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LED ZEPPELIN JANUARY 1975 SNAPSHOT/LZ NEWS/ROBERT AND SSS FOR BEARDED THEORY FESTIVAL/ON THIS DAY IN LZ HISTORY/MORE SAD PASSINGS/ERIC CLAPTON A LIFE IN 12 BARS/ DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE

17 January 2018 2,570 views 14 Comments

 TBL Archive Special: A look back to the second date of their 1975 touring campaign:

TBL LED ZEPPELIN JANUARY 1975 SNAPSHOT…

DATE: SUNDAY JANUARY 12 1975

VENUE: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

VORST NATIONAAL

Setlist: Rock And Roll/Sick Again/Over The Hills And Far Away/When The Levee Breaks/The Song Remains The Same/The Rain Song/Kashmir/The Wanton Song/No Quarter/Trampled Underfoot/In My Time Of Dying/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – Black Dog/Communication Breakdown.

Snapshot Notes: The second warm up date for their forthcoming US tour – the previous night they had played Rotterdam. Before the show Robert conducted an interview backstage with Bob Harris for broadcast the following Friday (January 17th) on BBC2’s Old Grey Whistle Test.

There were five previews aired from the forthcoming Physical Graffiti set – Sick Again, Kashmir, The Wanton Song (which would only be performed on a few of the opening US dates), Trampled Underfoot and In My Time Of Dying. They also included an arrangement of the never before played live When The Levee Breaks – this again did not last for too many performances on the US tour. With Page possibly dealing with a recently damaged finger (see more on this below), the set was less than two hours in length with little improvisation – Dazed And Confused and Moby Dick were both absent – rare omissions for the time. Robert Plant was also beginning to struggle with an oncoming cold. Presentation wise these two warm up warm-up dates were performed with a relatively simple stage set up for the final time.– the US tour will see John Bonham’s drums mounted on a rostrum and a major new light and laser show.

These dates were announced in the UK press at the end of 1974, but I somehow missed this info – – in fact I did not know the gigs  had taken place until a week later such was the low key nature of the gigs – oh for the internet back then! If I had known, I would have made an effort to go for sure!

Snapshot Listen – how it sounded today:

brus 3

It’s Time To Travel Again (Diagrams of Led Zeppelin)

The January 12th Brussels show exists on a fair to good audience recording that I have on the Diagrams of Led Zeppelin CD It’s Time To Travel Again.

Here’s my overview of how it sounded today:

Given the physical frailties of Robert’s voice and (possibly!) Jimmy’s injured finger, once they get in their stride there are some fine performances. The set is a quant one with the notable omission of Dazed And Confused – along with the Rotterdam gig the night before, it was the first time this Zep I standard had not been played live in a Zep performance since their inception. There’s no Moby Dick either making for a much shorter performance than was the standard.

Sick Again kicks in after Rock And Roll and Robert plays it safe on the vocal histrionics. Jimmy is equally tentative on Over The Hills And Far Away with none of the expansive solo improvisation that will be a highlight on the US tour and Earls Court shows.

Their onstage rustiness is evident early on – amply demonstrated by Bonzo going into the intro of When The Levee Breaks when he should have been readying for Over The Hills – where’s that confounded written set list!

When The Levee is duly performed (‘’here’s one we always enjoyed and we’ve finally got around to playing’’). Bonzo is spot on but it’s a rather ponderous plodding arrangement – it will not last too many outings on the US tour. ‘’Jimmy Page steel guitar’’ proclaims Robert at the close.

The Song Remains The Same/The Rain Song are fairly perfunctory performances while the new Kashmir is initially a little hap-hazard. Robert loses the lyrics early on but they recover well for the final ‘’Let me take you there’’ sequence which prompts both Page and Plant to up their game.

‘’Another song of lust, a little habit I picked up after meeting Phil Carson (NB: Atlantic Records exec)– one of my idols’’ is Plant’s tongue in cheek intro into The Wanton Song – this works really well with Page now suitably animated in his playing – it’s a shame it was to fall off the setlist after a few performances in the US.

No Quarter is very much a 1973 arrangement with no extended grand piano section – which might be just as well as the crowd seem impatient and slow hand clap as the chorus comes back in. Before that, Jimmy gets into some very delicate and pleasing wah wah effects.

Two back to back Physical Graffiti previews follow: Trampled Underfoot is fast and furious and In My Time Of Dying is a valiant performance given the physical restraints. Both of these of course will come good with a few more performances

Finally…’’A song from not too long ago …what you might call a permanent favourite ‘ as Plant explains.

So come in Stairway To Heaven – now elevated to the main setlist closer. From the slightly extended strummed intro though to the crescendo ending, this performance strongly hints at the majesty this piece will attain ahead. It’s a great performance and worth the price of admission alone with Plant adlibbing away (note he still sings ‘’Dear lady’’ and ‘’Your Stairway’’ tonight – this will change to ‘’Dear people’ and ‘’Our Stairway’’ during the US tour). As for Jimmy, he delivers that long and winding jittering solo with sheer intent – a solo that will further develop and extend in the coming months and reach something of a zenith in Earls Court come May. It’s already very evident how much they have moved this piece on from the 1973 tour.

Encores: A brief Whole Lotta Love that segues into Black Dog and a strident Communication Breakdown with a chugging mid-section (‘’I don’t need…I don’t want’’) and gig number two of 1975 is over.

In the coming weeks in America , Plant’s voice will initially become weaker and Page’s finger injury will deem that How Many More Times temporarily replaces Dazed as the violin bow showcase. The stage setting will become more extravagant and the light and laser show ever striking. The audiences will become increasingly crazy, and a double album called Physical Graffiti will create a fervent rush at record stores across the land.

This night in Brussels is a quint and fascinating transitory performance – the health problems may be evident but inspired by their new material, this slightly tentative Led Zeppelin are very keen to make their mark in 1975.

And make their mark they will do as you will read in the next TBL Led Zep 1975 Snapshot…

To be continued…

Dave Lewis – January 2018.

Jimmy s Injured Finger:

It was well documented that Jimmy injured his finger – shutting it in a train door in early 1975 – it’s difficult to pin point the actual date it happened – I was under the impression it was just before the Rotterdam and Brussels dates but I could well be wrong. here are some thoughts on the topic form TBL contributor Andy Crofts

The 1975 finger thing, I couldn’t resist a quick word about that. It is frustrating, because it’s very hard to square all the reported facts.

You are right that it is simplest to assume that it happened pre-Brussels, but the Rolling Stone interview from March 75 is equally clear that it happened ‘just a week’ before the US tour started, and JP had only one rehearsal to work out how to play everything. Both Keith Shadwick and Mick Wall back this up in their books, although neither gives a proper reference, maddeningly.

The Brussels gig is weird, because they don’t play Dazed And Confused  and How Many More Times -or Moby Dick for that matter, which I’d have thought ideal if the guitarist is unwell! But… JP plays very well in Brussels (this initially surprised me when I started listening), RP doesn’t make any mention of fingers onstage (which he does do on later US gigs), and the Bob Harris interview with him the same day doesn’t touch on it either. I also can’t help shake the feeling that they would just have cancelled those warm-ups had JP done his finger in immediately prior.

My take is that initially they never intended to play Dazed And Confused in 1975. They had other stuff in the set, like Levee and Wanton, and potentially others too; the setlist from the disputed Minneapolis rehearsal tape is an indicator here (I don’t believe this can be from 1973, but that’s a whole other argument!). So that’s why it’s not played in Brussels. They get to the US and realise they don’t like Levee, and need more material to fill the gap. This needs to be familiar to the audience, which won’t have heard the new stuff yet. The unrehearsed Dazed And Confused is considered a stretch too far, given the by-now broken finger, so they have a go at How many More Times for a few nights… equally unrehearsed, but it worked quite well when they did it impromptu in Southampton in 1973. Putting my guitarist’s hat on, I don’t see how a shortish Dazed And Confused is necessarily harder on the fingers than How Many More Times (something else that’s always bothered me about that part of the story), but the latter is certainly easier to pick up if you haven’t played it for a while.

All this squares the known and reported facts, and also makes sense of Jimmy’s other comment in Rolling Stone, that he wants Dazed And Confused back in the set ASAP… he preferred playing that to How Many More Times , which was probably a bit old-fashioned for him by 1975.

There’s another possibility of course, which is that the Brussels tape is incomplete, and other songs were played… it does seem very short. But I don’t think so. It’s maddening not to have anything from Rotterdam or indeed Minneapolis to compare it with.

Oops, I’ve written an essay. These nitpicking things are interesting in an ubergeek kind of way, and I think it’s fascinating how things which may not be quite right become accepted fact, just through repetition. I think Led Zeppelin simply started with one set list in 1975 and abandoned it in the face of their US audience. A shame. I’ve recently been reading about Cream’s experiences in the US, and they were the same; lots of parallels actually. Jimmy’s finger is ultimately a red herring, because – painful or otherwise – he plays very well throughout Jan 75.

Many Thanks Andy for those comments.

………………………………

Led Zeppelin News Update:

In conjunction with the Led Zep news site, each week I will be re- producing highlights from their weekly email update news summary. This goes out every Sunday. Sign up details are below. Many thanks to James Cook.

Many thanks to James Cook

Led Zeppelin

Jimmy Page

Robert Plant

A promotional image for the upcoming release of Robert Plant’s 2016 Festival of Disruption show (Eagle Rock Entertainment)

John Paul Jones

Upcoming events:

January 17 – Robert M. Knight’s exhibition “Rock Gods” opens in Los Angeles.
January 28 – The exhibition at Proud Central in London that includes photos of Led Zeppelin will close, as will Stephanie Ledgin’s exhibition in New Jersey that includes a photo of John Paul Jones.
January 31 – Robert Plant’s 2016 Festival of Disruption show will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan and pre-orders end for “Led Zeppelin Live Times.”
February/March – New Led Zeppelin photo book “Led Zeppelin Live Times” will be released.
February 1 – Robert Plant will perform at the UK Americana Awards in London.
February 3 – Robert M. Knight’s exhibition “Rock Gods” closes in Los Angeles.
February 9 – Robert Plant will perform in Raleigh, North Carolina and the DVD of Plant’s 2016 Festival of Disruption show will be released in the US and Europe.
February 11 – Robert Plant will perform in Charlotte, North Carolina.
February 12 – Robert Plant will perform in Norfolk, Virginia.
February 14 – Robert Plant will perform in New York.
February 16 – Robert Plant will perform in Boston, Massachusetts.
February 17 – Robert Plant will perform in Toronto, Ontario.
February 20 – Robert Plant will perform in Chicago, Illinois.
February 22 – Robert Plant will perform in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
February 24 – Robert Plant will perform in Denver, Colorado.
February 26 – Robert Plant will perform in Phoenix, Arizona.
February 27 – Robert Plant will be interviewed on Dan Rather’s “The Big Interview” on AXS TV.
February 28 – Robert Plant will perform in Oakland, California.
March 2 – Robert Plant will perform in Los Angeles, California.
March 23 – Robert Plant will perform in Sydney, Australia.
March 26 – Robert Plant will perform in Sydney, Australia.
March 27 – Robert Plant will perform in Sydney, Australia.
March 30 – Robert Plant will perform at the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia.
April 1 – Robert Plant will perform in Melbourne, Australia.
April 2 – Robert Plant will perform in Melbourne, Australia.
April 5 – Robert Plant will perform in Adelaide, Australia.
April 8 – Robert Plant will perform in Perth, Australia.
May 27 – Robert Plant will perform at the Bath Festivals in Bath, UK.
May 31 – The statue of John Bonham in Redditch is planned to be unveiled.
July 22 – Robert Plant will perform at the Vielles Charrues Festival in Carhaix, France.
July 25 – Robert Plant will perform at the Festival de Carcassonne in France.

The complete Led Zeppelin News email goes out every weekend. To receive it each week sign up here:http://tinyletter.com/LedZepNews

Led Zeppelin News Website: Check out the Led Zeppelin news website at

http://ledzepnews.com/

………………………………….

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters for Bearded Theory Festival: 


Multi-award winning West Midlands festival Bearded Theory have announced an astonishing line-up for 2018, securing a rare festival performance by one of the world’s greatest rock and roll voices, Robert Plant, to headline on Saturday night.

The former Led Zeppelin frontman will be bringing his band The Sensational Space Shifters, who have been selling out venues around the world and will be performing a set full of classic hits and new material.

As you would expect from Bearded Theory Festival, joining Robert Plant on the bill is an exceptional and diverse collection of live acts, including Sunday headliner and fellow rock and roll hall of fame reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, Scottish indie heroes The Jesus & Mary Chain, local boy Jake Bugg , electronic punk-duo Sleaford Mods and English punk sensations Idles alongside classic festival acts such as Fun Lovin’ Criminals, The Coral, Sleeper, Dub Pistols, and hundreds more over 9 live stages.

See more details at http://www.beardedtheory.co.uk/

………………………….

On This Day In Led Zeppelin History:

It was good to hear from Steve ‘The Lemon’ Sauer recently. Steve has revived his excellent ‘On This Day In Led Zeppelin History’ postings. This was an ongoing feature Steve compiled about eight years back.  Here’s the link for the new postings:

https://tinyurl.com/LedZepHistory

……………………………………


Fast Eddie Clark – 1950 – 2018 RIP:

It was very sad to hear the passing of Motorhead/Fastway guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke aged 67.

Here’s the official news link:

Former Motorhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke has died at the age of 67, it’s been announced.

The news was confirmed on Motorhead’s Facebook page.

A statement reads: “We are devastated to pass on the news we only just heard ourselves earlier tonight – Edward Allan Clarke, or as we all know and love him Fast Eddie Clarke – passed away peacefully yesterday.

“Ted Carroll, who formed Chiswick Records, made the sad announcement via his Facebook page, having heard from Doug Smith that Fast Eddie passed peacefully in hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia.

“Fast Eddie… keep roaring, rockin’ and rollin’ up there as goddamit man, your Motörfamily would expect nothing less!

http://teamrock.com/news/2018-01-11/motorhead-ex-fast-eddie-clarke-dead-at-67

…………………..

Dolores O’Riorden 1971 – 2018 RIP:

I was also very sad to hear of the sudden passing of The Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan – During my years of working in music retail in the 1990s ,The Cranberries were hugely popular. Her distinctive voice lit up many a song including the memorable Linger. RIP

Here’s the news report:

The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan has died in London at the age of 46, her publicist has confirmed.

The Irish musician, originally from Limerick, led the band to international success in the 90s with singles including Linger and Zombie.

A statement from her publicist said: “The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London for a short recording session.

“No further details are available at this time.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42696376

And more sad passings…

Cyrille Regis 1958 – 2018 RIP:

I always admired the footballer Cyrille Regis who has passed away suddenly aged 59. He was a pioneer for confronting racism and a fantastic footballer – notably for West Bromwich Albion in the 1970s. Indeed, our team Wallbangers FC played in a kit based on the blue and white striped Albion kit of the 1970s which Cyrille turned out in many times. He leaves a lasting legacy – RIP

Bob Langley  1950 – 2018 RIP:

I was also very sad to hear the passing of Bob Langley aged 68. Bob was a prominent figure on the UK record fair circuit during the 1990s. RIP

……………………………

 

12 Gold Bars…

Eric Clapton Life In 12 Bars – directed by Lili Fini Zanuck.

Vue Cinema -Bedford January 10, 2018:

I had read recently that this film was about to premiere – by chance I saw it mentioned on the Planet Rock website. The official London South Bank premiere was to be streamed to cinemas across the UK – and the Bedford Vue cinema was one of them.

Having seen some of the trailers and read a review, I knew this was going to be a fairly comprehensive overview of Eric’s career…However,I was certainly not prepared for what I witnessed.

Firstly some words about me and Eric. I’ve loved his music since I was 12 years old. One of the first albums I ever purchased was Cream’s Fresh Cream. For a while in 1969, before I heard Whole Lotta Love, Eric Clapton was my favourite guitarist, Jack Bruce my favourite bassist and Ginger Baker my favourite drummer.

The Blind Faith album is one of my all time faves and that whole 1969 -70 period where he produced the Eric Clapton solo album, Layla and formed Derek and the Dominos is a richly rewarding era.

I also have much affection for his 1974 comeback album 461 Ocean Boulevard and the subsequent studio albums There’s One In Every Crowd and No Reason To Cry. In July 1978 I saw him deliver a hugely enjoyable set on the Bob Dylan Blackbush bill.

I waned a little after that but came back to his work in the 80s with the Behind The Sun and August albums.

Since then his new music may not have been on my radar but I am always glad that he is out there doing it – and I still revel in that amazing 1969 -70 period that I mentioned. I have purchased all the deluxe CD reissues of the key albums, the box set collection and more recently the superb Give Me Strength The 74/75 Studio Recordings compilation.
I also have much admiration for author Marc Roberty who has done a brilliant job of chronicling Eric’s work in print and indeed was European Archivist on this film.

My good friend Dave Collins who lives locally is a big Clapton fan (and the only man I know who attended gigs at the Fillmore East back in the day) so upon seeing the film advertised I got in touch with him to come along. Phil H travelled over from MK to join us.

So to the film:

Much more than a mere rock doc, Life In 12 Bars is a true life portrayal and the phrase warts and all l doesn’t come close.
This is a brutally honest film –at times quite hard to take it all in as Eric’s life spirals out of control and we learn of the emotional inner feelings of a tormented soul.

The drugs, the drink, being brought up by his grandmother Rose, the rejection by his mother at an early age – all these themes are cleverly woven into a deeply affecting story.
It’s told by a variety of voice over narratives. Here the director Lili Fini Zanuck significantly avoids the usual piece to camera talking head approach, instead opting to feature the many contributors over footage from the era. This tactic really works well unfolding the story in real time.

The interviewees range from Eric’s Aunt, ex girlfriend Charlotte Martin (who went on to have a long term relationship with Jimmy Page) Patti Boyd, Altantic’s Ahmet Ertegun, fellow Domino Bobby Whitlock and most perceptively life long friend Ben Palmer (who sadly passed away before the films completion.)

Underpinning it all of course is the music…and there are just so many visual and audio highlights to enjoy.
The early Yardbirds and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers footage is just startling. There’s one captivating scene where Bob Dylan is watching a black and white clip of the Bluesbreakers in a hotel room marvelling at the guitarist.
The Cream footage, some of it from the Fillmore West is astounding. Being reminded of the improvisational prowess of Jack, Eric and Ginger has prompted me to immediately search out the likes of Fresh cream and Disraeli Gears.

His association with Jimi Hendrix, the George Harrison link up and his performance on The Beatles While My Guitar Gently Weeps is also documented. There’s some artistic licence apllied to this clip as it was cut to footage of The Beatles at work on Hey Jude in Abbey Road and Eric’s appearance in The Rolling Stones Rock’n’Roll Circus film.

There’s also a memorable sequence of Blind Faith at their famous 1969 Hyde Park show with Steve Winwood singing the beautiful Presence Of the Lord. Also of great nostalgic value are the home movies shot at his Hurtwood Edge mansion in Surrey with a variety of fast and flashy cars in view.

The Layla story is brilliantly relayed – hearing the raw sessions for the track with Duane Allman on guitar, sent shivers down the spine. A mention here for the sound quality of the music presented in the film – it’s all sounds superbly mixed and separated

I did note some curious omission’s to the story: there was no footage from Cream’s famous final gig at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968 or the 2005 reunion. No mention of Delaney and Bonnie who were key allies in his quest to move away from the limelight at the end of the 60s/early 70s. Also omitted was any mention of Wonderful Tonight, or reference to his appearance at the George Harrison Concert For Bangla Desh benefit show in August 1971 –or the Pete Townshend motivated January 1973 comeback shows at London’s Rainbow Theatre.

That’s mere nit-picking really amongst the amount of rarely seen footage on offer and the general telling of the story.

Indeed as the film moves on, there is no stone unturned in unfolding the saga of Eric’s controversial drinking years, his on stage racist comment and the tragedy of Conor’s passing. Hearing Tears In Heaven left a giant lump in my throat.

Finally there’s redemption and rejuvenation as Eric cleans up his act, creates the Crossroads rehabilitation treatment centre in Antigua and finally finds deserved domestic peace.
BB King’s on stage tribute is a fitting ending to a powerful and profoundly moving film.

The subsequent live Q and A which featured Jools Holland Interviewing Eric and director Lili was also very enlightening – Eric again demonstrating the humility that dominates the film.

Life In 12 Bars is a love story, an often a tragic story but ultimately a story of triumphant survival for a musician whos music has constantly been a cure for both his, and his audiences inner demons.

In a period where I’ve been battling some of mine, this film was an uplifting, inspiring life affirming cinematic experience…

Dave Lewis – January 11, 2018

 

…………………………….

DL Diary Blog Update:

 Firstly, may I offer sincere thanks to the many people who responded to my blog concerning my issues with depression. The support has been truly humbling and very inspiring.

In the past few days, I have began to feel something like my usual self although as I mentioned, this thing can strike at will. My troubled thoughts often centre around themes of rejection and recognition – issues that were apparent in Eric Clapton’s story. I am hoping I can fend off the negative thoughts and get back to where I want to be.

The sad passings mentioned above are of course not helping to lift the mood – the death of the footballer Cyril Regis greatly resonated and I have also just heard that Bob Langley – who many of you will remember on the record fair circuit in the 1990s has passed away aged 68.

However, there has been some things to be more positive about this past week. As can be seen above, I was also hugely inspired by watching the  profoundly moving Eric Clapton film. In general, the last few days have felt like the year has finally kicked in for me. I’ve got down to looking at various TBL projects and planning the workload ahead. I need to as there is a lot on the agenda here.

As the pic here shows, with a deep breath, designer Mick Lowe and myself began work on the January 1975 segment of the Evenings With LZ book. There was also an intensive and fulfilling skype session with co author Mike Tremaglio. One thing we are all in total agreement is how big this project has become. The level of detail we are trying to attain is exhaustive. So the quest goes on…

Elsewhere at the always excellent Vinyl Barn last week, in the light of watching the amazing Eric Clapton film, I was well pleased to pick up a copy of the Cream Wheels Of Fire album –an Argentinian pressing on Polydor. I was also pleased to find a copy of the 1972 Julie Felix album Clotho’s Web on the RAK label – it includes an impressive line up of contributing musicians including John Paul Jones ,Cozy Powell, Davey Johnstone and Big Jim Sullivan.

So book being worked on, other TBL projects being assessed and records being purchased… it feels a bit more business as usual here than it has for a good while…and after some difficult weeks, thankfully it feels like the zest remains the same…again.

Thanks again for all your support.

Dave Lewis – January 17, 2018

Until next time, have a great week

Website updates compiled by Dave Lewis

with thanks to Gary Foy and James Cook

Follow TBL/DL on Facebook:

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14 Comments »

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Miguel many thanks

  • Miguel said:

    Dave,

    Came back here for a reread, and this time I was a bit more attentive. As a fellow sufferer of depression, I know all too well what that’s about. So I hope this helps you and cheers you up a bit. I wanted you to know, that when I’m down, YOU are the words that bring me up. You are doing something right mate. You made one life better with your writings. [I’m sure thousands more really]. Been a fan since I picked up the Final Acclaim. Wore it out to the point 1/4 of the pages don’t stick no more.
    I come here to TBL as it always buoys me up with the personal tales, and any bit of Plant Page Jones, and Zep news gets my happy blood flowing again. Wonderful reads on our joint favorite band remind of the good times, and off I go with a smile, a nod or a wink.

    So Big Thanks David. If I ever get to London, first and second rounds on me

  • Ian D said:

    Grateful to Dolores O’Riordan for the enigmatic Linger, award winning Zombie and for having such a distinctive spine to the CD of Everybody Else… (The Island rainbow) which helped me locate many a sealed CD case behind the counter to swap over for the display copy, in my first job in music retail…

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Fair comments there Hiroshi though I stand by how powerful the story was told…maybe there will be extended music content on the DVD version?

  • Hiroshi said:

    I have to say I was underwhelmed by Life In 12 Bars. The problem is, it feels like directer Zanuck turns herself to Clapton’s personal life rather than the music he has created.

    His longtime devotees may remember that the production team, since as far back as the late-2000’s, had put ads from time to time on the internet website and the programmes merchandised at his concerts to call for fans’ submissions of rare visual material in their possession for possible inclusion in the film, especially the live footage from the 60’s and the 70’s. As it turned out, there were plenty of the private scenes, home parties etc., but those that captured the previously unseen live performances were few and far between alas. Most of them fall into the “seen this, seen that” category. The film instead focuses on his complicated early life, women, drugs and alcohol abuse etc. — though undeniably fascinating, these matters have been examined and discussed elsewhere umpteen times — in brutal honesty, to borrow Dave’s words, perhaps deeper than any other occasions thus far. One can argue that therein lies the strength of the film, but what about the music? Is this really all that’s worth including out of what was submitted over the ten years? I don’t believe it. The total omissions of some of the artist’s key musical moments mentioned by Dave don’t help, either.

    A huge Clapton fan myself, this for me feels like a missed opportunity, and immense at that. Ten years half-wasted, if not all.

  • VHP said:

    Hi Dave,

    I am pleased to hear your ‘dark clouds’ have lifted slightly.

    I was very sad to hear about Fast Eddie, I saw him play 3 times – with Motorhead on the Ace of Spades & Iron Fist tours and then the first Fastway tour (very Zeppelinesque – but a very enjoyable show).

    Sad to hear about Cyrille Regis – one of W.B.A’s famous ‘3 Degrees’ – that helped to change peoples views definitely for the better. A great player.

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Chris that is the way it was back then -pre internet!

  • Chris Cook said:

    The thing that stands out for me in your latest piece of excellent writing is the idea that LED ZEPPELIN could play SOME SHOWS and one could ONLY FIND OUT THAT THEY HAD TAKEN PLACE A WEEK LATER!

    I have such nostalgia for the simplicity of life with vinyl, books, magazines and newspapers before the rather mixed blessing that is the internet!

    best wishes
    Chris

  • Miguel said:

    I agree Dave, such a shame Wanton Song was rarely played. There is a blistering version from the Brussels 75 gig you review on You Tube

    .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7-bLTRJZok

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Nice one Paul!

  • Dave Lewis (author) said:

    Thanks Larry!

  • Larry said:

    Thanks for the great post Dave. The early 75 shows are interesting indeed, I’ve always liked the Chicago stuff (especially the immortal footage from Toasted Video back in the day!). Enjoyed Andy Crofts take on Jimmy’s injury as well. It is indeed a maddeningly unclear episode for us obsessives! Maybe someone will ask Jimmy to clarify it in an interview one day.

    Lovely tribute from Scarlett Sabet to Jimmy.

    RIP Fast Eddie Clarke. Unbelievable rip-roaring player with Motorhead, and I also enjoyed his rather Zeppelinesque band Fastway. A real rocker, he will be missed.

    The Eric Clapton film sounds interesting. I’ve been up and down on the solo Clapton for decades. The pioneering work he did with the Yardies, John Mayall and Cream was stellar. Ditto the Layla album. Most of the 70s stuff was very good. Outside of that, it’s a bit more hit or miss with me. Much of his 80s output left me cold. The Robert Johnson albums were very good. Unplugged. The mid-90s blues album and tour. But his solo stuff at times is a bit staid in my opinion. I’ve seen him live several times, but even there something seems missing…the musicianship is superb of course, but there’s not a lot of fire. Sometimes he seems bored. Maybe it’s just me. All that said, I will definitely check out the documentary, sounds well worth a look.

    Glad to hear you’re feeling better Dave!

  • paul aspey said:

    Another year starts with some dear losses in our world of rock n roll but
    on a positive note weekend tickets for the bearded theory festival in the bag
    GET IN !!!!!!!!!!

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