The Quiet One. Jonesy. The cornerstone of Led Zeppelin. As a band of equals, they had four distinct and equally important personalities, their individual traits that would intertwine so gloriously and uniquely to create the whole. Time after time, John's contribution would be subtle, imaginative and crucial to that aural palette.
But Led Zeppelin is only part of the picture, 12 of the 56 years and counting John has been a professional musician. From learning the ropes on tour with his parents playing Big Band to Vaudeville John graduated to session work. Wanting to play bass, his father Joseph tried to persuade him that Cello or Piano was the way forward, regarding Electric Bass as 'a fad that will be forgotten about in a year or two'. He happily relented after four words from his son - 'There's work for me'.
Session work in the 60's was insular and lucrative. A small band of musicians would criss cross the capital up to 3 times a day. A typical day would involve three such sessions, usually about 3 hours each, the first beginning at 10am, the second at 2.30 and the third at 7pm. The 90 minute gap would soak up (expensive) over runs and set up for the next artist and assorted backing musicians. From Hampstead to St. Johns Wood, Marble Arch to Barnes, John would add his musicianship and very quickly arrangement and production skills to a wide variety of artists.
Many would remain nameless or forgotten in the whirlwind of the time. Others would become stars, household names even. Mickie Most, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Donovan, Herman's Hermits, Lulu, The Rolling Stones... And on and on.
With such a clique of session musicians, prowess rose to the top very quickly and John (like Jimmy Page) was in high demand. His playing and arranging embellished songs from Downtown to Hurdy Gurdy Man, To Sir With Love to She's A Rainbow.
John even had the opportunity for a solo single, Baja/A Foggy Day In Vietnam on Pye Records in April 1964, early on in his session career. Some sessions would be with new on the scene guitar slinger Jimmy Page, from Donovan to Francoise Hardy to Jeff Beck.
The Beck sessions for Hi Ho Silver Lining and Beck's Bolero would bring together a bunch of musicians musing over a supergroup Keith Moon would jokingly christen Led Zeppelin. The sessions for Beck's Truth LP also included a brief take on You Shook Me highlighting Jonesy's growing keyboard prowess. Listen to some of John's session work and you instantly become aware of a clear, perfect musical ear, a triumphant and easy way with perfect pop and melodic arrangement. 'If you really listen to a song it writes itself' was his dictum.
One pivotal session was arranging the Cello's for Mickie Most's session of Little Games by The Yardbirds, another meeting for John with Jimmy and the honing of a friendship that would grow into a very bountiful musical connection. By 1968 the session world had changed. More musically adventurous artists were playing their own songs, the 'Pop Star' being pushed more into the background and the demand for session musicians too. And John had had enough. His only live work had been with Dusty Springfield as part of her backing group during her Talk Of The Town residency in Leicester Square, where incidentally Madeline Bell was a backing singer. Now he wanted some musical freedom, the road, a band.
He did play bass on Madeline's '68 LP 'Doin' Things', and they were by now firm friends. When Zeppelin flew to the US two days before Xmas in '68, the rest of the band flew on to LAX while John and Maureen stopped off in New York to spend Xmas day with Madeline.
So came Led Zeppelin. Even if his musical journey had stopped in 1968, John Paul Jones would have left a wonderful legacy and body of work. The fact he was to be a member of the biggest band of them all and THEN go on to another 4 decades of ground breaking and always interesting and unique music says so much.
We all know of his major part in Led Zeppelin. The strident bass that underpins Good Times, the fluid no messing flurries that underpin Dazed and the flourishing fanfare that starts side two of the debut LP. With songwriting credits on 40 odd songs in Zeppelin's arsenal, his influence and presence were vital and perfect. Within months he'd laid down two of the most breathtaking bass performances on record ever - The Lemon Song and Ramble On. Lyrical, harmonious and percussive and rock solid at the same time. Locked in to that Bass Drum, that syncopation.
As Zeppelin spread their wings as the 70's dawned he gradually came into the spotlight with an Organ Solo in the middle of the set. On 'III' he helped shape Celebration Day, The Stomp and Since. Live his unique, telepathic communication with Bonzo and their empathy with and behind Jimmy and Robert was to cement Led Zeppelin's reputation as THE live band of the age. By the tail end of 1970 John brought both the impossible bass line and structure of Black Dog and the kernel, albeit jazzier and faster, of No Quarter. His studio knowledge and melody greatly influenced MMHop and the delicate introduction of Stairway.
Playing material from 'IV' plus an acoustic set gave John more variety onstage, and by the time the LP was released he would be seen on bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar, mandolin and even his 'Tupenny Upright' bass. As Zeppelin strode on the material for 'Houses' was more diverse, sophisticated and challenging than ever. His beautiful orchestration and subtle, joyous piano on Rain Song is sublime, faultless. Elsewhere there's the fabulous Synth twists on Dancing Days and the James Brown nailed down dance riff of The Crunge. No Quarter would stand alone as a stark, isolated statement that would expand into a sophisticated and never ending journey by the time Zeppelin returned to the stadiums of the United States.
During that 9th US Tour John switched between electric Piano and Mellotron, and without an acoustic interlude treated us with some unusually upfront bass work on the few occasions he pulled out his 5-string Bass. No Quarter was varying from 9 to about 15 minutes at its' longest on this tour, and John was on keyboards for about 30% of the time.
When the tour finished Jonesy kept busy, playing on and producing Madeline Bell's 'Comin' Atcha' LP, recorded at his own Doormouse Studio. He even appeared with her on her BBC TV show 'Colour My Soul' on December 12th. After filming his parts in the movie came the first of two bursts at Headley Grange where the 8 new tracks for Physical Graffiti were recorded. As 1974 rolled on he popped up at Hyde Park with Roy Harper and Dave Gilmour, having guested on Roy's 'HQ' LP.
The PG sessions were sensational, Jonesy's 'sickness'/'rest' not withstanding. His memorable Clavinet on Trampled and synth and electric Piano work on the electronic opus In The Light still send shivers as does his orchestration on Kashmir, so far down the road from She's A Rainbow!
For the '75 shows No Quarter became one of the two main sources of improvisation and inspiration, dominating the opening part of the now 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hour shows that climaxed with a sometimes too long and leaden Dazed and the de rigeur set closer Stairway. Beginning at the same length as '73, the addition of a Grand Piano half way through the tour helped it stretch both musically and in length.
Along with Rain Song, Kashmir, Trampled and Stairway (and SIBLY on 3 occasions) John spent much of the middle part of the show seated. Still only 1/3 of the show, but at least an hour at this point! At Earls Court it was a highlight, and the returning acoustic set showed his dexterity and sublime ease with whatever the band threw at him, including 4 part harmony on Tangerine!
John's steadfast and exemplary work on Presence is stunning, especially the strident 8-string on Achilles. The beautiful soundscape outtake 10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod was a completely unexpected highlight of the Munich sessions. And the 1977 Tour had an even more complex and improvised No Quarter, two sections including a Boogie Woogie motif that heralded a bone crunching Nutrocker on a few nights half way through the tour.
By now he was playing so many different roles onstage Robert referred to him as 'Man Of The Match'! Vocals, guitar and Bass Pedals on Battle Of Evermore take that to the extreme... And right up until Berlin John played his usual key role as the anchor on one hand and almost musical director on the other.
After Zeppelin John returned behind the scenes, spending time with his family in Devon. And since then he works when he wants with who he wants. So talented. Aware of his legacy and body of work but not dragged down by it in ANY way. Always looking forward yet with respectful and proud nods to what he's done before.
Work with Brian Eno and The Mission, who he produced and jammed with. More Soundtrack music on 'Scream For Help' where he teamed up with Jimmy Page once more, a far cry from his arranging of the 60's film Mrs Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter with Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits! When Zeppelin were giving Robert time to consider his future before the Knebworth return he joined Bonzo guesting with Wings on the Rockestra project as part of the Back To The Egg LP and was involved in Give My Regards To Broad Street.
Loved his jams with Ben E King and Lenny Kravitz, working with the Butthole Surfers and the fantastic LP and shows with Diamanda Gallas and Pete Thomas. His two solo LP's Zooma and The Thunderthief are spectacular and innovative, moving as always in new and surprising directions.
Be it Sarah Watkins, Julie Felix, Ben Harper, Supersilent, Seasick Steve or Them Crooked Vultures, you can be sure John Paul Jones will retain that individuality, that calm and measured approach that yet breaks moulds and turns heads and ears. Long may he reign...
And as a footnote, you can't forget John's dry humour. From the unconnected 'phone on the Yamaha at Knebworth to sharp interview answers across the globe and years he's been been always amusing and observant. When talking about the first Zeppelin rehearsal John once said 'Robert hadn't met me before and heard I was a session player. I don't know if he was expecting some old bloke with a pipe and a copy of the Golfing Times! Well, I didn't have a pipe...'
,
With such a clique of session musicians, prowess rose to the top very quickly and John (like Jimmy Page) was in high demand. His playing and arranging embellished songs from Downtown to Hurdy Gurdy Man, To Sir With Love to She's A Rainbow.
John even had the opportunity for a solo single, Baja/A Foggy Day In Vietnam on Pye Records in April 1964, early on in his session career. Some sessions would be with new on the scene guitar slinger Jimmy Page, from Donovan to Francoise Hardy to Jeff Beck.
The Beck sessions for Hi Ho Silver Lining and Beck's Bolero would bring together a bunch of musicians musing over a supergroup Keith Moon would jokingly christen Led Zeppelin. The sessions for Beck's Truth LP also included a brief take on You Shook Me highlighting Jonesy's growing keyboard prowess. Listen to some of John's session work and you instantly become aware of a clear, perfect musical ear, a triumphant and easy way with perfect pop and melodic arrangement. 'If you really listen to a song it writes itself' was his dictum.
One pivotal session was arranging the Cello's for Mickie Most's session of Little Games by The Yardbirds, another meeting for John with Jimmy and the honing of a friendship that would grow into a very bountiful musical connection. By 1968 the session world had changed. More musically adventurous artists were playing their own songs, the 'Pop Star' being pushed more into the background and the demand for session musicians too. And John had had enough. His only live work had been with Dusty Springfield as part of her backing group during her Talk Of The Town residency in Leicester Square, where incidentally Madeline Bell was a backing singer. Now he wanted some musical freedom, the road, a band.
He did play bass on Madeline's '68 LP 'Doin' Things', and they were by now firm friends. When Zeppelin flew to the US two days before Xmas in '68, the rest of the band flew on to LAX while John and Maureen stopped off in New York to spend Xmas day with Madeline.
So came Led Zeppelin. Even if his musical journey had stopped in 1968, John Paul Jones would have left a wonderful legacy and body of work. The fact he was to be a member of the biggest band of them all and THEN go on to another 4 decades of ground breaking and always interesting and unique music says so much.
We all know of his major part in Led Zeppelin. The strident bass that underpins Good Times, the fluid no messing flurries that underpin Dazed and the flourishing fanfare that starts side two of the debut LP. With songwriting credits on 40 odd songs in Zeppelin's arsenal, his influence and presence were vital and perfect. Within months he'd laid down two of the most breathtaking bass performances on record ever - The Lemon Song and Ramble On. Lyrical, harmonious and percussive and rock solid at the same time. Locked in to that Bass Drum, that syncopation.
As Zeppelin spread their wings as the 70's dawned he gradually came into the spotlight with an Organ Solo in the middle of the set. On 'III' he helped shape Celebration Day, The Stomp and Since. Live his unique, telepathic communication with Bonzo and their empathy with and behind Jimmy and Robert was to cement Led Zeppelin's reputation as THE live band of the age. By the tail end of 1970 John brought both the impossible bass line and structure of Black Dog and the kernel, albeit jazzier and faster, of No Quarter. His studio knowledge and melody greatly influenced MMHop and the delicate introduction of Stairway.
Playing material from 'IV' plus an acoustic set gave John more variety onstage, and by the time the LP was released he would be seen on bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar, mandolin and even his 'Tupenny Upright' bass. As Zeppelin strode on the material for 'Houses' was more diverse, sophisticated and challenging than ever. His beautiful orchestration and subtle, joyous piano on Rain Song is sublime, faultless. Elsewhere there's the fabulous Synth twists on Dancing Days and the James Brown nailed down dance riff of The Crunge. No Quarter would stand alone as a stark, isolated statement that would expand into a sophisticated and never ending journey by the time Zeppelin returned to the stadiums of the United States.
During that 9th US Tour John switched between electric Piano and Mellotron, and without an acoustic interlude treated us with some unusually upfront bass work on the few occasions he pulled out his 5-string Bass. No Quarter was varying from 9 to about 15 minutes at its' longest on this tour, and John was on keyboards for about 30% of the time.
When the tour finished Jonesy kept busy, playing on and producing Madeline Bell's 'Comin' Atcha' LP, recorded at his own Doormouse Studio. He even appeared with her on her BBC TV show 'Colour My Soul' on December 12th. After filming his parts in the movie came the first of two bursts at Headley Grange where the 8 new tracks for Physical Graffiti were recorded. As 1974 rolled on he popped up at Hyde Park with Roy Harper and Dave Gilmour, having guested on Roy's 'HQ' LP.
The PG sessions were sensational, Jonesy's 'sickness'/'rest' not withstanding. His memorable Clavinet on Trampled and synth and electric Piano work on the electronic opus In The Light still send shivers as does his orchestration on Kashmir, so far down the road from She's A Rainbow!
For the '75 shows No Quarter became one of the two main sources of improvisation and inspiration, dominating the opening part of the now 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hour shows that climaxed with a sometimes too long and leaden Dazed and the de rigeur set closer Stairway. Beginning at the same length as '73, the addition of a Grand Piano half way through the tour helped it stretch both musically and in length.
Along with Rain Song, Kashmir, Trampled and Stairway (and SIBLY on 3 occasions) John spent much of the middle part of the show seated. Still only 1/3 of the show, but at least an hour at this point! At Earls Court it was a highlight, and the returning acoustic set showed his dexterity and sublime ease with whatever the band threw at him, including 4 part harmony on Tangerine!
John's steadfast and exemplary work on Presence is stunning, especially the strident 8-string on Achilles. The beautiful soundscape outtake 10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod was a completely unexpected highlight of the Munich sessions. And the 1977 Tour had an even more complex and improvised No Quarter, two sections including a Boogie Woogie motif that heralded a bone crunching Nutrocker on a few nights half way through the tour.
By now he was playing so many different roles onstage Robert referred to him as 'Man Of The Match'! Vocals, guitar and Bass Pedals on Battle Of Evermore take that to the extreme... And right up until Berlin John played his usual key role as the anchor on one hand and almost musical director on the other.
After Zeppelin John returned behind the scenes, spending time with his family in Devon. And since then he works when he wants with who he wants. So talented. Aware of his legacy and body of work but not dragged down by it in ANY way. Always looking forward yet with respectful and proud nods to what he's done before.
Work with Brian Eno and The Mission, who he produced and jammed with. More Soundtrack music on 'Scream For Help' where he teamed up with Jimmy Page once more, a far cry from his arranging of the 60's film Mrs Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter with Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits! When Zeppelin were giving Robert time to consider his future before the Knebworth return he joined Bonzo guesting with Wings on the Rockestra project as part of the Back To The Egg LP and was involved in Give My Regards To Broad Street.
Loved his jams with Ben E King and Lenny Kravitz, working with the Butthole Surfers and the fantastic LP and shows with Diamanda Gallas and Pete Thomas. His two solo LP's Zooma and The Thunderthief are spectacular and innovative, moving as always in new and surprising directions.
Be it Sarah Watkins, Julie Felix, Ben Harper, Supersilent, Seasick Steve or Them Crooked Vultures, you can be sure John Paul Jones will retain that individuality, that calm and measured approach that yet breaks moulds and turns heads and ears. Long may he reign...
And as a footnote, you can't forget John's dry humour. From the unconnected 'phone on the Yamaha at Knebworth to sharp interview answers across the globe and years he's been been always amusing and observant. When talking about the first Zeppelin rehearsal John once said 'Robert hadn't met me before and heard I was a session player. I don't know if he was expecting some old bloke with a pipe and a copy of the Golfing Times! Well, I didn't have a pipe...'
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Awesome article. Thanks for the knowledge and access
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