Jimmy Page says previously unheard Led Zeppelin music will be released for band's 50th anniversary

I guess it’s another year of Page doing nothing that has to do with his post Zep career ( or lack of).

 

Frankly, I'm surprised there is so much interest here about a boy band.

 

They were good looking kids. What happens to them? Lol

 

Drugs are bad, kids...

(Well, the hard stuff, at least)

 

Peter Grant would have chopped off your hand

 

Over at Royal-Orleans credible sources are claiming that it (at least) will a 1968 copyright extension release (possibly live and studio) this year. Although I am no fan of Led Zeppelin I, if this turns out to be true, we are definitely in for some treats the next few years. Yes, already bootlegged material will in that case be released to secure copyright, but I'd rather have official releases in hopefully better sound than odds&sods-bootlegs.

If Zep were to take the copyright extension path then I foresee soundboards in the future...because otherwise they might be packaged amd sold without any Zep quality control, just like what Dylan did with the 1966 tour. We'll have to wait and see.

 

I would be overjoyed if this is the case. I've been banging the drum on a Complete Studio Sessions treatment for a while now. If other, lesser, bands can do it, why not Zeppelin? The recent Deluxe editions could be looked at as highly curated explorations meant to enhance the albums, while a purge of the sessions – with multiple takes of songs as they took shape in the studio, and from which Page studiously avoided including on the recent reissues because they'd already been "widely bootlegged" - would show the development of both the songs and the band dynamic. (To that end, I think a smart approach would be to take a year-by-year orientation rather than focus on seeing the sessions through the albums, which of course would dovetail with legal requirements to get this material under further copyright.)

I hope these credible sources are right on.

As to your last point, you absolutely know they would be.

 

I've always hoped that they had the tapes rolling at those first rehearsals, so we could hear the magic happening that all members have spoken about

 

Copyright extension releases would probably focus on tapes that are not solely in the hands of the band, most likely studio sessions and soundboards. If diehard fans are to get them you have to provide a bit extra, i.e. material that has previously never seen the light of day. So we could end up with Olympic Gold and some "newly found" tapes. I hope that Zep take the same view as Dylan and Floyd (Early years), its better to take control over presentation even if it means releasing "substandard" material because otherwise someone else will do it without your control.

But again, this is merely speculation.

 

That is the key. Are the folks at Royal-Orleans known for being right about these things? As far as copyright extension releases are concerned, it is still difficult to imagine JP releasing something of inferior sound quality as a mainstream release (i.e. a 1968 set). Perhaps there is a Beach Boys/Beatles iTunes model the band is considering for material of lesser sound quality.

 

I think if theyare trying to get a set with broad appeal (like someone said if earlier, casual fans sold at non traditionsl music outlets) they'd have to have something really interesting. A "complete sessions" set might not do it, and unless they found some really awesome unreleased tapes (live or studio), most Zepheads probably already have it. I have the "Complete Studio Sessions" set and dozens of bootleg live cd's, and I would be lying if I said I listened to them very much. Cool to hear, but not something I feel the need to revisit very much. Even if the sound is improved greatly, it's still not something that I think will appeal to the casual fan. (And on a side note, even if the sound quality is better, what's the odds that the mastering will automatically negate the improved sonics?)

Of course, if this is just a copyright extension thing, they are not trying to reach the casual fan anyway, and should do it through a website or something so they don't confuse (and rip off) casual fans. As someone mentioned earlier, it seems to be more about control over your own stuff than the bootleggers (and Page has talked before about boots saying that if anyone is making money off it, it should be him). Fine, no problems there, but do it like Dylan did or something, in limited numbers. I know that some people will be upset about that because not everyone will be able to get it, but if it's marketed as a mainstream product, you know people are going to be annoyed by the contents. I know people that still complain about the Beatles Anthology being what it was, even though it was pretty obvious what it was - and of course, a casual look at the contents on the back cover would tell you what you are getting.

I admit, I am curious about what is coming, but unless it's something that is earth shattering, I will more than likely pass. I was excited by Page's interviews leading up to the release of the remasters saying how great it was and how it was going to be a revelation to the fans. Maybe I expected too much, but it was underwhelming to me. Some of it I found interesting, but almost all of it never got played again. I also think that the "work in progress" mixes were just newly created mixes for that project, which really negates the historical aspect. Interesting? In some cases. Vital? Not to me.

Like I mentioned, love to be proved wrong.

 

Well if it's true it'll make my musical year. Those early days have a magic about them, spiced with the fact that Plant & Bonzo had worked so hard to make it, and just as it looks like it won't happen, they end up in the biggest band of all.

 

I have been there since nearly it's inception and I will give them a 60/40 in terms of accuracy. The 60 being the accurate part. There are indeed some folks "in the know" over there, so we shall see if this has merit. The previously booted Zep I alternate takes (plus some other unreleased bits) do not exactly have me over the moon quite frankly. The material previously booted has been available for years in stellar quality and I personally have an excellent "from tape" source on DAT.

This is by no means some big reveal or anything, just an interesting personal note pertinent to this conversation. A close friend of mine is known for having hundreds of unpublished Zeppelin photos from all the shows (mainly NYC) he attended 1971 through 1977. Recently, he was contacted by a well known Zep collector from California, who used to run a fanzine (some of you already know who I am talking about.) He told my buddy he is "working with Jimmy's camp to put together material for the upcoming "reissues" and would he be willing to provide anything from his personal collection. No more information was provided.....

JQ

 

I keep seeing the first rehearsal brought up, even if Page did have a tape of this, there is absolutely no way he would put it out for public consumption. Listening to the band learning chord changes & jamming for the first time is not something that a perfectionist like him would ever release.

I've played in a load of bands & the first rehearsal is always a bit messy as people pick stuff up, yes - there would be the odd bit of magic but it would likely be short lived amongst the jamming.

 

At all forums you get the bad, the good and the ugly. The same with royal orleans. Now again, the informant could be wrong, but there were some tidbits that seem to indicate that the information is fairly reliable, ie.

"When Page reached out to the boot communities to find out what was circulating, that was to find out what needs the copyright refresh. The new bits and pieces are the reasons to get the hardcore fans (who already have the boots) to buy. The Olympic material was earmarked for LZ1 reissue but had to be held back for a 2nd release. (The 50th). The live tapes from 1968 are what's being worked on, but I don't know if it's getting put on this release, or the live compilation that is eventually coming out.

*And they're all involved to some degree. But I don't think Robert is working specifically on any audio.
*And the instrumental "Knowing That I'm Losing You" was released because there IS an earlier LZ version of Tangerine. (That probably is being released)"

68 is getting a dedicated release (I don't how the remaining years are being released).

I suppose it could still all end up in tears, but this information actually makes sort of sense; copyright extension by giving 68 a dedicated release. It would also coincide with the "50th anniversary". Its more difficult to sell the anniversary with a stand alone Earl's court release.

We talk of days for which we sit and wait when all will be revealed.

 

What is the possible live material from '68? AFAIK there's only the Spokane audience tape currently circulating...

 

If anyone had told young Plant what he'd be doing with a shark in a few years, I wonder what his reaction would have been.

 

According to the man himself he wasn't there. Funny how only one of Zep (Bonzo + Cole) was present at said incident and all of Vanilla Fudge were there, yet it's passed into the Zep legend not the Fudge... Mind you memories are hazy after 50 years. The only definite proof will be if that video ever surfaces!

 

A visionary; fully aware of the vengeance and fury that was to descend decades later. Bonham possibly foresaw it too and decided to let the devil take the hindmost..........

 

@johnny q is pretty accurate in his summation. I saw the post above (from deanrelax) first and I knew right away who would've posted it (confirmed by visiting RO). IIRC the member at RO knows some record company people.

Some of the info doesn't make sense to me e.g.

I think it would be pretty easy to work out what needs a copyright refresh by looking at the dates on the tape boxes. Anything circulating or not known to be circulating needs to be covered. Unless I'm missing something.

All the other information isn't unreasonable to expect could be true. Did they hold back stuff form the recent remasters for the 50th Anniversary celebration? Make sense that they might have done that. Are they working on an eventual live release? Probably. Will it include 1968 tapes? It could if they have 1968 tapes. And if none of this happens you just follow up your predictions with "They changed their minds for some reason but that's what I was told"

No slight intended to the person posting the information here. Just pointing out a hypothetical.

 

I agree and I think Page will agree as well. Not sure how much he agrees though but he likes to keep things under his control presentation wise and I think if is hand was forced he might consider a "substandard" release under normal standards to retain control. Assuming all the songs they cover on their WLL medley are public domain then they wouldn't need to pay publishing on any of those songs and it could result in a change of heart. Speculation on my part too of course.

 

Stuff thats circulating needs to be covered, but material that never ever left the Zep vaults can remain in the vault. The copyright extension problem is a problem for material that is circulating. If Jimmy Page in autumn 1968 sent out a number of tapes to friends ("You gotta listen to this, my new band"), then if one of those tapes ended up in the possession of Chris Drejas then girlfriend at the time who's grandson found the tape in the attic in 2011, then the grandson may release it in 2019. However, if that tape never left the vault, then no extension is necessary since Zep haven't used the copyright yet so to speak. That's why it is important to determine what tapes that are out there. And I guess the Dylan camp (and Beach Boys) thinks its better to be safe than sorry and release (almost) everything (at least from 1966/67).

But it all boils down to what Zep wants to do with the material. The bootlegs are already out there. Depending on what kind of release we will see this year, next year may be even more interesting as the Fillmore tapes will be public domain (which, in a way, they already are) if not used by Zep. And if Zep decides to use them, then I guess they have to work something out with, inter alia, the publishers of Garnett Mimms "As long as I have you". Tricky business.

 

This guy, huh?

On topic: Anyone else considering the possibility that Jimmy's history of promising things that never come to fruition might come into play and this thread might amble on for the next 11 months with nothing but a photo book being released?

 

Hahaha Well it's not like Jimmy is releasing solo albums an touring. What else could he be doing but sitting in a room reliving the glorious past and listening to Led Zeppelin tapes. hahaha

 

Children drugs are bad mmm kaaaay