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.
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