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TBL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS/LED ZEP IV 45 YEARS GONE/GOALDIGGERS AND MM AWARDS 37 YEARS GONE/PETER GRANT/LZ NEWS/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE/HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY PHIL!

23 November 2016 1,998 views One Comment

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TBL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS:

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 just treat yourself!
Here is a round up of TBL Product on offer this Christmas –all orders will be processed and dispatched as received.

TBL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA 1:

Led Zeppelin Then As It Was – At Knebworth 1979 and Led Zeppelin Feather In The Wind Bundle offer:

Buy both books for just £18 plus postage!

For a limited period, I am offering both the Led Zeppelin Then As It Was – At Knebworth 1979 and Led Zeppelin Feather In The Wind Over Europe 1980 books at a bargain bundle offer price of both books for just £18 plus postage and packing.

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Suffice to say, this offer will also make the perfect Christmas present – so prompt your loved ones now to ensure seasonal delight!

Order via this link:

THEN AS IT WAS AT KNEBWORTH AND OVER EUROPE BOOK BUNDLE OFFER NOW CLOSED

Both books are also available individually for a bargain price of £10 each plus postage.

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TBL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA 2:

THE TBL 2016/17 MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION:

ALL current TBL subscriptions ended with the forthcoming TBL 40 – the 2016/17 subscription is now up and running  -it covers the  three issues  TBL 41,42 and 43.

Issue 41 is out now with TBL 42 to follow early in 2017.

Plus all subscribers receive a  free 10×8 individually numbered print of a unique Led Zeppelin image – perfect for framing!

A TBL 2016/17 Subscription will make an ideal Christmas gift – the link to re subscribe for the next three issue is below…

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/subscribe-to-the-201617-tbl-magazines-free-10-x-8-print-with-every-subscription-a-subscription-makes-a-great-christmas-gift/

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TBL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA 3:

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TBL Magazine Back Issue Bundle Offer – TBL Issues 38, Issue 39 and issue 40 –  For just £4.00 plus postage and packing!

This is a great way of catching up on previous TBL magazines – issues 38,issue 39 and issue 40 at a bargain price of just £4 plus postage and packing!

Again  every back issue bundle offer includes a  free 10×8 individually numbered print of a unique Led Zeppelin image – perfect for framing!

Order link below:

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/tbl-magazine-back-issue-bundle-offer-tbl-issues-36-37-and-38-for-just-5-plus-postage-and-packing/

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LZ News:

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.

Led Zeppelin:

The new Empress Valley Led Zeppelin bootleg “Galactic Messiah”Japanese bootleg label Empress Valley has released a new Led Zeppelin bootleg: “Galactic Messiah.” It’s a complete audio source for Led Zeppelin’s August 11 1979 Knebworth show. It’s limited to 300 copies and includes six CDs. Part of the audience source used for this release was originally released on the “Knebworth II” bootleg release. “Galactic Messiah” also includes The New Barbarians’ performance from the same night.
Empress Valley has announced that its next Led Zeppelin bootleg release will be a complete stereo soundboard recording of the Hampton Roads Coliseum September 9 1971 show.

Jimmy Page:

Donovan’s June 3 2011 performance at the Royal Albert Hall has been officially released on DVD. Jimmy Page joined him on stage to perform “Sunshine Superman.”

Robert Plant:

Robert Plant has published updated Spotify playlists on his website, including “The Jukebox,” “Nuggets,” and “Saturday Night Fish Fry.”

Upcoming events:
December 8 – The EMP Founders Award will be held in Seattle to honour Joe Walsh, and there’s a chance that Jimmy Page will attend.

Many thanks to James Cook.

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

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TBL Archive Special:

Led Zeppelin IV – 45 years gone…

To mark the 45h anniversary of the release of Led Zeppelin IV here’s a TBL archive feature – first compiled for TBL issue 15 though not used at the time – it eventually appeared in the my Celebration II – The Tight But Loose Files book.

The Making Of Led Zepplin IV:

zep4-12The four symbols that would form the album title were first introduced to the rock media via a series of teaser press ads in the weeks leading to the album’s release, each depicting a particular symbol alongside a previous Zep album sleeve. When the album was released, the wordless title caused much confusion. It appeared in the press under various names including The New Led Zeppelin album, Led Zeppelin IV, Four Symbols, Runes and even Zoso; though some music papers did make the effort to reproduce the actual symbols themselves.

The band’s hectic schedule of that year continued unabated. In August they were back in America for their seventh US tour. Page was in buoyant mood and playing brilliantly. “Once the album was completed and mixed I knew it was really good,” he said. “We actually went on the road in America before the manufacturing process was completed and somebody at Atlantic Records said, ‘This is professional suicide for a band to tour without an album.’ In retrospect that is rather amusing!”

The new material was already making an impact, and Page still recalls with pride the reaction they got to Stairway when they performed it at the Los Angeles Forum for the first time. “We played Stairway’ at the Forum before the album was out and around a third of the audience stood up and gave us a standing ovation. It was then that I thought ‘actually this may be a better number than I’d imagined’.”

Equally successful was a three-city, five-concert first visit to Japan. Here they performed some of the most enjoyable concerts of their career – away from the glare of the press and the intensity of America, they were able to stretch out and extend their set list, throwing in off-the-cuff versions of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Cliff Richards’ Bachelor Boy and The Beatles’ Please Please Me and the only logged love performance of Zep III;s Friends. It’s fair to say there were now two distinct entities to the group – the tight recorded unit as found on record and the improvisational and spontaneous live act that would go on to delight audiences around the globe.

After a short break, to round off a very productive year, Peter Grant booked a 16-date UK tour that nicely coincided with the eventual release of their long delayed, long awaited fourth album. The tour kicked off in Newcastle on 11 November and took in two memorable nights at London’s Wembley Empire Pool.

Despite the delays and the negative reaction to the previous album, it was clear that the band’s popularity had not declined at all. Demand for tickets was overwhelming. All 9,000 seats for their 20 November Empire Pool show sold out in under an hour. A second was added and they could have easily slotted in a third had their schedule allowed it.

Their stage presentation now featured each of their four symbols – on Bonham’s bass drum Jonesy’s organ, Jimmy’s speaker cabinets, and Plant’s feather symbol adorning the PA. Page also took to wearing a specially knitted jumper depicting his Zoso symbol. The set list now included Rock And Roll in the main set (now under its correct title), alongside Black Dog, Stairway and Going To California.

Talking about the album to Chris Welch of Melody Maker, Bonzo was hugely enthusiastic: “My personal view is that it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. It’s the next stage we were at the time of recording. The playing is some of the best we have done and Jimmy is like… mint!”

The culmination of the whole year’s efforts were the two significant five-hour shows in London’s Empire Pool on 20 and 21 November – the largest indoor UK audiences they had played to at that point. Dubbed Electric Magic, they were supported by Maggie Bell’s Stone The Crows plus Bronco on Saturday (whose line-up included future Plant solo era guitarist Robbie Blunt and original Band Of Joy member Kevyn Gammond), and Home on Sunday. Also, on both nights, Grant had booked some novelty circus acts, including performing pigs and plate spinners. The pigs – with huge ruffs around their necks – didn’t really cut it; indeed, their only real contribution was an unpleasant smell in the stage area. Thankfully Zeppelin fared better.

‘’It was an amazing couple of shows’’ recalls Maggie Bell, lead singer of Stone The Crows (co-managed by Peter Grant). ‘’ They were the biggest dates we had played and we went down a storm. Those were great shows for us and it was at a point where we were really taking off, and obviously it was a privilege to share the stage with them all.’’

Sadly, Crows guitarist Leslie Harvey died the following May in an electrocution accident at a gig in Swansea. Maggie would later sign to Zep’s Swan Song label.

Roy Hollingworth Of Melody Maker was unstinting in his praise for the Wembley Saturday show: “This was an English band playing like crazy and enjoying every minute of it. They played just about everything they’ve ever written. Nothing – just nothing was spared. This was no job. This was no gig. It was an event for all.”

A memorable poster was produced for the event and sold for 30p – it now changes hands for over £1,000 on the collectors market – and the newly established Virgin Records set up stalls to sell the just-released fourth album. Here and around the country, much to Atlantic’s relief, fans had no trouble identifying the nameless artwork of the new record as it sailed to the number one album spot.

After the disappointing press reaction to their third album, Led Zeppelin IV was very well received. Even Rolling Stone, never a great supporter of the band’s work, relented. The review by Lenny Kaye, then would be rock journalist and future Patti Smith guitarist, was surprisingly positive. “Out of eight cuts,” wrote Kaye, “there isn’t one that steps on another’s toes, that tries to do too much at once. And [there are] a couple of songs that when all is said and done, will probably be right up there in the gold-starred hierarchy of put ’em on and play ’em again. Describing one of those tracks, When the Levee Breaks, Kaye added “Led Zep have had a lot of imitators over the past few years, but it takes cuts like this to show that most of them have only picked up the style, lacking any real knowledge of the meat underneath.”

Led Zeppelin IV climbed to the number one spot on the UK chart on 4 December 1971, where it stayed for two weeks before being dislodged by Electric Warrior by T Rex… it went on to spend 61 consecutive weeks on the chart.

It was a similar story in America, though it was with some irony that Carole King’s multi-million selling soft rock album Tapestry kept it from reaching number one.

Not that it really mattered – the airplay generated by Stairway To Heaven ensured the album remained in the Billboard top forty album chart for the next six months. Peter Grant steadfastly refused to issue the track as a single, knowing that restricting its availability to the LP alone would inevitably add to its sales.

So from the adversity of the Led Zeppelin III backlash, Zeppelin triumphed.

Some four decades on its influence is still paramount, not least with the three ex-members. Over the years, the three ex-members have repeatedly retuned to the songs. Page and Plant attempted an ambitious remake of The Battle Of Evermore with Indian singer Najma Akhtar on their initial MTV Unledded reunion and also performed versions of When The Levee Breaks and Four Sticks. Robert Plant was still regularly performing Black Dog, Rock And Roll, and Misty Mountain Hop on his Band of Joy tour this year – the latter was also revived when Page linked up for his much acclaimed tour with The Black Crowes. On his solo tours, John Paul Jones has performed instrumental versions of Black Dog and When The Levee Breaks.

As a complete work, Led Zeppelin IV remains their most focused statement.

It’s the product of a band on a quest for absolute musical freedom. Working in an environment that encouraged the development of their ability to blend acoustic and electric influences within a rock framework – something Led Zeppelin did more successfully than any other act before or since.

The eight cuts possess an economy and subtly that defines their sound. From Page’s unimpeachable riffs, through Jones’ musical invention, Plant’s clarity of vocal to that titanic John Bonham drum sound – Led Zeppelin IV still emits a freshness that belies its age.

Dave Lewis

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TBL Archive Special 2:

Wembley Goaldiggers Football – November 25, 1979 – 37 years gone…

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This may not be in with a shout of greatest sports pic in the world ever, but it’s a genuine all action reminder of a memorable afternoon of 37 years ago this week.

My old trusty Olympus trip just about captured the moment R. Plant rounded the advancing goalkeeper Martin Day (sorry West Ham fans!) to net a rather fine goal in his teams 3-1 win over LBC Radio. The occasion was the Annual Sun/Goaldiggers five a side football tournament at Wembley Arena. The date was Sunday November 25th 1979.

Robert was on great post Knebworth form that day. My good friend Tom Locke and I arrived in the early afternoon. The backstage gate was surrounded by fans eager to get a look at the celebrities of the day. The soccer superstars George Best, Bobby Moore, Stan Bowles etc mixing with the likes of actor Patrick Mower, Jasper Carrott and various members of ELO, Darts and Uriah Heep etc who were making up the teams. In the drizzling rain we eyed Robert’s Cherokee jeep as it drove around the car park and we enthusiastically greeted him. ‘’Jump in the back ‘’ said the singer in the greatest band in the world. Well it’s not an offer we could refuse and it was raining! So we clambered aboard, anxious not to put muddy footprints all over the seats.

Off we swept through the gates, passed the awaiting throng into the backstage area. The rest of the afternoon was a delight. We watched Robert do his stuff on the pitch -his team Power Plant with Ron Atkinson, singer Jess Conrad, the late Dave Dee and Jasper Carrott reached the semi finals.

He chatted with Britt Ekland, and was cheered on by various Swan Song personal who revealed to me Zep had scooped seven awards in the Melody Maker Poll due to be revealed the next Wednesday. Robert wore a tasty Knebworth yellow and black T shirt as worn by the video crew. He also wrote out a very nice insert message to go in the next TBL and took receipt of a fetching pair of blue and yellow Nike trainers (which spurred a mental note to self: get down to the local sports shop and invest in Nike trainers soon as!). Some off the cuff chat revealed his pride for the success of Knebworth and In Through The Out Door (‘’It’s all there in the end’’) and plans ahead (‘’We need to keep working now’’).

When signing autographs one wag shouted out ‘’When yer gonna play Manchester!?’’ Robert replied ‘’I want to play Manchester but it ain’t up to me mate!’’

And then he was off back to the Midlands, box of trainers in hand ready to try them out at the next Wednesday’s Melody Maker Poll Awards.

I’ve have had worse afternoons! I found that pic and a few others from the occasion in the loft recently. Great days from a time when I literally lived and breathed Led Zeppelin –with a bit of W.H.Smith retail frenzy, a few beers and a Wallbanger football match in between.

DL

TBL Archive Special 3:

Melody Maker Poll Awards: November 28, 1979 – 37 years gone…

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37 years ago on a late cold November afternoon in 1979, I walked into the plush surroundings of the Waldorf Hotel in London and ordered a vodka and lime at the bar just behind Richard Cole who was organising drinks for three quarters of Led Zeppelin.

The occasion was the annual Melody Maker Poll Awards for which Peter Grant had rounded up Robert, Bonzo and Jonesy to accept a remarkable seven awards. Richard Cole and assorted roadies and tech guys and Swan Song personel were in attendance.

I was there reporting it all for what would become Tight But Loose issue number 4. Some of the text of that report (unbeknown to me) would years later be suitably exaggerated in The Hammer Of The Gods book.

I remember spotting Robert wearing the pair of bright yellow and blue Nike trainers he’d acquired at the Wembley Goal Diggers soccer tournament the previous Sunday which I’d been along to watch. I made a mental note to seek out a similar pair on my return to Bedford – they were my style gurus as well back then and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one though I drew the line at investing in a dragon suit!

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There was an air of supreme confidence amongst the Zep camp that afternoon – their delight in scooping so many awards in those post punk days could be clearly seen. It really did feel like ‘The 1980’s Part One’ was ready to usher in a new exciting era for us all. The photo here with John Paul Jones inspires a host of memories from that early era of the TBL magazine. The story of those early TBL years is one of the centrepiece features of  TBL 40

It was a fantastic thrill to be in their company that November afternoon way back – the full story can be found in the Zep On the Town chapter in the Knebworth book.

DL

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Peter Grant 21 Years Gone:

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Peter Grant 21 years gone  – the man who Led Zeppelin -passed away 21 years ago on November 21, 1995.

In an obituary piece for TBL 8 I stated ‘’Whenever and wherever the story of the group is told –his legacy will be remembered.’’ 20 years on that fact remains

This is a piece that went out in TBL issue 8 and was written  the day after his passing.

RIP Peter Grant 1935 – 1995. A visionary…and great man..

 

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DL Diary Blog Update:

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A very busy week:

Friday treats at the Vinyl Barn –in the company of Mr Dec Hickey, last Friday’s pickings included the very fine Frank Sinatra A Man Alone album, Coverdale Page Take A Look At Yourself picture disc single plus Spencer Davies Group Every Little Bit Hurts Spencer Davies Group, Be Bop Deluxe Kiss of Light demo and The Shadows Apache EP on French Columbia. Thanks Darren!

Pic on the left is a Book author/Designer summit meeting: At StudioMix in Bedford last Friday with Dec Hickey and designer Mick Lowe – Mick did the design for Dec’s New Order Heaven To Heaven book and my Led Zep Feather In the Wind – Over Europe 1980 and Knebworth 1979 books

There was another absolute beauty of a find in the Oxfam shop later that day  – The Modern Jazz Quartet – Under The Jasmin Tree album –original 1968 pressing on the Apple label with original black inner sleeve –front cover designed by noted surrealist artist Alan Aldridge . Superb! They knew they had a good one here it was priced at £15 – more than happy to meet that –it’s in very good condition. You gotta love the Apple label!

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On Saturday we had a splendid time at the Olympia Record Fair.

It was great to see Mark Arevalo over from the US –as usual his stall was full of amazing collectable items and rare pressings. A long time Led Zep fan, Mark came over in 1979 to see Zep at Kenbworth and stayed with Howard Mylett. On Saturday from Mark’s stall I purchased a couple of great Maggie Bell US promo pressings for Queen of The Night on Atlantic and Suicide Sal on Swan Song plus a Roy Harper US promo edition of his HQ album renamed When An Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease.

 

 

Other DL Olympia Fair purchasers:

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Albums:

Led Zeppelin III – French Atlantic pressing in single sleeve

CCS – Whole Lotta Love – US RAK pressing with front cover radio strip – this album retitled in the US as Whole Lotta Love

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell 1977 promo pressing on Columbia in white promo sleeve ( a bargain at £3!)

The Beatles at The Hollywood Bowl original UK pressing (£2!)

Cat Stevens – Catch Bull at Four – US A & M promo pressing

Fotheringay – Fotheringay album original pressing on UK Island label

Stephen Stills/Manassas Pieces double album on US Rhino label

Stardust – David Essex film soundtrack on with alternate sleeve promo pressing on US Arista label

Roy Wood Boulders on US United Artists label

Singles:

Spooky Tooth – The Weight on UK Island

The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again pic sleeve on UK Track

Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Chile maxi single pic sleeve on UK Track

The Rolling Stones – Got Live if You Want It Decca EP

All lovely stuff – and yet more records to inspire…you have to snap up pressings like the above while they are there!

And yes, there’s history in all those grooves…

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It was also great to see the legendary Cliff ‘The Ticket Man’ Hilliard – Cliff has an uncanny knack of searching out the most obscure and highly collectable items at the fair and he did it again on Saturday.

Cliff found a copy of the rare 1964 compilation Brum Beat. This includes the track She’s A Mod cut by The Senators featuring John Bonham -his earliest appearance on record. Fast forward 8 years and the now well established drummer lent a hand to an album by singer songwriter Jimmy Stevens titled Don’t Freak me Out. For contractual reasons, John Bonham’s contribution was listed as being by Gemini. Once again Cliff came good by discovering a copy for a mere £10 – a white label promo at that.

Being at the Record Fair It’s always an absolute joy to see first hand, the passion we share in the collecting of records and CD’s. It’s a real affirmation of what a wonderful thing this sharing of collecting and knowledge really is and that I am not the only one who gets excited about such things as US Swan Song pressings!

 

 

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On Monday it was good to be in London as I was 45 years ago to see Led Zep for the first time ….45 years on there was a Zeppelin connection to be made via Reckless Records – an interesting very nice Led Zep I foreign pressing with alternate back sleeve and four symbols label. If someone had come up to this then 15 year old at  the Empire Pool that night 45 years ago and predicted that in 45 years time to the day I’d still be purchasing Led Zep albums when I was 60, well  I may not have believed them…the fact I am is a very wonderful thing – then, as now for me, Led Zeppelin still hold the Electric Magic…do they ever….

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Here’s a pic of a bit of a summit meeting in the US. Long time TBL friend and supporter Mark Harrison has been over in Washington to visit his friend the legendary Zep collector Brian Knapp. The pair met with another long time TBL supporter/contributor Larry Bergmann Jnr. at the City Kitchen in Alexandria VA. A trio of Zep devotes to be sure…

With Dec back last weekend it’s been a full on few days – workload wise, there has been good progress on the forthcoming TBL 42 – the latest text to come in as been a superb overview of The Complete BBC Sessions by resident TBL audio expert Richard Grubb. There’s a way to go yet but it’s piecing together nicely. Further updates to follow.

The final birthday of the month arrives this Sunday when my good friend Phil Harris will be joining me in the 60 club. I’ve known Phil since he was 17 and shared many a gig going experience – notably when he sat next to me in the second row in the Earls Court Arena on the evening of May 24 1975. He is second on the right in this pic taken in front of the stage next to me and Dec.boys-ec

Phil was due to have a 60th party last week but was laid low with an infection. I’m pleased to say he is back on form now and will be re scheduling the party for early next year. We will be out on Friday night to celebrate his milestone coming of age – talk of that epic night in 1975 and many more will no doubt be on the agenda. Happy birthday Mr Phil Harris!

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Dave Lewis, November 23, 2016.

Until next time – have a great weekend…

TBL Website updates compiled by Dave Lewis

with thanks to Gary Foy and James Cook

Follow TBL/DL on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/tightbutloose
The TBL/DL Facebook page has regular updates and photos – be sure to check it out.

Follow TBL/DL on Twitter:

 

And finally…

Remembering the legendary Freddie Mercury 25 years gone on November 24 …this is an awesome performance from Milton Keynes Bowl in 1982… 

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And absolutely finally, as it’s that day again….when Black Friday comes..

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One Comment »

  • Bob Flux said:

    Bob Lard luvs a bit of Zep.

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