Grant's checkered career prior to Zeppelin's formation is also fun - think Spinal Tap, but with shorter hair cuts full of Vitalis, as the enormous Grant was a road manager for many American acts touring England in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, and Gene Vincent who, in a preview of some of Zeppelin's later concerts, frequently played in such a state of advanced inebriation that promoters wouldn't pay until Vincent actually showed up on stage. Welch quotes from fellow British rock journalist Keith Altham
"The curtains were drawn and the compere came out and said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, all the way from America, the king of rock 'n' roll, Mr. Gene Vincent!'"Eventually Grant became manager of the Yardbirds, where he befriended Jimmy Page, the last of their three superstar guitarists. After the Yardbirds split up in 1968, Grant was driving Jimmy Page through London and asked him the fateful question, "What are you going to do. Do you want to go back to [being a session guitarist], or what?":
The curtains opened to reveal Gene strapped to a microphone stand. Peter had rammed a tripod mike stand up the back of his jacket, which was holding him up! He gets as far as singing "Bebop-a-F*CK!' and he fell straight forward onto his face. He splatted his nose on the stage and there was blood everywhere. Two roadies came out and carried him off like a pig on a spit, completely unconscious. And Grant says to me: 'I've got the money Keith, because he was there when the curtains opened.'"
And he said, 'Well, I've got some ideas.' He didn't mention anybody. So I said, 'What about a producer?' He said, 'I'd like to do that too, if you can get a deal.' He seemed keen to form a new band, so I thought, great, let's do it. We took the name New Yardbirds to get some gigs.The New Yardbirds of course, eventually became Led Zeppelin, after Grant dropped the "a" from Lead, so as not to confuse the dullards in the States with how to pronounce the band's name. Zeppelin would dominate the US album charts and FM radio in the 1970s.
Article comments
1 - Dr. La Rue
Hello,
I happened to be on the medical staff (HAFMC) and have a backstage pass at the 1977 Oakland show where this epic altercation between PG and Bg was supposed to have happened. I also was able to speak to BG about the event a couple years later. As a witness to some of the facts at least, and hearing the things moments after it occurred, I feel compelled to address some parts of the article you wrote.
I do wonder where you got your history. BG and PG never exchanged blows. Before the Saturday show when the "altercation" took place, LZ was late, as usual. But the lateness this time was because Plant had just received the news that Saturday morning that his son was dangerously ill. Emotions and tensions were high in the LZ camp and as we know, they were never the paragon of control anyway. What happened was that a roadie crossed words with a BG security worker and they exchanged blows. And it wasn't a brawl - it was a tit and a tat. Others jumped in and restrained both parties. PG leaped in as an after thought yelling as cussing at the BG people. The band was holed up in the nearby hotel while BG negotiated with PG, calmed him down and made the Saturday show possible. LZ played the next day also. I worked at both. It was a little low engergy at times, but had its high points. I will never forget the gorgeous blonde dancing to "Rock and Roll" behind the speakers. I could see her because I was standing even further behind the speakers. Took photos too.
When I spoke to BG about it a couple years later, he revealed no sign of anger of any kind toward any of the LZ entourage. He just didn't class them with the Grateful Dead where humanistic qualities were concerned.
Also, is it really neccessary to say that "Led" was fashioned for "dullard Americans?" What a transparent shot of ingenuous vindictivity! That kind of thing takes away from your credibility. If that is a quote from Grant, I am disappointed in him, but he was a very sarcastic man. "Led" was a clever forerunner to phonetic cyber speak. (Today, they might be pb.z). I was 17 at the time and thought it was great to mispell intentionally. However, the band could easily have been called Lead Zeppelin, (especially with the first two album covers featuring the Hindenburg and then WW1 photos) the premier bag of wind? After all, the name was based on a Keith Moon joke. In those days, names for bands came from anywhere. Which is better "Electric Mud, " or "Eclectic Mud"? If they had spelled it "Beetles," would anyone really have cared? Or is it that you just hate Americans? Really a useless comment. Do you really want to divide your public?
So this is how history is usurped; those with the platform distort to their hearts desire.
Sincerely,
Old man - once a younger man than you are now.
2 - Dr. La Rue
Ed,
It has been a long time.... I do recall that the altercation occurred after or during the Saturday show. But I still insist that your report of the size of the brawl was much less. In fact, I believe it had two parts. First, was the short confrontation I described, then others gathered and a further altercation occurred. It was Sunday's show that was even later than the Saturday show because BG was negotiating with PG and the band, so that the show could go on. I recall the show was just as long, and about the same quality as Sunday. Actually, I had always recalled that Plant heard of his son's death - (a bacterial infection, celluitis - not a virus) on Saturday and this did set off the tensions that allowed the loss of control. I was never real clear looking back if I really thought that Plant knew is son was dead while he was performing, but someone quoted Page years later saying so. Since he died of cellulitis, Plant had to at least know his son was sick. What I am real sure of is that Bill Graham rather dismissed the whole thing as just some more rock and roll craziness. He took it in stride. He can't be consulted now, but he never let on if Peter Grant had laid a hand on him. No one said that happened and I was physically within yards (but out of sight) of the spot that all this occurred when it happened.
But I have never been clear on what exactly started the thing. I do recall that there was a disagreement over who would run backstage security. BG had his people and PG had his own security people, rare for a band. The negotiation was about who would run security around the band's nearest areas, the trailers that were the "rooms" at these venues. I had heard that the fight was between members of the security teams. BG did have some heavy people. Even I had a run in with one of them years later, but it wasn't violent.
Actually, I think the news of the Plant family tragedy probably sunk in after this altercation and weekend show drama subsided. After the rush of battle, so to speak - bleak news docked the "Elemental Dirigible." It is also possible that the news of the unruliness of LZ got their remaining tour dates cancelled. I think the news of the incident traveled quickly to other promoters. Either way, that was the second time LZ had cancelled their tour in America. The punk scene was rising and LZ had pretty much run their course. I can't imagine what they would have been doing as a band in the '80s, but I worked several Robert Plant shows and thought he did very well. I also worked the "Firm" shows and was happy to see JP at least having a good time, sober. I was close enough to see Page sweating profusely and detoxifying on stage, but he was happy and not delirious.
Anyway, it is sure interesting to hear Plant on NPR, sounding so intelligent, playing down the LZ legend for violence and mayhem, explaining the complexity of his musical journey and then falling back into lots of - oooohhhH, baby, babies - when he plays his new music. I still like him anyway.
I certainly don't want to seem ungainly here. I have always been an Anglophile, so I hate to see English anti-Americanism in any form. Especially when it is gratuitous.
Dr. La Rue
3 - Ed Driscoll
Dr. La Rue,
I was trying to capture the flavor Grant's thinking, based on what Welch and Davis had written about him. I'm an American myself, so I meant no harm to us!I probably should have done a better job of attribution, but when I wrote:
As far as the incident at the Oakland Coliseum, again, the only knowledge I have about the fight in Oakland was what I read in Welch's book about Peter Grant, and other Led Zeppelin bios. So I appreciate hearing a first-hand account of what happened.
I've long been a huge fan of Led Zeppelin--if you search through the list of articles I've written for this site, you'll find numerous posts about them. On the other hand, Grant's reputation in the annals of rock & roll is somewhat controversial. When I was writing my review of his biography, I tried to steer a course between acknowledging that, as well as some of the darker aspects of Zeppelin's history, while still trying express my great admiration for their music.
Regards,
Ed
4 - John M.
I am entertained by all of this. Want a real challenge? Try to post some quality photos of Horselunges Manor. I've been trying to get my hands of some and it is difficult. I have a swan song poster signed by all four band members hanging in my office, by all rights Grant's signature should be there as well. Back to the real deal here, the photos - are there any and if so where should i go online.
thanks to you all
5 - Trucker
I have a back stage passAtlanta, Seattle, and Dallas could someone tell me more about that pass?
6 - Steve A. Jones
John M. - I have vintage and contemporary
photos of Horselunges Manor, to include several with Peter Grant. Please contact me via email - SonicRemaster(at)hotmail.com
All please note Robert Plant did not receive word of his son's passing until the band arrived at their hotel in New Orleans and he took a call from his wife. He, Bonham and Richard Cole immediately departed for England and the rest of the tour was cancelled. The point is his son's tragic death happened AFTER Oakland concerts were complete.
7 - JAM
i HAVE ACQUIRED MANY PHOTOS OF HORSELUNGES MANOR FROM A GENTLEMAN IN SUSSEX. HE EVEN OFFERED TO TAKE MY WIFE AND I ON A PRIVATE TOUR OF THE HOME IF WE JOURNEY OVER THERE. THE MANOR IS NOW PART OF A TRUST AND OWNED BY THE TOWNSHIP.
8 - at
horselunges manor is not owned by the township. its owned by my parents. and i love living there. have done for many years