A Book Of Led Zeppelin

HOW LED ZEPPELIN FORMED

In 1968, after the remaining members of The Yardbirds left the band, Jimmy Page wanted to form his own band out of the ashes. He and The Yardbirds manager, Peter Grant, set about finding the musicians for it.

Robert Plant
Having been turned down by his first choice of a vocalist, Terry Reid, Page went to see Robert Plant after following a tip from a fellow musician. At the time, Plant was singing in a blues band named Hobstweedle, who were pretty much unknown except in their local area. Plant sung a version of "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane (that's a good song, wish I could have heard Plant sing it), and described the experience.

"I was appearing at this college when Peter and Jimmy turned up and asked me if I'd like to join the Yardbirds. I knew the Yardbirds had done a lot of work in America - which to me meant audiences who would want to know what I might have to offer - so naturally I was very interested."

Jimmy Page also said,
"When I auditioned him and heard him sing, I immediately thought there must be something wrong with him personality-wise or that he had to be impossible to work with, because I just could not understand why, after he told me he'd been singing for a few years already, he hadn't become a big name yet. So I had him down to my place for a little while, just to sort of check him out, and we got along great. No problems."

John Paul Jones
During his time as a session player, John Paul Jones contributed to The Yardbirds' Little Games album and had crossed paths with Jimmy Page a lot. He had expressed to Page a desire to be part of any projects the guitarist might be planning. Later that year, The Yardbirds fell apart, and Jones, at the suggestion of his wife - good on her - asked Page about the vacant position, who eagerly invited Jones to collaborate. Page later explained:

"I was working at the sessions for Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man, and John Paul Jones was looking after the musical arrangements. During a break, he asked me if I could use a bass player in the new group I was forming. He had a proper music training, and he had quite brilliant ideas. I jumped at the chance of getting him."

John Bonham
Robert Plant suggested Bonham as the choice for Led Zeppelin's drummer, as the two had played together before and were friends. Page's choices for drummer included B.J. Wilson, Clem Cattini, Aynsley Dunbar and Ginger Baker (from Cream). However, on seeing John Bonham drum at a club in London, Page and  Peter Grant were convinced he was perfect. Bonham was reluctant to join at first; Plant sent eight telegrams to his pub, the "Three Men in a Boat", in Bloxwich, which were followed by 40 telegrams from Grant. Eventually, even though he was also receiving offers to join bands from Joe Cocker and Chris Farlowe, Bonham accepted Grant's offer. He said simply, "I decided I liked their music better than Cocker's or Farlowe's." Fair enough. Good thing he did, imagine Led Zeppelin without John Bonham.

Together
The four played together for the first time in a room below a record store on Gerrard Street in London. Page suggested that they attempt "Train Kept A-Rollin'", originally a jump blues song, which had been covered by the Yardbirds (another good song, listen to it). If only they'd recorded that first time playing together... I'm sure many people would pay a lot of money to hear that.

"As soon as I heard John Bonham play," John Paul Jones recalled. "I knew this was going to be great ... We locked together as a team immediately"

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Picture: I love this picture, it makes me laugh. John Bonham looks far too sweet, John Paul Jones looks the same as ever, Jimmy Page looks so different with short hair, and with that smile Robert Plant just looks like he'd be the kid who got into trouble a lot...