The Roots of Led Zeppelin

Jimmy Page was an accomplished studio guy in the '60's.  He played with the likes of The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Donavan, Petula Clark and Johnny Hallyday.

In 1968 he joined The Yardbirds which then featured Jeff Beck on lead guitar.  The two guitar lineup was brief.  Beck left the band leaving Page as the sole guitarist.  The Page only output was limited to one album (Little Games) and a tour.  After the tour, Page was the only remaining member of the band and recruited Plant, Jones and Bonham to fill in for some gig obligations.  The rest, as they say, is history.

After Led Zeppelin was firmly established, Epic records decided to release a live album of the 1968 tour.

The Yardbirds - Live Yardbirds Featuring Jimmy Page (Epic 1971)

The record was quickly deleted as Page and Zeppelin's management took exception to the prominent featuring of Page in the title.   It was released again in 1976 by Columbia Special Products and faced swift legal threats.  I found my CSP pressing long ago in a cutout bin (shrink wrap still intact).

In my humble opinion, they were probably more upset by the inclusion of the track I'm Confused which is an early take on Zeppelin's Dazed and Confused.  Although it's painfully obvious singer Keith Relf is no Robert Plant.  A few years later he would die in true Spinal Tap fashion while playing electric guitar in the bathtub.

Liner notes by Lenny Kaye - of the Patti Smith Group.

The recording itself is OK for a 1968 live album and has some stunning moments that scream Led Zeppelin.  It's marred, however, by the obtrusive audience noise dubbed in from other sources.   During the quieter moments the audience is just yacking. Pay attention people, this is history.

Ellen Foley

This is kind of a Clash footnote.   Ellen Foley just happened to be the girlfriend of Mick Jones of The Clash around the time of Sandinista.  She sang co-lead vocal on Hitsville Hit UK.    At the time she was appearing on the NBC sitcom Night Court.

When it came time to do her album, 'her boyfried' (Mick Jones) produced it.  Songs were written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones.  For a band, he used The Clash.  

Ellen Foley  - The Spirit of St. Louis (Epic 1981).

Released on the The Clash's label.

We're All DEVO

They came from Ohio. They played in Los Angeles at the dawn of the west coast punk scene.  Iggy Pop saw them at the Whisky.  He took David Bowie to a gig. Their first album ended up being produced by Brian Eno.  

Prior to the first album, they released two DIY singles.  This is the first one.

DEVO - Jocko Homo b/w Mongoloid (Boojie Boy 1977)

Formed by two sets of brothers from Ohio.  At least one of them an art student at Kent State in 1970.  They came to the scene armed with the philosophy that man was de-evolving.  This was evident in 1977.  It's even more evident now.  A Kardashian for governor of California anyone?   It might happen soon.

I saw them several times early on.  At clubs, at the Long Beach Arena.  In later days at a party for the Rugrats producers and at their final (I think) gig at the Burger Boogaloo in Oakland.

We're all DEVO

RIP Series: Ivan Kral

Since I haven't posted for quite some time, there are quite a few musicians who passed on.  Some are household names.  Some are unheralded side men who deserve some mention.    One such side man is Ivan Kral  - lead guitarist for the original Patti Smith Group.

So here's Patti's first album to commemorate Ivan.

Patti Smith - Horses (Arista 1975)

 I got this at time of release - note the white 'Horses' 

 

Even though the record was credited to Patti alone, she truly treated this as a band release.  The musicians are prominently featured on the back cover.  These four stayed with her until Patti's semi-retirement to be a mom after marrying Fred Smith from the MC5.

Early blue Arista Label in company sleeve.

The Residents Present The Third Reich and Roll

They were mysterious.  Nobody knew who they were or what they were doing.   They came from San Francisco.  They put out some of the oddest records of the 70's and 80's.

It's......

Residents.   Below is their third album

The Residents Present the Third Reich and Roll (Ralph 1976)

What we have here is one of the first 'mash-up' records.   Parts of one song are fused with parts of others.  Some sound familiar.  Some will need a degree in music theory to recognize the source.

I, for one, am particularly taken in by the Woo-Hoo portion of Sympathy for the Devil played over the outro chords to Hey Jude.

1. Let's Twist Again" (German version—sampled)
2. "Land of a Thousand Dances"
3. "Hanky Panky"
4. "A Horse with No Name"
5. "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)
6. "The Letter"
7. "Psychotic Reaction"
8. "Little Girl"
9. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (sung in German)
10. "Talk Talk" (The Music Machine)
11. "I Want Candy"
12. "To Sir, with Love"
13. "Telstar"
14. "Wipe Out"
15. "Heroes and Villains"

Hitler Was a Vegetarian[edit]

Recorded in 1975.^[2]

1. "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)"
2. "96 Tears"
3. "It's My Party"
4. "Light My Fire"
5. "Ballad of the Green Berets"
6. "Yummy Yummy Yummy"
7. "Rock Around the Clock"
8. "Pushin' Too Hard"
9. "Good Lovin'"
10. "Gloria"
11. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
12. "Sunshine of Your Love"
13. "Hey Jude"
14. "Sympathy for the Devil"