In June 1969, Should Led Zeppelin Have Asked Brian Jones to Join The Group?

Interstellar Overdose?

 

Band members often have creative differences. Brian wasn't even unique in that regard in the Stones. Mick Taylor had a hard time relating to some of their creative and business decisions, as well.

After all of that, Ronnie Wood has proven to be a better fit, creatively, in the long term. He meshes well with Keith and Jagger.

 

June 1969??

Why not now?

 

I'm not really sure the styles would have worked well together. I have a lot of respect for Brian Jones but I just don't think there was a place for him in Led Zeppelin. Also, if his feelings about Zep were similar to Keith Richards' feelings about Zep, he wouldn't have wanted to join in the first place.

 

I think he should’ve rejoined the Stones in 1974, but, of course, he was gone by then.

 

It's easy to overlook how many acoustic based songs that Zeppelin recorded. Brian's contributions on acoustic instruments alone would be worth him joining.

 

There was much more to the “Brian frickin’ Jones” story than creative differences. That’s just a polite “catch all” and does not properly describe the fact that Brian had become a liability, rather than an asset, to The Stones. He had no place in Led Zeppelin, but I’m sure that Page would like to know that a change in his hiring practices might have resulted in Led Zeppelin being a more successful and better band.

 

You're implying that there's room for improvement in Zep's acoustic numbers. Can you be more specific?

 

To start with, Brian could add color with a wider palette of instruments. Brian could play mandolin or any number of instruments, which would free John to focus on other instruments or not constrain him to bass pedals, like I believe he may have used when playing other instruments in live performances. Brian could add color to arrangements just like he did in the Stones.

 

I like Zeppelin's acoustic songs a lot more than the rock stuff. I can imagine Brian Jones making them busier or quirkier, but not better.

 

I don't know how much Jimmy Page would have liked that. He had a lot invested in being THE GUY on the guitar and I don't know how much he would have wanted to share the glory.

 

You make it sound like a bad thing.

 

That's a fair point. He wouldn't necessarily have had to allow Jones to play electric to invite him to join the band. Even Brian not playing electric wouldn't take away what he could add in terms of acoustic instruments, however.

 

Brian Jones and Syd Barrett might have been an interesting combination.

 

And was nearly fired himself because of his drinking. As for his “better fit, creatively” I think means he knows better than to step on their toes, and just enjoys riding the gravy train, keeping it simple, not outplaying Keith, etc. In essence, there hasn’t been any new creative energy in that band since the 70s; just coasting.

 

Disagree, Emotional Rescue is a phenomenal record. Ronnie fits in well and infuses the songs with a ton of energy. Lots of fast tempos and heavy guitar playing that was new, in a way, to the Stones sound.

 

The OP makes it sound like Brian Jones was a wunderkind or virtuoso on the instruments he played on.

As much as I prefer The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, I have never been in doubt that Led Zep were miles above The Stones in terms of technical ability on their instruments.
They were on another level.

Jones was impressive in what he could do on various instruments within the Stones regime, but it was very basic parts, yet very clever.

To listen to what Page and Jones did with their arrangements on mandolin’s etc. is a total different matter and much more complex both in terms of sound and arrangement.

 

Even in his present state, one suspects poor Brian would be more productive than Jimmy's been since 1976.

 

Not a virtuoso, it's only that he added a tremendous amount of color to the Stones' arrangements. It was a loss to the Stones, because no one with his breadth of talents over a wide variety of instruments replaced him.

 

Bit of an insult to JPJ, an incredibly talented musician and arranger alone, never mind Page, Plant and Bonham to even make the suggestion. Led Zeppelin did not need the help of anyone especially someone like Brian Jones.

 

Would've been nice if he was capable of adding a tremendous amount of guitar to the rock band he was in. If one thinks the Stones—the greatest rock and roll band in the world—peaked during a rudderless era which features little rock but plenty of recorder and dulcimer, I suppose losing Jones would be tragic.

The Stones didn't reach artistic maturity until after Jones was gone.

 

Indeed. But the question was his addition to Led Zeppelin. He was simply not good enough. I don’t believe it.

 

No

 

Brian should have hooked up with John Mayall, gotten back to the roots of his musical talents. Get recharged, and then go forward.

 

This is all just a thought exercise. Obviously there's no telling what might have happened, but honestly I just don't see it.