Led+Zeppelin

[|Led Zeppelin]: //The Defining Band of the 70's//
Alex Reynolds & Josh Insler Mr. Burkhart Honors American History May 16, 2011

Led Zeppelin is the quintessential British rock band of the 1970's. Formed in 1968, Zeppelin consisted of lead guitarist Jimmy Page, vocalist Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin, with their unique blues-rock sound, is considered by many to be the foundation of heavy metal rock. Regardless of Bonham's death in 1980, Led Zeppelin has continued to be praised for their musical achievements and and world-wide influence. The band is widely considered to be one of the most successful, innovative, influential, and timeless bands in the history of rock-and-roll.
 * Overview**

//Jimmy Page// //Robert Plant// //John Bonham (aka Bonzo)// //John Paul Jones//
 * Band Members**
 * born January 9th, 1944
 * began playing guitar at 12 years old
 * was a self-taught musician
 * first guitar was a Fender Telecaster, later switched to a Gibson Les Paul
 * born August 20th, 1948
 * left King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys in his mid teens, developing a strong passion for the blues
 * Plant's early blues influences included Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Skip James, Jerry Millerr, and Sleepy John Estes
 * born May 31st, 1948
 * died September 25th, 1980
 * considered to be one of the best drummers in the history of rock music
 * began playing drums at age five
 * early influences include Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich
 * born January 3rd, 1946
 * a versatile musician, Jones plays bass guitar, keyboard, guitar, koto, lap steel guitars, ukulele, and cello
 * Jones' interest in music began at age 14 when he became the organ master of a church choir
 * Jones joined his first band at age 15, The Deltas.

Prior to the formation of //Led Zeppelin//, Jimmy Page was the founder and guitarist of the //Yardbirds//, another band consisting of future rock hall-of-famers Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Once the //Yardbirds// disbanded in '68, Page wanted to form a supergroup with he and Beck on guitar, //the Who//'s Keith Moon, and bassist John Entwistle, also a //Who// member. However, the group never made it to fruition. From there, Page began the search for a new group to fill the //Yardbirds//' existing tour dates. First, Page recruited Terry Reid for vocals. When Reid declined, he recommended Robert Plant. From there, John Bonham was asked to play drums, and John Paul Jones joined later as bassist. The group finished the tour as //The New Yardbirds//, but later adopted the name //Led Zeppelin// because some said the band would crash and burn like a "lead balloon". Contrary to their supposed, the group since signed with Atlantic Records in the US and being their very successful career.
 * The Formation**

__1966__- Jimmy Page joins the //Yardbirds// __1968__- Page. Bonham, Jones, and Plant form the "New Yardbirds" __1969__- Success follows Zeppelin's first studio album, //Led Zeppelin// __1970__- Led Zeppelin becomes the most popular band in the world, surpassing the Beatles in popularity __Late 1970__- //Led Zeppelin II// is released __1976__- //Led Zeppelin//'s film //The Song Remains The Same// is released __1980__- Bonham dies from excess alcohol consumption, suffering from pulmonary edema __Late 1980__- Led Zeppelin breaks up __1985__- Page, Plant, and Jones reunite for a united aid concert
 * Key Events (Timeline)**

Combining the intensity of hard rock with the delicateness of British folk and acoustic sounds, //Led Zeppelin// transformed 70's rock, and subsequently, the course of the genre. Their impact is extensive– from the smallest garage band to some of the most prominent musicians of the last decades, //Zeppelin//'s influence has steered the course of music undeniably. The amalgam of Page's melodic guitar, Plant's screaming vocals, Jones' driving bass, and Bonham's powerful drumming combined to form the foundation of hard rock and impact the course of rock-and-roll.
 * Impact**

__Led Zeppelin__ – Premiere //Zeppelin// album; established their blues-rock sound, as well as a fanbase __Led Zeppelin II__ – Expanded //Zeppelin//'s musical repertoire with elements of blues and folk __Led Zeppelin III__ – While not as widely acclaimed as some of their other works, //Zeppelin//'s focus on folk and acoustic sound represented a change, albeit temporary, in the band's directio __Led Zeppelin IV__ – One of best-selling albums of all time; no title included on the album, but it is widely accepted as //Led Zeppelin IV// __Houses of the Holy__ – Marked a development in the band's use of layering and post-production technology __Physical Graffiti__ – A significantly longer //Zeppelin// album (recording interrupted when Jones contemplated leaving), and critically considered one of their best works __Presence__ – A lower-ranked //Zeppelin// album, created during Robert Plant's recovery from a car accident __In Through the Out Door__ – The last released album, received very well, before John Bonham's death __Coda__ – A compilation of outtakes and recordings released after the group had disbanded following Bonham's death; coda, a musical notation, signifies the end of the son
 * Studio Albums**

__Scandinavian Tour, 1968__ – Led Zeppelin’s first tour, called as a “contractual commitment left over from the //Yardbirds//. Although they were billed as “The Yardbirds”, the band had “special chemistry” and greatly impressed its audiences. __North American Tour, 1968-1969__ – //Led Zeppelin//’s first American tour. Although they only played one album worth of songs, the audience, like those of Europe, were excited with the group’s material. On one occasion, a show at the Boston Tea Party (in Massachusetts) lasted four hours with only 5 songs. __North American Summer Tour, 1970__ – Viewed as //Led Zeppelin//’s first truly successful tour, as the group played to enthusiastic audiences, grossing over $100,000 for the entire tour. Zeppelin, following the conclusion of this tour, became the world’s top concert attraction, with //The Who// and //The Rolling Stones// in second and third place. __Japanese Tour, 1971__– The first tour of Japan by an English rock band. Featured “Stairway to Heaven” as the 5th spot in the set list. __Earl's Court, 1975__ – Arguably the most popular //Led Zeppelin// concert, as tickets for one concert sold out in only 4 hours. A total of 85,000 came to watch the “greatest band in the world” rock out to songs such as “Immigrant Song,” “Rock and Roll,” and “Dazed and Confused.” __Tour Over Europe, 1980__ – The last //Led Zeppelin// tour. The tour was scaled down due to negative press coverage from the United States, but featured some of the band’s best works, such as “No Quarter, “Black Dog,” and the most famous rock song of all time, “Stairway to Heaven.”
 * Important Tours**

Some argue //Led Zeppelin// stole lyrics and riffs from others. Some that sound suspiciously similar include //Dazed and Confused// (originally by Jake Holmes), //Black Mountain Side// (arrangement taken from Bert Jansch without credit), //Babe I'm Gonna Leave You// (lyrics stolen from Anne Brendon), //How Many More Times// (some lyrics taken directly from Albert King's //The Hunter//), //Communication Breakdown// (influenced, without credit, from Eddy Cochran's //Nervous Breakdown//), //Whole Lotta Love// (taken from //Muddy Waters' You Need Love//), and //Lemon Song// (lyrics taken from //Howling Wolf's Killing Floor//), to name a few– the list goes on. Most early //Zeppelin// tunes were merely covers of older blues songs. The issue most are upset about is that //Zeppelin// does not give credit where it is due. Listen to some here: media type="youtube" key="JyvLsutfI5M" height="349" width="425" media type="youtube" key="zThdTAWQFAQ" height="349" width="425"
 * Plagiarism?**


 * References/Works Cited** (from NoodleBib)

Brennan, Shawn. “Led Zeppelin – Article – World Book Advanced.” World Book Advanced Encyclopedia. World Book, Inc., 16 May 2011. Web. 16 May 2011. .

“Jimmy Page Biography.” Biography World. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. .

“John Paul Jones Biography.” Biography World. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. .

“Led Zeppelin Biography.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., 2010. Web. 17 May 2011. .

“Led Zeppelin Photographs.” Tiger Towson University. N.p., May-June 200\8. Web. 18 May 2011. .

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Led Zeppelin Timeline.” XTreme Timeline. Famento Inc., n.d. Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.xtimeline.com/‌timeline/‌Led-Zeppelin>.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Led Zeppelin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Wikpedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 16 May 2011. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/‌wiki/‌Led_Zeppelin>.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Led Zeppelin – Official Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2011. <http://www.ledzeppelin.com/>.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">Murray, Robin. “Jimmy Page Salutes John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham.” Clash Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://www.clashmusic.com/‌news/‌jimmy-page-salutes-john-bonham>.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Robert Plant Photographs.” Rock and Roll Revue. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2011. <http://www.sohoblues.com/‌RockandRollRevue/‌previewpages/‌previewpage23.htm>.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">“Ten Songs Led Zeppelin Stole.” Ear Farm. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://earfarm.com/‌features/‌daily-feature/‌monday/‌1820>.