Читать книгу Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin. Volume 1 - Break & Enter - Frank Reddon - Страница 4

Every story has a beginning and an end. This book is about a beginning.

A remarkable beginning.

It chronicles the formative days of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page formed the band out of the demise of The Yardbirds in the autumn of 1968, recruiting seasoned session player and arranger John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards and two relative unknowns from the UK Midlands area: Robert Plant on vocals and John Bonham on drums.

Their impact in America was nothing short of astonishing.

In a matter of months, from initially arriving in the country on December 26, 1968 to support Vanilla Fudge and Spirit in Denver Colorado, Led Zeppelin was elevated from playing second on the bill in the clubs and ballroom venues across the US to headlining at New York’s highly prestigious Carnegie Hall. From there, they never looked back.

Over the next decade, Led Zeppelin reigned supreme as the number one rock attraction in all corners of the world –right up until their forced disbandment after the tragic death of John Bonham in September 1980.

That enduring success was moulded during their first tumultuous year together. During 1969 they toured the US on no fewer than three separate occasions, alongside frequent dates in the UK and Europe.

This book gets right to the heart of the evolution of Led Zeppelin via a series of key interviews from those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to watch their development first hand. They include various promoters, DJs, journalists, musicians and fans who attended appearances in Scandinavia, Denver, Portland, the Fillmore East and West and elsewhere. These interviews also reveal much about the American music scene of the time and the counter culture ethics that surrounded it.

Additionally there’s some enlightening info on Jimmy Page’s days with The Yardbirds and the impact they had on the US touring circuit.

The multitude of memories and anecdotes presented in this book, vividly illustrates how hard the group worked to impress every audience they encountered.

Long before the lasers, the light shows and dragon suits, back in 1969, there were four newly bonded musicians delivering a unique brand of psychedelic blues-based rock.

Frank Reddon has diligently searched out the people who witnessed their phenomenal impact.

Read on to discover the true beginnings of the Led Zeppelin legacy…

Dave Lewis

September 2011

Dave Lewis is the editor of the long running Led Zeppelin magazine Tight But Loose and the author of several books on the band – the latest being Led Zeppelin Feather In The Wind – Over Europe 1980 (Tight But Loose Publishing). Visit www.tblweb.com or email davelewis.tbl1@ntlworld.com for further info.

To Mom and Dad,

on their stairway to Heaven

You were always there for us.

How we wish you were here for this!

Who knows?

You probably are…

Frank Reddon, Author

Lou Anne Reddon, Editor