Bron -Yr -Aur Project Launch:

More coverage of the Bron- Yr- Aur project – the exhibition of which opens this Saturday April 25:

Ecologist Scott Roe, 42, now lives in the cottage with his family and launched the Bron- Yr- Aur art project when artist and Led Zeppelin fan Jim Stallings from Macon, Georgia, USA, made a simple request for photographs.

He said: “What began as a simple request for photographs quickly developed into the Bron- Yr- Aur project.

“For the first time since Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s famed visit to our cottage some 40 years ago, an effort is being made to honour the cottage.

“It’s a very exciting project for all of us.”

Two paintings of the cottage by Stallings features in the exhibition which opens at MOMA Wales, Machynlleth on Saturday, April 25.

Other Led Zeppelin memorabilia including an original vinyl pressing of the historic album, signed by Robert Plant during a visit to Pennal in 2004 and a key to Bron yr Aur will also be on show.

Two photograph books will also be launched the same day containing more than 100 photos

Read more at:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/link-between-machynlleth-cottage-led-9080569

Latest addition to the event is previously unseen artwork and photos to be provided by the wife of  the late Zacron, the designer of the Led Zeppelin III sleeve.

More info at:

http://www.bronyraur.com/news.htm

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Robert Plant on Leadbelly:

Ahead of this Saturday’s Leadbelly  tribute concert at the Kenendy Center, Robert talks to the Washington Post about the influence of the blues man:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/robert-plant-alison-krauss-lucinda-williams-on-loving-lead-belly/2015/04/16/17fcebba-e2ae-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html

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Led Zeppelin Past, Present And Future – rare interview promo album up for sale:

This one via Uncut magazine:

http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/led-zeppelins-rarest-vinyl-record-to-be-auctioned-67851

Details of the sale:

http://zeppelincollectables.com/home.php

Here’s something I wrote about this fascinating rarity back in 2009:

THE WITHDRAWN U.S. INTERVIEW PROMO ALBUM:

Following the band’s Knebworth appearances Atlantic in the US were anxious to maximize press and radio coverage of the long awaited In Through The Out Door album. Zep, of course, were notorious for shunning press attention and aside from two Jimmy Page interviews before Knebworth published  in the UK music press and a couple of radio interviews given by Plant and Jones, they had done little to publicise the album. Atlantic and Swan Song, therefore, came up with the idea of issuing a special promotional album.

By the late 70s the interview album, which allowed radio stations to conduct their own interview via a pre set Q and A sheet, had become a key promotional tool. To that effect Swan Song in the US made a handful of  promotional test pressings of a radio interview Robert Plant and John Paul Jones had given to long time DJ JJ Jackson immediately after the August 11th Knebworth show. Dubbed ‘’Robert Plant and John Paul Jones talk about Led Zeppelin Past, Present And Future’’, full colour sleeves were produced depicting the famous ‘out in the field’ Knebworth promo shot and a catalogue number PR342 allocated.

Then for reasons unknown, the promotional album idea was shelved – a decision that instantly created a mega rare collectors item.

In recent years three of the covers for this planned promotional album came on to the market via a former Swan Song employee. Even without the record the sleeves fetched £3,000 each. One collector in the US has discovered a test pressing of the interview and another sleeve was bought by a Canadian collector from a US source. Should a complete album with sleeve ever come on to the market bidding would easily commence at over £6,000. Past, Present And Future is therefore one of, if not the rarest, Zeppelin album pressings.

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TBL Archive: Jimmy Page & Robert Plant: 1995 Tour:

Leading on from last week’s Page & Plant retro focus – here is Part Two of  the piece that originally ran in TBL 11: It focuses on an imaginary 4 CD compilation of the tour: CD 2 rounds up the 1995 Europe and UK leg. 

It was a glorious period as long time fans and those too young to have seen Zep in their prime revelled in what was all in name the Zeppelin reunion we had all hoped for. By the tour’s end it was evident that Jimmy Page was playing better than at any time during the previous fifteen years. Indeed for a project that began as a request to strum a few Zep tunes unledded style for MTV’s acoustic showcase, when played live night after night this reappraisal of the Zeppelin catalogue developed into a fully ledded experience. A trend that would continue when they returned to the live action in 1998.

With so many tapes at our disposal, there is ample scope to take a retrospective view of the tour. Having listened to hours of material drawn from the many tapes of the tour, I have compiled an imaginary four-CD compilation that takes in all the major developments along the way. It includes the one-off gems slotted in, the stand-out performances, the offbeat sequences and all the historic moments building into a true overview of the entire tour. It features 53 extracts drawn from 26 different locations spread over 28 shows; nearly five hours of musical Page and Plant highlights that capture the often barely believable events that thousands of fans were privileged to enjoy during those 370 days. So this is Page and Plant on tour together at last in 1995 and 1996. Proving conclusively that the evolution of Led Zeppelin continues…

CD2 – Europe/UK

‘Dancing Days’/’Down By The Seaside’ sequence

(Omnisports, Bercy, Paris, June 6 1995)

Page was on blistering form on the opening night of the European trek, in turn inspiring Robert to lift his performance to new heights. Two selections form the Bercy date: ‘Dancing Days’ had been included in the set in an all electric arrangement early on the US tour and then in an alternate arrangement with the Egyptians from mid May. It’s the latter version that Plant introduced in both French and English on this opening night in Europe. A wonderfully relaxed affair with the shrill Egyptian violins merging with Jimmy’s powerful riffing.

‘Down By The Seaside’ was a regular insert into the ‘Calling To You’ medley. It was presented in the new slower arrangement Plant had used to record the version with Tori Amos that appeared on the then just released Encomium tribute album. Plant’s vocal delivery in Paris was sheer perfection, adding all the original nuances (“Yes she will, yes she will”) to a song that was enjoying renewed recognition during this period.

‘In The Evening’

(Glastonbury Festival, June 25 1995)

Into the open air for a memorable performance at the Glastonbury Festival. Their appearance in the veterans slot earned them a healthy respect from the vast crowd present and the thousands watching the live Channel 4 coverage. This latter day Zep standard had already established itself as one of the tours favourites. In the early evening sun it shone as brightly as ever, capturing that dramatic intro with Plant’s vocals echoing across the fields, Page manically stringbending over the Stratocaster and the Pharaohs dancing with delight behind them.

‘The Crunge’ sequence

(SECC Arena, Glasgow, July 12 1995)

It was evident on the Europe tour how much more relaxed the pair had become since the tensions during the early part of the US tour. This lighter mood spilled over into moments such as this occasion in Glasgow. When the double neck guitar needed tuning before ‘The Song Remains The Same’, Jimmy was left with no instrument. This inspired Plant to fill the void by leading Michael and Charlie through a spontaneous version of ‘The Crunge’. The ad-libbed lyrics found Plant humourously sniping at Jimmy’s guitar tech Lionel: “I can see Lionel wages going out of the window… it’s not like working for The Searchers and it’s not like working for The Shadows…”.

‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’

(Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, July 13 1995)

Ten years on from Live Aid another special night. Sheffield was an outstanding show, made all the more impressive by a remarkable delivery of ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’. On the spur of the moment Plant began inserting verses from the then unplayed Presence Zep track ‘Tea For One’. It created a unique hybrid delivery of two of their most notable custom blues compositions.

‘Whole Lotta Love’

(St Austell Coliseum, Carylon Ba,y St Austell, July 15 1995)

A rare medley-less delivery of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ was a surprise set opener for this date at, as it was billed “The entertainment centre of the west”. A throwback to the version Zeppelin first employed back in 1970, this new 1995 version really packed a punch with Page exhorting the classic riff from his new sparkle red Transperformer Gibson guitar.

‘Blue Jean Bop’/’Black Dog’

(St. Austell Coliseum, July 15 1995)

The intimate confines of the St Austell Coliseum found them in playful mood on a hot Saturday night. From the early US dates it became a nightly ritual for Page to warm up ‘Black Dog’ with a random run of teasing riffs including moments from the likes of ‘In My Time of Dying’ and ‘Out On The Tiles’. On this occasion it went one step further as Plant kicked them into an ad-hoc delivery of Gene Vincent’s ‘Blue Jean Bop’ that collapsed playfully under Michael Lee’s attempt to bring in the proper ‘Black Dog’ riff. This prompted a smiling Page to apologise for the breakdown on mike. A fully fledged ‘Black Dog’ followed – another tour highlight as Plant tossed away his inibitions, ripped the mike off the stand and rocked out in a manner reminiscent of the golden age.

‘Egyptian Intro’/’Celebration Day’

(The Point, Dublin, July 20 1995)

Robin Williamson’s Tales Of Bron poem had by now been replaced by an Egyptian music intro tape that began serenely and then built up the drama, usually accompanied by the arrival of a silhouetted Page dancing along to the tempo. As an opener for this Dublin date they pulled out a fast and furious rendition of the Zep III rocker ‘Celebration Day’ (rarely played on the early US tour) indicating this might be a night of surprises.

‘Custard Pie’

(The Point, Dublin, July 20 1995)

… And surprises there were. ‘Custard Pie’ – never performed live by Zeppelin – was wheeled out in an arrangement similar to the one Jimmy played on the Outrider tour. Page lashed out wah wah runs in between the muscular drive of Michael Lee’s drumming, and Plant threw in a spirited harmonica solo and at the close while Page inserted a riff from ‘The Ocean’. It’s revival prompted Plant to inform the crowd afterwards “We’re gonna try some different things tonight. That was the first different thing. I don’t think we’ve played that for 17… 18… 20… 27,000 years!”

‘Battle Of Evermore’

(NEC, Birmingham, July 23 1995)

This esoteric version of ‘Battle Of Evermore’ was a highlight of the MTV Unledded filming and finally made its presence felt live again during the night of surprises in Dublin. It was retained for the Birmingham and London gigs. This gave Plant the opportunity to duet with Najma Achtar who added a suitably exotic edge to the familiar Zep IV song. The pair’s closing “Ah ah ha” refrain smouldered above Page’s triple-neck mandolin.

‘Thank You’/’Going To California’

(Wembley Arena, London, July 26 1995)

From its introduction at the beginning of the MTV filming and its frequent inclusion on the tour ‘Thank You’ had developed into something of a signature tune for the whole Page Plant reunion. There were many great deliveries of the song along the way (Meadowlands, San Jose and Paris to name but three), but there was something almost spiritual on the final night of the UK tour. Perhaps it was the presence of Peter Grant, or the knowing that they would not be performing it again for some time. Whatever it was, the commitment of both Page and Plant on this outing was more than evident. Page lurched magnificently into the solo as Plant passionateley ad-libbed the final lines finally echoing out the final “I wanna thank you…” A mesmerising performance.

‘Going To California’ was another new addition to the final part of the UK leg. A delicate rendering made all the more so with the aid of a subtle orchestral string backing.

‘Candy Store Rock’ sequence

(Wembley Arena, London, July 26 1995)

A final UK soundbite incorporating Plant’s acknowledgement of Peter Grant’s presence (“And a special thank you Bill Curbishley and Mr Peter Grant who is with us tonight”), leading into the pairs playful skit around ‘Candy Store Rock’ preceding the encore of ‘Black Dog’. It signalled the end of the 1995 UK tour.

Dave Lewis – first published for TBL 12 

Part 3 to follow next week.

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Ross Halfin The Age Of Rock Hamburg Exhibition:

Ross Halfin – The Age Of Rock – opening on April 22 at Flo Peters Gallery in Hamburg, Germany. A round up of some of the images on display with plenty of Led Zeppelin featured can be seen in this interview clip with Ross at the link below…

http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hamburg_journal/Ross-Halfin-The-Age-Of-Rock,hamj40276.html

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TBL 39 and plans ahead:

I have been ensconced in the Earls Court photo book project these past few weeks but as I eventually come up for air next month – I am ready to pick up a variety of TBL projects as we move into the summer.

The priority will be to get TBL 39 out on the streets as soon as possible. Many apologise to all TBL subscribers for the delay here – I already have a fair amount of stuff ready to design and the objective is to make this a real bumper catch up issue – more on this soon.

TBL Polo Shirt:

I am also about to launch the new  TBL polo shirt – this is a high quality item with breast pocket TBL logo design. The perfect Zep related wear for summer. Full ordering details soon.

There’s also one or two other bargain TBL offers about to launch – watch this space for further details.

I’ll also be picking back up on the Evenings With Led Zeppelin book project which Mike Tremaglio  has been holding the fort on and has done some fantastic work so far. That one is long ahead yet but another one to chip away at.

So the summer already looks very busy here – thanks again for all your support and patience.

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Rufus Stone are now running an exclusive pre sale for TBL readers and those who signed up for info on the book. This offer is open to April 30.

The book will go on general sale for £130 (plus delivery) but you can pre order until April 30 for the special price of £100 (plus delivery). Only 1200 copies of the main edition will be made available worldwide.

All orders placed for the pre sale via Rufus Stone/TBL will be accompanied by an exclusive limited edition 10x 8 print.
The links to both editions are below:

http://www.rufuspublications.com/r…/Led-Zeppelin-Earls-Court

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Boot Led Zeppelin celebrate Led Zeppelin at Earls Court with 40th anniversary Shepherds Bush gig:

UK tribute band Boot Led Zeppelin will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the famous Zep Earls Court shows with a showcase gig on Saturday May 9. The venue is the Shepherds Bush Empire in London. The band will be be recreating the magic of Zep in ’75 with a special Earls Court set.

This will be a great way of kick starting the 40th anniversary activity – I am aiming to be in attendance with the TBL crew.

Ticket details and info via www.boot-led-zeppelin.co.uk

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VIP Record Fair : Bedford Harpur Suite Saturday May 16:

The VIP Record Fair is pitching up in Bedford again on Saturday May 16. Last October’s fair was very well attended. It runs from 10am to 3.30pm.

DL Diary Update:

Record Store Day round up:

We had a most enjoyable Record Store Day last Saturday . We arrived at the Rough Trade West store near Portobello Road at around 7am. The queue was slightly less than last year and we got served in the shop by about 9.30. The store staff including main man Nigel and Sean did a great job in processing the many requests. It was fascinating to see the level of enthusiasm as eager punters laid their money down for the many limited editions on offer. The pricing was again well high with some of the limited edition singles clocking in at £12. It’s a sellers market on these occasions and it certainly did not deter the many punters who came through the doors – or create the now expected flow of product onto EBay within a few hours of the event getting underway.

It was genuinely exciting to be the queue hoping that a copy of More Roar would be in my hands and a few other goodies I had on my wants list. Here’s a round up of my acquisitions:

The joy of vinyl – the joy of Record Store Day: DL acquisitions from Saturday:

The Who  – Be Lucky backed with the mono version of I Can’t Explain – seven inch coloured vinyl limited to 750 copies –lovely!

Family  – Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens/Gypsy Woman . A Record Store Day reissue on the Pukka label in a pic sleeve of the mega rare debut Family single issued in October 1967 on the Liberty label when they were billed as the Family. Another  slice of RSD seven inch delight!

Small Faces – Afterglow Of You Love alternate single mix coupled with Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire – the latter written and sung by the late great Ian Mclagen and featured on the Small Faces second album in 1967. This Record Store issue limited to 1,000 is in memory of Mac. The fact it name checks my home county is an added bonus on another RSD gem.

The Yardbirds  – Roger The Engineer album mono pressing on limited picture disc – the famous cartoon design. Great album from 1966. –one of Jeff beck’s finest performances on record. Lost Woman, the Nazz Are Blue, What Do You Want etc. It adds the Happenings Ten Years Time Ago/Psycho Daises single with Jimmy Page to side two.

Frank Sinatra Songs For Young Lovers – his classic debut album on Capitol Records on a ten inch pressing with authentic Hi Fidelity sleeve newly remastered to celebrate Sinatra at 100. Right up my street.

Bob Dylan – The Basement Tapes – Great looking bootleg style packaging on this.

And last but not least…Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters – More Roar – ten inch limited edition to 2,000.140 gr audiophile vinyl.

The three track ten inch single recorded on the UK tour last November (probably Glashow). Pleasing packaged with sepia tinted photo from the Blackpool Tower gig.

What we have here is a seven minute romp through Turn It Up/Arbaden – the amalgamation of two tracks from the lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar album.

Side two clocks in with a live rendering of Poor Howard followed by Whole Lotta Love (Medley). The medley being that subtle moment when Bo Diddley’s Mona and Who Do You Love merge in. A welcome vinyl reminder of some great days last year.

It’s been an intensive week on the Earls Court photo book with much of my waking hours dominated by the workload that has entailed the following: More text, the drop in of various quotes to supplement the photos and plenty of revisions and additions to the overall lay out. The home straight is in sight although the next few days will be crucial in overseeing all the finer details that need to be applied before it’s a sign off.

It was a great to catch up with the visiting Gary Foy today – after a morning of intensive lay out checking at Mick’s, I met Gary the TBL local The Fox & Hounds for a TBL meeting where he added a much welcomed fresh perspective in viewing the Earls Court book photo proofs – now Gary is a man who has seen a fair few Led Zep Earls Court photos and he was well impressed with what I have collated.I take that as a very good indicator that I am on the right lines with it all…the pic shows a great shot of John Bonham that will be in the book….the Earls Court photo book saga continues….

Dave Lewis – April 23, 2015.

You Tube Clip: Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters – On the road in South America:

Until next time…