Why wasn't John Paul Jones invited to take a part of Led Zeppelin's reunion 

Without JPJ you have no LZ. Jones was the glue that held it all together. Simply put, JPJ is and was the best overall musician hands down.

So.....JPJ wasn't into drugs and underage "baby groupies." My respect for him just exploded.

Jones has commented that he partied pretty damn hard but that he didn't put himself in compromising situations. It's true that he was by far the wisest member of the band.

JPJ is literally one of the most talented musician to ever walk this planet & kudos to Plant for getting on his hands & knees & begging John's forgiveness

Takes a strong personality to be your own man and not run with the pack..........Good for him.

John paul jones ( john Baldwin) was zepps secret weapon ( in my opinion) he was a great bass player, organ/ piano player, mandolin... He wrote interesting and different arangements

A very Happy 78th Birthday John Paul Jones. Born John Richard Baldwin. January 3, 1946. Sidcup, U.K. He's never had a rock star persona. Instead, he's soft spoken, shy and has always been modest when it comes to Zep's influence on modern rock music. Cheers mate and many more..

I didn’t realize that JPJ and the others weren’t really friendly with each other. But then again, we all end up working with people that we don’t socialize with outside of work. Most of us just don’t become millionaires doing it. Personally I’ve always thought JPJ had the perfect rock star life. A key member of one of the biggest bands in history who could walk down the street unrecognized by 95% of the world. Sounds great to me.

No Zepp without each member . Without each other there was no Zepp.

John Paul Jones was always my favourite band member .Call it human intuition. This video proved me right.

Went to see King Crimson at the last minute not knowing jones was the opening act, he blew them away

No Quarter is one of my all time favorites!

I don't think any other band did such a perfect job of keeping their bass and keyboard player invisible throughout the band's career

There is no excuse for excluding JPJ. JPJ is talented beyond belief and could have played any way they asked him to. That is BS about those two are ok and don't sound like LZ (really) even with Roberts voice? I don't buy it. It was just plain rude and mean and unforgivable to intentionally exclude JPJ. JPJ was and had every right to be extremely hurt. I think he eventually forgave them but that is only because he is the smart one and the kinder one of the three, which they obviously never appreciated to treat him the way they did.

John Paul Jones is soooo underrated not only a great bass player but keyboard player also

John Paul Jones always seemed like an outsider with Led Zeppelin...

I have a tremendous amount of respect for JPJ. For his extensive session work during the 60's. For being the best Bassist in Rock history. For his tolerance and patience during his time with Led Zep especially the "non invite" period. John Paul Jones maturity and behavior during the LZ years reminds me of the late Charlies Watts. At the time of his passing (2021) Charlie was happily married for 57 years.

In other words, Jones was the Charlie Watts of Zeppelin.

When Zep played in Russia JPJ played some Rachminoff on the keyboard which went down well with the audience. An under appreciated and awesome musician.

What can you say about a musical genius other than he was a great man as well? Much respect John.

It was Robert Plant that didn't want John Paul Jones to join him and Jimmy page. Plant said it would be like getting Led Zeppelin together. Jimmy Page wanted Jones to join

Jones was in a big way responsible for the melodies of LZ.

"had some talent", hmm let's see. Killer bass player, great mando player ,truly great keyboard player. Oh, and by the way, his keyboard was equipped with bass foot pedals, so he could play both keys and bass simultaneously, ala Billy Preston. What a musician!

Love the band! My favourite..Sorry to hear this about John Paul Jones..

JPJ is pure class!!! Not to mention a musical genius!!!

jpj was the heart of the band. they were dicks to him

I do agree that JPJ was not involved in most of the shenanigans of the rest of the band members but in "Hammer of the Gods" it does clearly state that he was involved in some antics such as the shark incident. I think the real reason Page and Plant ignored JPJ post Zeppelin was jealousy and insecurity. JPJ was the bigesst session player in Britain when it came to bass, organ, arranging etc. and Page was the biggest session player in Britain when it came to guitar. They played together as session players on many albums. I have read that they played together on over 50 different albums.Plant and Bonham in contrast were country bumpkins from the Midlands who were nobody amateurs before Page and JPJ found them.I think that both Bonham and especially Plant were intimidated by JPJ's reputation, abilities, and professionalism. I believe Page was jealous and probably put off in that he could not manipulate, intimidate, or control JPJ like he did Bonham and Plant. Just think about this for a second; JPJ was the arranger for the band and the only arranger they ever had. The biggest reason their songs sound like they do is because of JPJ's arranging. Due to Page's extreme heroin addiction and also Plant and Bonhams drug and alcohol problems "In Through the Outdoor" is essentially JPJ's albums. He saved the album and the band and was it's de facto leader at that time. Also, consider this; it is well known that Bonzo never pulled his drunken rage BS on JPJ. I think he was actually in awe of JPJ and they formed what I believe is the heaviest rhythm section the world has ever known. That driving bass and drums was the foundation of everythin Zeppelin did. They worked brilliantly together. Don't think for a second that Plant and especially Page didn't know that.

Bonham suffered from depression (manic most likely). Also a family man, he hated being away from his family all the time, but the pressures of the money to pay the bills and to keep obligations kept him at it. but he was also an alcoholic, and from what many have said, a somewhat angry alcoholic, who liked to start trouble and fight, possibly a result of being depressed and missing his family? Eventually it all destroyed him. Very sad.

no JPJ, no ZEP.

Jones was the most competent member of LZ

I saw Zepplin in 1975 in NY. Jones is an outstanding bass player.

They could have shown him a Whole Lotta Love but instead they decided to Battle for Evermore. It’s Nobody’s Fault but their Own.

Es importante recordar que a JPJ no le molestó en absoluto que no contasen con él. De hecho, cuando supo que sus dos colegas estaban embarcados en un nuevo proyecto les deseó lo mejor públicamente (leí sus declaraciones). Lo que realmente disgustó a Jones fue aquella grabación para la MTV en la que tocaron varios temas de Led Zeppelin... unos temas que son tan suyos como de los otros dos. Incluso el disco lleva el título de un tema de JPJ (No Quarter). Luego se ofendió por un comentario de Plant en una rueda de prensa pero aquello fue anecdótico. La auténtica faena fue lo otro. Se enfadó con razón.

JPJ not the only bass player that preferred a quieter life off stage, look at a certain bassist from queen.

Jones could play just about every instrument, and he was a talented arranger, producer and song writer. He started contributing these skills more on Physical Graffiti and basically wrote and produced all of In Through the Out Door released in 1979. His later albums feature him playing every instrument on most songs. Jones is truly a unique talent and unsung hero of LZ.

This paints John Paul Jones' friendship with the others in a grim light. They were all friends, and all considered each other as friends, and as we know, in a group of friends, feelings ebb and flow. While it's true JPJ didn't partake in ALL of the partying, he DID party. This clip fails to mention the incident when JPJ nearly burnt down a New Orleans Hotel as a side effect of his type of partying. There's also stories of JPJ holding court playing on a full-sized organ installed in Led Zep's various custom jet planes. This clip also fails to mention his sometimes dismissive, sardonic and sarcastic wit, which at times was off-putting to the others. Or that he threatened to quit after the Houses of The Holy Tour. Or that Page relied on him as the "music theorist" of the band to help him flesh out "Stairway," "Kashmir" and "Achilles Last Stand." Or that he and Plant worked intensely to write most of the material for Led Zeppelin's last album, In Through The Out Door. Or that when Plant finished his first solo album and presented it to Jones, Jones responded coldly that he thought Plant "could do better." Still they all called him Jonesy. We all have a friend like that.

Without that thundering bass we wouldn’t have the lightning that LZ is, not to mention JPJ’s writing/arrangement skills and any stringed or keyed instruments. Really couldn’t have had the Zeppelin we know and love without any of them, including Peter Grant and Roy Harper.

Never delved into this. It makes perfect sense. Glad they made up and am proud of Robert for heartfully asking his forgiveness.

A genuine multi instrumentalist. Incredibly talented musician and a huge part of the Led Zeppelin sound.

You hate to hear these things. But they happen. Knowing, years later, he messed up and all but begging Jones for his forgiveness, that is a hard thing to do, and Jones forgiving is just as hard. So glad as a huge Led Zep fan that they did.

A great all-round musician. I always thought him restricted with his bass parts, he was more than that.

The thing is, if Plant & Page had invited John Paul Jones everyone would have considered it a Led Zeppelin reunion. And it wasn't a reunion & Plant didn't want that because of the expectations.

dude, at least Robert Plant came to his senses and begged for forgiveness. He's a great person, really. A great human being. It's starting to shine now in his older years.

JPJ is my hero! And I always wondered if he was part of the craziness. I love him even more now! 🙏♥️🥰😘

John Paul Jones came up with some of the best shit they did. Trampled Underfoot kills.

I think if you were lucky enough to have Jonesy as a friend,he'd be the best friend you could ever hope to have.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Wow never knew that. Much respect for him and Robert plant for the respect he showed him

He had a major role in the arrangement of many of the groups best songs. He probably should have been credited for much more than he was.

If they brought in JPJ, then it would have been called Led Zeppelin and that would've determined what material they would "have to play". I think Robert is the one who decided and he wanted to explore other kinds of world music with Jimmy - especially the music of Morocco and North African music. In fact, after they got back together, Jimmy and Robert went to Marrakesh and jammed with local musicians. There's an interview from the mid-eighties where Plant is describing his interest in playing with Page again and he says he just wants it to be Page and Plant.

The real reason Plant didnt want Jones is because his son in law was a bass player that had toured with plants solo career. Jimmy really didnt have a say in the matter. The reunions were all controlled by robert plant .

*. . . . . . thank you for remembering my phone number* *classic* 💀

Sounds like the story of another great and talented bass player from my generation. Carlos Dengler of Interpol and John Paul Jones were not only excellent and creative musicians (and sometimes underrated too) but also fundamentals for their respective bands.

John Paul Jones was seriously Led Zeppelins secret weapon by far, He was a serious musician, he wasn't into all the debauchery, alcohol, drugs, and groupies, he was married had a family and that was most important to him, for Page and Plant not to invite him on their reunion tours what a shame.

Jones was the creative genius behind Led Zeppelin. ∆°

Without Jones’s prodigal instincts and immense contributions to this act, the dirigible surly would NOT have gained its famed cruising altitude. I like to fun with un-seasoned Zeppelin fans, younger Zeppelin fans who have no clue. I’d tell them that; Zeppelin toured with choirmaster organist, composer, first-call session bassist, multi instrumentalist and arranger. They of course would ask “who’s that?” Then I’d reveal his name.

Composer, knew odd time signatures in depth.

Not only not into the described but also the occult which Jimmy Page and to a lesser degree Plant was into. Robert Plant with the death of son & Bonzo did change him a lot though.

I'd like to see the proof of Plant getting on his knees. Sounds a bit farfetched

Not inviting JPJ was a huge slap in the face. Glad they reconciled.

Led Zeppelin ended when Bonzo died.

how does John Paul Jones look so young I saw him in something and like the end of 2023 and the man look like he was in his 40s He's got to be damn near 80 years old and he looks young as hell like how does he look so young?

John Paul Jones was by far the real talent in Led Zeppelin .

Without Jonesy. "In Through the Outdoor" never gets made. The rest of the members were dealing with drugs, booze and in Plants case, the loss of family. ITTOD was a major comeback for Zeppelin after the previously panned "Presence" JPJ was the invisible glue that held that band together post 1976.

X amount divided by 2 is a lot more than x amount divided by 3

Good for JPJ for standing with the most important partner in his life, I don’t fault JP and RP for living the rock star lifestyle although I wish Bonzo could have been saved.

Jon Paul Jones famously has often done a lot of work with much younger and newer artists. He was the reason why Led Zep sounded much bigger than just a 3/4 piece.

Respect for JPJ. Congrats on #50thAnniversary !!!

This is what I heard. RP invited JPJ to play at a 1985 HoneyDippers show. Later in the tour, Plant invited Page to a show. Page asked Jonesy how was the show?Jones said get there early, it turns to shit after that. Page told Plant what he said. I don't think Plant ever forgot that.😮

Jonesy was and is an incredibly gifted musician. Love his sense of humor during the David Letterman show.

Thank God Robert Plant saw the light and apologised to John Paul Jones. I was about to write something nasty about Plant , but then I heard that last line from the narrator and it restored my faith in him. Page ? Oh, who cares ? I think the demonic realm matters more to him than a disenchanted fan. All the best, John Paul Jones ! Yep, you can be a good guy and still rock it ! Best wishes to you too, Robert ! Forever Kashmir !

Sad truth is while the other guys were partying playing rock star he was in the studio recording their parts.

I saw the 94 concert. I was pissed that JPJ was not with them. I knew it up front but I didn’t like it. The show was awesome though. Really loud too. The electric amplified hurdy gurdy shook the beams of Thompson Boling in Knoxville. You could feel it in your chest.

LZ without JPJ and Bonzo is like The Who playing live without John Entwistle and Keith Moon and Van Halen without Michael Anthony

JPJ should have gotten much more recognition than he did. The guy wrote many of their hit songs and was a multi instrumentalists. If you watch him today he does great renditions of my songs playing lead guitar ,bass and the lap steal . It's sad that for what ever reasons Jimmy Page and Robert Plant has little respect for him . If you watched any of the videos of them 3 together you can see that JPJ is always quiet,reserved and says nothing but get him by him self and he is very open and communicative.

I get it! I’m not a drinker or a party person at all! I wouldn’t want nothing to do with parties and weird stuff going on everyone is different! But JPJ is a huge part of this band and why it became so successful!

Great question!!! Seeing as J.P.Jones wrote a lot of the music & some of their biggest songs! On top of that, as they got more experimental with different instruments, who do you think played those instruments??? None other than John Paul Jones!! Just like Robert. Jimmy, & Bonzo....there is NO Led Zeppelin without J. P. Jones!!!

You need to change the title of this video. Jones was not invited when Page and Plant reunited in the 90's. He obviously was invited when Led Zeppelin reformed for the one off show in 2007.

Jones was the backbone of that band.

Plant really seemed to mature and grow into a good human in his later years. Many of his musical efforts seem like attempts to apologize for Zep.

I'll be damned. I knew he had a much lower profile than the others, but never knew he was so disconnected from them off stage.

The Unleded project would have been so much better than it was if JPJ was apart of it. Walking Into Clarksdale would have been better if JPJ was apart of it as well

JPJ was already well known in the music industry as a session musician and arranger way before he joined LZ. He contributed to so many top ten pop and rock hits in the 60s, that his name was well established. It is surprising he even joined LZ.

WOW! Robert Plant got on his knees and begged John Paul to forgive him! WOW!

Wow he is very very talented gosh good for him

Maybe at that time, Page/Plant's bass player Charlie Jones was married to Robert Plant's daughter Carmen might have had something to do with it. Charlie is also a great bass player as is JPJ.

Among all these 4 incredible talents, JPJ was the most sound and complete musician. His troubles with Plant were rooted in him (Plant) not having a very good theoretical understanding of music and preferring to take the instinct route for composing, while JPJ was more like: let's sit down and write some proper multi-instrumental music. Plant and Page were often thinking about Lyrics and general melodic lines first (often echoing each other on the stage), while Bonzo would have then taken care of the groove and energy levels of the songs. But JPJ brought into each composition a different level of sophistication, which Plant often struggled with, and was probably a bit jealous of. The deep differences in their personalities didn't help either. But they never truly stopped respecting each other, at least, nor they were ever involved in any big internal fights, unlike many others big bands of the era.

Most of this is true, the part about robert plant getting on his knees i don’t know about.

I didn't know all that.. Very interesting..👍

Emmm … well, I didn’t know that!

Jimmy Page is my favorite artist ever but John Paul Jones is my favorite member of Led Zeppelin. Seems like a contradiction but it makes sense in my head

He is a complete musician, they disrespected him greatly.

I seriously don't think the band would have been able to play anywhere near the level they did onstage without Jones. He kept the steadiness required to keep the others being able to improvise. Maybe the all time underrated musicians ever. He and Richard Wright in my opinion are 1a and 1b.

I MEAN IT LITERALLY TOOK A ENTIRE ORCHESTRA TO FULFILL HIS PLACE .HE WAS THE GROUNDED ONE ,MAYBE THE ONE IN CHARGE . PERHAPS

Money. It goes further split two ways rather than three.

We may look at the other band members as being important because of their flamboyant lives. But the actual talent in the band was John. John was so gifted instrumentality that he gave Zeppelin their very distinctive sound. 😊

As a misanthropic bass player who has an extremely low tolerance for the bullshit of egomaniacs … I can 100% relate. I ♥️ you John Paul Jones 😊

Where are you getting this info?

Well Bonzo was known to be a bit unpredictable and wave guns around when he got really upset, but not sure why they were so dishonourable to Jonesy - their old friend. Jimmy approached John first, but Page perhaps should have just grasped the nettle, and let him know, Planty wanted the gig for his son in law, before they were on TV.

The greatest rock n' roll song of all time is [Trampled Underfoot] basically written by JPJ

Robert can't forget Bonham but He forgot JPJ. Not nice