Ahead of BBC 6 Music’s John Bonham documentary due to be aired May 31st, Jimmy Page was interviewed live on Lauren Lavern’s  BBC6 Music show on the morning of May25th. Talking of Bonzo with much affection, Jimmy said:

‘’John Bonham was an extraordinary musician –  head and shoulders above anyone around him. He had a definite vision of the drums, and how they should be played and how they would fit in with a band. It’s without doubt that his technique was  beyond everybody else’s, and that’s why he’s so looked to, and looked back to with such reverence and love.

Recalling the first time he saw him performing with Tim Rose, Jimmy remembered ‘’I was headhunting for Zeppelin and I did have a drummer in mind but I saw him and he was a amazing – his attitude to his playing and the dynamics’’

Asked about his own initial vision for Zeppelin Jimmy said ‘’I wanted it to be blues and for it to be rock, plus an eclectic taste – the way Babe I’m Gonna Leave You was planned –no one else had done that before. John Bonham brought so much spirit to it – we were four musical equals and John was the backbone of the band. I certainly wanted to make something that was lasting. I wanted my musical peers to say ‘You’ve got a really good band’’

Talking about the esteem Bonzo was held in, Jimmy relayed a story of meeting the renowned session drummer Ronnie Verrell. Ronnie who died in 2002 was a hugely respected  drummer who worked in the Ted Heath and Jack Parnell orchestra’s and worked wth Tom Jones amongst many others.  He was also part of the ATV house band that supplied the music to the Muppets show dubbing the part of Animal.

Verrell met Jimmy at the Hyatt house while on tour with Tom Jones and asked if John had used double bass on Good Times Bad Times. Jimmy took him to meet John in his room and said John was very impressed to be admired by such a seasoned drummer as Verrell.

Replying to why the Zeppelin music and legacy has endured, Jimmy commented ‘’ We had the fifth element- playing superbly, exploring, experimenting, breaking barriers and doing it very honestly.

Lauren Laverne concluded with a question on the speculation of Led Zeppelin playing together again after the 02 reunion to which Jimmy replied ’’I never ruled anything out after the O2’’

The John Bonham Story narrated by Dave Grohl airs on Monday May 31st on BBC6 Music at 3pm

Listen now on the BBC iPlayer .Jimmy starts around the 1 hr 35 min mark.

Thanks Achilles Last Stand www.led-zeppelin.org