JIMMY PAGE

Born: James Patrick Page; Heston, Middlesex, England, 9 January 1944

Genre: Rock

Best-selling album since 1990: No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (1994)

One of the most illustrious guitar players in all of rock music, Jimmy Page became famous when the band that he created, Led Zeppelin, went on to become the consummate hard rock group of the 1970s. Before their breakup in 1980, Page's leadership, remarkable guitar skills, and imaginative song writing enabled Led Zeppelin to sell more than 100 million records. The respect he receives because of his association with Led Zeppelin has afforded Page leeway in exploring various musical dalliances through the years, although none of them has taken firm root.

The Led Zeppelin Years

Page received a Spanish guitar when he was thirteen, became inspired by rock icon Elvis Presley, and by the time he turned fifteen had already gained a reputation around London as a talented guitarist. He was asked to join a touring rock group, Neil Christian & the Crusaders; however, the travel began making him ill so he left after two years and decided to study painting at an art college. Soon after, inspired by London's burgeoning 1960s blues/rock scene, Page dropped out of art school. He learned to read music and became a notable studio musician who was comfortable playing pop, jazz, country, rockabilly, and especially the blues. Some of the artists whose records he played on included the Rolling Stones, the Who, Tom Jones, Donovan, and the Kinks.

In 1966 the Yardbirds, who had already replaced guitarist Eric Clapton with Jeff Beck, asked Page to join, and he accepted the offer. The Yardbirds were just beginning to tap into the potential of having both Beck and Page when Beck quit. Page took over the guitar duties, but the Yardbirds broke up in 1968 with concert obligations unfulfilled. Page quickly comprised a band called the New Yard-birds that included bassist John Paul Jones, drummer John Bonham, and an unheard-of singer named Robert Plant, and finished the concert tour. Afterward, they renamed the group Led Zeppelin. The name derives from a nasty remark by drummer Keith Moon of the British band, the Who, wherein he said that the band "would sink like a lead balloon." Led Zeppelin proceeded to record nine monumentally successful albums.

Originally a strictly blues-influenced band, Led Zeppelin added a heavy, louder style known later as hard rock or heavy metal. Other bands used their blueprint to create various brands of heavy metal rock, but no one found as much variety in the genre as Led Zeppelin. Page experimented with different guitar tunings and added elements of jazz in addition to ethnic folk sounds such as Indian, Arabic, and Celtic. Some of their hits included "Stairway to Heaven," "Over the Hills and Far Away," and "Whole Lotta Love." In 2000 the cable music channel VH1 compiled a list of the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists and Led Zeppelin was named number one. They also earned a rowdy reputation, and eventually drugs and other excesses took their toll. Page became hooked on heroin in the band's last ragged years and in 1980 Bonham died of alcoholism. Led Zeppelin disbanded two months later. Despondent, Page quit playing guitar for more than a year.

Guest Guitar God

Page emerged in 1982 to compose the soundtrack to the movie Death Wish II. He was also a guest at various concerts and fundraisers, sharing the stage a few times with Britain's two other guitar legends, Clapton and Beck. In a 1985 concert for the human rights cause, Live Aid, the three remaining Led Zeppelin members thrilled the music world by reuniting briefly, with pop superstar Phil Collins on drums, at a stadium performance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 1984 Page formed the Firm with singer Paul Rodgers of the group Bad Company. The Firm released two moderately strong selling albums before disbanding in 1986. Further fueling hopes of a Led Zeppelin reunion, Page performed with Plant, Jones, and John Bonham's son, Jason, on drums at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1988 to celebrate Atlantic Records' twenty-fifth anniversary. Page also appeared on Plant's solo album, Now & Zen (1988), and Plant returned the favor by singing "The Only One" on Page's first solo effort, Outrider (1988).

In 1990 the news that Page was planning a full-scale project with Plant buoyed hopes that Led Zeppelin was reforming. However, the project fell through so Page joined with singer David Coverdale, formerly of Deep Purple, to release Coverdale/Page (1993). The album, which sounds similar to Led Zeppelin's early work, clearly displays Page's trademark strength of creating funky rock riffs and winding guitar solos. The album sold moderately well but a large-scale promotional tour was cancelled and the two never recorded another album.

The next year, Page and Plant finally came together, without bassist Jones, to release an acoustic collection of songs, No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (1994), which MTV brought into their popular rock acoustic venue, Unplugged. The album contains three new releases and several Led Zeppelin songs, although it bypasses many of their most popular releases. No Quarter combines their rock/blues influence with a Middle Eastern flavor to create what was described as a "world" music sound. Backing Page instrumentally is a Moroccan/Egyptian ensemble and, on a few songs, the London Symphony Orchestra. While it was not the kind of reunion that Led Zeppelin fans had wished for, the album sold over 1 million copies and spawned a sold-out world tour. One of the album's highlights is a new version of the majestic "Kashmir." In 1998 Page reworked the song yet again in collaboration with rap artist Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, successfully combining rap and rock music into the movie soundtrack hit "Come with Me" from the film Godzilla (1998).

In 1995 Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Neil Young and Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith joined Page and Plant on stage for a raucous jam at the induction festivities. This was the second induction for Page, as the Yardbirds were honored in 1992.

Page combined with Plant again on a much-hyped collection of new songs, Walking into Clarksdale (1998). Unfortunately, the album neither grabbed new listeners' attention nor inspired Led Zeppelin fans, who had all but given up on a true reunion of the legendary band. Walking into Clarksdale sold poorly and Page went off to guest with the hard rock group the Black Crowes. These young rockers seemed to bring out the best in Page. He played ferocious guitar on their songs as the Black Crowes roared back with renderings of Led Zeppelin material. A live album, Live at the Greek (2000), resulted. Page continued to tour with the Black Crowes in 2001, but a back injury forced him to bow out midway through. Page owns his own recording studio and continues to record and tour. Due to his ample body of work as a studio musician, numerous compilation albums featuring his playing keep cropping up. In addition, he is an active fundraiser for the organization Task Brasil.

Spot Light: Task Brasil

While on tour in Brazil promoting the album No Quarter (1994), Page witnessed a small civil war taking place within view of his hotel room window. He was awestruck by the suffering, particularly that of the street children. In an effort to help, he donated over 130,000 pounds to Task Brasil, a U.S. nonprofit organization designed to provide unfortunate Brazilian children, often homeless, with the attention and love that they need. Task Brasil used the donation to build a house affectionately called "Casa Jimmy," in which children could live in a safe environment. Page continues to work with Task Brasil, organizing fundraising activities such as auctions of rock memorabilia and performing concerts on behalf of the organization.

With a sleepy, self-satisfied expression, confidently grooving on the music's beat, his guitar slung low below the hip, few performers look more comfortable on a rock stage than Jimmy Page. His agile guitar skills have long been the benchmark for what being a rock guitarist entails. The scant efforts spent by Page toward a pure solo career in favor of collaborating probably echo back to his early musical roots as a noteworthy studio musician.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Outrider (Geffen, 1988); Before the Balloon Went Up (Dressed to Kill, 1998); Rock and Roll Highway (Thunderbolt, 2000); Bury the Axe (Dressed to Kill, 2002). With the Black Crowes: Live at the Greek (TVT, 2000). With David Coverdale: Coverdale/Page (A&M, 1993). With the Firm: The Firm (Atlantic, 1985); Mean Business (Atlantic, 1986). With Robert Plant: No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (Atlantic, 1994); Walking into Clarksdale (Atlantic, 1998). Soundtracks: Death Wish I (1974); Death Wish II (Swan Song, 1982); Death Wish III (1985); Godzilla (Sony, 1998).

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

T. Horkins, Led Zeppelin (New York, 1998); S. Davis, Hammer of the Gods (New York, 2001); R. Cole with R. Trubo, Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored (New York, 2002).

donald lowe