Get the Led Out - Ep2601 wk of 29dec

'Get The Led Out' Explores The Incredible History Of The Rock Band Led Zeppelin!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is kro Miller. Welcome to our get the
Leadout calendar. On December twenty ninth, nineteen sixty eight, Led
Zeppelin played as supporting act for the Vanilla Fudge in
Aragon at Portland Civic Auditorium. The venue is currently known
as Keller Auditorium. While led Zeppelin arrived in Portland, the
truck carrying their musical equipment was stuck in some snow

(00:21):
in the region. For the first time, led Zeppelin found
themselves renting local equipment for their gig. They hit Denny's
Music Shop, where all four members of led Zeppelin signed
a piece of letterhead for Denny, a proprietor of the
music store. He says he showed them a pub around
the corner from the store and said, quote, I remember
everyone looking at them strange, thinking they were just some

(00:43):
hippies unquote. On December thirtieth, nineteen sixty eight, Led Zeppelin
played at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. This was the
first time an audience member recorded led Zeppelin live. Robert
Plant later said he recalled audiences on those early tours
before their first album would start to show their appreciation.

(01:03):
Three songs into Zeppelin sets. The third song that night
at Gonzaga was a cover of as Long As I
Have You, originally done by Garnett Mims and the Enchanters.
They played it for eight minutes, with Jimmy Page incorporating
guitar lines from an instrumental and Robert quoting lyrics from
Bo Didley. On December thirty one, nineteen seventy, led Zeppelin

(01:36):
ended the year after having written and recorded new material
at the British workhouse Headley Grange. They would reassemble there
in January, continuing to work on their follow up to
led Zeppelin three. One of their songs had gone by
the early title if It Keeps On Raining, but it
was based on a song by Memphis Mini from nineteen
twenty nine, originally titled When the Levee Breaks. Led Zeppelin

(02:00):
eventually restored the original title. Some of Zeppelin's finishing touches
to the song included restoring more of the original lyrics
in place of this improvised verse from Robert Plant sixty

(02:23):
years ago. On January first, nineteen sixty six, Seattle Center
Coliseum hosted the New Year Spectacular featuring the Viceroys from
Jamaica and two British bands The Statesman and the Yardbirds,
still two years before Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page was within
six months of joining the Yardbirds. At that time, Jeff

(02:44):
Beck was their lead guitarist. Jimmy meanwhile was working in
London not only as a session guitarist, but also as
a music producer, arranger and publisher. That new year's first
UK single with the James Page Music imprint was will
You Follow Me by singer songwriter Paul Bedford, who was
known professionally only as Paul Head. Death was the B side.

(03:09):
On January second, nineteen seventy three, Led Zeppelin picked up
part two of their UK tour, which had begun in
late November. Publicist B. P. Fallon was on hand pointing
out that led Zeppelin's UK tour was longer than the
four weeks they had spent in the US all the
previous year. Keith Strong, a writer for Sheffield Star, picked

(03:30):
up on that fact in his story which ran under
the headline quote Zeppelin descends on the City Hall unquote.
Keith didn't fail to mention Robert Plant was quote pale
faced with flu and couldn't provide his usual vocal aerobics.
Here he was on. Since I've been loving you. This

(03:57):
is Carol Miller. Thanks for Getting the Letout. Check back
next week for another Get the Letout Calendar podcast