Led Zeppelin was Jimmy Page’s baby. The guitarist assembled the band. He dictated the creative vision. He had a hand in writing nearly all of Zeppelin’s songs. Page played guitar and other instruments. Just as crucially, he produced all the band’s albums. It was a lot of extra work, but Page never considered giving up the role as Led Zeppelin’s producer, and when an outsider tried to muscle his way into the title, the guitarist told him off with a very frank response.
Jimmy Page told Glyn Johns he ‘didn’t have a hope in hell’ of producing Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was nearly a self-contained entity. Aside from tabla player Viram Jasani contributing to “Black Mountain Side” on the debut and Robert Plant sharing vocals with Sandy Denny on “The Battle of Evermore,” they never used outside performers. Sound engineers were the only outsiders to crack the inner circle.
Jimmy Page told Glyn Johns he ‘didn’t have a hope in hell’ of producing Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was nearly a self-contained entity. Aside from tabla player Viram Jasani contributing to “Black Mountain Side” on the debut and Robert Plant sharing vocals with Sandy Denny on “The Battle of Evermore,” they never used outside performers. Sound engineers were the only outsiders to crack the inner circle.
- 7/28/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Led Zeppelin’s four members wrote and performed the band’s best songs. Guest musicians occasionally assisted, but Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham did the heavy lifting. Yet the quartet had plenty of help behind the scenes, and they lost a key secret member when Andy Johns died on April 7, 2013.
(l-r) Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham | Rocky Widner/FilmMagic Andy Johns was like a secret Led Zeppelin member helping Jimmy Page on several albums
Page spent years working as a session musician and stuck with it even when he detested it. Why? Because the skills he learned working behind the scenes were invaluable. Page figured out how to mic instruments in the studio, engineer and mix songs, and salvage takes when things went wrong.
In short, he knew what to do in the studio and expected the...
(l-r) Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham | Rocky Widner/FilmMagic Andy Johns was like a secret Led Zeppelin member helping Jimmy Page on several albums
Page spent years working as a session musician and stuck with it even when he detested it. Why? Because the skills he learned working behind the scenes were invaluable. Page figured out how to mic instruments in the studio, engineer and mix songs, and salvage takes when things went wrong.
In short, he knew what to do in the studio and expected the...
- 4/7/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Led Zeppelin made a classic album with Led Zeppelin IV. It was the record where the professional critics had to eat their words and admit the band was something special (though the musicians who hated Led Zeppelin didn’t change their stance). And it faced a major snafu along the way. Jimmy Page said a lie at one recording studio forced him to work overtime on Led Zeppelin IV. He wore multiple hats in the band — songwriter, lead guitarist, and album producer — and that final credential was put to the test, though the results were worth it.
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin worked on ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ at various locations
The album’s mythology can make it seem like Headley Grange hosted all the recording sessions for Led Zeppelin IV, but that’s not true. Yes, the band recorded John Bonham...
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin worked on ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ at various locations
The album’s mythology can make it seem like Headley Grange hosted all the recording sessions for Led Zeppelin IV, but that’s not true. Yes, the band recorded John Bonham...
- 3/2/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Andy Johns, engineer and producer on albums by Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Van Halen passed away on Sunday, April 7.
Guitarist Stacey Blades, who was working on a project with Johns, tells CNN that the 61-year-old producer had entered the hospital a little over a week before his passing. "Andy's health wasn't all that great over the last six months or so, but he was still Andy," Blades says. "When I got the call yesterday I was shocked."
Johns, who was the younger brother of famed producer Glyn Johns, engineered most of Led Zeppelin's discography, including "Led Zeppelin II," "Led Zeppelin IV," "Houses of the Holy" and "Physical Graffiti." He also worked on the Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers," "Exile on Main Street" and "Goats Head Soup," Van Halen's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and two albums by Joe Satriani.
Blades, along with other musicians who worked with the engineer,...
Guitarist Stacey Blades, who was working on a project with Johns, tells CNN that the 61-year-old producer had entered the hospital a little over a week before his passing. "Andy's health wasn't all that great over the last six months or so, but he was still Andy," Blades says. "When I got the call yesterday I was shocked."
Johns, who was the younger brother of famed producer Glyn Johns, engineered most of Led Zeppelin's discography, including "Led Zeppelin II," "Led Zeppelin IV," "Houses of the Holy" and "Physical Graffiti." He also worked on the Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers," "Exile on Main Street" and "Goats Head Soup," Van Halen's "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and two albums by Joe Satriani.
Blades, along with other musicians who worked with the engineer,...
- 4/9/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Veteran music engineer and producer Andy Johns died in Los Angeles over the weekend. He was 61.
During his illustrious career, Johns -- whose brother and nephew, respectively, are fellow producers Glyn Johns and Ethan Johns -- worked on such classic albums as Led Zeppelin's "II," the Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers" and Joni Mitchell's "Shadows and Light," Variety.com reports.
According to CNN, Johns was hospitalized late last month. The cause of his death is still unknown.
Born in Surrey, England, Johns began his decades-long career as a tape operator at the famed Olympic Studios in London, where he worked on sessions for the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Axis: Bold as Love."
"In those days you could go into one studio and Joe Cocker was working, and then you're working with Jimi Hendrix in Studio One, or down the corridor Eric Clapton is doing something," Johns once said of his early Olympic Studios days,...
During his illustrious career, Johns -- whose brother and nephew, respectively, are fellow producers Glyn Johns and Ethan Johns -- worked on such classic albums as Led Zeppelin's "II," the Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers" and Joni Mitchell's "Shadows and Light," Variety.com reports.
According to CNN, Johns was hospitalized late last month. The cause of his death is still unknown.
Born in Surrey, England, Johns began his decades-long career as a tape operator at the famed Olympic Studios in London, where he worked on sessions for the Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Axis: Bold as Love."
"In those days you could go into one studio and Joe Cocker was working, and then you're working with Jimi Hendrix in Studio One, or down the corridor Eric Clapton is doing something," Johns once said of his early Olympic Studios days,...
- 4/9/2013
- by Dominique Mosbergen
- Huffington Post
Andy Johns, a music producer and sound engineer for such bands as Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Van Halen, died Sunday. He was 61.
Johns had been hospitalized for about 10 days prior to his death. "Andy's health wasn't all that great over the last six months or so, but he was still Andy," guitarist Stacey Blades, who was working on a project with Johns, told CNN.
Read More >...
Johns had been hospitalized for about 10 days prior to his death. "Andy's health wasn't all that great over the last six months or so, but he was still Andy," guitarist Stacey Blades, who was working on a project with Johns, told CNN.
Read More >...
- 4/9/2013
- by Sadie Gennis
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Andy Johns, a veteran producer and engineer who worked on albums by Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Van Halen, and many more, has died. He was 61. No cause of death has been announced. Johns—the younger brother of producer and engineer Glyn Johns, and uncle of producer Ethan Johns—was born in England, where he began working as a tape operator at London’s Olympic Studios, where his brother also worked. Before he was 19, he was helping Eddie Kramer produce The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s Axis Bold As Love. He would go on to produce dozens of records ...
- 4/8/2013
- avclub.com
Director: Jeff Warrick When first-time director Jeff Warrick is unable to obtain comments from either of the surviving two Beatles regarding their use of backwards masking and subliminal messages, he enlists Queensryche singer Geoff Tate. (Tate being the most logical third choice after Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr?) Thankfully, Warrick also brings in Rolling Stone Senior Editor David Fricke and legendary rock and roll recording engineer and producer Andy Johns for back-up. The Judas Priest subliminal message trial from 1990 also makes an appearance, but does any of this footage convince me that hidden messages in music are able to influence human behavior? Ummm... No. Well, how about the use of subliminal messaging in cinema? Well, Warrick opts to bend the definition of "subliminal" in order to discuss Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin and other directors who purposefully inter-cut [totally perceptible] images and/or sounds to solicit emotional responses to their films.
- 8/20/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Roadrunner Records announced recently that they partnered with one of the big names of ‘70s rock, Steve Miller, to release his band’s first studio album in 17 years. Together with Miller’s imprint Space Cowboy Records, Bingo! is the first of two albums recorded by the Steve Miller Band at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch studios. The second album will be released next year. Bingo! was co-produced by Andy Johns, who’s worked with classic rock greats like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Van Halen....
- 5/4/2010
- Pastemagazine.com
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