History of Rock: Led Zeppelin

What song on the band's first album was their attempt at heavy metal psychedelia?

"Dazed and Confused"

What are the first two tracks on Led Zeppelin (1969 album)?

"Good Times Bad Times" "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You"

TRUE/FALSE: Jimmy Page was supportive of branding Led Zeppelin as heavy metal.

False, he hated the term. He wanted the group's music to be known for it's variety.

Who was the record producer behind Led Zeppelin's first album?

Glyn Johns; he was able to capture that intense, live sound.

What was notable about the artwork for Led Zeppelin IV?

It included unexplained symbolism; the band wanted audiences to figure it out for themselves.

When did Led Zeppelin release their first album?

January 1969

From the Led Zeppelin II album and tour, the band found their second home in ____________.

Los Angeles

The band's fourth album, commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, was released in ____________.

November of 1971

Led Zeppelin took a forced hiatus from touring in 1976, what was the cause of this?

Robert Plant and his wife were involved in a serious car accident.

Led Zeppelin, then known as The New Yardbirds, had their first tour towards the end of 1968. Where was it?

Scandinavia

TRUE/FALSE: Led Zeppelin II was much more popular than their first album.

True

TRUE/FALSE: The band met some physical hostility during their tours in '69 and '70.

True. It was a rough time for hippie-related musicians in general.

Led Zeppelin was often accused of stealing other artists' songs. What is a prominent example of this?

"Whole Lotta Love" was allegedly ripped off from "You Need Love," written by Willie Dixon. About 20 years after it's release, Dixon actually sued for it and won, earning shared credit for the song.

What was the audience reaction to Led Zeppelin III?

Extremely negative. The album came out platinum, but sales suddenly dropped sharply. The sudden change in style pissed off their fanbase and the press.

TRUE/FALSE: The band's first album drew a lot of negative criticism, and was a commercial failure.

FALSE - While the album did draw negative criticism, mostly because hippie/psychedelia audiences at the time weren't used to the style, it was a commercial success regardless.

What musical influences did Led Zeppelin IV include?

Folk influences/hard rock blended together

Peter Grant famously ironed out one of the most lucrative deals of all time with Atlantic Records. What were the benefits of the agreement?

Grant got the band a five-album deal, with full creative control of the music and artwork. Additionally, he got about $140,000 up-front from Atlantic. By today's standards, that's about $1 million.

Who founded Led Zeppelin, and when?

Jimmy Page, 1968

Jimmy Page was a huge rising star in the industry when he formed Led Zeppelin. What was a defining ability of his that aided him in his early career?

Page was able to perform under pressure in the studio, making many of his records extremely high-quality.

The years following Led Zeppelin IV (1973-1975) were the band's peak success. What was their next move after their deal with Atlantic ended?

They started their own company, Swan Song Records.

What was Jimmy Page's vision for the band in terms of their music?

To blend the heaviness of 1960s rock with lighter, acoustic folk rock

Summary: List Led Zeppelin's first seven studio albums and when they were released.

1. Led Zeppelin (Jan. 1969) 2. Led Zeppelin II (Oct. 1969) 3. Led Zeppelin III (Oct. 1970) 4. Untitled [Led Zeppelin IV] (Nov. 1971) 5. Houses of The Holy (Mar. 1973) 6. Physical Graffiti (Feb. 1975) 7. Presence (Mar. 1976)

Led Zeppelin II went straight to #1 on the charts, replacing ______________ by The Beatles as the #1 record in America in December of 1969.

Abbey Road

When did Zeppelin get their first big offer and what was it?

At the end of 1969, they were offered $1 million to headline a New Year's show.

The band began recording their first album in October of 1968, although they didn't have a record deal yet. What label did Peter Grant get them signed to?

Atlantic Records

Many people were upset by Led Zeppelin's meteoric rise in the industry. Why?

Because it was the signaling of a new era, and it made people uncomfortable.

How did Jimmy Page react to the negative reviews of Led Zeppelin III?

He was livid, and refused any interviews with the press. He was frustrated over the fact that, no matter what he did, people weren't happy.

Why was Peter Grant able to negotiate such a lucrative deal with Atlantic?

In short, he was a very imposing man. Grant was a huge dude and a former wrestler; he got what he wanted.

Led Zeppelin II was the story of the band on the road. What was it like musically?

It had a dry, studio/room sound. It was the beginning of '70s-sounding rock.

What did Led Zeppelin III represent for the band musically?

It represented Page's original vision for the band; a group that was capable of many different styles and was constantly growing and evolving.

What was the motivation behind the creation of Led Zeppelin?

Jimmy Page and his manager, Peter Grant, still had some unfulfilled tour dates following the breakup of The Yardbirds. As The New Yardbirds, the band was largely created to fulfill those dates.

What was the original lineup of Led Zeppelin?

Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, Robert Plant on vocals, and John Bonham on drums.

John Bonham's performance as the band's drummer was, in many ways, the glue that held everything together. However, he wasn't interested in joining the band at first. What convinced him?

Jimmy Page was adamant that they have him in the group, so he and Robert Plant continually worked Bonham about it until he was persuaded.

"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was originally a song by ___________ that Led Zeppelin adapted into a rock tune.

Joan Baez

The band was finally forced to disband in 1980 following the death of ____________.

John Bonham.

The band's follow-up album was titled _______ and was released in October of ________.

Led Zeppelin II, 1969

Led Zeppelin was not originally known by that name. What was the band's original moniker?

The New Yardbirds

What was the mindset behind Led Zeppelin IV?

The band decided they were gonna do what they wanted, and the naysayers could piss off.

How did Led Zeppelin III come about?

The band finally went back home to England in 1970. Robert Plant and Jimmy Page spent some time in Wales with acoustic guitars and wrote some new music. This became Led Zeppelin III.

Swan Song Records was a highly dysfunctional company, why?

The structure of the company included the stipulation that, for anything to get done, a five-way agreement between the band members and Peter Grant had to be reached. Grant was dealing with a lot of personal problems, and had become a cocaine user. As a result, he never signed off on anything and made it nearly impossible for anything to happen.

What did Zeppelin's audience generally consist of?

The younger siblings of the counterculture hippie generation; the youngest of the baby boomers.

What was a unique feature of the makeup of Led Zeppelin's original lineup?

There were no weak links. Everybody seemed fully realized in their talent, whereas with other rock bands you could typically pick out a member or two that didn't quite measure up.

Led Zeppelin IV was well received by audiences and critics. Following this success, how did the band change as far as how they interacted with fans and the press?

They closed themselves off. By doing this, they became more in-demand. This was a stark contrast to the way other rock bands interacting with their fans.

How was Led Zeppelin received by the mainstream press early on?

They didn't get a lot of attention. They weren't established like The Rolling Stones and The Who.

Despite their first album not being released yet, Peter Grant kept the band busy in December of 1968. What did they do during this time?

They headed over to America to play some gigs, even opening for Vanilla Fudge at one point.

As shown in their first album, Led Zeppelin had an undeniable ability to __________________________________. Most of, if not all the songs on the album are fairly long.

keep their music interesting