

Let’s Stay Together – Al Green

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You – Rod Stewart

If Not For You – Bob Dylan

God Only Knows – The Beach Boys

Do What You Gotta Do – The Four Tops

Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever -Bryan Ferry

You Are Everything – Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye

Baby I Love Your Way – Peter Frampton

Nobody Loves You Like I Do – Greg Lake

Ship Of Fools – Robert Plant

The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin

Here, There And Everywhere – The Beatles

Angie – The Rolling Stones

I’m Gonna Crawl – Led Zeppelin

Word On A Wing – David Bowie

The Greatest Gift – Robert Plant

Something – The Beatles

Wonderful One – Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

I’d Have  You Anytime – George Harrison

Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney

No More Lonely Nights – Paul McCartney

Head Start To Happiness – The Style Council

You’re The Best Thing – The Style Council

Tiny Dancer – Elton John

Thank You – Led Zeppelin

Little Wing – Jimi Hendrix

Forever Young – Bob Dylan

Winter – The Rolling Stones

If You Really Want To Be My Friend – The Rolling Stones

We’ve Only Just Begun – The Carpenters

I’ve Been Loving You Too Long – Otis Redding

Let’s Get It On -Marvin Gaye

Still In Love With You – Thin Lizzy

Loving You – Minnie Riperton

Help Me – Joni Mitchell

Love Song – Lesley Duncan

Loving And Free – Kiki Dee

One For My Baby –Frank Sinatra

The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield

The Faces  – Love Lived Here

Your Song – Elton John

Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin

Can You Hear Me? – David Bowie

I’ll Be There – Bobby Darin

You Do Something To Me -Paul Weller

All My Love – Led Zeppelin

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My thoughts on…

Labyrinth – British Jazz On Record 1960- 75 by Richard Morton Jack with an introduction by Tony Reeves (Lansdowne)

Right, straight to the point – Labyrinth is a truly magnificent chronicle

What we have here is a highly detailed pictorial history of British Jazz album releases spanning the years 1960 –1975, all superbly presented in chronological order..

In his enlightening introduction, author Richard Morton Jack sets the scene and brings clear perspective to the role these albums played in the development of British jazz. Initially underplayed in the midst of the novelty of trad jazz, British jazz emerged in the 1960s as a credible movement.

However, with the dominance of the pop market, many of these LPs went under the radar – garnering a few mixed reviews, selling poorly and being swiftly deleted. This has led to many of them commanding five figure sums on the collectors market.

As Richard astutely observes, ”Rarity accounts for part of their appeal but the more salient point is that it has taken decades for the musical worth of such LPs to be appreciated and for listeners all over the world to prick up their ears”

Labyrinth goes a long way to putting the record straight…

The book is beautifully designed with pin point sharp photographic reproductions of over 300 album sleeves – the majority of them both front and back – featuring the all-important sleeve liner notes and record labels themselves.

The lavish large format does absolute justice to the beautiful artwork – this is not just a coffee table book – it’s almost a table in itself!

Hats off here to Richard and Jules Elvins for achieving such clarity with the photos. Note aso, all the album sleeves are drawn from original pressings.

Highly respected musician Tony Reeves provides an illuminating introduction. He was at the forefront of the British jazz moment in the 60s and later went on to work with Colosseum, Curved Air and Greenslade. Tony recalls working with sound engineer Eddie Kramer at Regent Sound studios – Eddie would go on to work with Led Zep and Jimi Hendrix.

So to the LPs spread over 369 pages…

These records were released by a wide range of record companies  – alongside the familiar Columbia, Fontana, Philips, Decca, Polydor and RCA imprints, there are many obscure labels featured – Argo, Esquire, Vogue, Colpix, Tempo and Airbourne among them.

This list of fascinating albums takes in the work of many influential players including Stan Tracey, Joe Harriott, Michael Garrick, Kenny Wheeler, Dick Morrissey, Tubby Hayes and Ian Carr to name but a few.

For anyone obsessed with the detail of vinyl LP records and record labels (and that’s definitely me), this really is an absolute visual delight. You don’t necessarily need to be a big jazz fan to enjoy this book.

Take the liner notes of the many releases featured – they emerge as true remnants of the era. Many a guest reviewer explaining in detail what the listener is about to here including jazz luminaries such as Ronnie Scott and Humphrey Lyttleton and respected journalists Derek Jewel and Richard Williams.

Add to that detailed notes on which studio the album was recorded in (Olympic, Morgan etc), plus the dates of the recording and engineers and producers. Eddie Offord of Yes and ELP fame is a frequently used engineer.

It strikes me that many a rock album would have benefitted from these narratives – such liner notes were prominent in the early 60s but by the psychedelic era with the deployment of ever flamboyant album cover designs ,there was no room for such commentary.

There’s evidence to suggest that some releases in Australia retained the format as I have pressings of both Led Zeppelin 1 and the Crosby Stills & Nash album that deploy the journalist opinions in the style of these fabled British jazz liner notes.

As the 60s progressed, the term jazz  morphed into various offshoot variants such as abstract jazz, avant -garde and jazz rock. Labyrinth includes a fair representation of releases from that era with the likes of Nucleus (on the fledgling Vertigo label) Centipede, Colosseum, Soft Machine’s Hugh Hopper and Isotope.

There’s also some revelations the way –  a pre TV-fame Dudley Moore Trio album on US Atlantic, released thanks to Atlantic Records exec Ahmet Ertegun seeing Dudley playing in a London club on a visit in 1962. The 1969 debut album John McLaughlin on the Marmalade label, a Chris Spedding solo jazz record only issued in Japan – and  Viram Jasani the tabla player on Black Mountain Side on Led Zeppelin I contributing to John Mayer’s Etudes and the Cosmic Eye LP. Who knew?

Along the way, the album Mary Anne Thomas’  cover artwork was adapted from is revealed. It’s also worth mentioning that the inside covers of the book are adorned with vivid fascinating adverts from the music press of the time and the book also comes with a bonus Michael Garrick Trio album poster print.

Prior to viewing this book  I would not claim to be a massive connoisseur of the British jazz movement. However, reading about these archive releases has prompted me to discover much more. I do have some of the albums featured but I’ve already made a list of titles I’m going to try and search out. I can feel yet another record collecting area opening up for me – hey so much for my ‘Buy less’ strategy!

This has been made easy by Richard Morton Jack’s summaries of each record – noting it’s backstory and including contemporary reviews of the time. This is yet another highlight of the book. Concise and insightful, they grasp the essence of what each record is about.

Any book that inspires further investigation to the music it features is a winner – and Richard Morton Jack has a reputation for this via his exhaustive Galactic Ramble and Psychedelia 1966 -1970 volumes and his simply essential Nick Drake The Life biography published last year.

With Labyrinth, Richard has produced yet another definitive account in preserving the deep heritage of UK record releases. This analysis of British jazz is utterly compelling and visually spectacular.

I would very much welcome a similar volume focusing on British Progressive Rock 1966 – 1976. Given his pedigree, there would be only one man for the job.

Over to you Richard…

Meanwhile, Labyrinth – British Jazz On Record 1960 -75 will keep purveyors of the genre and indeed record collectors in general well happy.

This magnificent book is highly recommended -and it’s sure to inspire every reader to find out more about this important sector of British music.

Dave Lewis – February 8 2024

Steve Wright 1954 – 2024:

Like so many of us in the UK I was totally shocked and so saddened by the sudden passing of the veteran Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright.

Over four decades he has been a brilliant broadcaster – the backdrop to many of our lives with his Steve Wright In The Afternoon show and his Sunday Love Songs request show.

Robert Plant acknowledged  his passing with these comments:

”A sad day for UK radio..and the spirit and fun we enjoyed from the great Steve Wright..he will be greatly missed…..”

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DL Diary Blog Update:

Thursday February 8:

Until next time…