Tag Archives: led zeppelin

September 25th Rock Music News, Trivia and History

John Bonham Symbol

On This Date in 1980: Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was found dead as a result of asphyxiation from vomiting after excessive vodka consumption the previous night. He was 32 years old. 

Queen 2 Cover

On September 25, 1982: Queen were the musical guest on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, performing “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Under Pressure.” This was their only live performance on a television program.

Dave Grohl

On September 25, 1990: Dave Grohl, former drummer for Washington DC based band Scream auditioned to be Nirvana’s new drummer and was offered the job immediately.

Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times – A New Book That You Must Own!

Good Times Book
Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times
A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band

By Jerry Prochnicky & Ralph Hulett
with a foreword by Anthony DeCurtis

Getting free stuff in the mail is fun, especially when that free thing is a huge coffee table book full of pictures of Led Zeppelin, the greatest hard rock band ever in the Universe of all time. I’ve spent a couple of days looking through this amazing and gorgeous book and it has given me a nearly unprecedented series of nostalgic thrills, because I love Led Zeppelin so much. But whether you just dig Led Zeppelin’s music, or you are a total completist collector fan geek for whom the members of Led Zeppelin are gods – like myself – trust me, you will want to own this book. Authors Jerry Prochnicky and Ralph Hulett kick off a fantastic chronological collection of over 200 rare photos with a very complete yet concise introductory overview of Led Zeppelin’s career – from their first gigs as “The New Yardbirds” to John Bonham’s tragic death, and subsequent band reunions featuring Jason Bonham taking his dad’s place behind the kit. So, even if you didn’t previously know anything about Led Zeppelin’s history before picking up Good Times, Bad Times you will be an expert by the time you gaze at a beautiful black & white photo of The New Yardbirds on stage at their very first gig on September 7, 1968 (41 years ago today) at the Gladsaxe Teen Club in Copenhagen. History!

No one who lived and rocked through the seventies will deny that it was arguably the best era for Rock & Roll that still had balls; and no band personified The Rock better than Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin! Whether the photo depicts the band onstage, backstage, recording in the studio, on tour, or at home, there are accompanying captions with the details of and history behind each picture. I never get tired of seeing shots of Led Zeppelin on stage and in action. But I really loved seeing pictures of the guys with their wives and kids. I loved seeing pictures of them hanging out with groupies at the Rainbow on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. And I also found a nice shot of Jimmy Page’s Robert Plant’s exceptionally hot ass as he gets out of a pool after being pants’d by John Bonham. Candid!

If I were you, and did not get this book for free in the mail, I would buy it as soon as possible or pre-order it from Amazon right now.

Led Zeppelin: Good Times, Bad Times. A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band will be released on October 1, 2009 with a cover price of $35.00.

Must See Film of The Week: It Might Get Loud

It Might Get Loud

When I first heard about Davis Guggenheim’s new documentary, It Might Get Loud – featuring interviews with and jam sessions among guitarists Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge – I figured I might go see it, or I might not. That I’m a huge fan of Jimmy Page goes without saying. Led Zeppelin! But I’ve never been able to work up much enthusiasm for anything Jack White does (too much hype always being a big turn off for me). And while I appreciate U2 (having been blown away by them live back in 2001) I certainly would not call myself a fan. But everybody keeps talking about this film – especially the Led Zeppelin fans on my FaceBook page – and Geoffrey wanted to go, so I figured what the hell. Even though my expectations were only moderate, I am really glad I saw this film because it was really just fantastic. Here are three things I learned while viewing It Might Get Loud: Continue reading Must See Film of The Week: It Might Get Loud

Happy Birthday, Robert Plant!

Robert Plant
“Yes, Please!”

Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant was born on this day, August 20th, in 1948! I got to see one of the Page & Plant tours that he did with Jimmy Page a dozen or more years ago – from about the tenth row on the floor at Madison Square Garden – and, because I have such a vivid imagination, I was able to actively fantasize that I was actually seeing Led Zeppelin! It was an awesome show. Happy Birthday, Robert!

On This Day In Music: July 29th

Beatles_help__movie_image

Here are a  few interesting events that happened on this date in Music, July 29th!

1965: The Beatles’ second movie Help! premiered at the Pavilion Theatre in London.

Led Zeppelin 1973

1973: Led Zeppelin lost $180,000 in cash, income from two concerts at Madison Square Garden, when a thief  stole the band’s safe deposit box from their hotel. The thief was never apprehended nor the money recovered.

Rush 1973

1974: Neil Peart joined Rush, replacing drummer John Rutsey, who left the band due to health problems.

Cass Elliot

1974: Mama Cass Elliot (born Ellen Naomi Cohen) of The Mamas & The Papas died in London of a heart attack shortly after she performed two sold out concerts at the London Palladium. She was 33 years old.