Jimmy Page on stage with The Black Crowes July 13th 2011 – photo copyright Ross Halfin  http://www.rosshalfin.com/

The launch of the official Jimmy Page web site is a cause for much celebration. It’s fantastic to see so much content of the man’s illustrious history in one place. Aside from the obvious Zeppelin input, it’s also a  joy to wade through so many other parts of his career from the Yardbirds through to the Firm, Arms etc. There’s some simply amazing photos and the discography covering The Yardbirds to now, is well illustrated.

The interactive features of creating a favourites listing and also being able to log the live shows attended is a brilliant touch. It was great fun this morning to wade through the gig
listings and log on my personal live experiences of 15 Led Zeppelin shows and 27 other Page related gigs I’ve had the privilege to attend over the past 39 years. It’s also great to identify many fellow fans who attended the same gigs.

Yes there are some ommisions and errors in the web site content but with any major information hub, it’s hard to get it all correct first time.

I do feel this is just the start and there will be much to look forward to and much more content on the way – as Jimmy explains in the opening notes:

Conceptualised and curated by Jimmy Page himself, one of the site’s biggest highlights is ‘On This Day’, a daily diary featuring events spanning the entirety of his immense career, from the 1960’s to the present day. “It’s an interesting concept because every day you are going to have an event from my life and it will go all the way back to me being a teenager,” said Jimmy. “It looks random, but it isn’t. I love the idea that there will be an all-new page everyday and nobody will be able to guess what’s coming next.” The multimedia On This Day feast includes video footage,images and audio clips as well as unseen photos and previously unreleasedtracks, demos and home recordings. Each entry is accompanied by a personal anecdote written by Jimmy Page and will be available for just 24 hours. There will be no archiving; if you miss it, it’s gone!

Today’s entry concerns an interview Jimmy conducted at the BBC with Duane Eddy.

Jimmy has long since been the keeper of the flame and his sense of heritage via this long awaited web site will ensure hours of fun and spark continued interest in this unique musician who continues to inspire us all. As he put it ‘’This is the ideal vehicle to present my past, present and future work…’’

The present was of course Jimmy’s ad hoc jam with the Black Crowes on Wednesday . He looked in his element with Gibson Les Paul in hand rocking out in familiar style.

All in all, I sense great days ahead –it may have taken awhile and there may still be a way to go.. but the aforementioned ‘’future work’’ of Jimmy Page looks a most exciting prospect.

Put simply Jimmy Page is still the man..

Before all that, as mentioned I’ve been off looking for that note that was once Pure And Easy as I waxed lyrical on The Who’s Next for a forthcoming feature in Record Collector –to the tune of some 15,000 words. In doing so I’ve waded through all manner of 1971 Who recordings from live tapes of their Oval 71 gig (thank you RH), through the various outtakes from the album and on into Lifehouse overspills that eventually found a home on the Odds And Sods album and Pete demos that formed the massive Lifehouse Chronicles 6 CD box set (thank you GF).  The Who were at the peak of their powers at that time and the ensuing Who’s Next album carries a class and economy that 40 years on, few albums can match.

On the business front there’s the book to promote and the new TBL to collate. There are still a fair few long time past subscribers yet to take the plunge for the 2011 mags – if that’s you- be sure to re subscribe Here’s the ordering link.

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/?page_id=1469

Book wise here’s a link to a review

http://www.youdopia.com/2011/07/11/coolest-book-ever-led-zeppelin-feather-in-the-wind-over-europe-1980/
and you can also view the You Tube clip of my recent Plant Rock interview here (thank you Gary Davies for sorting this).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHGRSkxZ1Lw

Feather In The Wind -Led Zeppelin over Europe 1980 is your perfect Zep related summer read.  It’s available at a special limited opening price

Ordering details here http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/?page_id=9965

The TBL crew are aiming to hook up at the Great British Beer Festival on Thursday August 4th – an important date in the Zep calander of course and the fact that the venue is Earls Court adds to the attraction. With plans to redevelop the area, it may be a last change to pay homage to the esteemed venue and scene of the epic five nights in 1975. Phil Tattershall had the idea for this one (I won’t be drinking lager Phil!) and It would be great to see all that can make it along (and if you need a book or TBL mag – I can supply on the day!)  Details of the event are here

http://gbbf.camra.org.uk/home

Lots of other stuff going on here with Sam due back from Israel and her Graduation day coming up in Norwich to attend (proud parents we will be!), the good lady Janet wrapping another term at the pre school she is deputy leader at, Adam about to start footbal training and awaiting his exam results and it’s a happy 21st birthday on Monday to David Boud -eldest son of our very good friends Terry and Marian. Last weekend caught up the latest news with the Bedford Earls Court Zep vets Tom, Phil and Dec who is working on a new edition of his New Order book and it was also good to see Gary Foy over for a fleeting visit last Monday.

Finally, having been ensconced in The Who I’m relishing the opportunity to pick back up on various Zep related stuff. Led Zeppelin 4 will be well on the radar with a little help from the new issue of Classic Rock –which is out next week. This has a major feature on the Zep 4 album written by future Zep biographer Barney Hoskyns with input from my good self.

Of course a scan of Jimmy’s site has fuelled my enthusiasm to revisit some of the backwaters of his vast catalogue (and I am sure I won’t be the only one) –The Yardbirds Little Games album (try Tinker Taylor, Soldier, Sailor a forerunner of Song Remains The Same), Zep How The West Was Won (a bit of a great lost live album)/The Arms Royal Albert Hall DVD/ The Firm Mean Business (Telecaster delight)/Outrider (Blues Anthem –what a gem that is) Coverdale Page (his best studio recorded 90s playing?).

Oh yes, ”It is a great life – this life of music” as Ahmet said and the launch of the Jimmy Page web site is absolute testimony to that statement.