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 …

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 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 …

Jimmy Page on the occasion of his birthday….
Jimmy Page is 76 today  – January 9th 2020
In a career that has spanned over seven decades, he has more than made his mark when it comes to the art of rock guitar playing.
From monolithic riffing to bombastic solos. From simple acoustic beauty to vast guitar instrumental orchestration. Jazz, classical and Eastern influences, blues, 50s rock’n’roll and psychedelic – he has turned his hand to all these varying styles over the years.  Always inventive and with a brilliant ear for production values, Jimmy …

 
So that was the year that was….2019…
On the Zep related front, Jimmy’s display of guitars and amps at the Play It Loud Instruments Of Rock’n Roll Exhibition in New York  was very well received by all that viewed. Robert Plant alternated between projects providing many UK fans an up close and personal experience with Saving Grace. His Digging Deep podcast has been an enlightening listen. John Paul Jones wowed the 100 Club audience in London in early March with a stunning collaboration with Thurston Moore and Steve Noble. JPJ …

SINCERE THANKS FROM DAVE AND JANET:
”In the light you will find the road…”
Janet and I have been absolutely overwhelmed and humbled by the many Facebook messages and offers of help and support in the light of a couple of very tough weeks that saw Janet break her leg and myself facing up to some long standing mental health issues.
We would like to sincerely thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all the kindness and support we have received. This has provided so much inspiration and strength for …