JPJ quote that blew my mind

[Danny O Danny]

I was recently reading a 1970 New Musical Express magazine interview with John Paul Jones (contained in the book Led Zeppelin On Led Zeppelin). At the time of the interview Led Zeppelin had been in existence for about a year and a half, and had already released the Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II albums, and was working on Led Zeppelin III.

Jones talks in the interview about some of the studio work he had done prior to Led Zeppelin, and was particularly proud of the arranging work he did on some of Donovan's recordings (Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow). He also talks about the importance of Motown in influencing his bass playing, saying "Motown was a bass player's paradise, because they'd actually found a way to record it so that you could hear every note. Their bass players were just unbelievable; some of the Motown records used to end up as sort of concertos for bass guitar.... I used to be the only bass player in England that knew anything about the Motown stuff so I used to do all the cover versions."

But this was the quote that slayed me: "I've been playing bass for ten years now."

I had forgotten just how young those guys were when they made that incredible music and displayed such tremendous musicianship.

 

[tim gueguen]

Don't forget that Jones had been playing piano since he was six, learning from his father, who played piano and arranged for big bands in the '40s and '50s. Jones supposedly became the organist and choirmaster for a church when he was 14. So he had a lot more musical training than most rock musicians of the era.

 

[Rich Fiscus]

26840796[/URL], member: 298057"]Don't forget that Jones had been playing piano since he was six, learning from his father, who played piano and arranged for big bands in the '40s and '50s. Jones supposedly became the organist and choirmaster for a church when he was 14. So he had a lot more musical training than most rock musicians of the era.

He was also a first call session musician who also did string arrangement. In his early 20s, he also learned to play lap steel, and also built himself a bass lap steel. Then there's the mandolin, which he picked up after hearing Fairport Convention and then discovering bluegrass.

I think the word genius is thrown around far too casually most of the time, but in this case I believe it applies.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

He was also a first call session musician who also did string arrangement. In his early 20s, he also learned to play lap steel, and also built himself a bass lap steel. Then there's the mandolin, which he picked up after hearing Fairport Convention and then discovering bluegrass.

I think the word genius is thrown around far too casually most of the time, but in this case I believe it applies.

JPJ made Led Zeppelin possible the same way Jack Bruce made Cream possible. In both cases, bassists with high levels of music education used their skills to create a sophisticated foundation for much flashier guitarists. JPJ is a reminder that the bass can be a very powerful instrument without ever taking the lead.

 

[Michedelic]

I was recently reading a 1970 New Musical Express magazine interview with John Paul Jones (contained in the book Led Zeppelin On Led Zeppelin). At the time of the interview Led Zeppelin had been in existence for about a year and a half, and had already released the Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II albums, and was working on Led Zeppelin III.

Jones talks in the interview about some of the studio work he had done prior to Led Zeppelin, and was particularly proud of the arranging work he did on some of Donovan's recordings (Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow). He also talks about the importance of Motown in influencing his bass playing, saying "Motown was a bass player's paradise, because they'd actually found a way to record it so that you could hear every note. Their bass players were just unbelievable; some of the Motown records used to end up as sort of concertos for bass guitar.... I used to be the only bass player in England that knew anything about the Motown stuff so I used to do all the cover versions."

But this was the quote that slayed me: "I've been playing bass for ten years now."

I had forgotten just how young those guys were when they made that incredible music and displayed such tremendous musicianship.

 

[ToddB1963]

His mandolin playing on 'Battle of Evermore' (IV) haunted me as a young child and does to this day.

He is a truly outstanding musician.

 

[Cave Puppy]

I was recently reading a 1970 New Musical Express magazine interview with John Paul Jones (contained in the book Led Zeppelin On Led Zeppelin). At the time of the interview Led Zeppelin had been in existence for about a year and a half, and had already released the Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II albums, and was working on Led Zeppelin III.

Jones talks in the interview about some of the studio work he had done prior to Led Zeppelin, and was particularly proud of the arranging work he did on some of Donovan's recordings (Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow). He also talks about the importance of Motown in influencing his bass playing, saying "Motown was a bass player's paradise, because they'd actually found a way to record it so that you could hear every note. Their bass players were just unbelievable; some of the Motown records used to end up as sort of concertos for bass guitar.... I used to be the only bass player in England that knew anything about the Motown stuff so I used to do all the cover versions."

But this was the quote that slayed me: "I've been playing bass for ten years now."

I had forgotten just how young those guys were when they made that incredible music and displayed such tremendous musicianship.

CCR started in the late '50s as well. THAT blew me away. Rock
And Roll started a bit earlier in the UK than it did in America. Most folks seem to think it all started with the Beatles. I love the Beatles but there was "rock" in England before them.

 

[Cave Puppy]

CCR started in the late '50s as well. THAT blew me away. Rock
And Roll started a bit earlier in the UK than it did in America. Most folks seem to think it all started with the Beatles. I love the Beatles but there was "rock" in England before them.

Ian Hunter was another early adopter of rock in the UK. By 1969 there was already Mott The Hoople. Zep is just one prime example of all that.

 

[Bob_Ross]

His mandolin playing on 'Battle of Evermore' (IV) haunted me as a young child and does to this day.

Surprisingly, the mandolin on that recording is almost certainly played by Jimmy Page.
It's well documented that Page wrote the music when he borrowed Jones' mandolin, and on some of the earlier tours Page played mandolin while Jones played acoustic guitar (and often sang Sandy Denny's parts too!), before Jones started using his triple-neck acoustic w/ the mandolin neck and Page reverted to guitar. So it's quite likely that that's Page's mandolin that haunts you.

 

[ToddB1963]

Surprisingly, the mandolin on that recording is almost certainly played by Jimmy Page.
It's well documented that Page wrote the music when he borrowed Jones' mandolin, and on some of the earlier tours Page played mandolin while Jones played acoustic guitar (and often sang Sandy Denny's parts too!), before Jones started using his triple-neck acoustic w/ the mandolin neck and Page reverted to guitar. So it's quite likely that that's Page's mandolin that haunts you.

Thanks for setting me straight Bob. I'd always assumed it was JPJ by virtue of his well documented Mandolin playing. Had I bothered to research it I would've come to the same conclusion.

One thing I like about Talkbass is that no matter how much one knows, there's always someone who knows more ! Thanks again

 

[Bob_Ross]

Oh yeah, I thought for decades it was JPJ on mandolin!

 

[J Wilson]

Along those Motown influences, when asked about how many later heavy or metal bands LZ influenced greatly, to paraphrase, he said many of them were lacking:. He and Bonham were huge Motown fans, and you can hear Jameson and Papa Zita in spots. Those later bands never listened to Motown, and that's where he thought they were incomplete, rhythm wise.

There simply is no Zeppelin without him, or the other three, for that matter.

 

[ToddB1963]

Along those Motown influences, when asked about how many later heavy or metal bands LZ influenced greatly, to paraphrase, he said many of them were lacking:. He and Bonham were huge Motown fans, and you can hear Jameson and Papa Zita in spots. Those later bands never listened to Motown, and that's where he thought they were incomplete, rhythm wise.

There simply is no Zeppelin without him, or the other three, for that matter.

You can indeed. In fact with JPJ, there's a lot about his bass playing that reminds me of late 60's early 70's soul music. He's always struck me as a soul/RnB guy playing rock. I think the same about Dee Murray, who was equally as good, if not better in that 'style' IMO. They seem to emanate from the same branch of the tree.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

You can indeed. In fact with JPJ, there's a lot about his bass playing that reminds me of late 60's early 70's soul music. He's always struck me as a soul/RnB guy playing rock. I think the same about Dee Murray, who was equally as good, if not better in that 'style' IMO. They seem to emanate from the same branch of the tree.

I definitely think Ramble had a strong Jamerson sort of vibe.

 

[ToddB1963]

I definitely think Ramble had a strong Jamerson sort of vibe.

I agree Doc. The bass solo in Lemon Song is another example of JPJ's playing in the Soul/RnB style

 

[5StringBlues]

A story I read long ago is that Jones and Bonham listened to nothing but James Brown tapes while touring around 1972.



I definitely hear that in the improv jam sections of later tours.

 

[esa372]

Zeppelin rules.

 

[Rich Fiscus]

A story I read long ago is that Jones and Bonham listened to nothing but James Brown tapes while touring around 1972.



I definitely hear that in the improv jam sections of later tours.

I mostly hear it on Houses Of The Holy - and the HOTH songs on Physical Graffiti.

 

[Guitalia]

A story I read long ago is that Jones and Bonham listened to nothing but James Brown tapes while touring around 1972.



I definitely hear that in the improv jam sections of later tours.

Makes sense. I read an in-depth interview with Jimmy Page in Guitar Player magazine about 40 years ago where he said that during the sessions for the Zep III album, every time they got together to rehearse or record, he'd arrive and find JPJ and Bonham already there, memorizing the drum and bass parts on their most recently acquired James Brown album. The James Brown influence was what made the later Zeppelin albums sound so different from the earlier ones.

 

[Rich Fiscus]

In the earliest days of Zeppelin, JPJ was heavily influenced by Louis Satterfield's playing with Muddy Waters.