The foundations of this book, in terms of quotes and the facts of the story so far as I have gleaned them, are based on my own original investigations, beginning with the various interviews and conversations over the years I have enjoyed with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham and many others, some of whom for reasons of privacy do not wish to be named.
Other voices that have provided me with invaluable information and insights over the years, often from personal anecdotes or even chance remarks, include John Bonham, Peter Grant, Richard Cole and again others who do not wish to be named here. I have also spent a great deal of time over the years compiling as much background material as possible from as much published – and, in a few cases, unpublished – material as there is available, including books, magazine and newspaper articles, websites, TV and radio shows, DVDs, demo-tapes, bootleg CDs and any other form of media that contained useful information, the most important of which I have listed here.
However, extra special mention should also go to a handful of books and articles that proved especially helpful, in terms of adding to my own insights and investigations. First and foremost, the series of excellent books and articles by renowned Zeppelin historian Dave Lewis of Tight But Loose fame; also my old mate Chris Welch, who has also written great books on Peter Grant and John Bonham; Richard Cole, whose own memoir remains insightful and wincingly honest – a great achievement; Stephen Davis also, whose Hammer of the Gods is well known, rightly so; Ritchie Yorke for his many articles and book; Pamela Des Barres whose I’m With The Band was essential reading; Stuart Grundy and John Tobler’s first-class The Guitar Greats; Alan Clayson, heroic author of many invaluable tomes on The Yardbirds, Brian Jones and others; Nick Kent, for his always excellent articles back in the Seventies for NME and more recently, in Q; Steve Rosen, similarly, for his unique take on things; Dave Schelps, whose trilogy of in-depth articles for Trouser Press in 1977 were magnificent; the 2003 Q Zeppelin special, which was especially helpful; and Brad Tolinski and Greg Di Benedetto, whose look back on all the Zeppelin albums in Guitar World in 2004 was also illuminating.
There were many others, too, which I have endeavoured to list below, all of which deserve praise and acknowledgement for the role they played in helping shape the direction of this book. I extend my thanks and would urge readers to seek them out. Most of these articles I purchased either when they were first published or via a back-catalogue resource. Many, however, I now discover are available via the internet. If you can get hold of the originals, though, I would recommend it for there is nothing quite like holding a vintage Rolling Stone or similar from the late Sixties or early Seventies, if just for the special smell of the now-yellowing paper. As such, there are many titles I did not take direct quotes from that were also helpful in terms of background, cultural insight and – no other word for it – vibe. Titles such as Street Life, Friends, Cashbox, National Rock Star, New York Rocker, Pop Swap, and so many others, it will be years before I find a place to file them all.
Again, my utmost thanks to one and all.
BOOKS
A History of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr (Macmillan, 2007)
A Pictorial History of Magic and the Supernatural by Maurice Bessy (Spring Books, 1964)
At The Heart of Darkness: Witchcraft, Black Magic and Satanism Today by John Parker (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1993)
Backstage Passes, Life on the Wild Side with David Bowie by Angie Bowie (Orion, 1994)
Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside Rock and Out by Bill Graham with Robert Greenfield (Doubleday, 1992)
Black Easter, or Faust Aleph-Null (After Such Knowledge; in Three Volumes) by James Blish (Faber & Faber, 1969)
Blues Fell This Morning: The Meaning of the Blues by Paul Oliver (Cassell, 1960)
Brian Jones by Alan Clayson (Sanctuary, 2003)
Brum Rocked On! by Laurie Hornsby (TGM Ltd, 2003)
Call Up The Groups! by Alan Clayson (Cassell Illustrated, 1985) Celebration by Dave Lewis (Omnibus, 1991)
Celebration II by Dave Lewis (Omnibus, 2003)
Dazed and Confused: The Stories Behind Every Song by Chris Welch (Carlton, 1998)
Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival by Colin Harper (Bloomsbury, 2000)
Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta by Robert Palmer (Viking, 1981)
Dictionary of Occult, Hermetic and Alchemical Sigils by Fred Gettings (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982)
Eliphas Levi, History of Magic: Including a Clear and Precise Exposition of Its Procedure, Its Rites and Its Mysteries by Eliphas Levi, translated by Arthur Edward Waite (Unknown Binding, 1969)
Fallen Angel, The Untold Story of Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin by Thomas W. Friend (Gabriel Publications, 2002)
Hammer of the Gods: Led Zeppelin Unauthorised by Stephen Davis (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1985)
I’m With The Band: Confessions of a Groupie by Pamela Des Barres (Helter Skelter, 2005)
In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music by Susan Fast (Oxford University Press Inc, 2001)
Jeff Beck: Crazy Fingers by Annette Carson (Backbeat Books, 2001) Jimmy Page: Magus, Musician, Man, An Unauthorised Biography by George Case (Hal-Leonard, 2007)
Jimmy Page: Tangents Within A Framework by Howard Mylett (Omnibus, 1983)
John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums by Chris Welch and Geoff Nicholls (Backbeat Books, 2001)
John Bonham: The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin by Mick Bonham (South Bank Publishing, 2005)
Led Zeppelin IV by Barney Hoskyns (Rodale, 2006)
Led Zeppelin IV by Erik Davis (33 1/3 publishing, 2005)
Led Zeppelin, The Press Reports by Robert Godwin (Collector’s Guide Publishing, 2003)
Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography by Ritchie Yorke (Virgin, 1999) Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music 1968–1980 by Keith Shadwick (Backbeat Books, 2005)
Lennon Remembers by Jann S. Wenner (Verso, 2000)
Magick In Theory And Practice by Aleister Crowley (Book Sales, 1992)
Me, Alice: The Autobiography of Alice Cooper by Alice Cooper (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1976)
The Psychology of Hashish: An Essay on Mysticism by Aleister Crowley (Holmes, 2001)
Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin by Chris Welch (Omnibus, 2002)
Rebel Heart: An American Rock and Roll Journey by Bebe Buell with Victor Bockris (St. Martin’s Press, 2001)
Rhythm and the Blues: A Life in American Music by Jerry Wexler with David Ritz (Alfred A. Knopf, 1993)
Small Faces: The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story by Paolo Hewitt (Acid Jazz Books, 1995)
Stairway To Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored by Richard Cole and Richard Trubo (Simon & Schuster, 1993)
Stardust: The David Bowie Story by Henry Edwards and Tony Zanetta (McGraw-Hill, 1986)
Stoned by Andrew Loog Oldham (Secker & Warburg, 2000)
The Aleister Crowley Scrapbook by Sandy Robertson (Quantum, 2002)
The Book of Signs by Rudolf Koch (The Limited Editions Club, 1930)
The Book of the Goetia of Solomon The King, translated by Aleister Crowley (Facsimile edition, Equinox, 1976)
The Book of the Law: 100th Anniversary Edition by Aleister Crowley (Red Wheel/Weiser; Centennial Edition, 2004)
The Books of the Beast by Timothy d’Arch Smith (Mandrake Press, 1991)
The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: An Autohagiography by Aleister Crowley (Law Book Co of Australasia; New Edition, 1979)
The Guitar Greats by Stuart Grundy, John Tobler (BBC Books, 1983)
The Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside The Music Business by Fredric Dannen (Random House, 1990)
The Hurdy Gurdy Man by Donovan (Century, 2005)
The Magical Diaries of Aleister Crowley edited by Stephen Skinner (Jersey, Neville, 1979)
Led Zeppelin: The Origin of the Species: How, Why & Where It All Began by Alan Clayson (Chrome Dreams, 2006)
The Times Deceas’d by Timothy d’Arch Smith (Stone Trough Books, 2003)
The Yardbirds by Alan Clayson (Backbeat Books, 2002)
There Must be A Better Way: The Story Of The Bath & Knebworth Festivals 1969–1979 by Freddy Bannister (Bath Books, 2003)
Trips: Rock Life in the Sixties by Ellen Sander (Scribner, 1973)
Truth: Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and the Jeff Beck Group by Dave Thompson (Cherry Red, 2006)
Unknown Legends of Rock and Roll by Richie Unterberger (Backbeat Books, 2000)
Waiting For The Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes and the Sound of Los Angeles by Barney Hoskyns (Viking, 1996)
NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
Live review, Melody Maker, 24 October 1968
Plant interview, International Times, Spring 1969
Review first album, John Mendelssohn, Rolling Stone, 15 March 1969
Review first album, Felix Dennis, Oz, March 1969
Page interview, Keith Altham, Top Pops, 13 September 1969
Page interview, Record Mirror, February 1970
Page interview, Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 27 February 1971
Plant interview, Record Mirror, March 1972
John Bonham quote, Disc, June 1972
Plant interview, Lisa Robinson, Creem, 1973
Review, Houses, Phonograph Record, May 1973
Review, Houses, Jonh Ingham, Let It Rock, June 1973
Article, Charles Shaar Murray, NME, 16 June 1973
Plant interview, Charles Shaar Murray, NME, 25 June 1973
Page interview, Nick Kent, NME, 1 September 1973
David Byron interview, Tony Stewart, NME, 8 September 1973
Page interview, Steven Rosen, Los Angeles Free Press, December 1973
Page interview, Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 23 March 1974
Page and Plant interviews, Cameron Crowe, Rolling Stone, 13 March 1975
Groupie article, Phonograph Record, March 1975
Page interview, Chris Salewicz, Let It Rock, May 1975
Physical Graffiti review, Chris Salewicz, Let It Rock, May 1975
Physical Graffiti review, Jaan Uhelszki, Creem, May 1975
Page interview, William S. Burroughs, Crawdaddy, June 1975
John Bonham interview, Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 21 June 1975
Page interview, Lisa Robinson, NME, 1975
Page interview, Jonh Ingham, Sounds, 13 March 1976
Presence review, Jonh Ingham, Sounds, 10 April 1976
Presence review, Rolling Stone, Stephen Davis, 1976
Plant interview, Chris Charlesworth, Creem, May 1976
David Bowie interview, Cameron Crowe, Playboy, September 1976
Page interview, Mick Houghton, Circus, 12 October 1976
Joe Massot quote, Rolling Stone, 13 January 1977
Plant interview, Roy Carr, NME, January 1977
Page interview, Chris Salewicz, GIG, May 1977
Johnny Rotten interview, Kris Needs, ZigZag, June 1977
Page interview, Steven Rosen, Guitar Player, July 1977
Article, Jaan Uhelszki, Creem, July 1977
Three-part Page interview, Dave Schulps, Trouser Press, 1977
Page interview, Chris Salewicz, Creem, November 1979
Beck interview, Steven Rosen, Guitar World, July 1986
Plant interview, Tom Hibbert, Q, 1988
Plant interview, Mat Snow, Q, May 1990
Plant, Jones, Mat Snow, Q, December 1990
Malcolm Dent interview, Nick Hunter, Sunday Mail, 24 March 1991
George Hardie quote, Rolling Stone, July 1991
Aubrey Powell quote, Rolling Stone, July 1991
Page interview, Guitar World, 1991
Bill Graham obit, Ben Fong-Torres, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 November 1991
Plant interview, Mojo, May 1996
Bebe Buell interview, Mojo, May 1996
John Paul Jones interview, Mat Snow, Mojo, December 1997
Page interview, Mat Snow, Mojo, December 1997
Peter Grant interview, Paul Henderson, Classic Rock, 1999
John Paul Jones interview, Dave Ling, Classic Rock, August 1999
Article, Phil Sutcliffe, Mojo, April 2000
Article, Jon Hotten, Classic Rock, December 2001
Article, Dave Lewis, Classic Rock, April 2002
Carmine Appice quote, Led Zeppelin, Q Zep Special, March 2003
George Hardie quote, Q Zep Special, March 2003
Jerry Wexler quote, Q Zep Special, March 2003
Pamela Des Barres quote, Q Zep Special, March 2003
Page interview, Nick Kent, Q Zep Special, March 2003
Article, Phil Sutcliffe, Q Zep Special, March 2003
Storm Thorgerson quotes, Lois Wilson, Q Zep Special, 2003
Joe Massot quote, Peter Doggett, Q Zep Special, March 2003
Ian McLagan, Small Faces: The Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette E1, issue no. 24, a fanzine, 2003
John Paul Jones interview, Dave Lewis, Tight But Loose, December 2003
Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page interview, Charles Shaar Murray, The Guv’nors, Mojo, July 2004
Page interview, Brad Tolinski with Greg Di Benedetto, Guitar World, 2004
Article, Brad Tolinsky, Black Magic, Guitar World, April 2004
Plant quote, Nigel Williamson, Uncut, 2005
Plant interview, Guardian, 14 October 2005
Article, Word, January, 2006
Lamar Fike quote, Elvis cover, Mojo, May 2006
Article, Nick Kent, Mojo 70s Special, June 2006
Plant quote, Dave Lewis, Record Collector, June, 2006
Plant quote, Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, July 2006
Kenneth Anger interview, Mark Berry, Bizarre, 2006
Page interview, Peter Makowksi, Classic Rock, 2006
Malcolm Dent interview, Calum Macleod, The Inverness Courier, 3 November 2006
Ace Frehley quote, Classic Rock, December 2007
Ann Wilson quote, Classic Rock, December 2007
Eddie Kramer quote, Classic Rock, December 2007
Ric Lee quote, Classic Rock, December 2007
Richard Cole quote, Classic Rock, December 2007
Roy Harper quote, Classic Rock, December 2007
Zacron interview, Classic Rock, December 2007
Page interview, Mark Blake, Mojo, December 2007
Plant interview, Sylvie Simmons, Guardian, 16 May 2008
SOME USEFUL WEBSITES
OTHER MEDIA
Behind The Mask, Radio 1 series, 1985
Led Zeppelin: The Classic Interviews CD, Chrome Dreams CIS 2006
Sleeve notes, Truth CD, Charles Shaar Murray, February 2005
Jimmy Page interview, Nicky Home, Capital Radio, 1976, repeated Planet Rock, 2007
The Song Remains The Same DVD, Warners 2007
Led Zeppelin: DVD, Warner Music Vision 2003
Jimmy Page Audio Interview, Steve Rosen, Rock’s Backpages, April, 1977