Coverdale Page. They never really got off the ground.
Unreleased Coverdale Page Song
Southern Comfort (Acoustic)
I want to share this nice unreleased Coverdale Page track. It’s a nice acoustic number entitled Southern Comfort. There’s no solo or anything, but the chord voicings could only belong to one Mr. James Patrick Page. I could never connect with the Coverdale Page album.
A few years ago three unreleased songs were “leaked” by David Coverdale on his website. As such only lossy (.mp3) versions of these songs exist out here in the wild. This one, Southern Comfort, is the only acoustic track.
The is some mud in the water regarding this track, with some saying this is a unreleased track from David Coverdale’s 2000 solo album. However, the man himself said on Twitter that this song is from the Coverdale Page sessions. So, case closed. Plus it’s obviously Jimmy Page playing with that tuning.
One of these day’s I’ll cover Coverdale Page on the podcast. Until then let this hold you over.
In any case enjoy this little rarity (although rarities are a rarity in this digital age. Nothing’s rare if it’s on YouTube). 🙂
Young and hungry. Velvet pants and the telecaster.Imagine being the happy few who saw this gig.
There are some really great songs performed on Zep’s first couple of tours which are never repeated. For Your Love is one of them. This is from January 5, 1969. Led Zeppelin I wasn’t out yet. They had been in the USA for one week. They’re still driving a van to gigs. They’re not insanely tight yet. They’re rough and raw. Pure power. Jimmy playing the telecaster he played in the Yardbirds. He didn’t have the Les Paul yet. Joe Walsh sold him his Les Paul. Did you know that? You do now. That pic in the video is from the Boston Tea Party in May 1969. Jimmy has the Les Paul there, because he bought it in April.
This show, the Whiskey A Go Go, January 5, 1969, is the first soundboard recording we mortals can hear. The band had only been in the states for their first tour, for a week. They were playing gymnasiums and clubs. Absolutely no one knew who they were, or what they brought.
Led Zeppelin was young and hungry. They set out to blow the acts for which they were opening (Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, The Doors, for example) off the stage. They succeeded. They had a lot of cover songs in their set, because they only had album in the can, and no one had any idea who they were, aside from ‘the guy from the yardbirds’. And it wasn’t like ‘that guy from the Yardbirds’ had much effect, because at that point, Jimmy Page was the least famous guy from the Yardbirds. Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were already stars. The Jeff Beck Group was already touring, and had two albums out (or at least one), fronted by Rod Stewart. Zeppelin started from obscurity and fucking conquered.
You can hear that in this performance of the Yardbirds hit, For Your Love. It’s kind of loose, super aggressive, but the thing that stands out for me is that they aren’t gelled completely as a band, yet. They’re awesome for sure but almost unstable in their ferocity. I love it.
It’s an open secret that Jimmy Page has been retired, officially or not, since at least 2000 (when he toured with the Black Crowes), or even 1998 (his last creative period with new material). He has made a few appearances over the years, with Donovan, with Jeff Beck at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and with his old friend, and collaborator, Roy Harper.
This clip is from Roy’s 70th birthday concert, and it’s absolutely brilliant. The song, Same Old Rock, is from his Stormcock album, on which Jimmy played, and it’s anthemic and amazing, and awesome.
Roy’s voice is still strong and pure, and Jimmy comes out and nails his parts like he did back in the early 70’s. It’s great. Dave Lewis has an excellent write up of this gig on his site, if you want to know more.
This song is so good I want you to read the lyrics (if you so desire), because they’re excellent.
All along the ancient wastes the thin reflections spin
That gather all the times and tides at once we love within
That build the edges round the shrouds that cloud the setting sun
And carry us to other days and other days to one
And full the single stillness of the mirror that is made
By each and every one of all the colours in a shade
Inside each eye is sitting like the sword inside the blade
And longs for once upon a chance to open love’s cascade
For here we stand – hand to hand
Fighting for the Promised Land
And you try to tell me with consternation
That you have found me a brand new lock
Then you try to warn me that there’s only one combination
One new sling – the same old rock
There is a famous straggler stood on the edge of time
Who held the staff but did not feel the pain
He multiplied the mystery with utterance sublime
And crossed his heart for those who died insane
His friend a restless mouthpiece 7000 years of age
Trends to flash a face to shape his ways
Everlasting light is burning bright inside his cage
He’s only got to breathe to fan the blaze
 Such a groove to have him here on-board Her Ladyship
The man who makes his living out of bed
Such a gas to see him flying through his ceaseless lip
One day, someday soon, he’ll lose his head
And withering in the galleries with eyes fixed on the door
Are who and you and me and thanks a lot
And those who see but cannot stand to walk on any floor
For fear that good is something bad is not
But loud and clear is the call
In black and white across your wall
Damn it all, man, can’t you see
And you try to tell me with consternation
That you have found me a brand new lock
Then you try to warn me that there’s only one combination
One new sling – the same old rock
Man, the Allman Brothers were great. I’m sorry that I didn’t realize how great they were, before they disbanded. I never saw them live to my shame. Well, if you know the Allmans at all you probably remember that they would have week long residencies at New York’s Beacon theater. During 2009 they were joined by Eric Clapton.
Clapton has been a fan of the Allmans since day one. Duane was in Derek and Dominoes, and the deluxe version that album has a long jam with the Allmans back in 1970. Amazing. The Allmans (to me) are everything the Grateful Dead are said to be. That’s not a war cry, just an opinion. I’ve written of my love of them before.
This show is incredible. I am in awe at the level of interplay, and musical genius, are at work here. Clapton fits in perfectly but in no way overshadows. It’s both a testament to the quality of the Allmans, as much as Eric’s. It makes me sad that he (Clapton) never again went for a real tight but loose jam band, after the Dominoes. I get it. Cream was a nightmare of drama and fighting, Blind Faith was also rife with drama (cough… Ginger Baker… cough), and then the Dominoes faded away into heroin addiction, and alcoholism.
On With The Show
SET LIST: 01. Introduction 02. Key To The Highway 03. Dreams 04. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad 05. Little Wing 06. Anyday 07. Layla 08. Ending
As you see there is a decent chunk of the Layla album represented, both (I think), as a celebration and a homage, to Duane Allman, and all that could have been. The beauty of the set is 100% in the Layla vibe, while completely being Derek Trucks’ and Warren Haynes’ 21st Century creation. The old were great in the way that they were back in 1970. There’s no redefining or modernizing.
The rhythm section with two drummers, and a percussionist, is truly key to this performance, and the Allman Brothers Band, as a whole. Jaimoe and Butch Trucks (RIP) deepen the groove, while making the drums sound like one drummer with four arms. I love them. Oteil Burbridge plays bass so deep in the pocket that you don’t notice that he’s the mortar holding all this together.
I LOVE THIS SHOW. Watch it. Listen to it. Keep listening. It’s astonishing good. My word good not good as newspaper word good, so if you’d like a professional review of this set, here’s the original New York Times write up. Enjoy. I hope you like it.
If you would like a copy of the concert from which I take the tracks used in the podcast, you can download .mp3 copies of the show from my google Drive. I converted to 320kbs using the LAME Encoder, so yes it’s lossy (that means don’t trade it), but it sounds virtually identical to the raw FLAC files.
If you have no idea what any of that means, no worries. Just download the songs and play them forever. Enjoy.
The Golden Ticket
Jimmy Page – The Last Outrider Show. 11/26/88. Manchester UK
Playing the acoustic section of If I Cannot Have Your Love. 1988
Yep. It’s true. I am working on a new episode of the Heart Of Markness, after a long long absence. I’ll get into the reasons why I’ve been gone (tl;dr – two consecutive computers died, taking all my drafts and audio), and what the future will hold.
This episode will be an exploration of Jimmy Page’s 1988 Outrider tour, which is a woefully unappreciated tour. Jimmy was playing like it was 1975 (sometimes even 1973) again, and he was consistently on fire, every night. No more phoning it in, and no more hiding sloppy playing behind chorus and flange pedals.
Ok. Keep your eyes peeled. The new episode will up by the end of this week.
I don’t have any backstory for this. Someone wonderful posted the link to this, on the FBO (For Badgeholders Only) mailing list (yes, it’s been around that long). The YouTube account and opening credit is named something called the Academy of Achievement.
It looks pretty highbrow. The kind of library that includes interviews with Bill Clinton, Ernst Mayr, and Paul Kagame. Jimmy is eloquent and loquacious, giving fascinating answers and insight into Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, music in general, and life. He’s surprisingly insightful, reflective, and (dare I say), wise.
In talking about how he takes care of himself, he simply recounts how he was still drinking into his 50’s, and smoking, and realized that if he knocked it off, he would likely live into his 70’s. And he has (knock wood. No, seriously. Do it)
He mentions being at the hotel at which Martin Luther King was killed, shortly after it occurred. He talks about how african american people would attend Yardbirds concerts, along with white people, but after the assassination of MLK, that stopped.
As a whackadoodle Led Zeppelin fan I have seen a lot, a… lot… of Jimmy Page interviews, and this one is hands down the highest level (intellectually) and most relaxed interviews of his I’ve seen. No fluff about what Zoso means, or when they’re reuniting. It’s almost like a Charlie Rose level of interview. We don’t hear the interviewer at all. They have a title card display the question asked, and Jimmy just started talking.
I know that many Zep fans won’t really be interested in watching an hour long interview with anyone. The music speaks for itself, and I won’t blame you if this isn’t your thing. However I have a podcast which deals with the more esoteric elements of Jimmy Page’s career, as well as great live Zeppelin material, so you’ll have to forgive the occasional niche post.
What a great image. Swan Song was one of the best.
Death Wish 2 Soundtrack
Lesser Known Tracks
Many Led Zeppelin fans of a certain age remember the Death Wish 2 soundtrack. It was, decidedly, not Zeppelin. Jimmy Page has performed a few songs from this over the years, City Sirens, Who’s To Blame, and Prelude. He’s played them with the Arms Tour, with the Firm (at least Prelude), and on the Outrider tour.
They’re good tracks but there are a couple of others from this album which deserve some love. Jimmy’s choice of Chris Farlowe as vocalist has, in my opinion, limited the appeal of this soundtrack, but this was a very rushed, last minute project, and Chris was a friend with whom Jimmy had recorded before, so I get it. You may recognize Chris’ voice as the singer of Prison Blues on Jimmy’s Outrider album.
Hypnotizing Ways (Oh Mama)
Hypnotizing Ways is a nice rock song. Jimmy doesn’t usually use suspended fourths (music nerd alert), but I like it. If there was another singer on this I think it would have more traction, but I enjoy it.
Jam Sandwich
A nice little instrumental jam. I really dig it. You can hear flashes of the guitar god on the solos. Jimmy made the noble decision to walk away from the Zeppelin catalog (at least until 1988), after the breakup of the band, so hearing some very Zep-like licks is refreshing.
The story of how this project came about is an interesting one, at least as much as the XYZ project, so perhaps I will do a podcast about it. Until that glorious day you will have to make do with these two songs, which have fallen through the cracks.
At this time the only place you can buy this (remastered and expanded) soundtrack is from Jimmy Page himself, on his website. From what I understand it sounds great and the extra tracks are pretty badass.
I posted this video on Youtube years ago, after downloading off of Dimeadozen. I attended the Outrider concert the following night in Worcedeter, MA, but that’s a story for another day.
The Outrider album is… ok. The playing is great which the big thing. After two Firm albums, and a bunch of shaky performances, I was delighted that Jimmy got his chops back and came out swinging.
The Outrider tour was fucking incredible. For the first time since 1980, he was playing Led Zeppelin, along with a couple Firm songs, some Death Wish 2 stuff, and and Yardbirds tune (Train Kept A Rollin). It’s interesting to note that Robert Plant was also touring at this time, and he too was playing Zep tunes for the first time since the breakup.
This is a home shot video with matching audio. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, at all. This is totally something you can listen to in your car as you’re going to work, or at your desk. It’s really really great.
If you’re one of the people who teeth because I do not think the Firm was impressive, watch and listen to this show, and see what impresses me, Jimmy Page-wise.
His touring band was Jason Bonham on drums, Durban Laverde on bass, and John Miles on vocals. John Miles had sung for the Alan Parsons Project (Stereotomy), and he sang ably.
I will do a podcast about the Outrider tour fairly soon, in which I will spend time talking about the whole post Firm timeline, and how Jimmy got his groove back. For now enjoy the amazing document from one of rock’s greatest guitarists.
I first heard this song on Dr. Demento, on WCOZ, in the early 1980’s. I didn’t know it at the time (I was a kid) that this was a satire of the spoken word poem Desiderata (Latin for “Things to be desired”), I only knew it was hilarious. Les Crane released it as a spoken word single which was a hit. I vaguely remember seeing posters with this poem on it, as a child in the 70’s, but I wouldn’t swear by it.
Melissa Manchester is the female singer on this, which is cool. If you know the poem being satired, then this may be funnier, but I think it’s still funny regardless.
This is the radio station I used to listen to Dr, Demento.
