JOHN HENRY BONHAM

                                                                                                                                                               'Ladies and Gentlemen, A Percussionist - 
John Bonham'

Today, John Henry Bonham is the reason for refection and much more. With every passing year his genius and influences comes sharper and sharper into focus and more and more important and indeed celebrated. The first Led Zeppelin music I heard was an 8 track of the first LP Led Zeppelin in the winter of 1974. Immediately I was impressed then stunned by the drumming. The prowess, the groove and the power. Playing it again and again it was mesmerising, bewildering even. Little did I now I had stumbled across a band at the very height of their powers. The top of the game. 

Quickly snapping up the catalogue, I became entranced, fascinated and quickly obsessed with Led Zeppelin. You know what I mean. And that obsession, that devotion and that unknown something, that 'magic' when the combination of the four creates a fifth element, not only remains but grows ever stronger and palpable.

Once I entered the murky but wonderous world of Bootlegs my love of Bonzo's playing grew and deepened. The second Bootleg vinyl I got hold of was TAKRL's 'A Cellarful Of Noise'. Playing too slow and with a strangely unbalanced sound, it did include the drums powerfully to the fore and with it a remarkable Moby Dick as well. 

'Earls Court' and 'Live In Seattle 73' followed on wax, joined by a mesmerising and addictive flood of cassettes pouring in from newly found contacts around the country. Once I'd secured my first overseas collectors and traders in the USA, Sweden, Germany and Japan it became a torrent. Upgrades, different sources, duplicates, rip offs. Yep, all of the above and more. The one constant, the common denominator if you will, was always Bonzo. NEVER a bad gig. Sure, the odd miscue, slip, foul up. It's called live music after all. But his craft, his consistency and his ridiculous high standards was nigh on impeccable. 

The subtleties were there too, be it the light touch on Down by The Seaside, the jazzy dreamy cymbals on What Is And What Should Never Be, the holding back and staying back empathy on Thank You. All the 'whisper to a thunderstorm' dictum Jimmy enthused about and insisted on.

Bonzo's Montreux shows his forward thinking, his vision and intent in just what could be done with percussion. The electronic treatments were added to his solo onstage in 1975 before it was recorded in Montreux and his 77 showcase extended the possibilities further. 

Bonzo's live solo was something else. Beginning as a short burst of power and energy with a different intro/outro and called 'Pat's Delight' after his wife (also erroneously called 'Facts Of Life' on some bootlegs too) it grew beyond 10 minutes by the time Moby Dick surfaced for II. 

The studio version was laid down on May 6th 1969 at mystic Studios, LA, 2 weeks into the 2nd North American Tour. The construction was simple enough. Jimmy's monsterous riff, using a low D to add to the crunch, powers in with some neat Jonesy unison licks allowing Jimmy to spit some flashy and classy cascades until they retreat and John is in the spotlight. Firstly he builds a storm with a steady, building cross rhythm. Then a pause and the lighter playing with his hands, kept tense by that insistent hi hat and once again building a thunderstorm with just 4 limbs. After that a cymbal crash and the big build up for home. In later tours this would be delayed by his use of electronic effects, either a wall of sonic white noise or even riffs including Whole Lotta Love and Dazed And Confused.

By 1971 it could be 20 minutes, 30 and more in 1973 and 1975. The last hurrah was 1977, when solo spots threatened to derail the show if things weren't going well.  

ALL the members of Led Zeppelin were essential to the band. No-one could, should or would ever be replaced. The space in between them, that fifth element, was only possible when the other four were in place, in harmony. 

Onstage John was a revelation. Disciplined and tight as a coiled spring on record, the whole band flew once the curtain went up and the lights went down. No messing, no bullshit. Sonically the superb production on record plus the amount of overdubs, especially as the band strove forward and created more complex, original and daring music, meant there had to be a different approach onstage. 

Unlike many of their peers who used extra (sometimes hidden) musicians or tapes triggered by click tracks and the like, Led Zeppelin were simply four musicians playing live. Watch any film of the band, and no matter what size the stage, the event, within minutes you'll see that huddle in front of Bonzo, eye contact, triggering off each other. Playing together as only they could.

Jonesy had the task of filling to sound melodically in the absence of a second (or third or fourth) guitarist, and in empathy Bonzo would make sure he laid down the beat spot on, adding his own emphasis to licks and riffs. As with the recorded songs of Led Zeppelin, silence was another great often overlooked and underrated weapon Bonzo wielded to perfection. As in all walks of life, power is something to use when the time is right. Too much too often and the impact is lost. Bonzo never lost that impact. 

Alongside Jonesy's superlative bass and keyboard figures, Bonzo was the rock that Led Zeppelin was built on. From 1973 on, there were some shows that just didn't hit the spot. Robert's voice, Jimmy's broken finger, drugs, booze, over rowdy crowds. You name it, things sometimes went wrong. Behind it all, the rhythm section stood firm and on more than one occasion saved the show. 

Even in 1977, when excess threatened to overflow at times, Bonzo's crisp and powerful rhythms, that infectious beat and the sheer power was more than enough to get 20 or 30,000 (or more) to get up and shake. His solo on that tour sometimes hit 30 minutes plus, full of incredible fills and bursts of thunder combined with light deft 'no sticks' hand work and revolutionary electronic blats and whooshes of sound as he took his percussion work further and further night after night.

After the 'Magick' US Tour we didn't get to see a full drum solo again, just a short phased cameo linking Jimmy's bow solo and the then new epic In The Evening at the four 1979 Copenhagen and Knebworth shows. Despite bouts of ill health, his strong and powerful playing during the Over Europe 1980 Tour was integral in what was an exciting and obvious rebirth of Led Zeppelin. Sadly, tragically, it was not to be. I'm not about to detail the events, that's not what this is about, but I remember it far too well. 

I was rehearsing that Thursday night. Before I could drive Brad would ferry the equipment to and from our homes. After his first run he came back with the news. it was on News at Ten. The next night we went to Crocs, a local 'Rock Disco' and late on in the evening the DJ played the live 'Moby Dick' from 'The Song Remains The Same' in specific tribute (he'd played Rock And Roll, Kashmir and Stairway too) and I stood, virtually alone on the dance floor listening, wondering and cursing up to the heavens that seemed darker than ever that cold Friday night.

The speculation in the aftermath was awful. Tasteless, trashy 'journalism'  naming replacements and trying to write John and Led Zeppelin out of musical history. Of course, I knew - we ALL knew - that the moment John passed was the moment Led Zeppelin ceased to be. It was on December 4th the official statement came. Absolutely the right thing to do. No Question. No Doubt. 

In the intervening decades, there has thankfully been a reappraisal of Led Zeppelin and of John Bonham. Their true place in music has been reestablished, their legacy and incredible influence recognised and celebrated. When Jimmy and Robert reunited for the Unledded and Walking Into Clarkesdale projects, the South Bank performances of Four Sticks in particular were dedicated to John, a heartfelt and lovely moment. On the subsequent tours Michael Lee - sadly also passed - played magnificently on the myriad of Led Zeppelin songs, as well as any living drummer could have done at the time. The three 'reunion' shows included firstly two drummers (one and a half to me actually, that pitiful contribution from Phil 'me me me' Collins still makes me shudder) and John's son Jason for the Atlantic 40th and O2 shows. 

The recent expanded editions of Led Zeppelin's incredible body of work have shown another generation - let alone those generations already more than aware of it all - just what it was all about. The companion discs have unlocked the vaults and given us some wonderful treats as well as fascinating in progress mixes of their compositional genius. The BBC Sessions set completes the studio releases, now the wonder is what live material will follow. I've got a feeling Southampton '73, Earls' Court and Knebworth will get pulled out, and hopefully some early shows. The 1971 Japanese tour is a certain contender now the soundboard recordings have been recovered (allegedly), and there must be a big shout for a show or three from that innovative time between the Rock Hour and In Concert shows featured on the BBC set.

All that aside, the work of John Bonham is there for all to enjoy. His playing on the studio recordings is nothing short of revolutionary. You could go for a compilation or a personal best of, but for me just simply play those records. EVERY song owes so much to Bonzo. He had it all, and by consequence so did Led Zeppelin. Timeless, fearless and peerless. 

And to this day, his sequence in the movie is still my go to part. It shows different sides to John, and the love and affection of his family and friends. He was a normal guy, a big hearted guy who had a supreme talent, one he himself was never quite aware of. 

To this day I miss Bonzo terribly. It does seem like a lifetime ago, yet also just a moment. Sad at his passing, left wondering at what more he and Led Zeppelin would have achieved, we can also be thankful so much of his genius is with us to enjoy and delight in. Dig out 'DVD'. The Moby Dick from the Royal Albert Hall show is exemplary. But so is the rest of it. You will all have your own moments, your own fills and your own songs. I'll play Whole Lotta Love, In My Time Of Dying, Fool In The Rain, Black Dog..... I'll soak in Listen to This Eddie, Hamburg 73, Fillmore 27-4-69, Earls Court... I'll watch Danish TV, The Song Remains The Same, Earls Court, Alright Now....

In 1992 Dave Lewis and I conceived 'Celebration Days' the UK's first (and the World's second) Led Zeppelin fan convention. There were many incredible highs that weekend, meeting so many like minded souls and celebrating the unique animal they were. It was an absolute honour and delight to meet and spend some time with some of John's family - Debbie, Zoe, Mick and of course his mother Joan. A remarkable woman and musician herself, I'll always remember the emotion they showed at the weekend, marvelling at the love for John and the band from all in attendance. Spending some time with Mick 3 years later, I loved his stories and memories of 'our kid' as he called his late Brother. Sadly Joan and Mick are no longer with us, but I'll always cherish their company and words, their pride in John and the amazing influence and effect he has had on so many of us. 

Now it's time to watch those video clips, pore over those pictures and crank those records....

And I'll think of John Henry 'Bonzo' Bonham and smile. 

LED ZEPPELIN - BLITZ BERKELEY 14-9-71 GOING TO CALIFORNIA, THE BEST BOOTLEG OF THEM ALL!

As the 7th US Tour drew to a close, Led Zeppelin hit the West coast with a flourish, selling out 2 shows at Berkeley Community Theater before finishing the tour with two shows in Honolulu. For a long time under represented on bootleg, back in the vinyl days the second night in Berkeley is the ONLY bootleg vinyl from the tour. Since the digital age seeped into the bootleg world we have 11 shows on CD and 2 on 8mm cine film of the 21 shows played.

And if there's a performance that can top the 2nd night in Berkeley, I've yet to hear it. I got the tape first, a clicking and occasionally sticking Sony C120, and before long a cheap (think it was Dittoline or some such undistinguished white label, cheap insert pressing) vinyl copy before getting hold of an original version. 

A kind of gatefold - a wrap around sleeve with a couple of fold over flaps at the bottom to hold the elpees in place. Semi translucent blue vinyl, sides 1 & 4 on one disc, 2 & 3 on the other, so you could put 'em both on the spindle together (anyone else remember that?!). 

So, what of the show? In fine form physically, mentally and musically, Led Zeppelin take the fans of Berkeley to the heavens. Sadly, this is all we've ever had of this show. Of all the classic bootleg vinyl - I'd say about 25 elpees from back in the day - the only two shows I can think of where the tape hasn't surfaced outside of the vinyl pressing is this show and the London Lyceum October 12th 1969 show. If I've missed any, I'm sure you'll let me know!

From the off, Immigrant Song is a powerful blast. Fuzzy and somewhat indistinct mono, Jimmy's solo snakes over a beautifully syncopated backbeat before the switch to Heartbreaker where the bootleggers suddenly remember they're using 2 mics and a loud clunk fanfares the switch to stereo as Bonzo rolls majestically around the kit. This is unbelievable. 

After a crunching couple of verses Jimmy takes centre stage with an almost perfect cameo showcase. From jazz to neo classical runs and exercises, he teases the 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) and bits of Bouree amid a beautifully restful solo. The blast off is impeccable, Berkeley responding with a roar. Robert comments 'last night we were several bowler hatted beatniks' before a soulful Since I've Been Loving You complete with an unusual sensual solo introduction by Jimmy, gloriously coaxing sustained trumpet figures before getting into the flurried meat of the solo. The still unreleased Black Dog hammers the receptive Californian crowd from the moment they crunch down on the Out On The Tiles intro to Jimmy's stunningly elastic and evocative solo and the muscular coda. And that ends side 1!

Side 2 is dedicated to an extravagant yet lean and mean Dazed And Confused. despite a bootleggers edit, this is something else. The opening verses are amazingly dramatic and muscular, Robert punctuating the rhythms with that still highest of the high vocal as Jimmy floats and spikes with harmonic and wah wah flourishes. 

The bow sketch is something else, crowd whoops and cheers punctuate the reverential hush as Jimmy pulls classical figures and other worldy squalls and drones from his Les Paul and Robert answers with vocal drones and eastern 1st and 2nd scales and flourishes. The post bow chase breaks to half pace as Robert ad libs Livin' In The USA and Led Zeppelin ease their way to the final verses. The coda is edited sadly, but the awed response as Dazed And Confused finishes says it all.

Side 3 highlights the peaceful side of Led Zeppelin. The as yet unreleased but surely much touted Stairway To Heaven is a huge drama in itself, with a dramatic and powerful solo and final burst, bringing Berkeley to their feet. The acoustic duo is beautiful. That's The Way is growing night by night as an evocative song of some beauty and Going To California, following a lengthy 'we're home' waffle by Robert, has its second Californian premiere even before the elpee is released.

By the time we get to side 4 it's almost too much. With some of the set and all of the encores missing from the bootleg, the last side is dedicated to the final ritual of the night, the closing bacchanalia of the now legendary Whole Lotta Love and accompanying medley. 

The riff sounds almost sinister before Robert enters in his highest voice, and Led Zeppelin play dirty and sexy bloodboiling rock like no other. The Theremin runs wild over a chaotic, complex rhythm with whoops and shrills flailing around the Community Theater before Robert brings 'em back to (almost) sanity briefly with ad libs of  Rosco Gordon's Just A Little Bit before Jimmy's near hysterical solo and return to THAT riff. 

The Boogie starts with Robert's flirting John Lee Hooker essay before it explodes and Berkeley yields unreservedly. The tight but loose groove of Led Zeppelin is more than infectious, it's downright brutal. Hello Mary Lou draws sighs and laughter from the audience and leads into a brilliant My Baby Left Me, punctuated with incredible stop start teases between three totally in tune with each other musicians behind some glorious vocals until Jimmy steals the show with some frankly amazing thousand-notes-a-second flurries and cascades. 

Robert momentarily slows things down leading a sleazy yet impeccable take on Doc Pomus' Mess O' Blues, extended with solo after solo as it morphs into You Shook Me, a swinging celebration given the added spice of The Lemon Song that rounds off a remarkable 20+ minute medley. Finally Robert brings the 'way down inside' sketch into play and Led Zeppelin bring the hammer down. 

What a show. This was my 5th bootleg, and frankly I've yet to hear it bettered. Some have come close - Boston Tea Party, Bath, Osaka, Bonzo's Birthday Party, Earls' Court, Listen To This Eddie spring to mind - but this is the one for me. For decades the rumours of the rest of the show have persisted. The long standing theory is the bootleggers destroyed the reel tapes in lieu of an impending raid and all we have is the vinyl. Wild comments about 'tons of encores' and 'they even played Hey Hey What Can I Do' have persisted, but that to me is more than doubtful. The only near certainty is that Celebration Day, What Is And What Should Never Be and Moby Dick were probably played, and encores were typically Jonesy's solo leading into Thank You and/or Rock And Roll (a review mentions this was played) plus the occasional treats Communication Breakdown and Weekend. 

Here's the encore from the first night, with a few lines of Gallows Pole thrown in for good measure...

The plethora of vinyl pressings are generally downgraded compared to the original 'wrap' multi-tone sleeve and the TMOQ stamped and stickered pressing that came with the legendary Willian Stout Led Zeppelin riding Dumbo cartoon insert. I'd avoid the Electric Junk CD version (long out of circulation by the way) as it's from a noisy vinyl copy. The more expensive Godfather and Tarantura versions are better, and some of the artwork has a full colour Dumbo picture and both nights have been packaged together as well. Many vinyl represses attribute the show to LA, causing much confusion on tape trading lists from way back. 

And it's with a wry smile and a welcome thumbs up that a couple of months ago a limited (400) vinyl reissue by Casino Record Entertainments has circulated. Yellow vinyl, heavy vinyl - 180gm - and deluxe packaging it's a tempting and worthwhile item for sure. It sounds clean and has been probably sourced from one of the better CD editions - Godfather more likely than Tarantura - and is almost going full circle with collecting. Wonderful....

Led Zeppelin - 'Going To California'. The Best.

ROBERT PLANT - NEC & WEMBLEY 1985

The 80's were a strange time in the World of Led Zeppelin. The fallout from their (completely correct and right) decision to cease on December 4th 1980 was wide reaching and immense. The shock and grieving of Bonzo's untimely and sad passing left the 3 surviving members with a period of reflection and consideration before they made their next musical moves. Robert's first moves were tentative, the Honeydrippers gave him an opportunity to revisit his roots and just sing. Away from the circus, the madness. By 1982 he had enough confidence for a solo elpee 'Pictures At Eleven'(see my thoughts elsewhere here) and in the following year the more adventurous follow up 'The Principle Of Moments', which gave him enough material to tour without leaning back and taking the easy route of performing Led Zeppelin songs.

The shows I saw were great, the audience a little stifled and confused, dismayed by no Zeppelin, puzzled by the lack of Heavy Metal posturing and guitar overload. The (very successful) tour finished in Tokyo on February 26 1984 at the Nakano Sun Plaza, and Robert had time to take stock. In March the Honeydrippers returned, albeit in name and one remaining member only, as Robert and long time Atlantic employee Phil Carson masterminded a recording session in collaboration with Atlantic Records supremo Ahmet Ertegun, nicknamed 'Nugetre' and the pair The Fabulous Brill Brothers after the New York building on Broadway where so many timeless R 'n' B hits were written in the 1950's and 60's. 

Recorded at Atlantic Studios, the 5 tracks were dubbed 'Volume One', even though there was never a second release planned. With Nile Rodgers and Paul Schaffer in tow, Robert sang 5 classic songs with Jeff Beck on 3 tracks and Jimmy Page on the other two, including the massive hit Sea Of Love. A surprise hit for sure, but one that catapulted Robert and Jimmy back the public eye. Early in 1985 Robert returned to the studio to work on his 3rd solo elpee. It was to be the final collaboration with the band he'd assembled 3 years before. 

In truth, the direction, sound and style was difficult, abrasive even. At the time, according to Ritchie Hayward, Robert was 'obsessed with being modern, and we were older guys used to making music organically so it was sometimes a compromise'. Nonetheless, the finished elpee was for me a triumph. I remember seeing the video for the first single Pink And Black, scathingly introduced on the OGWT, and loving the collaboration with Curve vocalist Toni Halliday. The record came out the same weekend as we'd trundled off around the Uk seeing Jimmy with The Firm, so although it came out on Monday May 20th I didn't get home until after the Wembley show on the 22nd and picked up Shaken 'n' Stirred the next day. 

The short tour that followed began in Vancouver on July 10th and was 34 dates in the US and Canada, with the addition of Live Aid in the middle. The 2 English gigs completed the set. I'd seen half a dozen of the Principle Of Moments shows, so 2 this time around went without saying. The NEC show was really good, a mixture of tracks from the 3 elpees plus the addition of a Honeydrippers set, complete with inflatable Cadillac and mock Wurlitzer backdrop.We had the addition of the King Bees 4-piece horn section and Queen Bees 3-piece backing vocalists. Staunchly avoiding Led Zeppelin, Robert dipped into the occasional lyric and phrase but was determined to play his music regardless. 

At Wembley, where The Firm had played a great set to a disappointingly 3/4 full arena less than 4 months before, Robert and band played a stormer. Shame the crowd, or at least fairly large sections of it, were intent on Led Zeppelin and not his new 'modern' music. Beginning with a masterful In The Mood and straight into the strident Pledge Pin, all was well. new tracks Pink And Black and Little By Little followed by Burning Down One Side were hot and rockin', before the more reflective numbers cooled the atmosphere. A dynamic Slow Dancer ended the first part of the show, which then burst into life with the Honeydrippers sketch, playing 3 of the tracks off the EP plus Honey Hush. The show ended with a track from each solo release, the powerful Like I've Never Been Gone, a wistful Big Log and the 'my 1980's version in all but name' Bacchanalia of Easily Led.

2 great shows, and Robert sticking to his modern guns while leaning back to his own youth and inspiration. Live Aid had created a seed, a virus if you like, in his career. He would go away and rethink, regroup. It was late 1987 before he returned seriously onstage with new collaborators and 4 Led Zeppelin songs reworked for a new band and a new age. The rebirth of the Rock God. But none of it would have been possible without the twists, turns and belligerence of Shaken 'n' Stirred.

The expanded edition of the Honeydrippers EP included Rockin' At Midnight from the NEC September 8th show. Wembley was a Westwood One US FM broadcast, with an official 3LP radio show promo vinyl set and countless bootleg CD's too. 

LED ZEPPELIN - HAMPTON 9-9-71

As their record breaking 1971 US Tour (their 7th) drew to a close, the shows were getting better and longer night after night. The Hampton show followed 2 nights after the bacchanalia in Boston, where crowd trouble and promoter problems had plagued the band. This thursday night in Virginia was something special.  The shows had been getting progressively longer and more intense, with the band at the very top of their game.

We have approximately 96 minutes of a soundboard recording, capturing the first 2/3rds of the show. It was unearthed on 2 7" 1/4 inch reel tapes in the batch that included the wonderful outtakes from II, III and Houses Of The Holy on the Studio Daze, Jennings Farm Blues and One More Daze Bootleg CD sets. The One More Daze version, some 44 minutes, was unmixed and featured Jonesy alone in one channel and the band in the other. not too long later the 2nd reel was added and a composite 96 minutes was mixed into mono then redone in 'fake' stereo to give some balance and avoid the bass on one side headphone nightmare. 

From the off, the tape cuts in to Immigrant Song, the first version cutting in at the 'sing and cry' line. Once the sound wobbles and glitches settle down it's truly a remarkable version. Jimmy is everywhere, twisting and turning every bar inside out with astonishing figures and scales. The segway into Heartbreaker has Hampton on their collective feet, stomping like crazy until they head for home. 

Since I've Been Loving You is developing an English aura of coolness meets decadence as Jimmy slows the pace down and takes the audience with him into a lovely but odd progressive arrangement. Black Dog continues the assault, a punctual and slightly vicious version complete with assorted Robert dischords. 

Dazed And Confused is simply wonderful. Slow, heavy and deliberate, Led Zeppelin pick their way through the time changes and stand back after a short but experimental link between the first verses and the bow sketch to allow Jimmy to fly. After dipping into Bouree and hints of Fiddler On The Roof, it gets mad. A seemingly out of control chase instrumental leads into licks and improvised vocals from Boogie Chillun and even some Yardbirds motifs as the band push and twist. Sadly there's an edit, we can only wonder how the final blowout would have sounded...

After that incredible version Stairway To Heaven is quiet and peaceful, building and charging on as Led Zeppelin see the coda in sight. Celebration Day is exceptional, a fantastic platform for improvisation and excess, all held together by the power and bluster of Bonzo and some amazing bass lines from Jonesy. the acoustic set (interlude (sic)) is again lovely, and the soundboard recording preserves the performance if not the atmosphere.

Jimmy (as Luis Rey observes) tunes with the riff of 'High Heeled Sneakers'

- he'd done the same 10 days before in Orlando by busking the opening chords of You Really Got Me - and we get a powerful What Is And What Should Never Be to remember. The confidence coursing through Led Zeppelin's veins is so high by now. The final taped moment is Moby Dick, which does sound fantastic.

So we have 96 odd minutes of this gourmet banquet, the remaining 40 odd minutes (at a guess) would most likely fill a 3rd 1/4" reel. That would be something, as shows either side would suggest. We can only hope the remainder and/or an audience recording of the show turns up at some point. Various CD companies have issued firstly the 44 minutes and secondly the 96 the minutes we have with varying degrees of success. Cross fingers and take a deep breath for the rest....   

LED ZEPPELIN - HONOLULU SEPTEMBER 6TH 1970

So, Led Zeppelin had once again conquered LA. After the legendary 'Live On Blueberry Hill' show and a late night jam at the Troubadour with Fairport Convention, they readied themselves for a return to Hawaii. They had previously played on May 13th 1969 on the 2nd US Tour at the Civic Auditorium in Honolulu. Now they had upgraded to the larger International Center Arena and had 2 shows that evening, at 7.00 and 10.30pm. 

The 6th US Tour was reaching its climax now, with only the rescheduled Boston show and a double set evening at Madison Square Garden to come. The 76 odd minute tape we have surfaced in the mid 1990's and is a really nice quality audience recording. 

With only a couple of small edits it's more than likely the first set, but as there's no mention by Robert we're not 100% it's Honolulu! 

And I may be mistaken, but once again it sounds like JJ Jackson is introducing the guys once more!

What IS certain is it's Led Zeppelin in heat. Immigrant Song is once again brutal and powerful, crushing the adoring fans. They slot straight into Dazed And Confused, which again is slick and dynamic, heavier than the last show in LA. The whole sound and arrangements are very similar to the Forum show (another way to confirm the probable date). 

After Dazed Robert does indeed seem a bit confused as he introduces Heartbreaker, featuring some great crowd baiting solo licks from Jimmy. There's no Bring It On Home or acoustic set, nor any obvious cuts in the recording, making the short set idea more credible. Photo's showing an acoustic set are therefore obviously from the other show that night.

Since I've Been Loving You is sharp and dramatic, Jonesy's traditional sounding organ in juxtaposed contrast to Jimmy's fluent edgy guitar work. After a celebratory What Is And What Should Never Be, the coda boogie as always bringing the crowd to their feet, Bonzo delivers a powerful Moby Dick. Then we're into the home straight, with a strident Whole Lotta Love that rocks hard, from the Theremin maelstrom through a mutated Mess Around and a brilliant Some Other Guy and I'm Movin' On before I've Got To Find My Baby and nods at Red House and Roll 'em Pete. The climax follows quickly and Led Zeppelin have triumphed in just about 70 minutes!

Encore time is Communication Breakdown, with a funky post solo jam that gives Jonesy the chance to solo before Robert toys with the Guess Who's American Woman until Led Zeppelin return to the main theme and bring it ALL on home. A brilliant short, succinct performance. There are arguments that it could be either set. A review in the Honolulu Advertiser states the reviewer saw both shows, preferred the second (and mentioned the acoustic set in that) and that Jimmy played with the bow ONLY in the first set, so there was maybe no Dazed And Confused in the second set. 

There are lots of pictures and CD bootlegs of the circulating tape, one a pastiche of a famous Rolling Stones Hawaii bootleg cover. In Exotic Honolulu on Akashic and Box Of Tricks (a quote from Robert during the show) on Red Hot and also Tarantura are probably the best. 

There's also some very nice silent colour 8mm cine film that's been circulating for many a year. At a bit over 5 minutes it's very close and quite dark. It's mainly Robert and on the official website ledzeppelin.com it's dubbed with an edited Communication Breakdown from the show. 

LED ZEPPELIN - LIVE ON BLUEBERRY HILL

"Shh....easy, easy...aah found my thrill, on Blueberry Hill"

The final celebratory crunch of Led Zeppelin's triumphant return to the Inglewood 'Fabulous' Forum in Los Angeles on September 4th 1970. Even if you don't collect Bootlegs, even if you don't collect Led Zeppelin, the chances are you've heard of 'Live On Blueberry Hill'. A legend for sure, released and re-released a myriad of times in just about every possible format (and yes there is an 8 track cartridge version ...!) over the last 48 years. But, before I delve into the murky world of (at least) 4 source tapes, what about the actual gig? What about the performance? After all, that's the crux of it all.

The set itself is pretty much standard for this part of the 6th US Tour. The encores are where it's set apart, with only a couple of the final shows of the tour eclipsing tonight for track listing and performance. Led Zeppelin III is still yet to be released at this point, so after J J Jackson's 'individually and collectively' introduction there's a palpable gasp as Led Zeppelin pummel the LA faithful with a spine tingling Immigrant Song. The Blimp 2 elpee bootleg titled this From The Midnight Sun without any knowledge of the song and in their haste to get the bootleg out as quickly as possible. The sound is still settling down as they stomp into Heartbreaker, now more than ever a showcase for Jimmy. After Robert's customary welcome, where you can hear (on all recordings by the way) the near hysterical crowd's excitement and desire to boogie.

Dazed And Confused is masterful and dynamic, setting an almost reverential mood during the bow episode, where the echoed blats of sound reverberate around the Forum as Robert alternates between squeals and low 'oohhmm' drones. The final sequence is almost dream like with Jimmy's relatively clean tone floating over a relaxed rhythm as Led Zeppelin let the climax flow and build naturally and effortlessly. Bring It On Home has Robert as cheerleader and a call and response middle section to make you smile. 

Already nearly 40 minutes in, Led Zeppelin know they're now totally in charge and setting the pace and mood. So they sit down. Everybody. Robert's affinity with the crowd calms everything as they listen and laugh as he fills in the gap for tuning and getting the chairs out. a lovely That's The Way (new to the LA faithful) brings waves of applause and shrieks of appreciation. While Jimmy wrestles with the tuning of Bron-Y-Aur Robert takes the opportunity to explain the origin and inspiration of not only the instrumental but the whole acoustic mood of some of the new songs. 

"This is a thing called Bron-Y-Aur, it's the name of a little cottage in the mountains of Snowdonia near(?) Wales. (It's) the equivalent of the phrase golden breast. This is because of its' position every morning as the sun rises and it's really a remarkable place" 

The following version, for many years the only live one on bootleg, is light and winsome, respected by the relaxed crowd. Since I've Been loving You brings the edge and drama back into the performance and audience, and is followed by a sterling Thank You that's preceded by a strange keyboard solo used to hearing from the Blimp tape that has some strange speed fluctuations in between the bizarre drones and church organ figures. By now everyone's fit to boogie, and after a classy and strident What Is And What Should Never Be, Bonzo gears himself up to nail it.

Moby Dick is one of his finest, powerful and busy, his unequalled syncopation a marvel. After the look no sticks section John winds up for the climax with an unbelievable snare roll that builds and builds for ever until the final blast. Robert serenades his mate with 'The Big B! The Big B!" as LA crumbles. The set closing Whole Lotta Love and medley may not be anything unusual (although it certainly was at the time as we had only the later BBC and Going To California bootlegs to compare it to at the time) but it's a fitting way to bring the show to an end. I'm Movin' On and Think It Over stand out for me, before Robert draws laughter and squeals with an x-rated Lemon Song extract that finishes with the line 'just take your teeth out before you get into bed' before a call and answer 'woman' sketch as Led Zeppelin bring the hammer down.

A standing ovation is stoked by J J Jackson's 'did you dig it?' exclamations and a burst of firecrackers greets their return. An annoyed Robert says 'you oughta be locked up!' before they crunch down on Communication Breakdown and LA loses all control. After a stunning thousand notes a second Jimmy Page solo and a couple of verses of Good Times Bad Times Jonesy gets the crowd clapping with a great bass solo and Robert pays homage to CSN&Y by throwing in For What It's Worth and even the opening lines of I Saw Her Standing There. Wonderful stuff.

Called back again LA is treated to Out On The Tiles, a perfect bluster of power. Not knowing any better at the time, it was odd for many years not to find another live version, and it's only as an encore in New York 15 days later that we get to hear another live performance. After that Robert manages to calm the crowd before sending them over the edge with a near hysterical crunch of Blueberry Hill, giving the crowd one final boogie and the bootleggers a true rarity and a title at the same time.

So there we have it, 132 minutes (on the longest tape available) of 'pure and alive rock'. That's the phrase TMOQ used on the insert of their Live on Blueberry Hill 2 elpee set that was edited and rejigged and lasted 'one hundred and six minutes and fifty three seconds'. And so to the bootlegs. Blimp came first I believe. With a plain stamped sleeve, a Monty Python meets Bosch insert and deluxe labels complete with track listing, they crammed the juice of the performance onto four sides of  coloured wax. Only the acoustic numbers, some chat and links were missing, saving some 25 minutes playing and cheering time. No sooner had the Blimp version hit the streets, the TMOQ guys ripped a copy for their Live On Blueberry Hill version that had the usual day-glow pig stickers and a variety of labels and colours too.

And at the same time another bootleg outfit Rubber Dubber brought out their own version of the show. In a plain gatefold sleeve with the legend 'Live At The L A Forum 4-9-70' printed on the front (the first run had rrp $6-00 printed top right too), this was a better sounding elpee. Shame it was much shorter, missing the first half an hour, Bonzo's solo, most of the closing medley and the last two encores. BUT it did have the acoustic set, including the wonderfully spelt 'brahamrarr' on their own deluxe labels. Great sounding and very rare set. Within weeks it became a sensation, selling out all over the place. 

Represses, now on plain boring black wax, and rips from just about every label - Dittoline and CBM spring to mind - and the compilation double Caution:Explosive! on Wizardo featured a large chunk of the Rubber Dubber tape with 25 minutes from Winterland April 25th 1969 and a couple of comedy sketches thrown in for good measure. Again, despite editing and a very strange running order we got the acoustic set. Similarly the TMOQ '3 Days After' set based around the climax and encores from the LA Forum June 3rd 1973 show also sneaked the acoustic tracks on side one after a stellar Stairway To Heaven.

The CD revolution gave us untold versions, initially TMOQ vinyl versions digitised, clicks n all. There are so many out there, it's hard to know what's the best. Basically there were 4 tape sources used. The stereo Rubber Dubber (just about the best in my opinion).  The mono tape Blimp/TMOQ used (now including the acoustic tracks)which is more compressed and lacking both width and depth. A longer stereo source that's more distant but longer with more chat and audience noise. And an even longer mono tape from about the same distance that includes all J J Jackson's introduction and chat, even if it's a bit squashed in places and has a few drop outs. None are perfect. 

Eat A Peach get a lot of thumbs up for their version, and there's the deluxe 9 CD set Tarantura put out to give us the 4 sources plus a tape from the Rubber Dubber Vinyl too. And there's a DVD-A. The most important thing, as I've maintained to myself for the last 41 years, is the performance and getting the most complete version you can.

 The recent Night Owl matrix is the best and most complete I've heard thus far.

 

Sometimes you have to get  a multitude of copies to achieve that, but it's all part of the hunt, the chase. Dozens of sites and blogs dedicate themselves to dissecting every second, every drop out, every colour of every insert. And yet to me, the vinyl still is the one where I found MY thrill!