Every great band in history had great musicians and composers in every slot. The sum however was always greater than the parts ( the Beatles being the prime example). That’s why it was so sad when these bands grew apart or broke up. Maybe the egos grew too big or the hunger died after making fortunes. (Obviously led Zep is a different situation in terms of why the band ended, but their combined talent made that end all the more sad.
THANK YOU Macleadg. I'm 74 and have read that trash sheet since DAY one. ONLY because I couldn't wait to see what they would say in their reviews because I KNEW I would disagree. I have ALWAYS disagreed with those A HOLES and was wondering if anyone else out there felt the same way. I hated those pricks my whole life.
Exactly. I've been a Led Zeppelin fan for decades and I've yet to hear of an episode where JPJ said 'I hate my bandmates". If he was frustrated with not being invited to join Jimmy and Robert on their post-Zeppelin projects it was a feeling of him being left out of the picture. This is NOT to be interpreted as him "hating" Page and Plant. After John Bonham's death each member dealt with it differently. Robert Plant, having been a pal of Bonzo's prior to the formation of LZ was possibly the most distraught but it doesn't mean no one else in the band was affected by it.
I realised at the one minute mark when they said "before we talk about shocking truths about his time with LZ lets explore his early journey towards joining the band"... click bait detector went to red and stopped right there
Was lucky enough to meet him in the Shibuya streets the day following one of his concerts ( the pedal steel version of black dog was unreal..) here in Tokyo. He did not make any resistance talking to a fan and was even thankful....A real humble and kind gentleman. Great musician and high class person.
It takes an individual like JPJ to be such a successful contributor within Led Zeppelin & beyond. True Zep fans recognise his considerable part in Zeps output. JPJ is as much an awesome musician & hero to me as any of the other Zep' members.
Had the rest of the band embraced professionalism and remained mostly sober on and offstage as JPJ did throughout the mid to late 70's.......we would probably be fortunate enough to this day, by still having this band as a dominating force in new music and touring.
I only saw Led Zepplin once live during their 2nd album tour. He was by far the best musician in the band. The other three were soloists flashing technique independently. John Paul Jones somehow held the mess they were performing together. Super glue is what he was for the band.
Page had always had the want of attention. I love him as a guitarist and respect him deeply but he did sure draw out solo parts for no furthering of the sake of the song itself. I have been a musician for 45 years and , never ever want to stand out for more than a brief shot then fade back into the flow of the music.
I saw Zeppelin on Jan 29th 75 Physical Graffiti tour and on May 31rst 77 Presence tour John Bonham's birthday party and J.P.J. was the star * of both shows talented musician 😊.
Lucky you. I heard bad things and great things about their Chicago visits. I finally had tickets in 1980 but then the news of Bonham's death ended that. age died yesterday the 17th. But he was 80. Hell of a ride Jim.
I think the actual hear of any band is the drummer. Then, with a great bassist, you have the rhythm section which IMHO is the heart and soul of the band. I only say this because a weak or even mediocre drummer will never incubate a great band. Some drummers are maligned as being mediocre but I would suggest this is like saying a weak heart is in the body of Michael Jordan...I dont think its possible but its just my .02
I always viewed Led Zeppelin as one of those rare bands that grew to be greater than the sum of it's parts. The synergy and talent of each of member ,made Led Zeppelin the unique juggernaut that it was. Often imitated but never duplicated, their impact and influence cannot be denied.
Yeah, Jimmy, Robert, and Bonzo got the spotlight, and why not? But without JPJ, no Zeppelin. Period. He's the epitome of the unsung hero, and he's the musician's musician.
Led Zeppelin were four absolute top in their instruments. No other group had these qualities. And this is true about the man looked to be in back John Paul Jones contributed substantially to their songs and his keyboard should get more room in their music. What is the most important: They were the biggest rock group ever. Together.
That isn't exactly true. Deep Purple Mark ll had the greatest collection of Musicians to play together. That is why they could Improvise and we're different from show to show. Zeppelin didn't have that ability. Those guys were telepathic and just fed off each other. Although Zeppelin were at very talented studio band they couldn't keep up with Deep Purple Mark ll on stage.
@@kurtsherrick2066 I agree that Led Zeppelin were not so good on stage. But what they were possible to produce in studio was something nobody can repeat. I never have heard a song of Led Zeppelin to be possible to play in their quality by any other group. Led Zeppelin played some songs of other musicians, much-much better that original (you shook me, for instance). You cannot tell the same in a reverse way. And I am sure if they would take some song of Deep Purple, they would make another quality of it, too. I appreciate Deep Purple much, but only with Ian Gillan.
@@zenalibertanaDon't get me wrong I really love Zeppelin. Saw them in 77. I don't know if it was the Venue, Sound Crew but it just didn't seem like they had it together. But I did enjoy it because it was Zeppelin. Great Band no doubt Some of the songs were dubbed on the albums mixing in more than one guitar part. Hard to make it sound like the same song. Everyone was experimenting with Stero and Quad in the mid Seventies. Purple was off the charts live and made the Album Songs different than the Album's. You know that. The Machine Head Songs on Made In Japan were so much better than the Album's. I was lost for years listening to Zeppelin, Sabbath, Purple and Uriaheep. All 4 of those Bands were so awesome. Keep on Rocking my friend. It has kept us young. God bless!
@@zenalibertanaJust like mention in this video. The Management destroyed the Bands by touring and pressuring them for Album's. Jon Lord said after Machine Head they played 320 shows in a year. That just killed the continuity of the Bands. Way to much togetherness. The best money making Bands were pushed to much. It is amazing that they were as good as they were live constantly traveling and performing. I know Zeppelin had some shows that were fantastic. I can't remember if Page was still on Heroin in 77. Thankfully he survived. I still mourn two Rock Stars. Bonham and Bon Scott. Hendrix and Moon also.
@@chasleask8533 U2 is a political business operation at best. They provide music that is low end horseshit for the people who believe they are a good band. Your comment proves your opinion to be horseshit as well.
I was a bass player in cover/bar bands in the 80's. It was a time when seemingly nobody really wanted to be a bass player, and true bass players were very rare. The bass player was usually a guitar player who played bass to get work in a band, while hoping to get a spot as a guitar player. Most of the people in the audience didn't understand or care about the role of the bass player. If your amp blew up, they would say, "did they turn something off?" I started playing drums, but fell in love with the bass. You could always tell a true bass player because they prefer to play the bridge area with their fingers, while guitar players preferred a pick. The reason I say all of this is because JPJ, who could play many different instruments already in the 60's, CHOSE to mainly play bass because he loved the bass and appreciated it's position as the "transition" between rhythm and melody and harmony (similar to position of keyboards). Of course, his mastery of the bass was evident early in his career. You couldn't be in a cover/bar band in the 80's without playing Zeppelin. Those are great memories for me. I just feel sorry for this generation that believes rap, hip-hop, and Taylor Swift is music. Don't send me replies about how great those "genres" are. The above is my opinion. You may have a different one.
100% accurate, though my cover bands were in the 90's we still played a ton of Zep, JPJ is my favorite bassist, I always felt Zep would not have been that great without him.
I agree 100%. But JPJ, Geddy Lee, Entwistle, Bruce, Geezer and others have inspired countless musicians to select the bass as their primary instrument. I’m one of them. Adore and am passionate about the bass. I never really understood why its role had to be explained…I guess usually to unaware and non musical people who lack the understanding of its critical role, and who can only listen to lead parts. Listen to Geddy as an example…how he turned bass into a lead instrument in countless performances.
I liked like McCartney, John Paul Jones, influenced by James Jamerson. I couldn't play like John Entwistle, or Geddy Lee who was after my start Bill Wyman was good
I have always thought that Jones was the glue that kept the band together. He is a virtuoso and one of a kind! I saw Led Zeppelin in 1977 and they were amazing!
I always. Thought jones was by far the best musician in Led Zeppelin. He can play anything. Bass, keyboards, virtually anything with strings. The guy is extraordinarily talented
@@petethepicker I guess you never played a musical instrument. You posed last week on here that Freddie and the Dreamers were the best rock group who ever lived and the song "Do The Freddie" is the best rock song every written.. That says it all.
Great tribute to a great MUSICIAN. I always thought his parts 'Made' some of the Zep tunes. the Bass on Ramble On is incredible. And the mandolin on Going to California and Battle of Evermore are essential to the atmosphere of the songs. Well done and well deserved.
Perhaps his marriage lasted because he was mostly travelling all over the World being a musician and not home so much, the grass is always greener somewhere else until you have to tend to it and it might be too much hard work for you to stomach, marriage is something "both" have to work at!?!
I grew up listening in 1979 as a young infant. John Paul Jones is my favorite out of them musically. All of them were amazing and we were lucky enough to have Led Zeppelin and my 3 kids age 25 to 16 listen to Led Zeppelin daily. But my favorite player is John Paul Jones
To be accepted into Led Zeppelin by Jimmy Page without any reservation speaks for itself about how talented JPJ was as a musician, arranger, song writer and what a contributor he turned out to be for that band. Even though JPJ was low-keyed and non-flashy, Jimmy made an excellent choice to accept JPJ into his new band. JPJ was great in his own right!
Yeah, JP and JPJ were already consummate professional musicians, and you know JP felt pretty confident coming out swinging with JPJ on board. Between the two of them, they could afford to take a chance on an unruly but to them unknown monster like Bonzo, and well, we see how that gamble paid off. And also Robert Plant was there. lol
Jones would have, and has, done fine without Led Zeppelin, just like the others. Them being accomplished and talented professionals in their own right is what made their music so good. One might argue that Bonham may have had done even better without them, if one goes along with the video's speculation that the band's work load and lifestyle were significant contributors to his health problems (Page was a raging smackhead too by the end of the 1970s, perhaps it's a mere coincidence he did not go first... That's drummers for you they're either just a bit slow or just a bit fast).
JPJ wasn't "accepted" into the band like it was some exclusive gentlemen's club or something. It went more like this: when JPJ called to let Page know he was available, Page later described it in these exact words: "I jumped at the chance of getting him."
He is a respected musician and someone who respected his marriage vows. Got to love a man who keeps it together , like so many in this field could not.
Really enjoyed this video ‼️ 🙌🏼to JPJ! Respect a man in his position that can stay married for 50 + years. Kudos to his wife for putting up with all the travel and late nights too‼️
JPJ's gifts of not only playing but his abilities to write, arrange, and orchestrat original complex musical peaces that emotionally take you somewhere else without overwhelming the common ear influenced the musical industry like no other. He wasn't just 1 of 4 musicians contributing to the bands music. he was the "Paul McCartney" AND "George Martin" of the band. (in my opinion) Thank you, John, for all you have given us.
If anybody doubts Jones's contribution, listen to the extended live performance of No Quarter. His keyboard improvisation will blow your mind and is as compelling as anything Page did on the guitar
I saw Led Zeppelin twice in the seventies. They were amazing. ALL of them were equally great with their musical talents. I loved all their albums & still do all these years later.
Always admired and respected JPJ for his humility and amazing bass lines on Zepplin songs, but never new he was such a versatile and accomplished musician, songwriter, and arranger. What an incredibly talented and classy guy. Thank you for the great overview of his amazing life.
A lifelong Zeppelin fan since 1969, I have always valued all of the band members equally. Jones inspired me to learn the bass. A true musician's musician! Greatest Rock Band Ever!
@@JohnPaulJones-u8s Very true. Their range of musical direction was phenomenal; far greater than most of the other popular bands of the day, like the Stones, Who, Floyd, etc. Think about it: what does the Bron-y-aur Stomp have to do with Achilles Last Stand?! Lol. Yet both are amazing, depending on your mood of the day.
@@JohnPaulJones-u8s Exactly, when you listen to Jonesy say who influenced him, he mentions Mingus and James Jamerson (as all bassists seem to/should). I was blown away to hear that it was The Dillards (the seminal bluegrass album "Back Porch Bluegrass", to be exact) who inspired Jonesy to pick up the mandolin! I love all kinds of music, and Led Zeppelin is my favorite rock band for sure. And The Dillards - the original lineup - were kinda the Led Zeppelin of bluegrass: all four musicians were supremely talented/irreplaceable. Doug Dillard was just a _ridiculous_ banjo player.
Fantastic short biography about JPJ. He was indeed a musical, compositional and arranging genius. Thank for this. Pure pleasure and fascinating to watch.
JPJ is very similar to John Deacon of Queen. Musical genius who played bass in a huge band, tended to be the quiet reserved one, deciding to live a quiet peaceful life after their super famous bands and often overlooked when people talk about the big bands they were in.
And that happens to a lot of other artists, and very frequently they have one thing in common: they are bassists. There may be some relation between personalities and instrument choices.
And interesting trait of John Paul Jones is his almost need to share and collaborate. He loved working with other musicians and had no ego to get in the way. Jon Anderson of Yes is very similar, working with young musicians, helping them to develop their craft, while showing them that enormous fame doesn't have to change you.
JPJ had the "Force". Led Zeppelin was a stunning band. Dazed and confused, Kasmir, Trampled under foot, legendary songs. John Paul Jones and Bonham were the true backbone so Jimmy and Plant could shine.
JPJ was the glue, Page was tha Dynamite, Plant sealed the bank Robbery, pardon the pun. Bonham took the great works from TNT to Nuclear. Nuclear in ever sense of the word: molecular, familial, thermonuclear! One of the best Rock bands ever!
Always appreciated the fact that Zep split up after Bonhams death.... Most bands, especially with their money making ability would not stop but Zep did....Without John there is no Zep...
Rolling Stone? They don't have a musician among them that can stand on the same stage as Led Zeppelin! Hahahaha - I first heard the needle drop on Zeppelin One in April 1969! When I heard "Good Times Bad Times" my Heart raced furiously! I ran over to school record player and with Shaking Hands picked up the cover to this most Iconic Album. I got on my bike and pedaled as hard as I could to the Record Store and pulled out my $5!! I then immediately purchased a Concert Ticket for an August Concert in Albuquerque, NM. I was in awe of these most amazing musicians. Their music was exhilarating and wonderful and beautiful !! I have LOVED Led Zeppelin since the instant that I first heard them. Their first 4 albums are some of my very favorite of all time. Whether it's Celtic Folk, Hard Pressing Rock or anything in between - these guys were "The Greatest" - In My Very Humble Opinion
It's simple, like with Bonham, no JPJ, no Led Zep. They were a one off phenomena and JPJ a musical genius. A rhythm section like Jones and Bonham will never be repeated.. RIP John Bonham and Led Zepplin..
Has anyone ever heard anyone say a bad thing about John Paul Jones Talents?........ NO Led Zeppelin "Had' to be those 4 and nobody has ever come close to what they did!.
Great documental, I did not so many things about John Paul Jones, He is an extraordinary musician and he was the diamond behind of the scene. Thank you for sharing this good job. Best regards
Led Zeppelin was , essentially , a three piece (guitar , bass , drums) band and a singer . Sure , they added whole layers of depth with additional instruments they played , but the bare bones was a three piece set . All such bands usually have some killer bass (Think Black Sabbath etc.) .... they got to , cos it's a third of the music and half of the rhythm. Sometimes , one of the pieces will also sing , and you get a 3 man 3 piece band .... always with prominent bass as integral part of the music. (Think ZZ Top , Rush ) Well , killer bass parts require killer bassists , and arguably the most killer band in Rock and Roll History is/was the legendary Led Zeppelin . Was there any chance that the best heavy Rock band ever , a three piece + singer band , mind you , did not have one of , if not THE Best Bass players ever ? NAY ! , there is NO chance of that . And it wasn't the case , cos Zep had the mighty talent of the one and only John Paul Jones , a Salt of the Earth , multifaceted polymath , bass shredder , and a kind and good man by all accounts ! Rock on , John Paul ! P.s. Jimmy Page has always had my vote for Number 1 Guitarist , and Led Zeppelin for All-Around Best Band , and he always seems like a cool dude in interviews , and stuff . But , man , I am embarrassed and ashamed for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (because in this case they seem incapable of these feelings) for how they treated their loyal and steadfast bandmate . I mean , shame on you guys ... this behavior towards your "brother" was unconscionable , and so beneath you that it beggars description ! Hopefully , just an aberration, because you guys had to be cool to write Led Zeppelin's tunes , but that was totally uncool and without any class ! You're both lucky your friend , John Paul Jones , forgave you like a true friend will forgive a foolish one who speaks without thinking , "Parking the car", my ass ! How lame !
In their last album "In Through the Out Door" there's a song "Carouselambra" whose lyrics are a DIRECT DISS to at least one band member, Jimmy Page, for not caring enough after Plant's son tragically passed away. I am not sure if JPJ was included in that sentiment, but we do know that the last album was heavily influenced by JPJ because JP was too strung out on heroin and John Bonham was fighting alcohol. It is my understanding that ONLY John Bonham consoled Robert Plant immediately after Plant's son's death and there was a BITTERNESS towards the other two members because of this. This would in part explain why Plant would not invite JPJ to the reunion "No Quarter". Perhaps Plant had reconciled his differences with Page by then but not with JPJ. These things happen I guess. Anyway they were and always be the greatest band for me personally.
@@PaulFormentos For nearly 40 years I didn't know the full lyrics of the song. Then after understanding what happened and having access to the lyrics it all made sense. Yes indeed ... "where was your bow" It's okay to forgive but I believe it's a DUTY to never forget. You learn about those in your life and about this world NOT when you are clinking champagne glasses, rather, when you are at the lowest point in your life. THEN ... THEN ... THENNNNNNNNNN you know who is with you in life. Not surprisingly it's a small fraction of people, if any at all, that will be there WITH and FOR you. The key is how you handle that reality and not let it change you as a person. DO NOT become what the majority of this world is. That's the test!
It’s long known by any serious Zeppelin fan the importance and significance of the contributions which can’t be overstated of JPJ to the iconic status the band attained, me being one of those fans
First I would say thank you to John for his musical contributions that I have enjoyed immensely throughout my lifetime. So to keep this short as possible I would say that John Paul Jones is the Mozart of my time, some may say that that's going too far but I do not agree. I think it is spot on. Led Zeppelin was always one of the most well balanced bands as far as personality and performance, but in my opinion John Paul Jones had the most heavy foundation.
After watching this I feel that somehow he did want more recognition. Shame really that he was dissed by his mates but his work and his excellence speaks for itself. He didn't need the fame and he has received the recognition from the legions who can see his monumental role in a truly monumental band. Truly a professional.
John Paul Jones has not only had a huge impact on Led Zeppelin but on the wider world of music, being the right man for the job on so many great albums, I love Them Crooked Vultures and one of my favourite album ever is Seasick Steve's You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks where his playing style fits perfectly and gives that final dimension to the album
His bass playing was magnificent, in particular the bass lines on "What is and What Should Never Be", "Lemon Song", "Ramble On", to name but a few were some of the best in rock music
Music is like football. You can have a great Front Man and Guitarist. But if you don’t have a tight rhythm section well it’s like having a great QB RB/WR without a great offensive line. My fav bass players are JPJ, James Jamerson, and Phil Lynotte. On the other hand my playing is akin to Bill Wyman👍
I'm 60 yrs old on one of my teenage birthdays I was given a sassete player,just a basic tape player and a copy of 2 albums on seperate tapes.nMaster of Reality and Zeppelin 4. I was hooked on Zepp from that day on. At that young age I recognized instantly of Joneses skills and how Zeppelin wouldn't have been without him. Nor without any of them.And it was a delight when I first watched The Song Remains the Same. Bonham is my all time rock and roll hero and seeing how he and Jones got along during the concert was so awesome. The heavy bass and smashing drums is what in my eyes made the band so great. A true gift from God was the day they all met and jammed that first song they played.. Very few bands have been able to form and create their very own unique sound that's unmistaken anytime you hear it. Zepp,Sabbath,Doors,Joplin,Hendrix, Who,Skynard, Floyd,Metallica,Motorhead, Godsmack.....What a blessing to be alive in a time to experience them all. It's John Paul Jones who's allowed me to be open-minded and appreciative to the really talented musicians in any type of music.
JPJ is one of the most highly regarded musicians in contemporary music. It's just that he wasn't a wild man stereotype rock star had him overlooked. But his work in Zep made them what they were, whilst Pagey,Bonzo,and Percy get all the headlines.
