This week of 46 years ago saw Led Zeppelin on a real high – and thankfully these performances in Seattle and Vancouver have been captured on tape across countless bootlegs…

These are amongst my favourite Zep performances and listening to them this week has been an absolute joy. This was the prelude to Earls Court and they were just on firing on all cylinders……

Just to backtrack to a memorable snapshot from the Long Beach gig:

Date: MARCH 12 1975

Venue: CIVIC ARENA LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA

Performance: THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME (false start)/THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

Bootleg Reference: TRAMPLED UNDER JIMMY’S FOOT (SILVER RARITIES)

Just to illustrate that not all went according to plan every night…. on this cooking performance in Long Beach their sheer enthusiasm got the better of them as they opened The Song Remains The Same….. only to bring it to a close some one minute in.

”Just a minute that’s it ….see you again Long Beach! Yes it happened for the first time in six and a half years…does anybody remember laugher?…. the first time we came here ..er we never seem to  get

things together in Los Angeles.

Ok as I was saying. Nevertheless The Song Remains …..nevertheless, ad infinitum to the power of three re occuring..The Same!’’

They did not get it wrong a second time.

What happened next was simply the business. A speed ride through the opening track of Houses and  as Plant might put it a reoccurring anthem. It sounded great here ,it sounded great in Earls Court and it still sounded great 20 years later when Page and Plant deployed it so effectively on their 95/96 world tour. This is a Zeppelin anthem that gets less acclaim than the Whole Lotta Love, Stairway and Kashmir -but on stage it always burnt and smouldered its way into the set. Pull it out and try it for yourselves on any night…the effect as those Houses ads read is still shattering.

MONDAY MARCH 17 1975

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

SEATTLE CENTER COLISEUM

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. Woodstock)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – The Crunge – Black Dog.

Background details: A  superb performance with the band totally on top of their game.

Hugh Jones, editor of Proximity, recalls: “The start of the show was extremely aggressive, and it was evident almost immediately that they were ‘on’. Nothing sluggish about this performance. Robert’s voice sounded surprisingly low, but he was singing well, and the whole band sounded very tight’’.

Snapshot Listen: How it sounds now…

Another prime 1975 performance – playful, inspiring and unpredictable. No Quarter with John Bonham pushing Jimmy to the limit, riffs of Fleetwood Mac’s Green Manalishi in a marathion Dazed And Confused (38 minutes and counting!) – Robert zipping in James Brown’s Lickin Stick during Whole Lotta Love.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 19 1975

VANCOUVER, CANADA

PACIFIC COLISEUM

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. Woodstock)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – The Crunge – Black Dog.

Background details; “Ladies and gentlemen… the Canadian return of Led Zeppelin” booms from the speakers as the band take to the stage, firing on all cylinders. “And how is Vancouver. Is it full of beans?” asks Plant. ‘In My Time Of Dying’ is excellent tonight and Plant extends the ending with vocal gymnastics.  ‘Kashmir’ is dedicated to… “Richard Cole, our tour manager – a good upright British citizen! This a song from Physical Vancouver – the new LP.   An extended ‘No Quarter’ is once again one of the highlights. Bonham tonight is introduced as “the king of jazz – one of the finest percussionists in Led Zeppelin today.”

Snapshot Listen: How it sounds now…

I remember Robert being quoted as saying ”By the end of the tour I felt I could sing anything”.

Listening to this utterly sensational performance of Dazed And Confused there is ample proof of that statement.

The San Francisco excerpt had long been a feature of the early part of the piece, but on this tour they began experimenting even further. Plant introducing another hippie anthem to proceedings -the Joni Mitchell pean to Max Yasgur’s farm and a hit for Crosby Stills, Nash & Young. The Zep arrangement was still built loosely on the melody employed for San Francisco-Plant bending the words to fit the structure. Against Page’s eerie minor chord strumming it became one of the most atmospheric parts of their performance. Plant’s repeated ”Back to the garden” refrain merging into the violin bow episode amongst the dry ice. The Vancouver performance was a blueprint for the equally dramatic versions performed at Earls Court run. During this part of the tour Plant also took to singing The Eagles Take It Easy and during the final LA stint he crooned a 50’s like To Be Loving  before moving into Bob Marley’s I Shot The Sheriff. As he put it -he could sing anything…

THURSDAY MARCH 20 1975

VANCOUVER,CANADA

PACIFIC COLISEUM

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. Woodstock)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – Heartbreaker.

Snapshot Listen: How it sounds now…

Another outstanding performance. The pace was set by an aggresive stomp through ‘Rock And Roll’ and never lets up.

No Quarter is now reaching epic proportions, tonight extended to 26 minutes. Whole Lotta Love is highly improvised tonight and includes brief snatches of James Brown’s ‘Lickin’ Stick’, as well as a Plant war cry from ‘Immigrant Song’ and the riff from ‘Ozone Baby’. After a fierce Theremin battle with Plant, Page then leads straight into ‘Heartbreaker’. ‘Black Dog’ is not performed tonight.

FRIDAY MARCH 21 1975

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

SEATTLE CENTER COLISEUM

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/Since I’ve Been Loving You/Trampled Underfoot/Moby Dick/Dazed And Confused (inc. For What It’s Worth – Woodstock)/Stairway To Heaven/Whole Lotta Love – The Crunge-Black Dog/Communication Breakdown – Heartbreaker.

Background details: It was back to Seattle for another steller show with much improvisation. ‘No Quarter’ is a highlight with Jones and Bonham randomly incorporating a jazzy rhythm during the solo improvisation. ‘Trampled Underfoot’ now includes some lyrics from ‘Gallows Pole’. ‘Dazed And Confused’ includes snatches of Buffalo Springfield’s ‘For What It’s Worth’ as well as ‘Woodstock’, and the longest encore section of the tour is performed tonight.

Hugh Jones of Proximity recalls: “Following ‘No Quarter’, Robert called for a change in the programme, causing a little confusion on stage. ‘There’s one song that we’ve done twice in, in… I suppose since we got ripped off for all that bread in New York, ages ago. And because we really dig playing here, and for no other reason, we’re gonna do it again now. I don’t think anybody else in the band knows about it yet, it’s a little bit of change in the… sorry about that, John! You see, right on the spot! It could be ‘Louie Louie’ but instead it’s a thing from the third album… ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’.

“Following a brutal ‘Trampled Underfoot’ and Bonzo’s marathon ‘Moby Dick’, more confusion appears to be occurring onstage. Robert shouts for an ovation for Bonzo, then asks in a casual tone, ‘Is everybody, uh, enjoying themselves?’ Jimmy is talking urgently with a group of people just off stage, and at one point seems to lift his guitar in the air as if to throw it down, obviously perturbed about something. Unfazed and still in his conversational tone, Robert observes ‘Mr Page is having a fit’. Apparently, we found out later, a local fan made Jimmy a gift of a beautiful Les Paul guitar, which turned out to be stolen from a high school music teacher. During the evening the instrument was confiscated at Sea-Tac airport as it was being shipped back to the UK (or so the story goes), and for some reason Page was interrupted during the show to be informed of this.”

Snapshot listen: How it sounds now…

This Seattle show is simply one of the best gigs of their latter era.

If proof was needed then the opening segment brings it all alive – as it epitomises what a potent three pronged entrance these songs really were. Rock And Roll segueing into the new sheer brutality of Sick Again with Plant teasing ”Do I look the same”, and then the opening speech followed by the ”Beginning of a dream and it starts here (R.Plant -Earls Court May*17) or on this occasion .”What we intend to do is to relive our pent uppedness on stage, and then to relieve it later on after the gig elsewhere. Now the thing is what we intend to do is to give you a cross section of what we’ve been trying to produce and write over the last six and a half years.

As you know the material varies greatly and so you will appreciate that we take it from one extreme to the other….and what better way to start than to gaze out onto the horizon and see what tomorrow may bring”

To quote Hugh Jones ”in those last few sentences Robert Plant may well have encapsulated Led Zeppelin as well as anyone ever has. The physical, the musical, the pretension and the arrogance-all backed up with music as varied and as good as his word for the next four hours”.

So the the regal intro of  Over The Hills And Far Away -the Page solo as always flickering and twisting into previously un investigated territory. Then a swirling finale with Plant crying out ”Samantha Samantha” perhaps a reference to the fun they were about to enjoy offstage as he put it And on this night in Seattle it all just burst forth with that knowing arrogance .

There is also a truly remarkable sequence to be heard during the middle section of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ on the night of March 20, 1975, at a show in Vancouver.

In the space of three minutes just before Jimmy Page’s Theremin solo, Robert Plant initially leads them through a spontaneous version of James Brown’s ‘Licking Stick’, which incorporates their own funk rhythm from the ‘The Crunge’. He follows that with a random war cry from  ‘Immigrant Song’. And then with equal spontaneity the Jones, Bonham & Page rhythm section interlock for a riff sequence that would be recalled some three years later for the track ‘Ozone Baby’ which eventually saw the light of day on the Coda album.

It was this air of unpredictability within their performances, which made Led Zeppelin such an engrossing live act throughout their career.

To use that old Zep’75 maxim it all underlined the fact that it wasn’t just a case of them being the number one band on the planet…the real point in question was just how far whoever was at number two lagged behind.

Dave Lewis , march 17,2021 

……………………………..

Still in 1975…

46 years ago on Saturday March 15, 1975  my very good friend Dec got up very early to travel to Earls Court to be in this queue for tickets to see Led Zeppelin – I was working so Dec did the job and a very good one he did too returning with second row tickets for the Saturday May 24 performance. The countdown was on – as was my quest to get tickets for the other four nights which I am pleased to say all worked out. Five Glorious Nights lay ahead…and I’m still revelling in them 46 years on…

LZ News:

Led Zeppelin

• A second, more complete, audience recording of Led Zeppelin’s November 7, 1969 performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco was released by the Dogs of Doom group yesterday. It’s now the first known recorded performance of “Bring It On Home.”

• Led Zeppelin’s upcoming official documentary is causing rare footage to vanish from the internet. Footage of Led Zeppelin performing at the Laurel Pop Festival in Maryland on July 11, 1969 as well as a video of Jimmy Page performing with The Yardbirds in New York on August 25, 1967 have been deleted from YouTube because of work on the film.

• An expanded edition of the “Evenings With Led Zeppelin” book will be released on September 9. Find out more about the book and its upcoming expanded edition here.

Robert Plant

• Robert Plant has confirmed that he will perform with Saving Grace at the rescheduled Black Deer festival in Kent on June 25-27. The festival’s date had been pushed back slightly due to coronavirus restrictions in the UK.

Upcoming events:

June 25-27 – Robert Plant will perform as part of Saving Grace at the Black Deer festival in Kent.
July 13 – Ross Halfin’s book “Led Zeppelin Vinyl: The Essential Collection” will be released by Reel Art Press.
September 9 – The revised and expanded edition of “Evenings With Led Zeppelin” will be released.
September 25 – The 2021 John Bonham celebration event will be held in Redditch.

Many thanks to James Cook.

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

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

http://ledzepnews.com/

TBL ARCHIVE – IT WAS 51 YEARS AGO…

MEANWHILE BACK IN 1970…

Now here’s a story….Goldrush and Stamford Bridge – and a young Led Zep fan in the crowd – 51 years gone:

51 years ago on March 21,1970 , Led Zeppelin flew out for the first date of their fifth US tour.

I was well aware of all this because I’d purchased a copy of Record Mirror the previous day when it came out. Under the front page headline of ‘Goldrush’ and a wonderful colour photo of Led Zeppelin from the previous December’s awards bash, it revealed the bands current plans. Interestingly enough it reported that a film crew would be on hand to capture the tour.

The story read as follow:

‘’Off to America on Saturday go Led Zeppelin. And with the group will be a film production unit which is making a film of the month long tour. The team has been trailing the group since their appearance at the Albert Hall in January. So far in the can are shots of their European tour, Jimmy Page in the studio, and Robert Plant at home on his farm. Not to mention the presentation of gold discs for million mark sales of their albums. The film, which has already been sold in America , is to tie in with the release of their next LP at the end of the year. Which could easily sell another million. And which is why some people are nicknaming it ‘’Goldrush’’. 

Film of their European tour? Jimmy in the studio?, Robert on the farm?

A film crew with them in America? There’s no evidence to suggest much of that occurred…but if  it did where’s the footage now…?

I digress: On that Saturday March 21st 1970, at the same time Zep were about to wow the audience at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, I was in a capacity crowd of 61,479 (their highest of that season ) at Stamford Bridge watching Chelsea triumph 2-1 over Manchester United.

It would have been nice of course to be down White Heart Lane where Martin Peters was making his debut for Spurs against Coventry (he scored in a 2-1 defeat). Peters had transferred to Spurs as part of a swap deal that took Jimmy Greaves to West Ham (who also scored two on his debut for West Ham that day at Manchester City–I’ve just watched it on you tube!). As it was, my very good friend Dave Corp in Dents Road was where I lived was (and still is as we are still in touch) a big Chelsea fan and I was more than happy to tag along with his relation to see some prime Division One action. It was incredibly exciting to see the 70s superstars of the day in action – Alan Hudson, Peter Osgood, Ian Hutchinson, George Best, Bobby Charlton,  Alex Stepney,  Denis Law,Willie Morgan etc.,

It was one of those occasions from an impressionable age that remains ingrained on my brain – not dissimilar to the way Zep memories of Empire Pool and Earls Court etc are lodged in there forever.

I can remember so much about that day in detail: the records played over the PA before the teams came on which included hits of the time Brotherhood Of Man’s United We Stand and Steam’s Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, the atmosphere in the Chelsea paddock where we stood (a fantastic view right in the front side on to the goal) as Ian Hutchinson scored twice in the first half, the pie we had in a café after the game and the hitch hiker we picked up on the A1 going home. 50 years have done nothing to dull the memories of an awesome day for this then 13 year old.

I’ve just searched YouTube and amazingly the match is on the Chelsea TV channel – the original ITV Big Match coverage with the late great Brian Moore commenting and lo and behold imagine my delight and surprise when as the camera pans in for a Chelsea throw – I am in view second on the left with my arm across the barrier as Ian Hutchinson takes one of his then famous long throws. This is in the exact spot where we were – the pic here is a bit blurry off YouTube but that’s me – a young Led Zep fan viewing the action.

Little did I realize that aside from the match programme, three years later I’d have another remnant of that day. This was in the form of the bootleg LP Mudslide that captured highlights of Zep’s Vancouver show of March 21st. In fact whenever I hear the opening drum roll from Bonzo,Jimmy’s guitar warm up  and Robert’s ‘’Everybody feel alright!’’ intro, I always think back to that spring Saturday in March 1970 when I was in amongst the then soccer elite in Stamford Bridge.

I of course kept the copy of Record Mirror from that week, and have the trade mark of quality vinyl bootleg of Mudslide. I also have the Chelsea v Man Utd programme.

Looking at those remnants I can almost smell the atmosphere of that day back in 1970. I can honestly say that Saturday March 21, 1970 was one of the pivotal days of my life. A day where my eyes were truly opened to the adult world .

Precious memories indeed…and now I can now add the YouTube clip to that list of memories – filmed proof that I was indeed right there…the crowd clip with me with my arm on the barrier is at 4mins.44 as Ian Hutchinson takes one of his long throws…

I’ve just spoken to Dave recently and shared again those memories of 51 years ago today…one day we would both like to go back to Stamford Bridge and watch another match…..

Here’s the YouTube clip link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEx3B7Zvj34&fbclid=IwAR06sm-Hd1R6FeIOD0K1ANAO521HG_JwZLpKg61cXG_Tzo5jXg7V6GMagUY

Dave Lewis – March 17, 2021.

Coverdale Page – it was 28 years ago:

I have great affinity for this period. Like many of us, I was very unsure about David Coverdale and I am not a big fan.I do recognise he is a class vocalist and he certainly brought the best out of Jimmy when it was really needed.

Here’s my very enthusiastic review from the time that appeared in Record Collector.

‘’If you were one of the many who began to lose faith in Jimmy Page in the mid 80s’’ I stated,’’ this is where you can start to pick up the pieces. Coverdale Page is simply his most substantial project since the demise of Led Zeppelin’’

Back in that early spring of 1993 I can vividly recall the excitement of receiving an advance cassette of the album via journalist Chris Welch. That wide screen riffing  soared out of the speakers and it was so re assuring because we had the true Lord Of The Strings back. Despite one or two dips – Feeling Hot and Whisper A Prayer For The Dying grated a bit there was some amazing playing and most of it holds up well.

Given the egos and management demands on both sides,iIt was probably destined to be a short lived venture and as we all know, it was not too long before Jimmy rekindled his association with Robert – the Coverdale Page album is a unique one off  and one is till get a great buzz from.

In my review I went on to say:

‘’I defy any Zep fan not to break into a huge grin when confronted with the delightful idiosyncrasy of Page’s riffing on the opening track Shake My Tree. It’s archetypal jimmy Page as we know him best – a status maintained throughout this very welcome return to form’’ 28 years ago today the Coverdale Page album was released – at the time I heralded this as a massive return to form for Jimmy Page…

28 years on when I played this track today that grin remains the same…

Here’s an extract from the chapter Jimmy Page In The 90s that appeared in my book The Tight But Loose Files -Celebration II – this chronicles the Coverdale Page saga…

In early 1991 meetings were held with Plant and Jones to discuss a reunion. Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin was earmarked for the hot seat at the back but much to Page’s frustration Plant eventually vetoed the idea, opting to pursue his solo career.

When it was evident that Robert would not relent, Page shifted his thoughts to putting together a new band. He waded through scores of demos from singers but couldn’t find anything that inspired him. Then, in a bizarre twist to the story, he linked up with ex-Deep Purple and Whitesnake singer Dave Coverdale. Plant and Coverdale had been involved in several press spats over the years, with Plant criticising Coverdale for aping his style. Even Page was bemused by Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg using his trademark violin bow technique. “When I saw the video for that track (‘In The Heat Of The Night’) and the part where the guy starts playing with a bow, I actually fell around laughing. That’s how silly it had become.”

In what may have appeared as an act of sheer spite, Page defected to the Coverdale camp. It was more likely a marriage of convenience. “I got a call from my manager suggesting I meet with David Coverdale. So we had a meet to just see how it went socially. We thought we’d give it a couple of weeks – and if it didn’t work out we’d shake hands – I just hoped it wasn’t going to be me that couldn’t pull it off.” Conveniently, both artists were signed to the Geffen label whose A&R man John Kalodner instigated a meeting in March 1991 in New York. Page had been seen around the area jamming with local band The Reputations at the China Club and Les Paul at Fat Tuesday’s club.

There was enough rapport from that initial meeting for them to decamp to Coverdale’s Lake Tahoe home where the ideas started flowing. “The first day we wrote ‘Absolution Blues’ and it got better from there,” he said. They next went to Barbados where they penned ‘Barbados Blues’, later to be retitled ‘Pride And Joy’, and a whole batch of other songs.

In May the pair appeared on stage at a Poison/Slaughter show in Reno. The encore jam included Zep’s ‘Rock And Roll’. Page also turned up at a cub in Reno to jam with local band Solid Ground.

Within weeks they had began rehearsals that led to recording sessions commencing in Vancouver. They initially sought The Who’s John Entwistle to play bass at the sessions but when he was unavailable they brought in former Montrose and Heart drummer Denny Carmassi and Bad English bassist Ricky Phillips. The album’s recording was somewhat fragmented due to personal reasons – Page’s marriage was breaking down and Coverdale’s mother died. In early 1992 Page attended the Hall of Fame induction of The Yardbirds in New York, joining an all star jam that included Neil Young and Keith Richard.(he would return in 1995 with Plant and Jones to accept Zeppelin’s induction). In March he joined Harry Connick Jnr on stage at Miami’s Knights Center, jamming on a couple of blues numbers. Further sessions for the album took place in Miami and it was eventually mixed and completed at London’s Abbey Road studio in the autumn. Page also took time to compile the second box set of Led Zeppelin studio recordings, bringing in Coverdale Page engineer Mike Fraser to mix the previously unreleased Zep 1 outtake ‘Baby Come On Home’.

Reflecting on the Coverdale Page album he said, “I wanted to present the best I could get out of myself. And there is no doubt that we coaxed the best out of each other. It’s the best I’ve played since the days of Led Zeppelin.”

The completed Coverdale Page album was issued on Geffen in March 1993. It was the most focused performance on an album by Page in years, his playing ranging from the nondescript ‘In Through The Out Door’ leftover riffs of ‘Shake My Tree’ to the descending chord passages of ‘Take Me For A Little While’. It was a remarkable performance, encompassing all the dynamics that lit up his best work. Coverdale’s agile style made it easy for Page to weave his finely tooled riffs around, a throwback to the days when hard rock meant just that.

Coverdale and Page undertook a round of promotional interviews and ambitious plans were unveiled for them to play a 45-date tour in the US. The optimism soon petered out, however, when the album soon faded from the charts and disappointing ticket sales led to the tour’s cancellation. They did get to play a seven-date Japanese tour in December but by then the short-lived collaboration was at an end. The inability of the pair’s respective managements to agree on a future strategy was the root of the problem, as Page noted: “It’s the powers that be, the relative managements involved. All I know is what is recommended to me at the end of the day. I was up for playing anywhere but there’s nothing on the table after our Japanese dates.” With the planned Coverdale Page tour unable to hold off the effects of a US recession, what was conceived by Geffen as an obvious money raking exercise now had less potential. The powers that be, as Page put it, obviously saw little commercial future in the project.

The gigs in Japan (with a band compromising Guy Pratt on bass, Brett Tuggle on keyboards and Danny Carmassi on drums) featured a cross section of Zeppelin and Whitesnake tracks plus material from their album. Page’s performances were very encouraging. He was clearly rejuvenated, hammering out old Zeppelin numbers such as ‘Kashmir’ and ‘In My Time Of Dying’.

There had been rumours that Page would next undertake a solo project with Killing Joke’s Jazz Coleman and the Cairo Orchestra but that came to nothing. With the Coverdale link looking less likely to progress, Page received a surprise call from Plant who had received an offer from MTV to appear on their Uplugged series. He felt to do justice to the Zeppelin material in this setting it would require the vital ingredient of his old partner.

On route to rehearse with Coverdale for the Japanese tour, Page met with Plant in Boston in late ‘93 and agreed to renew their partnership for the MTV show, later to dubbed Unledded.

By the early spring of the following year Page and Plant were back rehearsing together. In April they appeared on stage together at the Alexis Korner benefit show in Buxton. The MTV project gave them ample scope to reinterpret the Zeppelin catalogue with the assistance of an Egyptian ensemble and English orchestra. Two special shows in late August at the London Studios provided the bulk of the material for the show. They also recorded additional songs in Marrakesh and Wales.

The Coverdale Page alliance was to remain a one album project.

Dave Lewis  from the Tight But Loose Files – Celebration II book published by Omnibus Press in 2003.

Postscript 2021:

Recently David Coverdale has stated his desire to work with Jimmy on a remastered 30th anniversary edition of the album for release in 2023.

This  report posed on February 24 via the Blabbermouth website:

David Coverdale  has offered an update on the proposed 30th-anniversary re-release of his collaboration with Jimmy Page. The well-received COVERDALE PAGE set was recorded in several studios on both sides of the Atlantic over the winter of 1991-92 before it was finally released in March 1993.

Asked during a February 18 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” if there has been any progress on a possible reissue of COVERDALE PAGE’s eponymously titled LP, David said: “Well, I’ve gotta tell you, there’s been immense progress. I finally reached a very positive agreement with my former record company regarding missing assets. And I got the rights to the COVERDALE PAGE album. So, of course, my first phone call was to Jimmy, and I said, ‘We’ve got it. We’ve got it back, and we can do with it what we want.’ And, of course, Jimmy is in lockdown in the U.K., where it’s really very heavy duty [with the pandemic]. So he’s in his country estate… I literally just texted Jimmy two days ago, and I said, ‘Jimmy, I’m so sorry I haven’t been in touch.’ But we’re resuming contact starting next week to discuss. I’ve got a couple of ideas. I wanna see if we can write courtesy of FaceTime or Zoom. I’ve got a couple of ideas which I think would be good for if indeed we can get back into the studio and plan for a very big, luxurious, complete box set [for] the 30th anniversary in 2023.”

As for what extra material might surface on the expanded “Coverdale Page” set, the WHITESNAKE singer said: “We’ve got four unreleased tracks, which just need to be mixed. But since we reconnected, I’ve been messing around, writing at home. And I have two ideas which could make really fun tracks — just to throw at him and ‘see what you can do with this.’ The way we did it before — we wrote really very potent music together.

“The other thing that I recommended to him was, ‘Let’s remaster the original, but I’d love you, in England, with a mixer of your choice, to do the Jimmy Page mix of the album, and I’ll do the David Coverdale mix as bonus stuff,'” he continued. “And I think that’d be great. He trusts me, I trust him, and I think it would be great for the fans to get Jimmy’s take on it, ’cause we did everything 50/50 on the project. It was an amazing three years together. I loved it. So, yeah, that’s definitely in the pipeline.”

According to David, it is unlikely that work on the “Coverdale Page” reissue will begin in earnest for several months while the entire world is struggling to come out of the colossal impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

“At this moment in time, at his country estate, I don’t think [Jimmy] has a studio,” he said. “And he certainly doesn’t wanna drive into London. He and I are target ages for this dreadful virus. So I completely support him in that scenario, ’cause there isn’t any rush. Nothing is gonna be going on this year. Even if we have the opportunity of recording, I can record stuff over here, send him the drive for him to do his part, and we can mix it through the technology now, which is something you couldn’t do before. But I have a studio at home, and Jimmy doesn’t. So I’m hoping we can get some new bits and pieces and ideas and put that into play next year when it will be safer to get around.”

Upon its release, “Coverdale Page” sold strongly, peaking at No. 4 on the U.K. album chart and No. 5 in the U.S.

So there it is – here’s hoping this project comes to fruition – you can me in for a copy for sure…

Dave Lewis March 2021

Forthcoming Led Zeppelin bootleg album showcases LA Forum March 27 1975…

Another new Led Zeppelin bootleg vinyl release this time via the Iron Eagle label. This is due out in April in a limited run of 240 copies…

Here’s the info:

LED ZEPPELIN     Iron Eagle 172/173/174/175

Live at the Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA on the 27th March 1975 , 3rd Day

Stage Mix – Soundboard & Audience.

Complete Concert.

4LP – Limited Numbered Edition of 240 Copies.

80 Copies in Black Vinyl.

80 Copies in Silver Vinyl.

80 Copies in Gold Vinyl.

Jimmy Page The Anthology book:

Nice to see my quote from my TBL review of the Jimmy Page Anthology book used in this Genesis Publications publicity material…

Thanks to Richard Grubb for that one.

DL Diary Blog Update:

Friday March 12:

The excellent Robert Plant documentary By Myself is aired again on BBC 4 tonight. Back in 2010 I was involved in supplying some of the archive material that was used and was very pleased to receive an on screen credit…it’s on tonight at 11pm…

Saturday March 13:

Saturday is platterday – after watching the excellent Robert Plant By Myself documentary again on BBC 4 last night…on the player the brilliant Robert Plant Fate Of Nations album…

Saturday March 13:

… Saturday is platterday – I’ve lined up a couple of live double albums to play today – here’s the first, a bit of feel good Frampton…

Saturday March 13:

Saturday is platterday – on the player another live double album gem…Humble Pie Performance Rockin’ The Fillmore –and they sure did…

Saturday March 13:

Saturday is platterday – on the player yet another great double album gem…Emerson Lake & Palmer Works – side two the Greg Lake side, what a line up of impeccable songs and vocal performances…

Sunday March 14:

Sunday sounds on CD…loading up the excellent Then Play On album from the superb seven CD box set Fleetwood Mac 1969 – 1974…

Tuesday March 16:

It was 48 years ago today…

Loading up the excellent 2 CD Led Zeppelin A Very Nice Night 2 CD bootleg package on the Eat a Peach label – as recorded at the Stadhalle Vienna on this day in 1973 – my they were on form that night…

Wednesday March 17:

It was 48 years ago today…

Loading up the excellent Led Zeppelin Songs For Europe 3 CD bootleg package on the Tarantura label – as recorded at the Olympiahalle Munich on this day in 1973 – another night they were right on top of their game on a European tour that saw them reach new heights of on stage improvisation…

Playlist:

Alongside the above, some more record and CD selections providing much needed inspiration…

Free – The Free Story  2 LP

Blondie – Greatest Hits CD

Slade – Old New Borrowed & Blue LP

Some particular inspirations this past week:

The new issue of Mojo dropping through the door  – and plenty of good stuff this time out with Kate Bush, Rickie Lee Jones, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye and more…

The new issue of Uncut dropping through the door…The Velvets, Richard Thompson, John Lennon and Postcard Records (I have one or two of those Aztec Camera, Orange Juice etc) all looking good…

Picking up the new Rolling Stones 3CD bootleg set Fully Finished Studio Outtakes -I am looking forward to soaking up that one…

The news of the forthcoming 50th anniversary reissue of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Deja Vu album…

Update here:

Felt pretty miserable the last few days – too many negative thoughts which I hate myself for letting cloud over the good stuff but sometimes that is how it is. I am prone to lapsing into these negative thoughts that have been prevalent  in the past 18 months which then bring on depression. I have been fighting it off and once again the support and guidance of Janet has been incredibly inspirational – she of course has her own on going issues with her leg which has been troublesome. So for her I always try harder…

Sadly, we also heard of another passing of one of our former work colleagues – Leigh Eaton was assistant manger with me in the Our Price Bedford store in the 80s and such a great character. He moved to America in the early 90s and this week we learned he had tragically died in a car accident. Janet and I are very saddened by that news.

Though it can feel like it some days, it’s not all doom and gloom here by any means  – there are of course many positive things going on which I am very thankful for and there has been good progress on various projects I am involved with. Alas, when the black dog looms, it makes it so hard to enjoy them in the way I should. I do know of the need to cherish the day and live in the moment and my mindset needs to focus on those thoughts…

Thanks for listening – stay safe and well you very lovely people…