Take a Walk on the Dark Side

by R. Gary Patterson

  A major turning point in Jimmy Page’s studies in the occult came the next year in 1974, when he decided that he would produce the sound track for Kenneth Anger’s Lucifer Rising. Page felt it an honor to work with someone who had such a great understanding of Crowley’s works and concepts. Though Jimmy Page had taken the responsibility to write the sound track, he was very upfront with Anger about his time restrictions. Page allowed Anger to use the cellar of Boleskine for filming and his Tower House residence for an editing facility to develop his cinematic tribute to Lucifer. Page even provided a very expensive film-editing table and tried to convince Peter Grant to finance the venture. Since Mick Jagger had left the project, Kenneth Anger was greatly impressed with Page’s creative energies using the violin bow and reverse echo to help capture the proper mood for his film. But as time passed, Anger became angry that Page had not spent more time in finishing the sound track. In all Page had written and recorded a twenty-eight-minute composition of strange sounds and chants. Anger, however, wanted more. When Page was unable to meet Anger’s schedule, the filmmaker went to the press to shred the guitarist’s reputation: “The selfishness and in-consideration were appalling…. It was like rapping on inch-thick glass. Jimmy had more or less turned into an undisciplined, rich dilettante, at least as far as magic and any serious belief in Aleister Crowley’s work was concerned. Page has only composed twenty-eight minutes of music in three years’ work on the project. The way he has been behaving is totally contradictory to the teachings of Crowley and the ethos of film.”21 Anger mentioned Crowley’s use of cocaine and heroin and how his strong physical condition allowed him to use these in excess to increase his powers, commenting that Page “couldn’t handle it.” He then accused Jimmy Page of having an affair with “the white lady.” This was a reference to what Anger suggested was an addiction to heroin. Anger was then said to have placed a curse upon Jimmy Page and the other members of Led Zeppelin.

  Jimmy Page was forced to fight back. He told the New Musical Express, “I must start by saying that I’ve lost a hell of a lot of respect for Anger. This whole thing about ‘Anger’s curse’—it was just those silly letters [to Page’s friends and associates]…. He’s implying that he received nothing from me, which is totally untrue. I gave him everything in plenty of time…. Then one day this whole thing just blew up and that’s all I know about it…. All I can say is: Anger’s time was all that was needed to finish that film. Nothing else! I had a lot of respect for him. As an occultist he was definitely in the vanguard. I just don’t know what he’s playing at. I’m totally bemused and really disgusted. It’s truly pathetic. He is powerless—totally. The only damage he can do is with his tongue.”22

  The traumatic break with Anger did little to change Page’s interest in the occult. He was once asked what famous historic figure he would most like to meet. His answer was Machiavelli, the author of The Prince. “He was a master of evil,” Page stated. “But you can’t ignore evil if you study the supernatural as I do. I have many books on the subject and I’ve also attended a number of séances. I want to go on studying it. Magic is very important if people can go through it. I think Aleister Crowley’s completely relevant today. We’re all still seeking for truth—the search goes on.”23 When asked his opinion of women, Page answered, “Crowley didn’t have a very high opinion of women and I don’t think he was wrong.” He mentioned that his “creative direction is now and that at times when I hit it, it’s just like I’m a vehicle for some greater force.” Page also mentioned that he never thought he would live to the age of thirty and that time may well be running out. When he contemplated the band’s future he predicted, “We’ll be together until one of us punts out.”24 How little did he know that the first punt would come on September 25, 1980.

  Eventually, Kenneth Anger went on to complete his epic film Lucifer Rising in 1980. The total production time was ten years (1970—1980), and the finished product was twenty-eight minutes in length. It was strange that the film should be the exact same length as Page’s soundtrack, however, the musical score was contributed by Bobby Beausoleil and the Freedom Orchestra. The sound-track recordings were made behind the walls of Tracy Prison, where Beausoleil is serving a sentence of life imprisonment for his role in the Manson murders. The role of Lucifer was played by Leslie Huggins, Marianne Faithfull’s role as Lilith was maintained, and Kenneth Anger played the role of the Magus. Anger claimed in a promotional release for his film, “I’m showing actual ceremonies in the film, not reenactments, and the purpose is to make Lucifer rise. Lucifer is the light god, not the devil—the Rebel Angel behind what is happening today. His message is that the key to joy is disobedience.” Anger goes on to compare the dawning of the Age of Aquarius to the ritual incantations that bring about the summoning of Lucifer.

  Incredible success, and not Anger’s curse, seemed to follow Led Zeppelin as their next album, Physical Graffiti, was released in February of 1975. This album was a double set with a new collection of musical sounds. Standard rockers such as “Custard Pie” blazed along in traditional Zeppelin style, while “Kashmir” reflected the influences of the mysterious East. The album cover photo of a building on 97 St. Mark’s Place in New York City, complete with open window cutouts, brought back memories of Led Zeppelin III. Through the windows the viewer can see a number of figures, including individual band members, Marilyn Monroe getting undressed, King Kong, Charles Atlas, Elizabeth Taylor, the Queen, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Armstrong, and of course, a zeppelin. Today, there is a used clothing store in the basement of this building entitled, appropriately enough, Physical Graffiti. At the time of the release of Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin had managed what no other band could accomplish in rock history—six albums on the charts at the same time!

  Some listeners can identify occult references in the lyrics to “Houses of the Holy.” Robert Plant sings, “Let the music be your master, won’t you heed the master’s call? Oh, Satan and man!” “In My Time of Dying” was a Zeppelin cover of an old spiritual that had also previously been redone by Bob Dylan. In the song, Robert Plant cries out “Oh, my Jesus” several times. This lyric line would haunt him a few years later. For music fans who enjoy diving into album symbolism, as Beatle fans did with Abbey Road in 1969, there is a strange coincidence on the cover that should be noted. The male figure sitting on the steps resembles John Bonham. He sits in front of two doors that to some fans with vivid imaginations represent the “two paths you can go by” from “Stair-way to Heaven.” The back of the album has the two doors presented again. One door is closed but radiating a bright light, while the other door is opened to a darkened hallway. Does this represent the contradicting choices of light and shadow? Of good and evil? It would appear that Bonham is the one to make the choice. Strangely, he was to be the first to enter into one of the metaphysical paths.

  The release of Physical Graffiti also launched the Led Zeppelin label, Swan Song. The concept of having their own label came up when their contract with Atlantic Records expired. Early names for the label included Slut, Slag, Superhype, and Eclipse. Finally the name Swan Song was agreed upon. First, however, some insiders objected to the name because it sounded so grim. After all, a swan song concerns the last beautiful sound a swan makes shortly before its death. Page thought that if Zeppelin were to die then they should go out still producing incredible music. The artwork for the Swan Song label is based on a canvas painting by William Rimmer entitled Evening Fall of Day. The beautiful winged male is the Greek sun god Apollo. Rumors have persisted that the figure is Icarus, the son of Daedalus, creator of the Minoan labyrinth. According to legend, Icarus disobeys his father and flies too close to the sun. The sun’s heat melts the wax that holds his wings together and Icarus tragically plummets to his untimely death. Crowley-like, this figure may represent the concept that “the key of joy is disobedience.” Others may feel that this angelic figure is representative of Lucifer being cast from Heaven. Led Zeppelin signed acts such as Bad Company and the Pretty Thin
gs to their new label and would throw lavish parties to celebrate each new release. Band manager Richard Cole stated, “Upon the release of Swan Song’s first album in the U.K.—the Pretty Things’ Silk Torpedo—Zeppelin hosted a Halloween party at Castlehurst Caves. There was enough food and booze (mostly wine) to meet the needs of the entire British army…. Much more eye-catching were the topless and, in some cases, fully naked women who mingled among the guests and rolled around in vats of Cherry JellO. Other nude women played the parts of virgins being sacrificed at makeshift altars. Strippers arrived dressed as nuns and peeled off their habits in an act that, if the Vatican were making the decisions, would have doomed us to an eternity in hell.”25 The Halloween party described by Cole seemed to be taken out of a chapter of the Hellfire Club’s ritual meetings of the Unholy Thirteen.

  After the Montreux Jazz Festival in July of 1975, the group went their separate ways on vacation. It was also at this time that Zeppelin’s incredible luck seemed to begin to run out and it was finally time to pay the piper his terrible due. On August 4, Robert Plant, his wife, Maureen, their two children and Jimmy Page’s daughter, Scarlet, were in Rhodes for vacation when Maureen lost control of a rental car and had a horrible accident. At first Plant was convinced his wife was dead. Fortunately, this was not the case, but she was badly injured. Robert Plant also received serious injuries. His ankle and elbow were broken. His children were also injured seriously, but Scarlet Page was uninjured. (Plant once said that while the accident was occurring that all he could hear was the chant from “In My Time of Dying” in which he sang, “Jesus, oh my Jesus.”) Road manager Richard Cole immediately flew to Rhodes in a private plane, loaded the family into a rented car, and personally flew them to Rome. Cole had managed to bring fresh blood for Maureen and made sure that she was given a transfusion en route to the airport. Robert Plant is convinced that this particular action saved Maureen Plant’s life. Some followers of “the Zeppelin Curse” maintain that the safety of Scarlet Page was due to the close relationship between Jimmy Page and the devil. Another rumor suggested that Page had named his daughter in honor of Crowley’s scarlet women. Of course this was utterly ridiculous, but it seemed to start a pattern of strange coincidences. One such coincidence concerned Page’s absence the day of the auto accident. He had gone to Sicily to check on some property that had once belonged to Aleister Crowley. The Crowley fascination continued to lead Page in search of more memorabilia, and to visit exotic locations that were of particular interest to Crowley. One location included Egypt, where Crowley had been inspired to write The Book of the Law. During a three-week break following an earlier U.S. tour, Page made one of his pilgrimages to Egypt. On a return flight to England, John Bonham asked Richard Cole, “Do you know the reason Jimmy is taking Mick [one of the crew] and not you to Egypt? He knows that if he decides to sacrifice someone, he’d find it a lot harder to do away with you than Mick!”26

  After the accident, Robert Plant was confined to a wheelchair. It was also during this time that the writing and recording of Presence took place. The album was released on March 31, 1976. The album’s cover contains a strange monolith that seems to fit in extremely well in several scenes taken from modern twentieth-century culture. The album opens with “Achilles’ Last Stand.” The tightly multitracked guitar lines and hard-driving rhythms show-cased Zeppelin at its best. Plant sang the lyrics from his wheelchair, and with his broken ankle he resembled the Greek mythological hero Achilles. With the completion of this album, and time for Plant to fully heal from his injuries, Led Zeppelin was ready to turn their full attention to producing their own concert documentary on film. It would be called The Song Remains the Same.

  The film’s concept was more like the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night and Help than a rock documentary along the lines of Wood-stock. At times the filmed sequences drift into a mystical stream of consciousness. The concert sequences were shot at New York’s Madison Square Garden in July of 1973.

  As the film opens, the audience sees Peter Grant and Richard Cole dressed in early 1930s gangster attire. This scene is straight out of Little Caesar, when the two confederates machine-gun a house in a drive-by shooting. There is one scene in which a faceless man is machine-gunned over a table filled with money and other valuable items. Perhaps this was a reference to the many critics who predicted that Zeppelin would have a very short flight. In the next section of the film, Led Zeppelin band members would each make their appearances: Robert Plant, his wife, Maureen, and children Carmen and Karac make their film appearance by a running stream. As the naked children innocently play in the cool water their images bring to mind the fair-haired children from Houses of the Holy. Ironically, that album image, showing one child being held aloft, perhaps in some strange sacrificial offering, foreshadowed the terrible tragedy that would await an unknowing Robert Plant. Also in the film, John Paul Jones is first seen reading “Jack and the Beanstalk” to his children. Their eyes are wide in wonder as Jones emulates the deep voice of the Giant. John Bonham appears serenely driving a farm tractor in his role as a gentleman farmer. Jimmy Page makes the last appearance, sitting in a garden at Boleskine House on a bright sunny day. His acoustic guitar is lying near him and he plays the hurdy-gurdy. Strangely, he sits with his back to the camera. When he turns, his eyes seem to reflect a demonic presence of the very fires of hell itself. In a strange way, I can hear Mia Farrow’s voice from Rosemary’s Baby when she sees her newborn baby for the first time and says over and over again, “What have you done to his eyes?” The head Satanist replies, “He has his father’s [Satan’s] eyes!” Also, a line from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” has a certain relevance: “And the bird has all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming.” The sight of Page’s blazing red eyes combined with the strange sounds of the hurdy-gurdy provides a chilling cinematic memory.

  The Song Remains the Same also contains a series of dream-like sequences that involve each band member. In John Paul Jones’s segment, a group of masked men rides through what appears to be an eighteenth-century countryside. The scene invokes terror due to the reaction of the people to the dark riders. The scene is filmed at night and one major scene involves a graveyard. When one of the masked men, Jones, returns home, he removes his mask and his family greets him as if he is only returning from a busy day at the office. This portion of the film is reminiscent of the British Hellfire Clubs in which upstanding leaders of the community by day secretly met at night and indulged their many lusts. Perhaps this is Jones’s answer to his double life as bassist for Led Zeppelin. Film director Joe Massot recalls the scene: “John Paul Jones decided to do an allegorical and symbolic horror tale about how one man and a bunch of masked riders terrify villagers, rape women, and act horribly. Eventually the man returns home on his horse expecting the continuation of the violence. But when he gets there, he takes off his mask and settles down peacefully with his wife and family—completely the opposite of what you’ve anticipated.”27 Interestingly, Jones had tried to gain permission from Disney Films to include the night rider scenes from Doctor Sin, but Disney had refused and Jones was forced to shoot his own scene.

  Robert Plant’s film sequence occurs during the band’s performance of “The Song Remains the Same.” In his dreamlike sequence, Plant becomes a medieval hero in search of a quest. He is filmed sailing in a ship with medieval banners and threshing oars to an unknown shoreline, perhaps to the very fabled shores of Albion. When he reaches the end of his journey he is met by a lady, his wife, Maureen, who presents him with a sword to right all wrong. After he prepares himself for battle, he attacks a castle ruin and frees a damsel in distress, only to have her vanish as in a dreamlike idyll. This short section pays homage to Robert Plant’s insatiable love of mythology, and strongly resembles an Arthurian legend. Director Joe Massot’s explanation of the sequence is that “Robert Plant decided to do a Welsh legend with a character perhaps similar to King Arthur. He overcomes all of his adversaries with the sword given him by a fair young lady.
The deed done, he returns to the lady, who rewards him with gold. Then he leaves her and he’s on his own again. Robert felt it was really him, and that he is on his own and alone. Robert wrote the story himself and there is dueling, horses, castles, green glades, the whole works.”28

  The strangest film segment deals with Jimmy Page’s re-creation of the Led Zeppelin IV cover art, Barrington Colby’s View in Half or Varying Light. Page becomes the young seeker of wisdom who climbs the mountain to find the unknown secrets held by the hermit of the tarot cards. When Page reaches the top, he finds that the hermit is actually himself and watches his regression from an ancient man into a fetus in his mother’s womb, and back yet again to the aged hermit. The filming for this piece began on December 10, 1973. Page had the sequence filmed at Loch Ness, close to his home at Boleskine in Scotland. Of course, he had to wait for a full moon to complete the imagery, but the finished portion conveys an uneasy mood in light and shadow. Curiously, the filming occurred shortly between Crowley’s Greater Feast (the date of Crowley’s death, December 1) and the beginning of the winter solstice (December 21 or 22). “Jimmy’s film was rather strange,” says Mosset, in an avalanche of understatement. “Jimmy felt that he wanted to say something about time and the passage thereof. There’s a mountain out the back of his place, Boleskine House, on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland. So Jimmy decided that he would climb it and act out a symbolic tale about a young man fighting his way to the top to meet with the old man of the mountain at the summit, Father Time in symbolism. Jimmy plays both parts in the film. He insisted that his segment be shot on the night of a full moon. It was quite difficult lighting the mountain at night—we actually had to build special scaffolds on the side of it to put cameras on and mount arc lamps. It was a weekend and overtime for the crew but Jimmy wanted it to be right.”29