Chances of Led Zeppelin 2009 Tour Shattered

Just days after publicly speaking of a Led Zeppelin Tour without Robert Plant, and even possibilities of a new band name; Manager Peter Mensch sent the world a heart chilling message: “Led Zeppelin are over!”

Rumors began in 2008, after Led Zeppelin performed a reunion tour at London’s 02 in late 07.  Word was Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were looking to tour once again in mid-late 2009, but vocalist Robert Plant was not interested in another reunion.

Busy touring with Allison Krauss, Plant explained his focus was entirely on that project; and that another Led Zeppelin Tour right now, would just deflate the band’s legacy.
But in September of 2008 the London Sun published the news that Robert Plant, after his unyielding reluctance to take part had Okayed the coveted tour and would be participating in the reunion. The world celebrated the warming news but skepticism of it being just a rumor haunted many.

And so it was. In late 2008 the tables turned with new information that Robert Plant wouldn’t participate; followed by news in January of a Robert Plant-less Led Zeppelin Tour. Manager to the band, Peter Mensch, stated that the band would tour – with or without Plant – and was in the process of looking for a new vocalist. Mensch also mentioned the possibility of the band not touring under the Led Zeppelin name.

Just days after making these statements, yet months into the beginning of this informational (and emotional) rollercoaster, Peter Mensch reported what no Led Zep concert-deprived fan wanted to hear: “Led Zeppelin are over! If you didn’t see them in 2007, then you missed them.” Mensch’s tactful delivery also explained that the band had tried several vocalists, but upon not finding a fitting replacement, they decided not to tour or record altogether.
A sad but wise decision given that Robert Plant’s voice, such as Led Zeppelin’s sound, is complementary, unique and irreplaceable.

According to Billboard, and from Mr. Plant himself, when asked about reforming Led Zeppelin, he only expresses frustration. “. It’s been both frustrating and ridiculous” [to hear rumors of a reunion) he said. This is a clear hint that we won’t be seeing him onstage amongst Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham or John Paul Jones anytime soon, and that it was, after all, just a rumor.

But who is to say the trio won’t be, in fact, playing under a new name; and perhaps releasing a new recording in the future? In my wishful thinking, I hope that if Led Zeppelin is, in fact, over that it won’t necessarily mean Page, Jones and Bonham will not form a new band sometime down the road.

Hopefully, we will get to hear some more from all these talented musicians, on-stage or off-stage; whether it’s under the Led Zeppelin name, or not.

 

 

Tim Green

Tim’s Telecast

I’m not ashamed to say that I love my Fender Telecaster. It’s a solid relationship now, even though my natural guitar promiscuity has led me astray on various Gibsons, Hofners, Epiphones and Ibanez’s over   the years. So what is it that keeps me coming back to this no-frills, simple work-horse of a guitar? For me, it’s all in the tone. The Telecaster has a unique sparkle and full-sounding jangle that I simply haven’t found on any other model of guitar. I guess it has something to do with it’s solid, plank-like body and simple pick-up combination, but it’s how it sounds to my ears – rather than it’s production spec – that interests me. And it’s a tone that keeps me returning time and time again for recording the rhythm parts on my songs. It’s no surprise that the Telecaster is the darling of Nashville and the main guitar in many country players’ armouries. Now, I’m no country player, but it just naturally begs to be played with little country / bluegrass pull-offs and hammer-ons to get the maximum jangle and flavour from the chords you play. But the Telecaster can equally get low down and downright dirty if you want it to. Just look at the trademark greasy licks and riffs of Keith Richards for ample evidence of that. Other players also seem to get very attached to their Telecasters. Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi have been using the same two Teles for (seemingly) their entire career, and Joe Strummer’s mainstay Tele is now almost an icon in it’s own right.

An important distinction I’d like to make is that I’m pretty much a rhythm guitarist, and I can see that the Telecaster might not have the range of tones and bite that a lead player might require (compared to, say, a Stratocaster or Les Paul). But that didn’t stop Jimmy Page playing the studio solos on ‘Stairway to Heaven’ with a Telecaster, or David Gilmour wringing his usual silky, understated brilliance out of one on many of his Pink Floyd and solo recordings.

I also have to say that the Telecaster has great looks.. It’s a simple, clean design that hasn’t changed since it’s first production model in 1950, and hopefully never will. I’m particularly fond of the white, natural purity of the one that I have, and it’s body and natural neck can only get more beautiful with age (unlike me!).

Anyway, enough of my romantic gushing – here’s a little bit more (proper) history for you…

The Fender Telecaster was developed by Leo Fender in Fullerton, California in the 1940s. The hand-built prototype, an anomalous white guitar, had most of the features of what would become the Telecaster. The initial production model appeared in 1950, and was called the Esquire. Fewer than fifty guitars were originally produced under that name, and most were replaced under warranty because of early manufacturing problems. In particular, the Esquire necks had no truss rod and many were replaced due to bent necks. Later in 1950, this single-pickup model was discontinued, and a two-pickup model was renamed the Broadcaster. From this point onwards all Fender necks incorporated truss rods.The Gretsch company, itself a manufacturer of hollow-body electric guitars, claimed that “Broadcaster” violated the trademark for its Broadkaster line of drums, and as a newcomer to the industry, Fender decided to bend and changed the name to Telecaster.

 The Telecaster is known for its bright, cutting tone. One of the secrets to the Telecaster’s sound centers on the bridge pickup, which has more windings than the neck pickup and hence has a much higher output, sometimes having twice the inductance of the neck pickup. At the same time, a capacitor is fitted between the slider of the volume control and the output, allowing treble sounds to bleed through while the mid and lower ranges are dampened. A slanting bridge pickup enhances the guitar’s treble tone. The solid body allows the guitar to deliver a clean amplified version of the strings’ tone. This was an improvement on previous electric guitar designs, whose hollow bodies made them prone to unwanted feedback, and which sometimes suffered from a muddy, indistinct sound. These design elements allowed musicians to emulate steel guitar sounds, making it particularly useful in country music. Such emulation can be enhanced by use of a B-Bender (B-string bending device co-introduced by country picker Clarence White), enabling a smooth, precise change of pitch for a single string within a chord.

So here’s to the noble, simple Fender Telecaster….

 

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Did You Know This?

• Leo Fender wasn’t a guitarist but a saxophonist. The first product that he manufactured was an amplifier. The aesthetics of Fender’s first amplifier still very much mirrors that of the amps out on the market today.

 

• The technical denomination of the pick is ‘Plectrum’ from the Greek plektron meaning “thing to strike with”.

 

• Franz Shuber composed on a guitar hung over his bed as he couldn’t meet the expense of buying a piano.

 

• Londoner guitar fan Chris Black had a wedding ceremony to marry his melodious and loyal Fender Stratocaster.

 

• Jimi Hendrix played right-handed guitars, left-handed. In his teenage years, he got expelled from his high-school for holding a white girl’s hand during class.

How To Play Guitar Like Jimmy Page

Hi All,

This lesson is how to play guitar like Jimmy Page. Before we start the video lesson of how to play ‘A Whole Lotta Love’ here is a bit of history of the band for you.

Led Zeppelin- Divided They Stand

Led Zeppelin formed in September of 1968 in London, England. Still considered one of the greatest bands of all time, Led Zeppelin introduced the music world to a fusion of sounds that would later become a genre in itself. With strong blues and folk influences, a guitar-driven sound of heavy riffs and acoustic undertones, the versatile Led Zeppelin presented themselves as the precursors of heavy metal and the innovators of classic rock.

The beginnings of the music group dates back to early 1968, when Jimmy Page left the band ‘The Yardbirds’ and began recruit of a new ‘super band’ with prime credentials: Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass, guitar), John Bonham (drums, percussion) and Jimmy Page (guitar). After consolidating its members and under the management of Peter Grant, the band performed their live debut in the University of Surrey on October 15th, 1968. It wasn’t long after their first public appearance that they released their first, self titled, album in 1969. An immediate success, the blues-influenced album compiled distorted, extravagant guitar sounds that later proclaimed the band as the forefathers of heavy metal.

While they toured promoting their first album and building their infamous reputation, the group began working on their second album, ‘Led Zeppelin II’. Filled with assertive sound variations of blues and even more belligerent guitar compositions, the compilation confirmed the bands heavy metal inclinations as well as the member’s inherent talent; subsequently sustaining their rapidly attained success.

Remaining faithful to their heavy style of play the band released ‘Led Zeppelin III’ in 1970. The album encompassed more Celtic influenced sounds, lighter, acoustic rhythms and the occasional aggressiveness, authentic to their first two works.

Immediate popularity brought upon the band increased media and critic attention. Despite the public’s devotion many critics came to deem Led Zeppelin as “overrated”, which encouraged the band to release their next album under no title or band name soughing to prove their music notorious.  So they did. Commonly referred to as ‘The Runes”, the fourth album included many of Zeppelin’s legendary songs, including ‘Stairway to Heaven’, regarded still today to feature one of the greatest guitar solos of all time.
Although the group’s popularity had already soared after their first three albums, it wasn’t until the fourth one that they reached their peak, proving their music timeless and the critics wrong. Their descent, however, slowly followed and despite the release of five more albums post-apogee, although selling well, didn’t attract the attention that the first four engrossed. Within these albums the versatility of the band became a lot more apparent causing many followers to stray away from the band’s ever-changing style. In addition, some members’ struggle with substance abuse and family issues interfered with the band’s proper operation, aiding in their slow coming fall.

‘Physical Graffiti’, released in 1975 after ‘Houses of the Holy’ (1973), was the most popular of their post-peak releases as it caused all of Led Zeppelin’s previous albums to re-enter the top-200. Later came ‘The Song Remains the Same” (1976), ‘Presence” (1976) and finally “In Through the Out Door” (1979).
It was in September of 1980 that the bands true demise occurred, when Jason Bohnam’s alcoholism took his life. Choking on his own vomit he died of asphyxiation, causing Led Zeppelin to, finally, disband.

Led Zeppelin’s career lasted a meager 12 years but their impact in music history went further than they could possibly imagine. The true precursors of heavy metal, Led Zeppelin re-wrote the blueprint of rock and roll and prompted the sovereignty to fuse different musical genres into one. One of the biggest influences in pop culture and for many music enthusiasts to this day, a band that has truly stood the test of time.

Did you take that all in? Good! Then, on with the lesson

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Here is the backing track for you

whole-lotta-love-backing-track

to download backing track (right click ’save target as’ )