-..Ian's Led Zeppelin Page-.

What is the fourth album called, anyway?

Nothing. It's officially untitled. It's commonly referred to as Four Symbols, ZOSO, and most often simply Led Zeppelin IV. The album, as originally released, carried absolutely no band or title identification anywhere on the jacket.

What's the deal with those four symbols?

Page's symbol, while _not_ standing for "ZOSO" or any combination of letters, is a mystery. It resembles the alchemical symbol for mercury, but no more is known. Plant reports being once told what it meant, but he has since forgotten. Jones' symbol (the circle with the trisecting ovals) came from a book of runes and is said to represent confidence and competence. It also appears on the cover of a book about the Rosicrucians, for reasons unknown. Bonham's (the three intersecting circles) came from the same book, and represents the man-wife-child trilogy. Some have remarked that it is the symbol for Ballantine Beer. Plant, like Page, designed his own symbol, and the feather in the circle is based on a sign of the ancient Mu civilization.

A few notes about individual songs:

"How Many More Times" -- This is one of three songs in which Page employs the bow. There is a brief tribute/reference/inside joke during the long instrumental section where the band plays part of the Page-written "Beck's Bolero."

"Dazed And Confused" -- The Yardbirds performed this with different lyrics as "I'm Confused". The guitar solo following the bow section is Page's solo from the Yardbirds' "Think About It." The second of the three songs on which Page employs the bow.

"Black Mountain Side" -- Viram Jasani plays tabla.

"Whole Lotta Love" -- The "middle section" was created with the theremin, some recorded drums, vocal gymnastics from Plant (heavily filtered through various effects), and a lot of random knob-twisting by Page and Eddie Kramer in the studio.

"Out On The Tiles" -- The title is British slang for "a night on the town." It is Page that can be heard saying "stop!" in this song, reminding himself to stop playing.

"Hats Off To (Roy) Harper" -- Roy Harper is an English folk musician who toured (though didn't perform) with Zeppelin and with whom Page and other Zeppelin members have worked, recorded, and toured. He is probably best known for his lead vocal on Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar."

"Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" -- "Bron-Y-Aur" is a misspelling of Bron-Yr-Aur.

"Friends" -- The synth drone at the end covers a production mistake (the original intro to "Celebration Day" was erased.) The strings in the song are real.

"Since I've Been Loving You" -- Bonham's bass drum pedal squeaks during much of this song (it's especially annoying during the intro).

"Tangerine" -- This was a Page composition left over from the Yardbirds days.

"Black Dog" -- The title came from a black dog that wandered in and out of the studio during the _IV_ sessions.

"The Battle Of Evermore" -- Sandy Denny (of Fairport Convention) on vocals. Her parts were handled live by John Paul Jones.

"Misty Mountain Hop" -- Yes, there is a mistake in this song, (in the line that begins "There you sit..."), though the band apparently felt the rest of the take was too good to replace.

"Four Sticks" -- Bonham used 4 sticks while recording this song (two in each hand) hence the title.

"When The Levee Breaks" -- The drum sound was produced by placing Bonham's kit in a stone stairwell, and hanging a microphone from the stairs a few flights up.

"D'yer Mak'er" -- pronounced like Jamaica.

"The Rain Song" -- The "strings" on this song are actually a Mellotron.

"The Ocean" -- There is a phone ringing at about 1:37 in. Don't ask why. The count-off at the beginning is Bonham: "We've done four already, but now we're steady, and then they went: one, two, three, four."

"Kashmir" -- There are keyboards on this song, but there are also real strings and horns.

"Black Country Woman" -- The sound from an overhead plane was not removed from the intro, thanks to Plant's audible "No, leave it in."

"Bron-Yr-Aur" -- A cabin where Zeppelin often retreated for composition and relaxation. It means "The Golden Breast". The unusually "thick" guitar sound is a combination of an open tuning and clever use of backward echo.

"Boogie With Stu" -- Stu is Ian Stewart, the Stones resident pianist.

"In The Evening" -- The third song in which Page employs the bow. The unusual noises in the guitar solo are caused by the springs of a fully-depressed whammy bar. The intro is based on Page's work for the Lucifer Rising soundtrack.

"All My Love" -- The strings and horn sounds are all synths.

"I Can't Quit You Baby" -- The live version on Coda is from the Royal Albert Hall performance (widely available on bootleg video)--_not_ the rehearsal as is sometimes claimed.

Are there a lot of references to J.R.R. Tolkien's works in Led Zeppelin songs?

Not really. "Ramble On" and "The Battle Of Evermore" feature direct references, as does the title "Misty Mountain Hop," but that's it. There is no apparent link between Tolkien's work and "Stairway To Heaven." Robert Plant jokingly "confessed"  in an interview about 15 years ago that he and Jimmy page used to "play music and write songs about the Lord of the Rings." This was a reference to Led Zeppelin. He stated this around the time he released Now and Zen. Anyone who has read the complete series would be able to pick out the references to Norse Mythology and Tolkein's works.

What's Zeppelin's best song/album?

This is a purely subjective opinion... -- there's no right answer.

Albums -- IV has sold the most copies, though it never hit #1 (it was behind Carole King's Tapestry). Critics and fans usually pick either IV or Physical Graffiti as the best, though the album most often cited by musicians as being influential in their early development is II. Houses of the Holy is also very popular amoungst... 'old' fans. Plant's favorite is Physical Graffiti.

Songs :"Stairway To Heaven" is one of the most-requested and most-played rock songs of all time. It was never released as a single, so comparisons to "I Will Always Love You" (by Whitney Houston--the biggest-selling single of all time) are not applicable. The band seems to feel that "Kashmir" captures their essence better than any other song, though Page and Jones profess abiding love for "Stairway To Heaven," and Page is particularly proud of "Achilles Last Stand." Plant now loathes "Stairway."

Is there any more unreleased material?

There are very few (if any) unreleased studio Zeppelin songs, as most of the extras appeared on Physical Graffiti, Coda, and the boxed sets. There are quite a few jams and alternate takes floating around, however. Nirvana reported the existence of a few more unreleased tracks, which had found their way to the band through a third-party. I hear these were released in fall 1997 in the the 2 disk box set 'BBC Sessions'

As far as professionally-recorded live audio and video, most of this still resides in Page's vaults, though many of the soundboard bootlegs of the past few years were mastered from tapes stolen from Page's house. The 1977 tour in particular is known to be pretty thoroughly recorded. Page: "We also have live tapes going back to 1970, that go all the way through Knebworth in 1979."

This long-rumored Page-produced live retrospective is unlikely to appear. George Marino of Sterling Sound is quoted about Page's attitude toward releasing live material -- "Even if they were guaranteed to sell a million of a live thing, I don't think he'd put it out if he didn't feel that the playing was good enough."

Page has recently expressed some interest in releasing live material (audio and video), but Plant has killed the idea. Page: "...but Robert has never been keen on doing it. You can't very well do it if someone is vetoing the bloody thing. It's a lot of work to go through all these tapes, and I'm not going to do it if he's going to stop it."

However, the fate of one particular outtake _is_ known. In his essay for the boxed set, Cameron Crowe mentioned the "unreleased 'Swan Song,'" a solo guitar work in the same tuning as "Kashmir" and "White Summer". According to Crowe in a recent Prodigy article, this tune was incorporated into Page's live "White Summer"/"Black Mountain Side"/"Kashmir" medley (bits of it can be heard as early as 1970) and eventually resurfaced as part of a "work-in-progress" with Paul Rodgers on the American leg of the ARMS tour. Later, it was fleshed out to become the core of the song "Midnight Moonlight" on the Firm's first album.

How does the band feel about bootlegs?

First of all, a few definitions:"bootlegs" are, in this case, defined as live concert recordings, studio outtakes, radio broadcasts, and similar material neither released nor sanctioned by the band or its management. They are not to be confused with counterfeit copies of legitimate releases, which are uniformly denounced and actively prosecuted by the law.

In the past, Peter Grant used to make surprise stops in record stores to destroy any Zeppelin bootlegs he found. He also confiscated or destroyed any microphones and recording equipment he found at concerts. Since then, however, the band has mellowed considerably on the subject.

Jimmy Page: "Coda was released, basically, because there was so much bootleg stuff out. We thought, 'Well, if there's that much interest, then we may as well put the rest of our studio stuff out.'" Yet another reason the much-discussed chronological live album has not been released is, according to Page, because, "there are so many bootlegs around that people who are interested have probably made up their own compilation." He also has said, on the possibility of more studio outtakes being released: "Ah, no. There's some great live stuff. But there's also some great live bootlegs, ha ha. Thank God they're there and thanks to the people who send me these things. I listen to them and go, 'My God, that was good. I wish it had been recorded on the line.'"

Robert Plant has often been known to autograph bootlegs, and all three members have from time to time requested copies of some of the better known productions. And a Page fan reports meeting Page and giving him a copy of a 10-album Zeppelin bootleg set. Page said, "Thanks," and continued walking on, as rock stars usually do when fans hand them something. But when he saw that the gift was a bootleg, Page stopped, went back to the fan, and said, "Thanks! This is great!" =)

Page's opinion of boots has soured somewhat since the release of _Outrider_, however, as his house was broken into during the early recording stages. Among the items stolen were the demo tapes for what was to be a 2-album release (rather than the 1 that came out as _Outrider_), numerous studio outtakes and live soundboard recordings which have since flooded the market, and the pro-shot Knebworth video from 8-11-79. Page also confiscated an armful of bootlegs in a Japanese store while on tour with Coverdale/Page, so what his current feelings are unknown.

Plant's opinion of live material in general seems to have soured a bit as well, though whether or not he makes a distinction in the case of bootlegs is not known. Interestingly, he was recently spotted in a bootleg store in New York, searching for a copy of the Page/Plant/Bombay Symphony recordings.

Where do I get bootlegs?

This is a touchy subject, as the sale, distribution, and receipt of bootlegs is illegal. To protect the list from the (extremely unlikely) possiblility of litigation, care must be taken to seperate the illegal aspects of bootlegging from the (perfectly legal) academic discussion of them. So, you can ask me anything you would like. Bootleg lists, actual trades, bids, and the like should _not_ be posted. Caution should be exercised for the protection of both the list and the traders themselves. Having supplied the necessary disclaimers:

Small (non-chain) record stores that advertise "New-Old-Used" records almost always carry bootleg albums and CDs, as well as some out-of-print stuff. _Goldmine_ and _Record Collector_ magazine can be scanned for sources, though _Goldmine_ no longer allows small collectors to specifically advertise bootlegs. Tape trading, the most popular form of collecting, is usually restricted to individuals rather than organizations or companies. Though beginning collectors often have no choice, many tape traders frown upon the "sale" of bootlegs--preferring "even" trades (sometimes with postage compensation) to buying and selling.

Most often, simply posting to the list and stating your desire to find unreleased Zeppelin material will start the ball rolling. If you have bootlegs that you want to trade, then a post to that effect is acceptable (while a detailed list may not be). Someone who has a Led Zeppelin Page should be open to email from traders...

Note that the discussion of bootlegs is in no way illegal, and is an important facet of Zeppelin discussions.

What did the members of Led Zeppelin do after the band broke up?
(For more complete information, consult the discography sections.)

Jones recorded the soundtrack for Scream For Help, with the assistance of Page and Yes' Jon Anderson. He produced albums by Mission UK, John Renbourn, Stefan Grossman, and his daughter (Jacinda Jones), as well as a group he referred to as "industrial flamenco": La Sura Dels Baus. He did string arrangements for Cinderella's Heartbreak Station, Raging Slab's Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert, and REM's Automatic For The People, guested on a Brian Eno album, and appeared on Peter Gabriel's Us playing surdu, bass, and keyboards. He appeared in Paul McCartney's movie and soundtrack for Give My Regards To Broadstreet. He appeared on stage with Plant once (in December 1983), during the Principle Of Moments tour. He composed for and performed with the early music ensemble Red Byrd. He appeared on and assisted with Ben E. King's reunion tour and album. He professes his interests to be in keyboards and dance music, rather than rock. More currently, JPJ is entering the genere of gothinc industrial, much like prodigy. Less recently, he produced and played some bass on the newest Butthole Surfers album, Independent Worm Saloon. He reported that he was working on both a solo album (on which guitarist Paul Leary of the Surfers would probably appear) and a symphonic album. He also made a surprise appearance as Lenny Kravitz's bassist at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. Current projects include production and performance for a live Heart album, production for a new Michael Penn album, and performance and production for his album with Diamanda Galas entitled The Sporting Life, for which is currently touring the US. He is married and has three children.

Plant released 6 solo albums -- Pictures At Eleven, The Principle Of Moments, Shaken 'N' Stirred, Now & Zen, Manic Nirvana, and Fate of Nations. He was the vocalist for the Honeydrippers' album, which also featured Jimmy Page on "Sea Of Love" and "I Get A Thrill." He appeared on the Porky's, White Nights, and Wayne's World II soundtracks, and also on an album of Elvis covers. He contributed vocals for the song "The Only One" on Page's Outrider. He did a Coke commercial structured around the song "Tall Cool One." He had a relationship with Canadian singer Alannah Myles. He appeared on Adios Amigo, a tribute album for R&B songwriter Arthur Alexander. At the moment, he is working with Jimmy Page on a host of projects. He is currently divorced, and has 2 children (Carmen and Logan) from a previous marriage, as well as (according to VOX magazine) a child from another relationship. His first son, Karac, is deceased, and his daughter Carmen is married to his current bassist, Charlie Jones.

Page composed and recorded the soundtrack to the film Death Wish 2. He jammed extensively, with (among others) Jeff Beck, Yes, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Poison, Eric Clapton, Ian Stewart, Roy Harper, Alexis Korner, Robert Plant, The Beach Boys, Jaco Pastorius, Solid Ground, Mason Ruffner, and even Harry Connick, Jr. He appeared on albums by Willie and The Poor Boys, Stephen Stills, and Box Of Frogs (an ex-Yardbirds reunion). He teamed up with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, Tony Franklin from Roy Harper's band (last seen with Blue Murder) and Chris Slade of Manfred Mann (now with AC/DC) to create The Firm, which released 2 albums--The Firm and Mean Business. He participated in the British and American versions of the ARMS tour (to benefit MS) with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Kenny Jones, Simon Phillips, and other British rock stars. He guested on two tracks from Plant's Now & Zen album, "Heaven Knows" and "Tall Cool One." He released a solo album entitled Outrider with Jason Bonham on drums and featuring Plant's vocals on one track--"The Only One." He released an album with David Coverdale (of Deep Purple and Whitesnake) entitled Coverdale/Page. He is currently working with Robert Plant on a number of projects. He is married to a woman named Patricia and has two children--James (with his current wife) and Scarlet (with a previous girlfriend).

Bonham, surprisingly enough, made it past the grave as the sampling source for the drum track of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's hit "Relax," and has been extensively sampled for rap beat compilations. He can be heard (in sampled form) on Power Station and early Beastie Boys albums, among others.

Peter Grant was last reported, before his death, to be working on the much-lamented Malcom McLaren biopic about Robert Plant (starring Jason Donovan), and also working on a film about his own life (according to an interview reprinted in ZOSO magazine). He passed away before they materialized.

Is Led Zeppelin getting back together?
No.

I wish. But Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are working together again. John Paul Jones is working on an album, much like music by Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, it is said to be 'industrial.' More info on this one would be appreciated.

The current furor started with MTV's Unplugged hence, Unleded. The 1995 Page/Plant Tour is a big hint, and now the 1998 tour of Europe, and US summer tour.

The first tangible evidence appeared when Page, Plant, Charlie Jones, and Michael Lee performed 17 April 1994 at the Alexis Korner Blues Show in Buxton, England. The set list: Baby Please Don't Go, I Can't Quit You Baby, I've Been Down So Long, That's Why I Love You, Train Kept A Rollin" All were in fine form, and CD bootlegs of the show already exist. The pair have since popped in to a few clubs for spontaneous jams. This was, of course, not the first "reunion."

A brief history:

XYZ -- a project combining elements of Yes and Zeppelin. Chris Squire reports that he has tapes of songs that he, Alan White, Page, and possibly Jones (though no one has mentioned him) were involved in. The project crashed for lack of a vocalist -- namely, Plant -- and because of thinly veiled threats from various management interests. The name, in case someone hasn't figured it out, stands for "eX-Yes-and-Zeppelin".

Live Aid -- On 13 July 1985, the 3 living members of Zeppelin, along with Paul Martinez (from Plant's band) on bass, Tony Thompson (of Chic) on drums, and Phil Collins (who had to fly over after his performance at Wembley) on drums, appeared at the Live Aid festival at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. They performed "Rock And Roll," "Whole Lotta Love," and "Stairway To Heaven." Plant was hoarse from 4 consecutive nights of singing and a morning rehearsal, Page's guitar was out of tune, Collins and Thompson were lost much of the time, and Bill Graham, who was promoting, was pointing at his watch all through "STH" because Zeppelin was taking more than their allotted time. Ten days later, Page joined Plant on his solo tour for a few encores.

Reunion #1 -- In January of 1986, Zeppelin and Tony Thompson met in secret in a village hall near Peter Gabriel's Bath studios. Plant handled bass chores while Jones played keyboards. They worked through "..two or three things that were quite promising, a sort of cross between David Byrne and Husker Du." (Plant) But it was not to be--Plant was not used to having to deal with Page's eccentricities (Page reportedly changed the batteries in his wah-wah pedal after every other song), and Tony Thompson was injured in a car accident. Plant walked out and the reunion crashed.

Hammersmith Odeon -- 17 April 1988, Page joins Plant's tour for a blistering encore featuring "Trampled Underfoot," "Gambler's Blues/I Can't Quit You Baby/Since I've Been Loving You," "Misty Mountain Hop," and "Rock And Roll."

Atlantic 40th -- 14 May 1988 -- A 12-hour tribute concert for Atlantic Records, which came to a climax with Zeppelin's performance (Jason Bonham on drums). Jason played well, but the night is generally considered a disaster. The rehearsal was (reportedly) brilliant. The evening arrived with the band better- rehearsed than they had been at Live Aid; but the concert ran late, upsetting Page's always fragile nerves--which caused him to drink a bit more than he should have. Not to be outdone, Plant had suddenly decided that he didn't want to sing "Stairway." He refused to change his mind until the band was literally standing onstage. The sound feed for the TV broadcast completely lost the keyboards, which made "Kashmir" sound rather thin. Plant was bumped by a fan during the same song, forgot the lyrics to one verse and later on forgot the words to "Stairway." Page's solos were somewhat of a disaster, though he did redeem himself a bit at the end of his "Stairway" solo. The set list was: "Kashmir," "Heartbreaker/Whole Lotta Love" (the Knebworth '79 arrangement), "Misty Mountain Hop," and "Stairway To Heaven."

Carmen Plant's Birthday -- The band played at Carmen Plant's 21st birthday Party, once again with Jason on drums. Set list was "Trampled Underfoot," "Misty Mountain Hop," and "Rock And Roll." November 1989.

Jason's Wedding -- The band also reformed for Jason Bonham's wedding, playing "Bring It On Home, "Rock And Roll," "Sick Again," "Custard Pie," and Jerry Lee Lewis' "It'll Be Me." Both this and the previous performance were said to be outstanding. 28 April 1990.

Knebworth '90 -- Page joined Plant's band (despite rumours and even the official promotion announcing Led Zeppelin's presence, Jones was nowhere to be found) for "Misty Mountain Hop," the first-ever Page-led performance of "Wearing And Tearing," and "Rock And Roll." Page had stood on the sidelines earlier as Plant's band covered "Immigrant Song" and "Going To California."

Reunion #2 -- The following January, the members of Zeppelin met with Peter Grant to discuss a reunion tour. Lighting and sound companies were contacted, and stadiums were quietly reserved. After badgering Plant in public and private about the reunion, Page thought he had finally convinced him to go along with it. Both Page and Jones had expressed varying degrees of enthusiasm for the idea. But Plant, after agreeing to the tour and breaking for lunch, came back one hour later and said no. This angered Page immensely, and given Plant's rather critical attitude towards Zeppelin in the press, he allowed his displeasure to be known:

"...Robert certainly wasn't doing anything...and there was a great feeling in the camp that we would probably be getting back together again in some shape or form -- some capacity -- whether it be a tour or what. But, I mean, as you can tell at this point it just didn't happen...[softly] it just didn't happen, so.... I think it's pretty safe to assume that if it didn't happen then... then...you know, it's...well, it's pretty dim any...any chance of it happening in the future. Everyone...I mean, as far as Jonesy and I were concerned, we were really keen to see it begin...get something going. But, you know, Robert just wasn't...[softly] wasn't interested. Well, at the time...I mean, I'll leave this for everybody's speculation: that he thought it would harm his solo career. That's...that's what he said, which is rather peculiar, but...but that's his reason."

Relations between the two were sometimes amicable, sometimes dicey:

Plant: "...I do find Jimmy's constant sort of complaining about the lack of Led Zeppelin in the major sort of festival auditoriums in the country a bit boring."

Page: "Someone should just tell Robert to keep his mouth shut."

..but with recent developments, it appears that this unpleasantness is behind them, Jimmy and Robert put out the BBC studio recordings in 1997, without John Paul Jones.

Are there any Led Zeppelin tribute bands?
 

Of Course!!!

Led ZepLand - Southern California
Kashmir - Saskatoon, Canada
Fred Zeppelin - UK
Black Dog - Canada
Immigrantz - Japanese
Custard Pie - Italy
The Great White
The Official 4PE - UK
Whole Lotta Led - UK
PyZep - Belgium
Dazed and Confused - Memphis TN
Houses of the Holy - worldwide
Dread Zeppelin - UK
Rusty Led - Japanese
The Levee - US North Carolina
Cryin' Time - NY

Physical Graffiti -- tours mostly the east coast of the US, and very faithful to both costume and stage presence. Musically strong, as well. (203) 231-9432 is their hotline (for tour information), and booking information can be obtained from their office number (203) 231-9434 or from their agent (Flash Group) at (203) 739-3941.

Tool -- They did a nice cover of No Quarter on Salival (Track 7).

Led Zepagain -- Booking info:

Barra Cuda Ent. P.O. Box 121 Anaheim, CA 92815 Tel/Fax (714) 991-5065 Voice mail (714) 490-7050.

Let's Eppelin--from Jyvaskyla, Finland. Formed in the late 1980s, tours Finland and Estonia. They've released two albums--an EP entitled _Promo EP_ and a full-length self-titled CD. The current lineup is: Jukka Viitasaari--guitar, Jorma Hietamaki--vocals, Pekka Lampinen--bass, Asko Vikki--drums.

More info on these bands would be appreciated.

Who is Dread Zeppelin and how does the band feel about them?

Dread Zeppelin are a group of musicians playing rock/reggae, often covering Zeppelin and/or Elvis songs. Their albums (there are three) have contained progressively less Zeppelin content. They were, at the outset, extremely satirical in nature. Page hates them. Plant loves them. Jones' opinion has not been noted but is almost assuredly the same as Plant's.

Drugs?

As most all bands, Led Zeppelin was into drug use and drinking. Though never admitting to it, Jimmy Page was addicted to cocaine throughout the 70's. The band had bad experiences with heroin once on tour in 1971 and avoided it from then on. Drug use was more of a nasty little habit rather than a tool for writing songs for the band. It may be right to point out that the reason of the bands traumatic collapse was directly related to alcohol, as John Bonham literally drunk himself to death.

Did Jimmy Page invent bowing?

No. It was suggested to him by a session violinist (whose father was the actor David McCallum), but it had been done before. His bow work can be found on the Yardbirds track "Glimpses," and the Zeppelin songs "How Many More Times," "Dazed & Confused," and "In The Evening."

What's this "theremin" thing that Jimmy Page uses?

This is the first device to use alternative means of interaction to produce...er...music (sort of). It was invented by Leo Theremin, a Russian living in England, in the 1930's, and was made popular in the 1960's by Sun Ra. The instrument produces sine-wave sounds by the beat frequencies between a reference RF oscillator and an oscillator tuned by the change in capacitance between a antenna and the performer's hands, arms or body caused by movement. The closer one comes to the antenna, the higher the capacitance and higher the pitch. Later versions of the instrument have volume control from a second antenna. Page uses the theremin live during "Whole Lotta Love" and "No Quarter," and occasionally elsewhere. It was also prominent in the studio version of "WLL".

The theremin is used at the beginning of Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations". It is considered by many to be the first synthesizer.

Is Jimmy Page a Satanist?

"Yeah, just like The Pope, Al Gore, and Madonna." --unknown

Jimmy Page is a collector of occult books and paraphernalia. He is interested in religion and spirituality to the extent that he considered "...getting a degree in theology." He was a devotee of Aleister Crowley, a famous English occultist (and, perhaps, Satanist) to the point of buying Crowley's old residence. He often quoted Crowley, most notably on the runoff matrix of _III_. So is he a Satanist? He says no, the band says no. There is no profit in further speculation.

Rumours persist that the band "sold their souls" to Satan in exchange for power, fame, wealth, etc., and that Jones was the only one to refuse. The various disasters which have befallen the band are often used to support this theory. However, there is absolutely no evidence for this, the band denies it, and in the words of Zeppelin biographer Charles Cross:

"Rereading these comments, while lying in a room that Jimmy Page, the person -- the human being -- once occupied, I can't believe the heartlessness, the meanness, the utter inhumanity of those remarks. From mud sharks to pacts with Satan, the public seems to suspend normal human empathy when talking about Led Zeppelin, accepting preposterous malice of the sort that would never be accepted if it were directed toward anyone outside of rock 'n' roll. Have you heard anyone describe a successful business executive as having sold his soul to Satan? Wouldn't we laugh this comment off instantly if applied to anyone else, anyone working in any other art form? Can one _really_ believe that a pact with Satan is possible, and if so isn't that the big story here?"

**Most all of this info I got from Digital Graffiti LZ FAQ. Digital Graffiti is an LZ list. To subscribe, E-mail me and I'll send you the info of where to go. Although, in the past few months I think the list has died, I haven't been getting anything for almost a year.

Come to Ian's Website:

© 1997 ian@onlinemac.com

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