THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME PREMIERE -IT WAS 45 YEARS AGO/LZ NEWS/MORE TBL NOVEMBER ARCHIVES/ROLLING STONES TATTOO YOU REISSUE /MALCOLM DOME & RICHARD MACKAY RIP/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE
TBL Archive: The Song Remains The Same London premiere – it was 45 years ago today…
After the excitement of The Song Remains The Same soundtrack double album release, 45 years ago this week saw the premiere of the accompanying movie. This occurred at the Warner West End cinema in London’s Leicester Square although such was the demand the film was also screened at the nearby Shaftesbury Avenue ABC Theatre.
My girlfriend Fiona and I got tickets by queuing overnight in early October. Sleep was at a minimum that night as the disco next to the Warner West End cinema blasted out a diet of Barry White and the like until the early hours. All worth it of course…
Two nights before the premiere ,The Old Grey Whistle Test screened the famous river boat interview with Peter Grant and Robert Plant and the violin bow segment of Dazed And Confused leading up to the coloured swords being brandished . ‘’That’s an amazing piece of film’’ murmured the legendary Bob Harris -and indeed it was. Incidentally BBC’s Film Night aired a clip the following Sunday for which the long running presenter Barry Norman in his familiar style commented ‘’Let’s all go down like a Led Zeppelin…and why not.’’
The premiere on the night of Thursday November 4 1976 was another unforgettable occasion with many memories ingrained on my brain:
Here’s a few: Jimmy being ushered up the stairs of the cinema on arrival by John Bindon right next to me….shaking hands with Peter Grant and Bonzo as they waited for the photo call….standing up to allow Roy Wood and Billy Connolly to get to his seat two along from where we sat….a standing ovation as Jimmy, Robert, John and Bonzo took their seats…..spontaneous applause after every song performance -it was almost like attending a gig…. Bonzo and Jonesy with families gathering in the foyer afterwards…passing Paul McCartney on the way into the toilet. Robert eyeing the cardboard obeleisk/object card board cut out that I wore around my neck entwined with my scarf for the occasion as we chatted in the foyer.
Let me explain this interesting fashion look. Basically I took one of the cardboard obelisks that made up the hanging Presence mobile I had and swung it around my neck in a unique (plainly odd!) fashion statement – I cant it say it’s a look that caught on but hey it was for a special occasion!….The aforementioned Billy Connolly telling me the film had been ‘’A wee bit brilliant’’ in his famous Scottish brogue…watching them all get into limos as they sped off for the aftershow party in Covent Garden. A simply unforgettable night in their company.
Fiona and I were back for the screening at the Warner West End the next night and on the Saturday. I went on to see the film over 30 times in various cinemas over the next 18 months – along with those first three nights it played in London, I saw it in Cambridge a couple of times the next week, every night (twice on Friday) of its seven day residency at Bedford’s Granada the following January , at a run down cinema in Western Favell in Northampton on a snow bound night that involved catching two busses to find the place…at a midnight night showing along with a couple of porn films in Luton and then there were periodical trips to a small picture house in London’s Wardour Street I think called the Electric Cinema that showed seasons of rock films in rotation (anyone else remember that tiny place?).
In early 1981 I brought it on a dreadful quality VHS bootleg copy in a shop off Tottenham Court Road – all colour drop out but hey any time I wanted I could rewind to Jimmy climbing that mountain so who cared!
All that endeavour seems a bit crazy now considering it’s all on YouTube …but back then it was the thrill of the search and as they couldn’t play live during that period, then the film was definitely the next best thing -and 45 years ago this week it was all happening at the Warner West End cinema. Being there in the cinema with the members of Led Zeppelin to see it unfold for the first time is an unforgettable memory…
Dave Lewis – November 4,2021
LZ News:
Led Zeppelin
- A new photo book titled “They Ask No Quarter” will be published in early November. The 288-page book contains 175 photographs of Led Zeppelin taken by Carl Dunn in the US between 1969 and 1975, around half of which are previously unpublished.
- Previously unseen photographs of Led Zeppelin performing in Montreal on February 6, 1975 have been posted online.
- Led Zeppelin has launched an official TikTok profile and struck a deal to allow users of the video app to soundtrack their content with Led Zeppelin’s music.
- Led Zeppelin published the second episode of “The History of Led Zeppelin IV”.
- Bob Spitz, the author of the upcoming book “Led Zeppelin: The Biography,” will hold a livestreamed conversation with Ann Wilson from Heart about the book on November 15.
Jimmy Page
- Jimmy Page “played pocket chess between takes” while recording “Release Me” by Engelbert Humperdinck, according to arranger Charles Blackwell.
Robert Plant
- Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are preparing to begin touring and promoting their new album “Raise the Roof” which will be released on November 19. They’re due to appear as musical guests on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in November. The pair are also expected to tour the US as well as the UK and Europe next year. So far, the only upcoming performance that has been announced is at BST Hyde Park in London on June 26. Plant and Krauss also spoke to The Irish Times about the album for an article published yesterday.
- Meanwhile, Plant is preparing to tour the UK in December with his band Saving Grace. So far we’ve spotted four confirmed performances in England and Wales.
John Paul Jones
- Previously unseen videos of Them Crooked Vultures in Toronto on May 15, 2010 have been posted online.
Upcoming events:
Early November – The Carl Dunn photo book “They Ask No Quarter” will be published.
November – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will appear as musical guests on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”.
November 9 – “Led Zeppelin: The Biography” by Bob Spitz will be published.
November 15 – Bob Spitz and Ann Wilson will discuss “Led Zeppelin: The Biography” in a livestreamed talk.
November 19 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ second album “Raise the Roof” will be released.
December 16 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Birmingham, England.
December 17 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Monmouth, Wales.
December 20 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Cheltenham, England.
December 21 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Aberystwyth, Wales.
2022 – Robert Plant will go on tour with Alison Krauss and “Robert Plant: A Life In Vision,” a photo book edited by Dave Lewis, will be published.
June 26 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at BST Hyde Park in London, England.
Early 2023 – “A Whole Lotta Music: Life To My Ears,” the memoirs of Tight But Loose editor Dave Lewis, will be published.
2023 – A remastered and expanded 30th anniversary edition of “Coverdale–Page” will be released.
Many thanks to James Cook.
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Led Zeppelin News Website: Check out the Led Zeppelin news website at
More TBL November Archives..
More Wembley Empire Pool magic….in 1978..
When I first witnessed Led Zeppelin live on stage back in November 1971 at the Empire Pool Wembley, this then 15 year old could neve have imagined the events ahead and that I might one day actually meet and speak to Robert Plant in this very same venue.
But that is what came to pass as seven years later on November 4, 1978 I did just that.
By then my enthusiasm for all things Led Zep was pretty off the scale. I had met them all backstage at Earls Court and The Song Remains The Ssame premiere in London and at Heathrow Airport in May 1977.
The tragic passing of Robert’s son Karac had rendered the band inactive for many months –though there had been some stirrings in the spring of 1978 with a get together at Clearwell Castle. I had kept in contact with the Swan Song office and I knew that the recording of a new album was on the cards.
That year was a very memorable one for me – not least for leaping on stage at The Who Shepperton filming gig on May 25. Around the same time I was commissioned by Geoff Barton a journalist on Sounds music paper to work with him on an extensive feature they were running in September to mark the tenth anniversary of Led Zeppelin. Over the summer I collated a Zep career timeline plus an extensive discography that duly ran over four issues in September. It was an incredible thrill to see my work in print and it further fuelled my ambition to produce a Led Zeppelin magazine. This was an idea I had first mooted in late 1977 – I had already designed a few proto type pages and I had a name for it – ‘Tight But Loose’ – a phrase Jimmy and Robert had coined to describe the ban’s music in separate interviews during their 1977 US tour.
In early November 1978 as a fervent reader of the NME I spotted in a small news item that on Sunday, November 5 Robert would be appearing in the Goaldiggers five a side football tournament. The venue was the Empire Pool Wembley – scene of my first Led Zep live experience. I knew I had to be there again – simple as that.
I had been back to the esteemed venue a few of time since 1971. I saw The Rolling Stones afternoon show on September 8 1973 and two years later I was at a scintillating Who performance on October 23 1975. I was also at Elton John’s show there in November 1977.
Back to the story. I was playing football for the Wallbangers team on the Sunday morning but reckoned I could get away after the game and get on a train to London for the 4pm start of the tournament.
So after playing in a 4-3 defeat, I zipped over to Bedford railway station and headed for London. At this point I had no ticket for the tournament but hoped I could get one at the venue. With time running out at vast expense, I took a taxi direct to Wembley from St Pancreas station. Once outside the venue I scored a ticket from a tout. I found myself up the side behind one of the goals. Not a bad view –not that I was going to settle for that for too long. I had already made up my mind that I needed to talk to Robert Plant himself to find out the state of play. The mission was on…
This Goaldiggers football tournament was Robert’s first public appearance since the curtailed US tour. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to re -connect with the singer – as I had done previously – notably at Heathrow Airport.
Robert’s named Geriatric Rowdies comprised of singer Jess Conrad, singer turned WEA Record exec Dave Dee, comedian Jasper Carrot, then West Bromwich Albion manager Ron Atkinson and in the number 8 shirt the man himself. They met LBC in their first match and drew 2-2 the equalizer coming from Robert. The next encounter was with The Stranglers team and ended in another 2-2 draw.
This was not enough to see them through to the next phrase and from where I was up behind the goal, I could see Robert had now changed out of his kit watching by the sidelines
It was then I made my move – I made my way down to the sideline enclosure and with a confident ‘I’m with the players’ strut glided through to the side of the pitch and there I was right next to the man.
What a moment it was. He looked really well if radically different in a smart cut jacket and jeans – the hair cut back to pre 1969 length. A stark contrast to the ‘golden god’ figure I had approached at Heathrow Airport some 18 months ago. Here’s pic I took at that first sighting.
I introduced myself and he recognized me from Heathrow. He duly introduced me to his wife Maureen and daughter Carmen. I reminded him of the last time he was here with Zep and we laughed about the performing pigs that didn’t quite get it right on the night.
During our conversations, Robert told me he was going to Stockholm the next week with the group to commence recording a new album at Abba’s studios.
As the tournament progressed I was with him as he cheered on the ELO team, Spurs player Ralph Coates spirited display with the team made up of The Darts group good naturedly jeering Rod Stewart and Elton john’s team
It was when watching the all ladies match featuring a team made up of page 3 models that a photographer captured the photo of us both laughing at the action.
Here’s another shot from that moment and rarely seen. I am wearing the Zep US tour t shirt that are commonplace now but at the time were very scares promotional t shirts – I and got mine from the lovely Unity Maclean at the Swan Song office.
Fond farewells were said and I told him I would be at the next gig whenever and wherever that would be. ”It’s all in the wind” he said enigmatically.
I floated back to Bedford on a pure high. I had been in the company of Robert Plant again and for this particular Led Zeppelin fan the future was bright ahead – I knew that because I had heard it from the man himself.
Robert’s Goaldiggers appearance attracted a few column inches in the press and there were more later in the week when it was announced Led Zeppelin would indeed be going to Abba’s Polar Studios to record what would become the In Through The Out Door album.
As for me, this meet with my hero was more than enough inspiration to get down to producing the first issue of Tight But Loose. I worked on it for the rest of the year booking ads for it in late 1978 in Sounds and NME. A further round of ads followed in January 1978 and on February 10,1979 the first issues went out from my Dents Road bedroom.
It would kick start an incredibly exiting year that would include the Knebworth comeback shows, another Goaldiggers rendezvous with Robert and a very exciting afternoon watching Robert, JPJ and Bonzo picking up seven Melody Maker awards at a reception at the Waldorf hotel in London. More on all that soon.
It would be another six years before I saw Robert at the Empire Pool Wembley then renamed Wembley Arena – a memorable solo show on September 10,1985. Pic from outside the venue on that day here by Krys Jantzen.
One more footnote – little did I realize that many years hence on the night of December 10 2007 the pic of me and Robert laughing would be featured on the BBC Six O Clock News in their coverage of the Led Zeppelin 02 reunion which included a few words form me before the gig..
This incredibly memorable 1978 Robert Plant rendezvous all of 43 years ago today occurred when I was just 22 years old – I’m now 65 – as he once put it, it’s been a lifetime -but a second…
Dave Lewis – November 4,2021
My thoughts on The Rolling Stones Tattoo You 40th anniversary reissue...
2LP and 2 CD version.
I bought the Tattoo You album the day it came out all of 40 years ago.
All these years on it still sounds great
Neatly split between a fast side and mellow one. Side One packs a real punch from the swaggering intro of Start Me Up (perhaps the last truly classic Stones single) through Hang Fire, Slave, Little T and A, Black Limousine, and Neighbours
Side Two remains one of my favourite sides of Stones music and what a line up: the soulful strut of Worried About You, Tops (what a vocal by Mick and Charlie’s good tonight as usual) plus No Use In Crying, the hypnotic Heaven a successor to Moonlight Mile and the rather lovely affecting Waiting on A Friend with that superb Sonny Rollins sax solo and a great video shot by the location of Zep’s Physical Graffiti sleeve photo in NYC
It’s well documented that the contents of the Tattoo You album was derived from various out-takes and leftovers from sessions dating back to 1972.
The extra tracks on this new package titled Lost & Found Rarities are similarly constructed, jumping from era to era at will. There’s some great stuff to be discovered or re- discovered if you are as I am, an ardent Stones bootleg collector.
Five of the nine track here surfaced on last year’s top notch quality bootleg set Fully Finished Studio Outtakes – let’s deal with those selections first.
Living In The Heart Of Love dates from the 1974 Munich sessions for the It’s Only Rock’n’Roll album. Ramshackle Stones in a Brown Sugarish mood, a fail safe formula. Nicky Hopkins adds piano.
Fiji Jim is from the Some Girls 1977 sessions. Urgent shouty Jagger vocal driving harmonica and slide guitar. This time it’s Ian Stewart on piano.
Troubles A’ Comin has more funky harmonica and dates from the Emotional Rescue sessions in Paris in 1979. Written by Eugene Record, the song was featured on a 1970 Chi Lites album.
It’s A Lie stamps its 1978 Some Girls Paris sessions era authority on proceedings via the harmonica playing of Sugar Blue. Lighting up this bluesy outing as he did Miss You. The reference to eBay in the lyrics is a clear indication Jagger has added a fresh re- write and vocal for this one.
Fast Talking Slow Walking is an absolute beauty from the Jamaica Goats Head Soup sessions –wistful in a Comin Down Again sort of way with wah-wah effects and Mick Taylor’s soaring guitar.
Elsewhere, another 1972/3 era recording Come To The Ball powers on relentlessly though is slightly somewhat average. More interesting is the early version of Start Me Up dating back to the 1975 Black And Blue sessions. This is played as a loose reggae shuffle similar in style to Luxury from It’s Only Rock’n’Roll. It would of course took an archetypal Keef riff to elevate this one to true greatness.
Finally there’s two great cover versions in the grand Stones tradition. Firstly they take the Jimmy Reed 1963 blues stomper Shame, Shame, Shame and make it their own – there’s shades of It’s All Over Now in the arrangement.
Bryan Ferry did a good version of this on his 1976 Extended Play EP and Let’s Stick Together album. More recently in 2013 the Ronnie Wood Band recorded a version on the Mr Luck A Tribute To Jimmy Reed Live at the Royal Albert Hall set. This Stones version dates from the 1978 Some Girls sessions.
Quick aside: In early 1975 the Stones also recorded a version of another song of the same name, this one a cover version of the 1974 disco hit Shame, Shame, Shame by Shirley and Company –that one remains officially unreleased.
One to go and it’s a gem. A much welcomed official release for the long bootlegged Drift Away a cover of Dobie Grey’s 1973 top five US hit. This was recorded for possible inclusion on the It’s Only Rock n Roll album but didn’t make the final selection. It’s a fabulous version with sensitive Jagger vocals aided by Keith on the infectious chorus.
I remember Charles Shaar Murray in his review of the Made In The Shade compilation in the NME back in June 1975 bemoaning the lack of any new material and suggesting they must have had something from the recent sessions that would make a killer single. Drift Away would have admirably fitted that request, perhaps as a double A side with their Temptations cover Ain’t Too Proud To Beg.
Thankfully, this 40th anniversary release of Tattoo You has provided a much welcomed platform for Drift Away and the other eight recordings that were lost and now found.
Dave Lewis – November 3, 2021
Malcolm Dome RIP:
I was also very sad to hear the passing of Richard Mackay.
Richard was the long running editor of the fantastic Yardbirds World magazine and Facebook group. I first met him at the Celebration Days Led Zeppelin Convention Andy Adams and I staged in May 192 –Richard had a stall selling his Yardbirds mag and we kept in touch after that. He was a fountain of knowledge about all things concerning The Yardbirds and also a wonderful ally in the fanzine/magazine world.
He will be so sorely missed and I will be coveting my precious original copies of Yardbirds World even more now he has passed……
RIP Richard…
Dave Lewis, November 2,2021
DL Diary Blog Update:
Thursday October 28:
It was great to have a visit from our very good friend Gary Davies –it was a pleasure to hand over a copy of the Evenings With Led Zeppelin Revised & Expanded edition. Gary has been a key contributor to all things TBL for many years and his knowledge of the visual side of Zep is second to none. Gary also continues to be a great support to Janet and I…
Friday October 29:
It’s a Happy Birthday to our very good friend Mr Brian Knapp –Led Zep memorabilia collector extraordinaire, long time TBL supporter and all round top man… Happy Birthday Brian from Janet and I –have a great day!
Saturday October 30:
Saturday is platterday…on the player the rather brilliant Who By Numbers album…
Update here:
There was no surprise on hearing the news that Spurs had parted company with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo – something had to change after the pitiful 3-0 home defeat to Man Utd. Here’s hoping the new man Antonio Conte can make his mark and get some much needed improved results.
Yesterday Mike and I recorded an interview for Carol Miller’s Get The Led Out podcast. It was great to chat to Carol about the writing of the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book – long time TBL supporter Steve Sauer was also on hand to ask some questions. This episode of the Get The Led Out podcast will air in a few weeks – more details to follow.
Thanks for listening – stay safe and well you very lovely people…
Dave Lewis – November 4 , 2021.
TBL website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis
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Any news on Norman Hale and the infamous “Jersey Jam”? Now there’s some jam that I’d love to spread on my toast! Yum!
Dear friends, do you have any news about the documentary “Becoming Led Zeppelin”? After Venice, almost nothing was said about it.
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