Re: Incredible News Archive Findings (Led Zeppelin)

[Risto Pohjonen <rtpo@xxxxxxxxx>]

Oner wrote:

>moreover, this subject introduced me (and probably many others)
>another gear head; risto. thanks buddy.

You're welcomed :-)

Mauri's article translation:

>"Apparently the sounds were pre-recorded and Jimmy Page's bow episode
>was just an act. ..."

I dug out the original article yesterday and while the text mentions a
tape recorder explicitly, it does not indicate whether it was visible on
the stage - oh bugger.

Original text goes: "Taustaäänet olivat ilmeisesti nauhurista ja Jimmy
Pagen jousiepisodi pelkkää markkeerausta"

Literal translation: "The background sounds most likely came from a tape
recorder and Jimmy Page's bow episode was just posing"

(Mauri can confirm the translation accuracy if needed)


I also spent some time last night getting my eyes bleeding by looking at
those few pictures and as I really like to play my part as devil's
advocate this time, here are few comments on Nech's and TangerineMan's
findings:

>No photographic evidence of R2R used elsewhere
>Risk of equipment damage due to the restless audience
>For this one night only...

Good argumentation here, but interestingly, it also opens another avenue
for the speculation - rented/borrowed gear. I understand that it wouldn't
be the usual modus operandi for Zep, but it is not completely unheard of
either. For example, for that aforementioned Helsinki gig the gong for
Bonzo was borrowed from the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Zep
entourage actually forgot to return it and the instrument was returned
later from Copenhagen :-). It might be also cheaper to rent equipment for
a German tour that lasted mere four days than truck the whole setup from
UK. Another fact worth considering here is that they were about to begin a
huge US tour within less than a month, so it is possible that their usual
set of equipment was already being shipped over the pond. And, if audience
troubles are expected, who would risk their own precious gear?

>messin' around with the record and volume knobs on a
>r2r machine while playing live onstage just doesn't
>seem like a very reliable system to me.

Checked some Deep Purple footage to see how Mr. Blackmore dealt with these
issues. On the California Jam video he seems to use an R2R system and just
before that "explosive" solo in Space Truckin' - if I am not mistaken - he
takes about two seconds break and switches the unit on. The whole affair
does not seem to bother him too much.

>If you look at the last photo on this page
>http://www.stripes.com/photoday/zep/index.html,
>there is another roadie/tech in the picture, and more
>assorted gear (behind Plant). The techs are in a rather
>cramped L-shaped space behind and beside Jonesy's cabs,
>and it looks like the walls are really close.
>
>So I vote for: venue was really cramped, plus the fact
>that there was fan-caused damage at the last show there,
>ergo soundboard, techs along with r2r and all kinds of
>other gear were up on stage with them for this particular
>gig rather than partway back in the hall.

This is probably the best argument for the R2R being there for recording
the gig. As I looked at those pictures yesterday I also noticed the same
thing that setup-wise there is something unusual going on. The space seems
very tight what comes to the equipment and personnel as TangerineMan
pointed out. However, limited space could explain the unusual placement of
an FX unit, too. It is also worth to note that Jimmy's cables seem to run
somewhere on the right side of stage which suggest that there probably is
more space (at least for Jimmy's amps and cabinets) there.

>And, if you come back to an oft-quoted quote down through the years
>about Jimmy's project for a massive chronological live album... In
>other words, he had to have a fairly large number of Early Days shows
>in the can to be considering such a project.

As far as I understand this all speculation was not exactly about whether
or not the show was actually recorded but about the role of that R2R
machine? Judging from the amount of known multi-track and soundboard
recordings from various eras of the band, it is pretty clear that more or
less systematic recording of concerts has taken place. Therefore it is
fair to assume that similar recordings very likely exist from periods like
summer/fall 1970 for which other than audience recordings are yet to
surface. But a picture of an R2R recorder on stage alone does not
guarantee it.

>And as far as that reel to reel tape RECORDER goes, I've got it on
>pretty good authority that it was indeed there to record the show,
>as the group did with many shows at that time. Make what you will
>of that, I believe it.

Or, then, we are all missing the most obvious explanation - the band did
in fact perform playback that night :-)

>Thanks for playing Mythbusters with us, everybody :-)

Yeah, great fun for a while!


Rise