Led Zeppelin Essay, Research Paper

David Busi INST 100-03

Dr. Chivington

LED ZEPPELIN

Led Zeppelin was one of the giants of the 1970?s in hard rock. They were also one of the greatest success stories that ever played hard rock music. The group was one the more popular hard rock groups that performed in the seventies, and even had some hits in the 1960?s.

The members of the group are Jimmy Page, born on April 9, 1944, Robert Plant, born on August 24, 1948, John Paul Jones, born on January 3, 1946, and John Bonham born on May 31, 1948.

Jimmy Page played guitar, Robert Plant was the vocalist, John Paul Jones played bass guitar and the keyboard, and John Bonham beat the drums. The group had the complete set up for a band right off the start. They produced their first record in thirty hours to complete their deal with the old Yardbirds. They toured Scandinavia for awhile also to complete their obligations to the Yardbirds.

When they first came to the United States they supported Vanilla Fudge. They also played in clubs to start their American popularity. After they played in the clubs they got their first headlining tour and toured again that. They were playing their fifth tour by the March of 1970. Led Zeppelin the record was released by the Atlantic Records in 1969. Shortly after the record was released it was number eight and stayed in the top twenty for six weeks. When the Led Zeppelin II was released, it was Atlantic Records? fastest selling album at 100,000 copies a week. They broke their own record in 1975 when ?Physical Graffiti? that sold 500 copies an hour. All of their albums have gone platinum.

They were the first group to heavily tour the United States and sporadically tour the rest of the world. This occurred because there was a lack of interest in them Britain. Their success was due to their manager Peter Grant. Peter was able to keep the group moving from place to place and kept the people interested in them. Peter thought that they would work every other year so they would stay in demand. While they were working on their first movie featuring them. This movie was of the group playing their music, which was called, ?The Song Remains Playing.?

A representative from their record company called and told Page that the sales of their new album Houses of the Holy was spectacular. The record company told Page that the group, Led Zeppelin, was the biggest selling group in the world and was making the most money at the time. After Page and Plant heard this they were having a moment of triumph because their band was making it big. During this time of popularity that the band was going through, there was a feature on them in the L.A. Times. They were making music for the adolescence age group and they were being looked up at as role models.

Led Zeppelin?s manager Peter Grant was an amazing and brilliant person. Their road manager was also a great person for the band to have because he promoted them as much as possible.

By the summer of 1975, Led Zeppelin was the most popular band in the world. They were filling football stadiums across the United States. They also filled the Earl?s Court, which held 20,000 people for five days in London. It was awesome an show that had an amazing light show, smoke, dry ice, and laser beams. The concerts were focused on Jimmy Page and Robert Plant because they were the main guys in the group. On stage they were opposites and compliments: Plant a golden-ringleted Adonis marvelously parodying the sexual superstar while singing in a voice of limitless power.(www.wysiwyg://14/http://www.redrival.com/getled/history.html.) Page was a dark, fragile guitarist of immense versatility and command clothed in black velvet and rippling dragons.(www.http://www.led-zeppelin.com/news.html)

The Presence(1976) and the In Though the Out Door(1979) proved to be the last Led Zeppelin albums that were produced. John Bonham was found dead at the home of Jimmy Page on the 25 of September in 1980. (www.http://www.led-zeppelin.com/news.html) After this tragic loss the band announced that they could not play any longer. The album entitled Coda was an unreleased set of recordings and out takes which was released in 1982. In the same year, Robert Plant released his own album, which was called, ?Pictures at Eleven.?

Even in to the 1990?s the music that was produced in the early days of Led Zeppelin is still being played and loved. The music that they play is very persuasive and as popular as before. Even though they broke up ten years ago you would not know they broke because of the way that they are played on the radio.(www.wysiwyg://39/http://www.dazedandconfused.com/home.html) Zeppelin was played for their fans and followers. For generations of kids, all they needed were headphones and a decent copy of Led Zeppelin II to keep them occupied.

Led Zeppelin had their down times but they also had their good times. People have loved Led Zeppelin for years even today?s kids seem to have picked up the ear for listening to the band. Twenty-two years after their formation, the myth still surrounds the group Led Zeppelin. Few people other then Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones remember what a truly difficult road Led Zeppelin traveled in their time. Led Zeppelin in my mind is one of the best bands to ever happen to the world.