by Mick Wall
Stringbeats, the
Stripper, The
Strummer, Joe
Studio
Sullivan, Big Jim
Sullivan, Ed
Sumlin, Hubert
Summers, Montague
Summit Arena, Houston
Sun
Sunday Express
Sunday Night at the London Palladium
Sunday School studio
Sunday Times, The
Sunset Sound Studios
‘Sunshine Superman’
Superhype
Superlungs
Supershow
Supersonic
‘Superstition’
Supremes, the
Surrey, University of
Sutch, Screaming Lord
Sutcliffe, Phil
Sutton Art College
Swansea Top Rank
Swanson, Gloria
Swan Song
Sweden
Swedish TV
‘Sweet Baby’
Swingle’s Celebrity Hotel
Switzerland
Sydney
Sylmar earthquake
‘Sympathy for the Devil’
Szabo, Gabor
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal Hotel, Bombay
Talmy, Shel
Tamla Motown
Tampa
‘Tangerine’
Tapestry
Tarantino, Quentin
Tate, Sharon
‘Taurus’
Taylor, Bobby
Taylor, Dick
Taylor, Elizabeth
Taylor, James
Taylor, Mick
‘Tea for One’
T-Bones, the
Teen Club, Denmark
Telegraph
‘Ten Little Indians’
Tennessee Teens, the
Ten Years After
‘Ten Years Gone’
Termen, Lev
Terry, Sonny
Texas
Thailand
‘Thank You’
Thatcher, Margaret
‘That’s The Way’
Thee Charming Experience, LA
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Them
‘There Are But Four Rolling Stones’
‘Think About It’
Thinkfarm design company
Thin Lizzy
‘This Is….’
Thomas, Sir William ap
Thompson, Bill
Thompson, Tony
Thorgerson, Storm
Thorup, Peter
‘Those Were the Days’
‘Three Blind Mice’
Three Dog Night
‘365 Rolling Stones (One for Every Day of the Year)’
Three Week Hero
Throbbing Gristle
Thunderbirds, the
Thunderchief, The
Tibet, Dave
‘Ticket to Ride’
‘Tidal’
Tidmarsh, Chris (Red E. Lewis; later known as Neil Christian) see also Christian, Neil
Tight But Loose
‘Time Drags By’
Time Out
‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor’
Toad the Wet Sprocket
‘Tobacco Road’
Tokyo
Tolkien, J.R.R
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
‘Tom Cat’
Tommy
Tomorrow
‘Tomorrow’s Clown’
Tonbridge
Top Gear
Top of the Pops
Top Pops magazine
Tornados, the
Toronto
Tory Party
Tosh, Peter
Tous En Scene
Tower House
‘Tower of Strength’
Townshend, Pete
Tracey, Reg
Traffic
‘Train Kept A-Rolling’
Tramp, London
‘Trampled Underfoot’
Transatlantic
‘Travelling Riverside Blues
Travers, P.L.
Trax disco, New York
‘Treat Her Right’
T. Rex
‘Tribute to Bert Burns’
Trident Studios
Troubadour, LA
Trouser Press
Truth
Turd Burglars
‘Turn on Your Love Light’
TV-Byen
12 String Guitar
21s Coffee Bar, London
2001
Uhelszki, Jaan
UK Hall of Fame
Ulster Hall, Belfast
Uncle Earl
UNICEF charity show
United States see America
Unit 4 + 2
Upchurch, Phil
‘Unplugged’
Uriah Heep
U.S.A Today
US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Utopia
U2
Vagabonds, the
Valens, Richie
Valentine, Rudolph
Vancouver
Van Dike club, Plymouth
Vanilla Fudge
Vanity Fair
Van Ronk, Dave
Variety
Verrall, Ronnie
Viagogo
Victoria Hall, Selkirk
Vietnam
Vigorelli football stadium, Milan
Vikernes, Kristian (aka Count Grisnackh)
Vikings, the
Village Green Preservation Society
Village Theater, New York
Villa Nellcote
Vincent, Gene
Virgin Records
Volumes, the
‘Waggoners Lad, The’
‘Wait For Me’
Waiting For The Sun
Wales
Walker, Johnnie
Walking into Clarksdale
‘Walk Tall’
Walk the Line
Waller, Fats
Waller, Micky
‘Walter’s Walk’
‘Wanton Song, The’
Ward, Bill
Warner Bros.
Washington, Dinah
Waters, Muddy
Waters, Roger
Watts, Charlie
Wayne, Carl
Way of Life, A
WBCN
‘Wearing and Tearing’
Webb, Stan
Webb, Terry
Webster, Eileen
Weedon, Bert: Playina Day
Weintraub, Jerry
Weiss, Steve
Welch, Chris
‘We’ll Meet Again’
Wembley Arena
Wenner, Jaan
‘We’re Gonna Groove’
West, Keith
West Hagley
Western Spring Stadium, Auckland
Westfallen Halle, Dortmund
Wexler, Jerry
‘What Is and What Should Never Be’
Wheatstraw, Peetie
Wheels of Fire
Wheldon, Huw
‘When the Levee Breaks’
‘When You Walk In the Room’
Whisky A Go Go, LA
Whistler, James
White, Bukka
White Album, The
‘White Dog’
Whitehead, Peter
‘Whiter Shade of Pale, A’
Whitesnake
‘White Summer’
Who, The
‘Whole Lotta Love’
‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’
‘Whole Of The Law, The’
‘Who’s Gonna Buy Your Chickens When I’m Gone’
Whyton, Wally
Wick, The
Wilde, Marty
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, Larry
Williamson, Sonny Boy
‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’
Wilson, Ann
Wilson, B.J.
Wilson, Dennis
Wilson, Nancy
Wilton Hou
se school
Wimbledon Art College
‘Winchester Cathedral’
Windsor
Winner, Michael
Winter, Johnny
Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco
Winwood, Stevie
Wish You Were Here
‘With A Little Help From My Friends’
Witherspoon, Jimmy
Wolverhampton Gaumont
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wonder, Little Stevie
Wonderwall
Wood, Chrissie
Wood, Ronnie
Wood, Roy
Woodroffe, Jezz
Woodstock
Woodstock
Wood Tavern, Hornsey
Woodward, Joanne
Worcestershire
Worth Farm, Little Horsted
Wow
Wyman, Bill
XTC
Yardbirds
and Beck
and Page
last show
and Jones
split up
and Plant
material used by Led Zeppelin
in America
use of other artists’ material
record labels
brief references
Yeats, W.B.
Yellow Submarine
Yes
Yorke, Gerald
Yorke, Ritchie
‘You Better Run’
‘You Can’t Sit Down’
‘You Keep Me Hanging On’
‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’
‘You Need Love’
Young, Neil
Younger Than Yesterday
Young Rascals, the
‘Your Time Is Gonna Come’
‘You Shook Me’
Zabriske Point
Zacron
Zanetta, Tony
Stardust
Zappa, Frank
Zephyr
Zeppelin, Countess Eva Von
Zeppelin, Count Ferdinand Von
ZigZag
Zooma
ZoSo symbol
Also by Mick Wall
As Author
W.A.R.: The Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose
Guns N’ Roses: The Most Dangerous Band in the World
Pearl Jam
Run to the Hills: The Authorized Biography of Iron Maiden
Paranoid: Black Days with Sabbath & Other Horror Stories
John Peel: A Tribute
Bono: In the Name of Love
As Coauthor
Mr. Big: Ozzy, Sharon and My Life as the Godfather of Rock
with Don Arden
XS All Areas: The Status Quo Autobiography
with Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt
Acknowledgements
Personally, I have always disliked lengthy author acknowledgements and have consequently always tried to keep them to an absolute minimum in my own books. However, there is simply no way around the fact that this book simply could not – indeed, would not – have been written without the invaluable aid of the following people, all of whom I owe the utmost thanks.
First and foremost, to my wife Linda, who kept the walls from collapsing in on us throughout the long months and years of this endeavour. She may not have written a word of it but there is no doubt she worked harder to make this book come to life than anyone, including me. Also my agent Robert Kirby of United Agents, a gentleman and a friend, I hope, forever; and Malcolm Edwards at Orion, whose patience and understanding, coupled to a surprisingly thorough knowledge of Led Zeppelin, went far beyond the call of any normal publisher; two real-life giants of the publishing world.
Heartfelt thanks must also go to two people whose researches on my behalf again went way beyond the call of duty, and whose generosity was immense: Dave Lewis of the estimable Tight But Loose (see also www.tblweb.com) who not only provided music, books, access to some of his interviews (in particular, his superb Peter Grant interviews) but wonderful insight via our numerous phone conversations; and, equally, David Dickson, who provided a similarly invaluable service, including bootlegs, videos, helping arrange interviews and countless hours on the phone, sharing his own years of insight into both Zeppelin and the serious side of the occult.
I would also like to acknowledge the crucial part Jon Hotten played in helping me during the very early, very nervous days of the book’s existence. He helped me overcome several sleepless nights and failures of nerve at a time when there really was no-one else to turn to. And to my editor, Ian Preece, for performing a similarly selfless task at journey’s end.
Then there are those people whose input was less specific but who, again, were there for me (and the book) in all sorts of often unexpected ways, often just in the nick of time. They are: Diana and Colin Cartwright, Damian McGee, Bob Prior, Ross Halfin, Kevin Shirley, Clare Wallis, Peter Makowksi, Chris Ingham, Scott Rowley, Trevor White, Nicky Horne, Simon Porter, Maureen Rice, Sian Llewellyn, Geoff Barton, Dr Chloe Procter, Julie Bennett, Timothy d’Arch Smith, Becky Underwood, Robert Logue, Mark Blake, Ingrid Connell, Chris Welch, Lyn and Tom Cracknell, Penny and Paul Finburg, the staff at the Four Pillars Hotel in Oxford, Nigel of Oxford Cottages and – for great inspiration, would that they knew it – to the writers Paul Kimmage and David Peace.
To those people who contributed to the nuts and bolts of the book, sometimes unwittingly, or in ways so oblique it only made sense to me a long while – sometimes years – later, but again without whom things would surely have turned out differently: Burt Jansch, Ronnie Wood, Paul Rodgers, Bill Ward, Bev Bevan, Mac Poole, Jim Simpson, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, Terry Manning, Freddie and Wendy Bannister, Jake Holmes, David Juniper, Donovan, Aynsley Dunbar, Don Arden, Jason Bonham, B.P. Fallon, and Richard Cole.
And finally, of course, to Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and Peter Grant, who always deserved better. Do what thou wilt.
WHEN GIANTS WALKED THE EARTH. Copyright © 2008 by Mick Wall. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wall, Mick.
When giants walked the earth: a biography of Led Zeppelin / Mick Wall.—1st U.S. ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 978-0-312-59000-0
1. Led Zeppelin (Musical group) 2. Rock musicians—England—Biography. I. Title.
ML421.L4W35 2009
782.42166092'2—dc22
[B]
2009023454
First published in Great Britain by Orion Books, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group Ltd
* The question in parenthesis at the bottom of the lyric sheet, ‘Whatever happened to Rosie and the Originals?’ refers to singer Rosie Hamlin, whose 1960 hit, ‘Angel Baby’, had never been followed up, but who was, by 1973, with the Blossoms, then working as backing vocal group for Elvis Presley.
Table of Contents
Prologue – Heaven
Part One: Ascension!
1. The Dawn of Now
2. Daze of My Youth
3. Light and Shade
4. Going To California
5. High in the Sky
6. Cannons!
7. Cracking the Whip
8. A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
Part Two: The Curse of King Midas
9. So Mote It Be
10. All That Glitters
11. We Are Your Overlords
12. The Golden Gods
13. The Devil in His Hole
14. Caesar’s Chariot
15. The Outhouse
16. To Be A Rock…
Epilogue – Gone, Gone, Gone…
Notes and Sources
Index
Acknowledgements
