Aerosmith guitarist says Page trying to motivate Plant to return to Zeppelin

Guitarist Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, in an appearance today on the syndicated "Todd n Tyler Radio Empire," explained what bandmate Steven Tyler was doing in England with Jimmy Page.

"First of all, they did it for fun," said Whitford, who plans to tour with Aerosmith again beginning in March 2009. His comments were the first from the Aerosmith stable confirming a report published Saturday in England's Daily Mail that mentioned Tyler's jam session with Page and Led Zeppelin bandmates John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham.

Whitford brought up Aerosmith's history of playing with Page and his own particular admiration of Page as a guitarist. He then speculated as to the message Page and the others may have been trying to relate to Robert Plant by way of the media.

"I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because, I think, he was trying to light a fire under Robert," Whitford said. "Come on! Come on, Robert, let's go!"

Plant announced in September in a message on his official Web site that he has no intention of touring or recording with Led Zeppelin for the next two years.

The "Todd n Tyler Radio Empire" interviewers asked Whitford if, out of all the singers in the world, Steven Tyler is one of the most intimidating Page and company could have brought in to motivate Plant. Whitford's answer was as short as it needed to be: "Yes, absolutely."

The program also conducted an interview with Danny Goldberg, who worked with Led Zeppelin's organization for three years in the mid 1970s. In that interview, Goldberg said he believes Plant will come around and play with Led Zeppelin again someday, even if it is two or three years from now.

Led Zeppelin won't exist without Plant, insists Harvey Goldsmith

Promoter Harvey Goldsmith said if Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones go on tour with Jason Bonham and some singer other than Robert Plant, they would likely not call it Led Zeppelin.

The founder of Harvey Goldsmith Presents, who promoted Led Zeppelin concerts in the 1970s and last year's one-off reunion, spoke this morning as a panelist in the keynote session at Musexpo Europe 2008, held at the Cumberland Hotel in London. He was quoted in a BBC News report by Ian Youngs.

Goldsmith's remarks, some given privately to BBC News and others delivered as part of the keynote, are carried in the article:

"I certainly don't think they should do a big tour because I can't see the point of it. ... I doubt it will be called Led Zeppelin. ... I just think it's a lot of talk, I think it's wishful thinking. Whether they all come together and do something in the future, they may. I think some of the band really want to go out and do it and other parts of the band need to understand why they're doing it, and if there's no compelling reason to do it, then they shouldn't do it. I think that there is an opportunity for them to go out and present themselves. I don't think a long rambling tour is the answer as Led Zeppelin. ... It's a question of whether they want to do it, and you've got to want to do it. Otherwise it's done for the wrong reasons, and when things are done for the wrong reasons, they don't work."

Current media speculation is that Led Zeppelin will reunite without Robert Plant. Media insist John Paul Jones said this will happen.

However, remarks Jones made over the weekend never included an assertion that his project with Page, Bonham and any yet-to-be-identified singer (or singers) would be called Led Zeppelin.

Jones has said, notably, that he doesn't want his new project to become a Led Zeppelin tribute act. In an interview broadcast by BBC Radio Devon on Oct. 27, Jones said:

"It's gotta be right, you know. Just trying to recreate -- or just find another Robert, I mean, you could just pick somebody out of a tribute band. I mean, what's the point of that, you know? We don't want to be our own tribute band."

New album and tour may surface, John Paul Jones tells BBC Radio Devon

BBC Radio Devon caught up with John Paul Jones at the Mansons Guitar Show in Exeter on Oct. 26. "The Late Show," hosted by Vic Morgan, broadcast the full interview with Jones last night.

Jones commented on Led Zeppelin's one-off concert at the O2 Arena in London this past December:

"It was wonderful, it was wonderful. It was a combination of a lot of hard work. We worked really, really hard. It wasn't just a matter of getting through the show and just hoping that people hearing the songs again would carry us through. We were determined to give a really top-of-the-line performance. And you've got to be so familiar with it all again and then move on to the next level. And it was very important to us that we did that, and we did it. I think we pulled it off. We put a tremendous amount of work in it, a lot of focus on that one show."

He then confirmed that an album and tour could be in the works once the lineup with Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham and a new singer is firmed up. Jones added that this project is taking priority over the solo album he announced years ago would be his follow-up to The Thunderthief, released in 2002.

Some things to notice from this:

• Jones never said the project will be called Led Zeppelin. The talk of replacing Robert Plant may be off-base. They may simply be auditioning singers for a new, separate band consisted of two original members of Led Zeppelin and the son of a third.
  
• Jones says an album and tour will follow. How does this differ from Jimmy Page's most recent comments on the subject, delivered last month, in which he denied media speculation? I always took Page's comments to mean there would be no album or tour, yet here's Jonesy saying there will be both. The only distinction is, again, whether it would be called Led Zeppelin or not.
  

Vocal auditions continue; Alter Bridge singer would juggle bands, bandmate says

The search for a new singer to join Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham is on, sources including Jones himself have confirmed either publicly or to news organizations.

Jones said as recently as yesterday that no one singer had been identified for his project with the other musicians. He did say the new music is loud and has been enjoyable for everyone involved.

His comments, delivered Sunday, were the first to come directly from any of the musicians after Robert Plant announced he had no intention of touring or recording with the others despite having joined up with them in December at Led Zeppelin's only full concert in over 27 years.

Two days ago, England's Daily Mail reported that Steven Tyler had been rehearsing with Page, Jones and Bonham, citing an anonymous source. Jones, in his spoken comments the following day, did not allude to any particular singers but said an announcement would be made only after a decision is made.

One oft-cited possible singer for Page, Jones and Bonham is Myles Kennedy, who is currently the vocalist for Alter Bridge, a Florida-based rock group that is scheduled to tour the United Kingdom and mainland Europe in November and December. This will include an early date, Nov. 8, in the Led Zeppelin base of London, that will be filmed for a DVD release. (This development is somewhat reminiscent to me of the Foo Fighters shows in London that were released on DVD earlier this year with an encore set including Page and Jones. I'm not saying history will repeat itself; I'm just saying it crossed my mind.)

For the first several weeks, none of Alter Bridge's members were known to be addressing the longstanding rumors of Kennedy's possible selection to join Page, Jones and Bonham. Guitarist Mark Tremonti has broken the silence in an interview published in Kerrang magazine, revealing that Kennedy would remain a member of Alter Bridge during time off with the British musicians. Tremonti says he welcomes the attention Alter Bridge would gain if Kennedy were to tour in some capacity with Page, Jones and Bonham.

Tremonti, a former member of Creed, formed Alter Bridge in 2004 with two other former Creed members and selected as their new singer Kennedy, who was singing for West Coast group the Mayfield Four. It was with a brief singing and acting role in the 2001 film "Rock Star" that Kennedy made his theatrical debut, giving him his first-ever connection to Bonham, who played drums for the movie's fictional band.

While Kennedy has not directly commented on his rumored link to Page, Jones and Bonham rehearsals, he did recently write on his official blog that he has been composing new music that could be used for a project other than Alter Bridge. He did not elaborate on what that project might be.

In August, Bonham became the first of the bunch to reveal he had been jamming with Page and Jones in England. Page offered sparse words early in September tempering media speculation that a Led Zeppelin tour or album was a certainty. Plant's announcement that he did not intend to participate in any Led Zeppelin activities followed at the end of the month, which coincidentally included the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin's first concert.

Loud music on the way, says John Paul Jones

What's keeping Robert Plant away from reuniting Led Zeppelin comes down to the music, John Paul Jones said Sunday.

Speaking before a crowd during a question-and-answer session in Exeter, England, Jones addressed for the first time reports of rehearsals involving Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham and himself.

A YouTube video of the Mansons Guitar Show workshop has Jones saying he and the others are working on "loud music." They hope to announce something soon, he said, "because we really want to do it."

As for what singer (or singers) would be involved, Jones told the crowd, "I'm afraid there's no final answer yet."

The audience member asking Jones the question did not invoke the names of any of the singers mentioned as having been involved during the rehearsal stage, nor did Jones volunteer any particular names.

He did, however, confirm that "the odd singer" has often been involved and that they are enjoying playing together. He praised Bonham's creativity and repeated that they are "really having a lot of fun, just rehearsing."

At first, Jones playfully responded to the question by issuing his own: "Who wants to know?" And after providing his full answer, he decided against taking any follow-up questions, opting instead to play some music. The audience reaction apparent in the video was not one of disappointment.

"As soon as we know, which we don't, we will let you know," said Jones. He re-emphasized this point in his closing, adding, "When it does come, it'll come, and you'll know about it."

The big difference between this trio and Plant, according to Jones, is the style of music now they want to play. "We really want to do something, and Robert doesn't want to do this sort of thing -- at least for the moment," he said. "I don't really know what his plans are."

"He doesn't want to make loud music anymore," Jones said of Plant. "I mean, I like acoustic music. I love acoustic music, but it really doesn't stop me liking turning something up and just smashing the hell out of it."

Oh, you mean like TVs?

"We really hope that something's going to happen soon because we really want to do it," said Jones.

Steven Tyler rumor aired on eve of John Paul Jones Q&A

A public question-and-answer session with John Paul Jones scheduled to take place tomorrow just got more interesting.

It has been quiet since the statement by Jimmy Page that his jam sessions with Jones and Jason Bonham were not as monumental as the press had been making them out to be. At the time, media reports speculated about a Led Zeppelin album or tour already under works.

But that was before Robert Plant said he had no intentions of taking part in either an album or tour. And it was also before rumors spread placing the other rehearsing Led Zeppelin bandmates in the midst of a singer other than Plant.

Names like Myles Kennedy and Jack White have been touted in the press, but not a word on the subject has been uttered by Page, Jones or Bonham. It has been a while since any of them elaborated on it, and Jones in particular has been the least vocal in recent months.

But the quiet one is about to open his mouth. Jones is slotted to take questions during the event. Surely, not everything people want to know from Jones at this point has to do with instruments and strings and tunings. Especially not when the latest singer rumored to be jamming with the Zeppelin trio sans Plant is none other than Steven Tyler of Aerosmith!

What will Jones say tomorrow if asked to confirm or deny the rumors of his involvement with Page and Bonham and another singer? The question has been ready since the Mansons Guitar Shop in Exeter, England, announced Jones's participation a few weeks back in workshop taking place this weekend.

Perhaps the level of interest will be much higher thanks to the latest rumor about what has been going on behind closed doors and what might be around the corner.

An unnamed source has apparently told the Daily Mail that Tyler has spent a few days rehearsing with the others. As reported only one day before the Q&A with Jones, the source says, "Steve was jamming with Zep. They had a great time but Steve kept fluffing his lines. He got quite flustered about it."

Tyler has long admitted to being a huge fan of Led Zeppelin -- and also of Page's earlier band, the Yardbirds. The Boston band was founded in the early 1970s while Zep had just taken off. Aerosmith recorded "Train Kept A-Rollin'," which was a cover the Yardbirds used to play and had been resurrected in concert by Led Zeppelin in the band's early days. Page sat in with Aerosmith in 1990 while the group played London.



After Tyler inducted Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, he and Aerosmith's Joe Perry sat in with Bonham, Jones, Page and Plant for a few songs.



Tyler also narrated the hour-long program "Legends" for VH-1 that focused on Led Zeppelin.

It is likely that during tomorrow's question-and-answer session, Jones will be prompted to address publicly for the first time the rumors he and the others involved with Led Zeppelin have been jamming with singers. Even if no decision has been reached as to what project may come out of the jamming, the opportunity to talk about Tyler or Kennedy will be there for Jones, should he choose to.

Kennedy, who fronts the band Alter Bridge and also plays guitar in addition to sporting a wild vocal range, has not commented on reports spread by Britain's The Sun and elsewhere that he has been musically involved with Jones, Page and Bonham.

Jones may have to tell all. The day of reckoning is upon us. This is tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow ...

John Paul Jones, Rayna Gellert featured on album released today

The voices of John Paul Jones and Rayna Gellert are backed by a subtle drone instrumentation in their song that opens the album Help Me to Sing: Songs of the Sacred Harp. Here is a 30-second audio clip of Jones singing "Blooming Youth" with Gellert, who is one of the four women in Uncle Earl.

The photograph of them together is from their appearance together at MerleFest on April 28, 2007.