Re: Music industry discussion of LZ master tapes

[Tim Druck <tcdruck@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't think the Mickie Most thing is plausible.  It makes sense that 
someone close to the band, maybe Andy Johns or Eddie Kramer, or even one 
of Ahmet Ertegun's people would have had those tapes, but if you'll 
recall, Mickie Most had sold the band to Paul Samwell-Smith, who then 
sold it to Peter Grant, who then helped Jimmy Page form Led Zeppelin.  
Not only did Mickie Most never have anything to do with Led Zeppelin's 
management, but the Yardbirds were signed to Epic during the time that 
Most managed the group, and that makes it *extremely* unlikely that 
Atlantic's Led Zeppelin would have allowed him possession of the master 
tapes at any time.  Also well known is Jimmy's disdain for Most as a 
producer.  If Mickie Most had those tapes, it's because he acquired them 
shadily.  If I were looking for the LZ-I masters, I'd start tracking 
them down by asking Andy Johns what happened to them.  We know for 
certain that Eddie Kramer kept some masters that he was privy to because 
we discussed their sale (and its appropriateness) a few years back.  So 
those guys are the first place to look.  Certainly not the ex-manager of 
the old band twice-removed.

Even more reason for Page to keep the masters close.

I suspect Pagey has lots of stuff to be released over the next 40 or so 
years.  A treasure trove for Scarlet and Jason and Zoe and Carmen and 
Logan and John Paul's kids, methinks.  Managed correctly and released in 
dribbles over the years, it's enough to keep the descendants of Led 
Zeppelin very wealthy for a very long time.  No need to get all crass 
about it vis a vis the Hendrix family.  God bless Paul Allen for 
preserving some of what's left.

TimD