Led Zeppelin Documentary - The Making of Houses Of The Holy - Episode 1 

As a 40 year veteran Producer/Writer/Director of film and television and a life long Zeppelin fanatic, I have to say this documentary caught me by surprise. Indepth, intricate, succinct and evolving, I was mesmorized by this video. Having watched endless hours of video and such over the years, I never viewed anything so intrigueing and insightful as this presentation. Well done my friend. If the members of the band were video producers, I imagine this is exactly how they would want it.

If you don't have any Led Zepplin in your music collection, you don't have a music collection.

I'm not the only one who noticed how Jimmy improvised the machine gun riff in no quarter. Zeppelin showed vast talent in that song over the years; Jones even did Rachmaninoff among other things in it. Every song on that album had great value, even "Jer-Make-Her" where Bonzo was great. The Crunge was totally underrated; the inside joke is that it was a James Brown groove that is impossible to dance to. A New York newspaper at the time suggested that the rhythm of Led Zeppelin songs could negatively impact cardiac health. Thanks for the endless supply of great video, audio, and factual detail in these episodes. These are mandatory for Zeppelin Fans. ¡Buen Salud y gracias una vez más por un gran esfuerzo!

You sir, ROCK. You have done the most exhaustive and thorough research of Led Zeppelin I have ever encountered. AND your knowledge of specific bootleg recording is second to none. Thank you. Outstanding work, well done!

Led Zeppelin - May 5th, 1973 - Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida, USA. 'Houses Of The Holy' Tour. Tickets were $5.50 in advance, $6.00 the day of the show. I was there with my best friend and concert Buddy, Gary (R.I.P.) It was a month before my 16th birthday. It was the most festive show I've ever been to. As we entered the stadium we were hit with a mixed aroma of Weed and Patchouli. As we got into the stadium itself, there were Frisbees and Beachballs flying all over the place and people being tossed into the air using blankets and even people making Human Pyramids 3 and 4 people high. I'll never forget that day if I live to be 100. It was a Perfect, Beautiful, Sunny day for 55,800 Zep fans. This show was in the Led Zeppelin book, 'Hammer Of The Gods' and also 'The Guinness World Book Of Records' for largest single billed (Rock) concert. Here is the Set List (1) Rock and Roll (2) Celebration Day (3) Black Dog (4) Over The Hills And Far Away (5) Misty Mountain Hop (6) Since I've Been Loving You (7) No Quarter (8) The Song Remains The Same (9) The Rain Song (10) Dazed And Confused (11) Stairway To Heaven (12) Moby Dick (13) Heartbreaker (14) Whole Lotta Love (15) The Ocean - Encore #1 (16) Communication Breakdown Encore #2

I remember on my 13th birthday i bought Led Zepp I, II, III and IV with the money my parents gave me, i took a flight home and i heard the records on my discman. I remember wanting more, and i had to mail Houses of the Holy, it took almost a month since we didnt had a big record store here in my city. Totally worth the wait. About a few months later, some neighbors moved out and we snuck into the house, we played in the house until someone else moved in, and the guy that lived there left How the west was won and the song remains the same cds amongst other dvds. If we had facebook or any other social media back then we would probably give them back but luckly it was 2002, i still have the dvds and cds the neighbor left behind after so many years and they are as good as new.

Anyone remotely interested in Zeppelin will be subscribed to this channel before the year is over. Your work deserves it.

You’re making THE BEST Led Zeppelin documentaries I’ve ever see. Thank you JCM! Ps. Plants voice in early days blows my mind every time. If only they captured it when they had the chance. What. Surprises me though is even though Plant lost his voice he NEVER lost his confidence. He actually got more confident IMO. What a bloke!

"No Quarter" was the first Zep song I heard as a kid. That, along with seeing a poster of the band, made me a fan for life back in 1973.

First album I ever bought with my own money. The good old paper route paid off big time! I was so excited to get home and play it, never rode my bike so fast. LZIV had such a massive impact on me that I spent the next 2-3 months completely absorbed by HOTH. Every night after school, laying in my bed, headphones on, eventually falling asleep to this masterpiece.

Bro that intro song was SICK!!!! Great job man seriously sounds so lovely

Thanks so much! Very nice. Houses was the first Zep album I ever heard and it changed my life too!

Another incredible Video!!!! As a lifelong ZEP fan and amateur musician it is a real treat to see all these amazing video clips of the mighty Zeppelin at the top of their game and recording and touring. And the fact that you’re not only a fan as well but an accomplished, educated musician really takes it to another level as far as how informative these videos are overall. Thank you soo much for this!! It was extremely enjoyable!!!

These are great documentaries but just like war you had to have been there to know what it was like to hear & see all these great bands live which I was blessed to have witnessed.

This entire series deserves 40 million views.

This is, so far, as I haven't finished this video, IS ONE AMAZING DIVE INTO ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS! I haven't been paying attention to Rock music and it's history and stories until two years ago, but since then I've been reading up and listening to countless videos, podcasts and articles of rock's best albums. This video is everything I could have ever wanted, gives me a look at what came before, what was going on in the music world OUTSIDE of Led Zeppelin, the troubles they had, the successes and most importantly your personal journey with this album. I hope to aspire to this type of story telling and artistry. Thank you for doing what you do!

Very good story teller. Like the photos, along with the footage as you tell your story integrating details of Led Zeppelin's story.

Awesome episode as usual 🤘 great to have so much attention paid to the only Australian tour , probably the best I’ve seen . Keep up the great work

So glad to see you’re doing a series on this looking forward to it

Another thoroughly enjoyable and remarkably well researched addition to the canon. Genuinely, I hope Jimmy himself will watch these as they're a treat of exquisite proportions.

I saw them perform the rain song live back in the day. Something I will never forget.

Ah, the good old days ! So many great albums! Great video, love it! Thanks !

Absolutely fantastic production! The pace of the story unfolding, the colors used, the images, the rare recordings and special insights are just incredible. Well done!

Great job!!!! Can t wait for the next episode !💥🔥🎉⚡️👍🏼

I have had this video saved for a month and finally just watched it.The details,research,rare video and pictures are amazing. Your detailed musical descriptions, including time signatures,tunings,etc are impressive. I bought Houses of the Holy at the age of 13 when it had just been released. The only song that I didn't like was D'yer Maker.I did like The Crunge and it seems funny to call it a controversial track.If you talk about listening to Zep albums from beginning to end,IV and Houses of the Holy are their 2 best overall records in my opinion and it helps that the production is great on both albums too. Marvelous job my friend. I hope someone recognizes your talent and hires you to make more music documentaries.

You are doing a fantastic thing for young musicians. They have a credible resource for learning about this music, the right way. Any time a student or group is assigned Zep from here on, they need to watch your videos. They are credible, not bias, and give resourceful explanations in thoughtful and historical relevance. I mean we cannot go back to the past, but thank you so much again for doing this to provide good insight and music education for young musicians. Thank you!

Houses of the Holy has always been my favorite too. This was very well written and researched; well done!

Another amazing video!! Well done!

Jose, you are doing something very special ❤. This is absolutely amazing. When you talk about how you started getting into zep it reminds me of when I started getting into zep and it brings back great memories. What an incredible tribute and celebration of the best friggin band ever!!! Thanks man!!!! Appreciate you!!!! Can’t wait for the next episode!!!!!!!

Thank you Jose for another brilliant outing. Montage is perfectly smooth :)

Honestly, these are the complete highlight and pinnacle of my weekends!! You do an absolutely mind blowing examination and exploration of fact and detail! THANK YOU!!! Again it’s BRILLIANT!!!

If you read the comments on the videos you bless us with you will see that I am a common occurrence commenting on pretty much all of them. Some people read the Newspaper in bed on Sunday mornings. Not me. I watch and rewatch all of your videos without fail every Sunday morning. There is a huge difference between being a fan of music because of you like the words and music. I think for People like us it goes way deeper than that because we feel music on a religious level that goes into, and becomes part of our soul and attaches to our existence. It is a trait that is part of our DNA. I learned something from you a while back that I could not shake and have been rabbit holed every sense. No Quarter being played a total of 124 times live. Wow! That revelation hit me and never left me since. The fact that this haunting masterpiece has had 124 live renditions has made me want to find them all. Obviously every show wasn’t recorded but my quest is to find them all or as many as I can. It’s Sunday morning and I am again spending it with you. I thank you, sir.

Well thought out. Well researched. You add to the story. Congratulations. JT

Thank you this is amazingly well put together and very informative I've been a zep fan for over 40 years and this deep dive is epic

First, your synesthesia is a gift. I wish I could paint with sound. Second, the way you pull in other references of bands and albums is a treat for those of us with a deep knowledge of music. These docs are really well done.

JCM, your videos are incredible! Thank you so much for making them!

When I saw this I was really excited about it. I waited till the right night. Absolutely amazing. Being a Zep head for forty years. This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much

Thanks JCM for another great upload! I have always loved this album (never was sold on Dancin Days though) and it's so great hearing about all the context surrounding the band and seeing so many pictures from the same time period. Plant's voice was clearly going through some issue, which was what struck me most after purchasing the album as a teenager in the early eighties.

This is an amazing job, bro I love listen to bootlegs and I’ve always thought that they must be used in Led Zeppelin documentaries like this, Led Zeppelin’s bootlegs are the best way to show the amazing power these guys had in their golden years, so thanks for sharing I will see the 3 episodes now 😅 best band ever

Thank you so much for this great installment.... brilliant work as usual.

Houses of the holy is my absolute favorite album from Zeppelin for many different reasons🥁😩🥁

Huge Zep nerd. Your work is underrated for how in depth and factual it is. Lotta bs flyin around the zep especially when it comes to the recording of the albums. I’m impressed and and amazed by how deep your love for Zeppelin goes. I totally get your obsession with versions of ITTOD. I was the same way with copies of Presence. Good work as always.

These are awesome! Thank you so much for making these.

Your documentaries really pierce through the very thick enigmatic image of led zeppelin. I understand them as people far more after watching your docs. These are gonna be much cherished by zep fans for a long time, assuming they don’t get pulled down. Thanks

While watching your documentaries, and this one is no different, I always have the anxiety of the video ending at the peak of my enjoyment. You manage to make a 40 min video on youtube feel like it belongs to the "shorts" section. Kudos and rock on my friend

Well done ,Sir. Your work on these doc’s is unmatched. So good! The “orange” album indeed.✌️

This is awesome man. As a prog & Zeppelin fanatic who's also a music teacher, I appreciate the detailed music references. And the song you recorded for the beginning of this video is badass. You're a really good guitarist.

JCM- you’re doing great work. Thanks.

From one Led Zeppelin fan to another, you are truly a Zeppelin connoisseur. Your opening dialog is like lyrics to a Zeppelin album that was never releases until now. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you once again for another GREAT video ! :-)

That live version of "The Ocean" on "The Song Remains The Same" is so great. I'm still amazed that it wasn't on the original release. Once again, great work here with all of the ultra-rare footage.

Awesome informative video! Thank you. Houses of the Holy is my favorite Zeppelin album. It’s one of those that can’t be played loud enough. Reminds me of summer. First time I heard it was my brother playing it on his 8-track boom box. Every song great , I was and am still hooked.

thank you for making this for us and sharing just how f-precious Zep were and how lucky we can immerse ourselves in what it was really about via your documentaries that literally takes into the Houses of the Holy, each time!!

Brother, amazing work, especially setting the stage for the recording of the album! Excellent research!

This should be shown right after 'The song remains the same" at a DOLBY theater. just brilliant, and the best Zepp Documentary ever made. nice to be totally Zep refreshed* thank you.

I knew I had to subscribe after seeing your first led zep documentary! Rock on JCM! 🤘

I might be the rare Zep fan- didn’t get them as a kid, but the older I get the more I appreciate their music. Better late than never! Btw- what a great channel!

Robert was like a pitcher who lost his fastball , but learned how to pitch rather than throw...he kept it going without that blazing fastball...respect to him for that

Sometimes you think you know Zep history, even if you know the tunes, and play them as a musician. Then you watch this! Also never before seen photos and handwritten album recording tracks! Thank you for posting. Great data for us Zep geeks...Bravo.

Awesome ! And the background music super sick 🔥

What an amazing episode Jose! I admire his depth, knowledge and coherence. I love this series about LZ because unfortunately when I was born the band didn't exist anymore so I learn a lot about them. My love for Zepp is not casual: my dad was crazy about them (still is) and my uncle, a sound engineer, worked with the big names that performed at Tokyo Budokan including Zepp and was quite qualified to say that their sound was one of the best things he had ever heard. For me listening to Zeppelin was something normal but not forced, with time I learned to distinguish all the nuances and subtleties of their music and that's why my passion is always renewed. I am very happy to have found your channel, your work is the best reference for Zeppelin fans. Thanks! ❤🙏 I look forward to the next episode 😊

thank you my friend, great job and wonderfully comprehensive! sure miss them days!😔

This is really good work brother. Really Really enjoying this

Another great episode. Loved all the info on No Quarter. Some of the live versions of this track are among the best live moments by any band in rock hostory IMO.

Your detail is fantastic, man. Well done.

Yet another triumph, JCM! You provide us with so much excellent entertainment. I have recommended your channel to all of my music friends. The fever is spreading and the only cure is more Zep videos!!!

JDM, I’m a new subscriber, Just Wow!! Awesome job your research, editing, narration and use of color. Simply amazing…

Nostalgia brought me here, but mainly, seeing some of your other vids. Great work

Bravo. I shared on all of my Social media sites.

What a blast to watch man..🔥THNX very much

This 40 min felt like 10. Thank you!

Love the intro arrangement. Good job, Jose.

Yes! Your work is always fantastic, and this is one of my favs...

Excellent presentation, well thought out and orated, really good pace. Informative without being redundant.

I love this album. Thanks for this excellent video.

You are doing this whole Zeppelin thang PROPER!! Great choice to cover the making of Houses ..and then if you cover the tour just as extensively...this will be one BEAST of a series. Cheers!!

Wow! What a surprise! Can’t may say this is my lovely album, but it’s my lovely band! Waiting for Saturday!

My favorite album from Zeppelin. What a treat. Fantastic job!

Wow. Its strange hearing how people experience Led Zep for the first time. Hearing how you, and others, heard tracks like The Rain Song, as part of a compilation, is just weird. But awesome at the same time. I can remember my Aunt taking ITTOD out of the paper wrapper to play it for the 1st time, or buying CODA on cassette when it was brand new. My mom getting The Song Remains the Same from Columbia House record club and looking at them book in the center. Damn. The good ol days.

Awesome! as always.

Enjoyed doco informative articles I've never viewed before great work.

You cross reference influences that are so obvious but ive never considered them. This is brilliant!

Great work JCM... this is one of those albums that grew on me over time. When I randomly chose the next Led Zeppelin album to buy when I was in my mid teens, the cover, along with the paper band that surrounded the cover was so intriguing. Different from anything else. The content of the album was also different from any Zep I had heard before, and it was in many ways because I cut my teeth on The Song Remains the Same and Physical Graffiti. Dancing Days in one of my favourites I like to play on guitar. Quirky chording, and the vocal melody over the top of it is just awesome. Just like your documentaries!

This is a great video, thank you for sharing your talents.

I remember first hearing, 'The Rain Song ' and thinking exactly the same as you did! As much as I love Stairway, the way the song evolves from the quiet, finger picked acoustic intro, to the crescendo of the Solo, and then, returning to the acoustic guitar to end the song. But, 'Tte Rain Song ' has all that, and more. From its open tuned DGCGCD guitar, Roberts lyrics, that describe the melancholy of love. It's a musical masterpiece!!

EXCELLENT insight and detail. Enjoyed your personal musician perspective.

One rainy winter day back in 1994 I was playing D&D with my brother-in-law. He turned on VH1 and 'The Song Remains the Same' was playing with Robert Plant's Celtic warrior fantasy sequence was on backed by 'The Rain Song'. I asked what the heck it was playing and was told "Led Zeppelin". It was my first real introduction to Zeppelin because it was so fitting with that moment. It's interesting how you see 'colors' on the fretboard and amazing you associate album cover colors with whether the music is good or not. I always look forward to your Zeppelin videos as a Zephead and fan of Jimmy Page.

Jose. Dancing Days are here again!!! We REWIND to the days of How the West was WON! (Jose, if you shot the Sheriff, who shot the Deputy?). JCM has created another Led Zeppelin Documentary Masterpiece. This is the beginning of my favorite period of LZ. Lord only knows how much work and research that you did to put this together. I must really commend you on not only being an amazing musician but an amazing visual artist: The idea of how you created that amazing color palette for the opening (and parts of the doc) to match the design and tone of the HOUSES OF THE HOLY album art (designed by hipgnosis if i am not mistaken) is such an original and AWESOME idea. Great to see Bonzo alive and well (in a punch-up with Percy. LOL) Great job overall. Take a bow! Even a neglected Living Loving Maid deserves a moment in the spotlight before disappearing forever like Jimmy Page's beard after 1972 onwards.🤤

Always interesting. Love these!

When I was a child I experienced struggles with some crooked front teeth and the further struggle meant many dental visits and some teeth extractions in 4th and 5th grades; every time I made it thru a dental appointment without biting the dentist, or attempting to make some miscellaneous contact with the nurses breasts - I would be awarded with a vinyl LP of my choice; one appt I had two teeth pulled in one sitting and so I pleadingly asked for either two albums or one double album; I settled with Deep People's "Made In Japan," and that is still my favorite live LP along with the Who's "Live At Leeds." And Zeppelin's "Song Remains The Same." (Along with "Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, Live," Blue Oyster Cult' s "On Your Feet Or On Your Knees," " Rick Derringer Live" w/ Vinny Appice, Kenny Aaronson, and Danny Johnston. Rush's "All The World's A Stage." And any & all live Queen bootlegs from their early Japanese tours... I wasn't entirely blown away with "Queen Live killers" because I'd owned Queen 1, Queen 2, Sheer Heart Attack, Night At The Opera/Day At The Races, News Of The World, Jazz, and The Game. Hot Space...? Sorry guys. I saw Queen on The Game Tour and they were using the Pizza Oven lighting rig which was amazingly operated by using crew members sitting in welded seats attached to huge racks of lights and using their own body leverage to raise and lower the lights. I had never, before or since, seen or heard anything as bombastic, extravagant, burlesque/Vaudeville-like, Freddie Mercury was something I can't even attempt to verbally explain - my best friends and I were eleven or twelve when Freddie and John Deacon cut their hair; I knew what it meant when Freddie came out with his mustache, red leather pants, cop hat, etc... And not one of us batted an eyeball at what we all knew - it simply didn't matter to us. I was more upset with Deacy cutting his hair in that adolescent "You gotta have long hair to rock man!" I'm going on too long... Sorry. I so love JMC's effort and research that he dedicates to each of these ultra in depth video posts. Thanks for listening.

The TSRTS snippet in that live Dazed and Confused was sick! Thank you for sharing that.

I bought this LP a few days after release. Was in the 9th grade

I just want to say to the creator of these videos. Thank you. There are so many zep videos out there but YOU know your shit. You have taught me several things about them and I have been a fan since the mid 70s. Jimmy should seek you out and have you run docs for them. He will find no one more knowledgeable.

Thank you for your effort as an Led Zeppelin fan for about 22 years I value your rigourous effort in documenting the band history is astounding ...Greetings from Honduras !!

Great work, Thank you.

Excellent work ❤. Thank you ❤

I'll have to admit that this was an interesting choice (in my mind, at least) for you to cover next. HOTH tends to get overlooked at times in relations to their first fours albums and Physical Grafitti, but it's always been my third favorite album (after IV and II, respectively). It has it's own unique sound, and you did an excellent job of explaining it. Every song on that album really shows off the bands chops. I've never classified it with other progressive rock albums, though, I always thought ITTOD fit that label a little more closely. Regardless, this was yet another great video, showing why your releases have been the highlights of my weekends! Looking forward to the next episode!

This is the first Zeppelin LP I heard (late 70’s)!! My mother had it in her collection of Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears & Beatles LPs. Never found out what song got her to buy it (probably D’yer)☺️. Interesting stuff laid out by you again 😎 Love how you added the ‘beard’ shaving in the timeline!!!

Nice Work!

On this day March 28th 1973. release of houses of the Holy ! great job in the making and production of this video ! Rock on 🤘🏻😁