Led Zeppelin formed in September 1968. Led Zeppelin consisted of Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass guitar/keyboards) and John Bonham (drums).
Keith Moon and John Entwistle suggested that a possible supergroup containing themselves, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck would go down like a lead zeppelin, a term Entwistle used to describe a bad gig. The group deliberately dropped the ‘a’ in Lead to aid pronunciation. Jimmy Page had already been a bassist and guitarist in the Yardbirds, John Paul Jones was a session musician, John Bonham and Robert Plant were musicians from the Birmingham area. They came together through mutual connections.
Their manager, Peter Grant, secured an advance deal of $200,000 from Atlantic Records in November 1968, then the biggest deal of its kind for a new band. Atlantic signed Led Zeppelin without having ever seen them, largely on the recommendation of Dusty Springfield. Under the terms of the contract, the band alone would decide when they would release albums and tour, and had final say over the contents and design of each album. They also would decide which (if any) tracks to select as singles. “Stairway to Heaven” was never released as a single, although others were without the band’s consent.
Led Zeppelin I, the band’s first album, cost £1,750 to produce (including artwork) and by 1975, it had grossed $7,000,000.
During much of the seventies the group was considered the biggest and best rock group around.
On 10 December 2007 the surviving members of Led Zeppelin reunited for a one-off concert in memory of Ahmet Ertegün, with Jason Bonham (the late John Bonham’s son) on drums. The concert was to help raise money for the Ahmet Ertegün Education Fund, which pays for university scholarships in the UK, US and Turkey.
Recently both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have both revealed that they are prepared to embark upon a world tour with Led Zeppelin or at least the odd gig, however due to Robert Plant’s tour commitments with Alison Krauss, such plans will not be announced until at least September 2008.
It seems that spring this year has carried best news. The two great singers Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are going to tour. Since I love music I’ll attend and I’m sure the performance will be great. I discovered an interesting site to compare prices of tickets before booking. And I’ll look for the cheapest price:
Alison Krauss Tickets
I’m not mean but I do love to watch my favourite singers and save few dollars.
God they look so young in that picture, which makes me feel oh so old – It really has been a long long time since I rock n rolled!
Robert Plant is still embracing different kinds of music in his old age! Still delivers a performance, Santana.
I think that picture is from 1968 before even their first album, hardcore moose sick, you’re never too old to rock n roll!
This band is like a legend already..they are so amazing..
You’re right, job. Always legends!
Haha! Just saw this post and I actually have them playing on my ipod right now!
Cool coincidence.
lol, Ben
A Led Zeppelin tour of any sort would be a dream come true please keep us posted when you have more information if and where it may happen. I for one, am prepared to travel just about anywhere for a chance to see the band. Those of us that grew up with them have many milestone moments tied to the music of Led Zeppelin.
Wow digital photograph editing has really came along way since this picture…Led Zeppelin has done their thing though, I think their best work was in their first couple of albums, even though I wasnt born yet when they came out I got into them in the early 90′s when I started to appreciate classic rock n roll.
I remember during my younger years, my brother used to buy lots of Led Zeppelin’s long playing albums. Out of curiosity, I played one of it and at first it’s quite noisy, but when I got to get the meaning of most of their songs, I’m quite led to liking it. The pictures above make them “young” again.
@Gesunde Ernährung
Indeed, the good old times in the 70/80 when we are young, wild and ….
God, it’s so hard to believe it’s been almost 29 years since John Bonham left us. Seems like only yesterday…
The band is absoluty great.
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points.
As a huge Led Zeppelin fan I truly appreciate this photo! Thanks!
Some claim that attending a Zep concert was like a religious experience. Perhaps God actually was in the audience, who knows….
Nice info on the band, but really nice colorization. I dig it. You should do a gallery of all these images.
Hey,
I’m a huge Led Zeppelin fan. I like this photo very much.Thanks!
Well we know that the tour never happened. I dont know why they dont release the 02 concert on DVD.
Jeff wrote:
“I dont know why they dont release the 02 concert on DVD.”
Couldnt possibly be for the same reason their set at Live Aid was never put on album or video?
Perhaps these guys have some level of pride and they realize that for all the hype the O2 concert really wasnt that good (OK I know Im going to get yelled at but its the truth folks).
I like led zeppelin, but that picture is pretty trippy.