JPJ Chat on AOL (LONG)

[MHall23@xxxxxxx]

Here it is!  Complete with typos and all!  If anyone wants it...I can email
them a neater version of this in *.doc format.  Sorry if I let any comments
from people in the room filter through

OnlineHost:	John P Zep has entered the room.
HubMeg:	Welcome John Paul!


Question:	If you could jam with any musician(s) from any era who would it be
		      and why?
John P Zep:	Jphn Bonham and Jimi Hendrix
John P Zep:	I don't think I need to say why!

Question:	What do you think were the unique qualities that Zeppelin brought
		       to rock?
John P Zep:	Musicality
John P Zep:	diversity
John P Zep:	power
John P Zep:	!
John P Zep:	let's see... a good stage show
John P Zep:	and commitment!

Question:	What Zeppelin recording do you feel features your most creative
		       bass work?
John P Zep:	Oh, that's a hgard one...
John P Zep:	Which one doesn't?
John P Zep:	I hate false modesty!
John P Zep:	"The Lemon Song" is famous
John P Zep:	I quite like the bass lates thate are tight in with Bonzo
John P Zep:	bass lines, that is
John P Zep:	Any live recording of "Dazed and Confused"

Question:	did you help in the release of the new bbc release ?
John P Zep:	Yes I did.
John P Zep:	Tapes were circulated and...
John P Zep:	we all amde a decision on what best versions to use
John P Zep:	we tried to get as much good stuff on as possible

Question:	How do the "younger" bands react when they find out you are
		      producing their work?
John P Zep:	Initially...
John P Zep:	they're terrified!
John P Zep:	but I think they get frightened that I might want to change them
John P Zep:	and that they might not be able to tell me what they want
John P Zep:	and what theyd on't want
John P Zep:	hopefully, they find that I'm pretty sympathetic
John P Zep:	and that if I'm going to produce a band
John P Zep:	that i'll let their personality come out

Question:	Do you like any new artists?
John P Zep:	Some songs from some artists, I think.
John P Zep:	Some of Radiohead
John P Zep:	there's a single from the Eels that I like
John P Zep:	I like some of the English drum & bass/jungle
John P Zep:	I like bluegrass as well, at the moment

Question:	If Page/Plant tour after their album is released...and they wanted
		      you to join them...would you?
John P Zep:	No, I think they've missed their chance now.

Question:	Did the XYZ (former Yes and Zeppelin) project ever really exist?
John P Zep:	No!  It was pretty much a pressthing, I think.
John P Zep:	It was one of those things you read about
John P Zep:	and wonder, "Are they talking
John P Zep:	about us?"

Question:	Did you make up the bass solo in the Lemon Song on the spot?
John P Zep:	The word is improvise--
John P Zep:	And YES!

Question:	What's the best thing about this Live at the BBC album?
John P Zep:	It's teh sound of a young, enthusiastic band.
John P Zep:	It's a very raw sound.
John P Zep:	A cocky young band at the height of its powers.
John P Zep:	And John Bonham,

Question:	Jonesy, on your upcoming solo album, is it going to be entirely
		      musical? No vocals, or do you sing? And are you doing and No Quarter
                       style jazz improv on it?
John P Zep:	Entirely musical?  Don't you mean instrumental?
John P Zep:	The answer is yes--
John P Zep:	it is instrumental --
John P Zep:	no vocals
John P Zep:	no guitar
John P Zep:	no jazz
John P Zep:	Pure Rock!
John P Zep:	(with some funny noises)

Question:	you have such a smooth driving bass style who was your influence
John P Zep:	A lot of bass players from a lot of different
John P Zep:	styles of music
John P Zep:	To name a few...
John P Zep:	James Jameson
John P Zep:	from motown
John P Zep:	Duck Dunne (booker t & the mgs)
John P Zep:	and some of the great jazz players
John P Zep:	such as charles mingus
John P Zep:	and Scott LaFaro

Question:	Will we be seeing any professional live video i.e. Earls Court '75,
		      Seattle '77 released in the future for public consumption
John P Zep:	it's always possible.
John P Zep:	every now and again we feel we ought to
John P Zep:	look at this stuff
John P Zep:	some of it is good, some not so good
John P Zep:	it would be nice
John P Zep:	to see some of it out there

Question:	I know that  you have worked with Lenny Kravitz in the past do you
		     consider him to be one of the most talented younger musicians today as
 i  do?oh by the way you do realize you are the best bass player in rock
music historyright?
John P Zep:	Is that Lenny Kravitz writing in?
John P Zep:	if it is, i better say that he's pretty good too.
John P Zep:	he actually approached me
John P Zep:	by saying that his bass player left
John P Zep:	just before the MTV video awards
John P Zep:	he was trying to think of who to use
John P Zep:	and he said to me
John P Zep:	"why not call the guy i took it all from in the first place?"

Question:	Tell us abou the new "Whole Lotta Love" video.  I beleive some of
		      the footage has never been seen before.
John P Zep:	Yes, it certainly surprised me!
John P Zep:	There's a funny little bit where
John P Zep:	Robert and I seem to be doing some strange
John P Zep:	Martian dance together.
John P Zep:	Don't knwo where tehy found it.
John P Zep:	but it's a good video.  i must be biased.

Question:	what do you feel is your best performance on the keyboard?
John P Zep:	oooh...
John P Zep:	There's a piano solo on "No Quarter"
John P Zep:	at one of the old Court shows
John P Zep:	that was particulary successful
John P Zep:	(Earl's Court, that is)
John P Zep:	I can't tell you to listen to the bootlegs --
John P Zep:	Robert will kill me!

Question:	What do you think of the current state of rock?
John P Zep:	Well, I don't know about America
John P Zep:	but in England it seems to be harking back to the 60s a lot.
John P Zep:	As I was on most of teh stuff on the 60s that they took it all
		form
John P Zep:	I can't say that I'm happy to hear it all again.

Question:	What did it feel like in 1985 when you played Live Aid in Philly
		      and at the end of 'Stairway' all 92,000 fans were singing along.
John P Zep:	It felt like we hadn't been gone.
John P Zep:	Walking on stage was just like coming back home.
John P Zep:	It was very exhilirating.

Question:	What were your thoughts on Hammer Of The Gods? We all know that
		       Percy hated it.....
John P Zep:	It's a very sad little book.
John P Zep:	It made us out to be sad little people.
John P Zep:	He ruined a lot of good, funny stories.

Question:	will zep be playing at the atlantics 50 th anniversary
John P Zep:	There is no Led Zeppelin.
John P Zep:	And there's certainly no plans for any reunion of the 3 remaining
		members...
John P Zep:	that i know of.

Question:	John Paul what was your favorite band that seemed a precursor to
		      the Zep sound i.e. Cream , Traffic, Jefferson AIrplane, et al?
John P Zep:	Possibly Vanilla Fudge.
John P Zep:	I know that sounds odd, but they really were
John P Zep:	extremely powerful
John P Zep:	plus they had a great stage show
John P Zep:	They had two great voices.
John P Zep:	and we became great friends --we supported
John P Zep:	them on teh first tour.

Question:	Did "The girl I love" evolve into "Moby Dick"?
John P Zep:	It kinda sounds like it, soesn't it?
John P Zep:	I think it must've.
John P Zep:	It was a Pgae riff.
John P Zep:	I must admit, I preferred teh "Moby Dick" verison as a riff.

Question:	what advice can you give to the younger generation of musicians out
		      there?
John P Zep:	Keep your ears open.
John P Zep:	Listen to as much music as you can.
John P Zep:	Of all different types.
John P Zep:	And listen to the pother people that you're playing on stage
		with.
John P Zep:	Think not just how you should sound... but how the band should
		sound
John P Zep:	and work towards that.

Question:	is richard cole's book an accurate account of all the partying on
		      tours you guys did?
John P Zep:	It's accurate about his partying!
John P Zep:	I don't think he knows who else was there with him!

Question:	What is "Kashmire" about?  And why the fascination with Tolkien's
		      Lord of the Rings on the 3rd and 4th Zep albums?
John P Zep:	That's a question for Robert.
John P Zep:	It's about a journey to Morocco
John P Zep:	but you'd get pretty lost if you went by "Kashmir".
John P Zep:	Robert was into all that fairy stuff.

Question:	What kind of basses do you like to play?
John P Zep:	I have my basses made for me by
John P Zep:	a guy called Hugh Manson
John P Zep:	he's just today delivered a 10-string abss
John P Zep:	which i will be using on the record and on the following tour.

Question:	What do you consider to be Zepplins best album???  And would you
		      change anything
John P Zep:	You could always change things.
John P Zep:	I like Physical Graffitti a lot.
John P Zep:	but I like most of every album.
John P Zep:	There's a lot to like.
John P Zep:	But when you listen to your own music back
John P Zep:	you always think you could've done better
John P Zep:	but..
John P Zep:	make another album!

Question:	why don't you play with PAge and Plant anymore? You would still
		      make great music together
John P Zep:	Their plans didn't include me.
John P Zep:	Although it did seem to include my music.

Question:	Do you think Bonzo is the best drummer of all time?
John P Zep:	Of all time, of all places.
John P Zep:	That's one of the nice things about listening to the BBC Sessions
John P Zep:	I get to hear him live and well recorded.

Question:	Plant says "Kashmir" truely defines Zep.....Page says
		      "Stairway"....what is your opinion?
John P Zep:	"Stairway to Kashmir"?
John P Zep:	Thatwould be a long track!
John P Zep:	They have everything that Zeppelin is about.  they have similar
John P Zep:	dynamice to songs like "Baby, I'm Ginna Leave You"
John P Zep:	Things off teh first album...
John P Zep:	That whole acoustic,heavy... journey, really
John P Zep:	It's hard talking about siongs in the abstarct
John P Zep:	I could play it for you!

Question:	What is the meaning of Zoso?
John P Zep:	Oh lord!
John P Zep:	I really don't know!  Jimmy came up with it...
John P Zep:	He said it was something to do with Saturday...
John P Zep:	but we all chose our signs at dfifferent times
John P Zep:	Bonzo and I got them from teh smae book
John P Zep:	Jimmy got his from who knows where?

Question:	Do you have an ill feelings towards Page & Plant over the No
		Quarter tour/album?  Did you WANT to be involved, whether they asked you
                or not?  Did they ask you?
John P Zep:	In the reverse order...
John P Zep:	BNo, they didn't ask me
John P Zep:	I woul;d've certainly thought about it at the time
John P Zep:	And it was hurtful, at the time
John P Zep:	we were very close
John P Zep:	but...
John P Zep:	time passes!

Question:	Is it true what they say about playing Stairway backwards?
John P Zep:	I should think it'd be very difficult!

Question:	Why do you use Marshall guitar cabinets instead of Bass cabinets in
		      your rig
John P Zep:	I didn't know that I did!
John P Zep:	With the last tour I did with Diamanda Galas?
John P Zep:	My 8 string bass was in stereo
John P Zep:	and teh bass head went through SWR bass cabinets
John P Zep:	and the high end went through Marshalls.

Question:	How do you like the recently released Symphonic Zeppelin?
John P Zep:	I haven't herad it...
John P Zep:	I've heard mixed reports
John P Zep:	And a lot of people have asked me over the last 10 years or so to
		      do something similar
John P Zep:	I just couldn't bring myself to. I think we made the definitive
                  version.

Question:	What did you think of the Moog Cookbook version of Whole Lotta
Love?
John P Zep:	They got quite a good groove -- I thought it was hilarious.
John P Zep:	I thought it was a bit cowardly using real drums, though.
John P Zep:	I laos notcied that they used my solo from "All of My Love" from
		"25 or 6 to 4" (the chica
John P Zep:	so they've obviously been doing their homework!

Question:	What age did you start playing the bass?
John P Zep:	14.
John P Zep:	I became professional at 16.

Question:	What is your favorite Zep album cover?  Favorite cover of all time?
John P Zep:	The one with the wheel!

Question:	Tell us more about your new project:
John P Zep:	Blues based and acoustic rock
John P Zep:	but using a lot of computer processing and electronics
John P Zep:	over a live rhythm section

Question:	Did you write the "Black Dog" riff?
John P Zep:	Yes.  I did.
John P Zep:	it came to me on a train coming back from rehersel at Jimmy
		      Page's house.
John P Zep:	I'd been listening to a song on a Muddy Water's record
John P Zep:	called Electric Mud, which had a long, rambling blues riff
John P Zep:	and i thought i'd like to try something with a similar form

Question:	What influenced you in writing the keyboard part for Stairway to
		      Heaven?
John P Zep:	Really, a reaction to what Jimmy  was playing on acoustic guitar
John P Zep:	I think he had already started writnibg it with robert when tehy
		      were away in tehir
John P Zep:	cottage in Wales and Jimmy had lots of different part sof it
John P Zep:	which we put together, the two of us
John P Zep:	at Hedley Grange

Question:	What do you think of Jason Bonham ?
John P Zep:	He's a good drummer, he reminds me
John P Zep:	of his dad a lot.
John P Zep:	When we played with him at the 40th Anniversary
John P Zep:	HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW ALL THE LINKS
John P Zep:	BETWEEN THE SONGS

Question:	do you miss touring?
John P Zep:	yes, that's why i went out with diamanda galas
John P Zep:	and that's why i'm going out as soona s my record is released.

Question:	CD or Vinyl?
John P Zep:	Cd's arent perfect
John P Zep:	but i prefer to hear my msuic without the surface noise and pops
		       that vinyl
John P Zep:	used to have
John P Zep:	on the other hand, the artwork is more fun
John P Zep:	on vinyl

Question:	What is your fondest Led-Zeppelin memory?
John P Zep:	ummm... playing at the Boston tea Party
John P Zep:	for 4 and a quarter hours
John P Zep:	with 45 minutes' worth of songs
John P Zep:	now that's what i call improvising!

HubMeg:	Anything you want to add John?
John P Zep:	Enjoy the BBC Sessions!

OnlineHost:	John P Zep has left the room.
OnlineHost:	Copyright 1997 America Online, Inc.