CLASSIC ROCK AND GUITAR WORLD NEW ISSUES:

Two more cover story magazines hit the news stands this week. Classic Rock January 13 issue 179 has Led Zeppelin as the cover act on one of five cover choices (Black Country Communion, Rival Sons, Rush and The Rolling Stones are the others) as the magazine determines who has been band of the year.  It includes interviews with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones plus a piece by me on the impending reissue project.

Guitar World has a similar Ross Halfin New York photo session pic for it’s January2013 issue.  Inside Jimmy Page delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the 02  Arena show  and offers a hint of possible future plans. There’s also a critical analysis of Led Zeppelin’s 50 Greatest songs.

DEBORAH BONHAM:

I was concerned to hear that Deborah Bonham  has been in hospital following a nasty fall. I am sure you all join me in wishing her a speedy recovery. On a brighter note Debbie’s new EP Take Me Down is out now with an album titled Spirit due next March –more details at

http://www.deborahbonham.com/

TBL GIFT IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS:

It’s that time of year again and if you are fed up with receiving the same old tired gifts for Christmas each year, why not give your loved ones a nudge in the direction of the TBL ordering page and get them to invest on your behalf –let them really know what you want for Christmas or you may well end up with novelty socks and boxers yet again. Alternatively of course you can just treat yourself!

Here’s another recommendation for those perfect Celebration Day companions…

LED ZEPPELIN THE CONCERT FILE BY DAVEL LEWIS & SIMON PALLETT

Between 1968 and 1980 Led Zeppelin performed over 500 concerts in every corner of the world establishing themselves as the most popular live rock attraction of the era.

The Concert File explores in greater detail than ever before the in-concert history of Led Zeppelin.

Much more than a reference listing, the book unfolds the Led Zep sage from their humble beginnings playing pub one nighters in the UK through to their appearances across the ballrooms of America and on into their record breaking arena tours of the mid 70s.

This is the Led Zeppelin story from the place where they functioned best – live on stage.

Paperback size 2005 edition:

All copies ordered will be personally signed and dedicated by Dave Lewis.

Important Note: Signing of books: I will dedicate and sign each book to the name of the book purchaser as listed -unless informed otherwise.(DL)

Order now at this link:

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/?page_id=15416

ALSO PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS…SELLING FAST – ORDER NOW!

LED ZEPPLIN FEATHER IN THE WIND – OVER EUROPE 1980

 WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY DAVE LEWIS

The book that takes you up close and personal with Led Zeppelin in 1980..re-promoted at special low price –the perfect Christmas gift… order at

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

DL DIARY UPDATE:

Busy here on TBL 34 text and packing TBL orders/books for Christmas. Thanks to all who have invested in giving (or receiving!) the gift of a TBL product…keep ’em coming!

Kennedy Honours…what can you say –one of the greatest occasion in Led Zeppelin’s long history. Watching the President Obama speech and viewing all the photos has been just awe inspiring. They all look so happy and proud and how proud are we to be fans of this astonishing phenomenon that has lit up our lives and continues to do so… the Letterman show was also very entertaining with JPJ stealing the show – as somebody noted:
Who would believe it if you told the day before: ” Tomorrow John Paul Jones will be on a talk show playing air guitar, talking about sex with hobbits and taking over frontmanship of Led Zeppelin.”.

It’s fair to say that Led Zeppelin are now bigger and more popular than they have ever been …the whole Celebration Day saga has been an inspirational period …and then some…and a real tonic within all the other domestic stuff going on –and not least health issues affecting both amongst us here (Janet’s mum has not been so good recently) and many friends – I know I keep going on about it but it does seem that we really are getting older and these issues are part and parcel of that process but it can be wearing to say the least – inspirations such as the Celebration Day releases are ever more precious.

As are the company of friends and today (Friday), I’ll be taking some time away from the TBL mayhem to meet up with my very good and lifelong friends  and Bedford Earls Court/Knebworth vets Dec, Phil and Tom plus Max (he’s just slightly younger but has clocked Mr Plant twice with us) as we converge on Islington in London for our annual Wallbanger (our old soccer team) day out. We’ve been making this annual pilgrimage for 19 years now, we did move it to late January in recent years but we’ve decided to bring it back to a pre Christmas meet and boy we probably need it.

No doubt scarves will be worn (it’s gonna be cold out there) and talk will inevitably get around to that second row of seats Dec sorted for us by queuing all night outside Earls Court, the delight of old vinyl LP’s, the greatest B side of all time and a whole lotta ‘’old bollcocks’’ as Tom might put it as we converge on the pubs of darkest Islington on a December Friday afternoon. There will also be photo evidence on the table of how we once stalked Bedford’s green and unpleasant football pitches as the mighty Wallbangers FC 1976-1981. Beers will be drunk and maybe a shop or two visited (JB’s and Fopp – I’ll be on the lookout for some Dave Brubeck stuff -sadly departed, see more below ).

Then it will be a hangover to endure and back on the TBL schedule with the added bonus of the hour long edit of the Celebration Day film to look forward to on Saturday night – by my reckoning this is only the third proper appearance of Zep on UK TV –the others being the airing of the Danish TV special in 1990 and the edit of the 2003 DVD shown after Zep won the Nation’s Favourite Band contest in 2010.

Looking over the latest TBL 34 lay out designs -Studio Mix Bedford December 3rd

Here’s a listen again link  for BBC London 94.9.Rock’n’Roll route master Russell Clarke talking about Led Zep on the Robert Elms show on Wednesday  -you can hear it from 35.04 –nice plug for TBL at 53.05 and I rang in to talk about the Wembley ‘ 71 show at 1.19   http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0111k9s

WHOLE LOTTA LOVE:

December 5th 1969 was set to be the date Whole Lotta Love was due to be issued as a single in the UK – it was hastily withdrawn on Peter Grant’s orders as he was opposed to Zep issuing singles in the UK. You can read more on all of this in Nick Anderson’s excellent UK singles feature in the current TBL issue 33…here’s a you tube clip of the edited version which became a US top five smash.

DAVE BRUBECK 1920 -2012

Sad to hear the death of jazz legend Dave Brubeck age 91 – his music echoed around our house during my childhood. Pure percussive jazz brilliance…John Bonham took much influence from the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s drummer Joe Morello employing the drums played with bare hands technique pioneered on Brubeck’s iconic Take Five for the Moby Dick solo…as can be seen in this classic clip…

YOU TUBE CLIPS ROUND UP

KENNEDY HONOURS:

DAVID LETTERMAN LATE SHOW FULL CLIP:

AND FINALLY ….EVERYBODY’S A LED ZEPPELIN FAN:

Here’s American actor John Krasanski on the David Letterman show proclaiming his love of Led Zep…

Have a great weekend,

Dave Lewis/Gary Foy

December 7th 2012.

Don’t forget that you can follow Dave Lewis/TBL on Twitter – LedzeppelinTBL

and view additional photos etc at the Tight But Loose Facebook page (add us as a friend) at

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1611296783