Turning down Led Zeppelin: Steven Tyler? Ronnie Wood?

The story about Steven Tyler supposedly having turned down an offer to record with Jimmy Page in 2008 has gotten a lot of traction on the Internet over the past few days, with a majority of the stories missing the point that their would-be collaboration was never intended to become Led Zeppelin.

But in the meantime, a new interview has surfaced in which Ronnie Wood says he'd once been asked about possibly joining Led Zeppelin. And he said no.

This interview is part of the episode of Carol Miller's "Get the Led Out" airing on U.S. radio stations this week. The episode also includes new reflections on Led Zeppelin from Wood's Rolling Stones bandmate, Keith Richards.

Miller, the New York-based DJ who hosts the 60-minute weekly and one-minute daily installments of "Get the Led Out" for a national audience, writes on her blog at LedZepOnline.com:

This week on "Get the Led Out" we're playing interview clips with two members of the Rolling Stones.

First, Keith Richards has been doing press for his autobiography, "Life," which is a national bestseller. He took some time out to give us his opinion of Led Zeppelin, and it turns out he didn't think much of the band. He's hot on Jimmy, but Led Zeppelin never "took off" musically as a band, in his opinion. 

We also caught up with Ronnie Wood, whose autobiography "Ronnie" came out in 2007. He remembers being asked to join Jimmy Page's New Yardbirds, which was to become Led Zeppelin. At the time, Ronnie was playing bass for the Jeff Beck Group, also under Peter Grant's management. Ronnie reveals what he thought when he first saw John Bonham! 

Their interviews are included on Miller's blog page at LedZepOnline.com and also air on this week's 60-minute episode of "Get the Led Out." Check with your favorite local classic rock station for air times or to request the show.

Disclosure: Steve Sauer is a consultant to Carol Miller's Get the Led Out and editor of LedZepOnline.com.

Steven Tyler talks Led Zeppelin -- past and, uh, future? Howard Stern show recap

Photo by Daigo Oliva

An interview conducted live on the Howard Stern show today sheds some light on what Jimmy Page has been, and may still be, up to.

In the "surprise guest's" interview, Aerosmith singer and "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler said he turned down an offer to do some songwriting with Led Zeppelin's guitarist.

Still, Tyler's interview ended with a comment, maybe made in jest, that he might be performing soon with Led Zeppelin.

The conversation first delved into the subject of Zep when Stern, surprised by his guest's appearance, suddenly asked if Tyler really did audition for Led Zeppelin, as reports stated in October 2008.

A one-off Led Zeppelin concert in December 2007 saw Page reunited with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, along with Jason Bonham, son of original drummer John Bonham. The following year, while Plant was on tour with Alison Krauss, the others were gathered together with hopes of continuing playing music together.

However, with Plant unavailable, they considered forming, instead, a new band. Statements to the effect that Led Zeppelin would continue with any singer other than Plant were untrue.

The story at one time was that Tyler had auditioned for Led Zeppelin, implying Plant would be replaced. Tyler, through his words in today's interview, may have callously reinforced that notion.

Stern asked if Tyler auditioned for Led Zeppelin, and the singer didn't exactly say no.

Tyler mentioned by name the man who was Jimmy Page's manager, Peter Mensch. Tyler said Mench called him to say that Led Zeppelin had "just played live and that Robert wouldn't play with them again." So he was asked, "Want to come over and jam with the guys?" Tyler said it was natural to jump at the opportunity.

However, when he and Page met face to face and was asked to record an album with him, Tyler turned that down due to his allegiance with Aerosmith.

Previously, a source said it was Page who turned down Tyler after an audition Page deemed "shambolic."

(That is enough to make one wonder how Page would do as an "American Idol" judge. Unafraid to express harsh opinions with words such as "shambolic," Page could be the new Simon Cowell!)

Tyler's overall message on the state of Aerosmith's future was that he would drop "American Idol" if faced with a conflict between being a judge and being a lead singer.

Tyler said he thinks he could have several ongoing projects and they wouldn't jeopardize his position with his bandmates in Aerosmith. For instance, he offered, he could play some Led Zeppelin shows.

Yep, that's right, Tyler said of Led Zeppelin: "I may do some dates with them, just a couple of one-offs." But it wouldn't be a barrier: "That doesn't mean I'm joining Zeppelin."

Anyway, catch Jimmy Page's take on how it really went down in 2008 with Jones and Bonham. And how Jones says it went down.

Jimmy Page was engrossed in voiceless Led Zeppelin trio; speculative band lineup quashed because singer's introduction was 'premature,' Page says in interview

John Paul Jones has used his ample media opportunities in recent months to narrate his version of what ever became of that project he'd promised in 2008, a band with Jason Bonham and Jimmy Page. Ever since Jones has been showcased as a starring member of Them Crooked Vultures, his newfound podium has afforded him the luxury of pronouncing that he and the others "couldn't agree on singers" and so the band "fell by the wayside." This, in turn, leads Jones to change the topic and discuss matters at hand: namely, Them Crooked Vultures.

Bonham has also talked here and there about his participation in that band, but likewise, he is more excited to discuss his next offering, Black Country, and not focus on what was and what should never be.

Even the once-rumored singer auditioning for a spot in a Page-Jones-Bonham lineup, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, has opened up on the subject of those rehearsals together in 2008 -- to LedZeppelinNews.com, no less. Once reluctant to speak about the subject publicly, he recounted on Dec. 16, 2009, what it was like to have written new material with members of Led Zeppelin:

"There were two, a couple songs that I remember. For me, that was the biggest thrill because these were songs and pieces of music that no one had heard. And I'm standing in a room, and I'm putting my melodies and lyrics to it. For me as an artist, I don't think anything will ever compare to the feeling that I got from those moments. It felt like you were kind of a part of history for a few minutes there. It was just amazing. It's hard to even put into words, Steve, it really is."

The one voice that was missing on the subject for just as long was Page's. Now, he's given Mojo magazine the cover story for its February 2010 issue, and he's also contributed an interview for the February issue of Uncut. He's detailed his ideas for the genesis of a band with Jones and Bonham that would be missing a voice of its own.

Page admits for the first time that when he was rehearsing his three-piece band, he found it exciting to experiment with their combined sound and content to see what direction it would carry them -- even, it seems, if it meant they would remain an instrumental unit.

In his interview with Phil Alexander for Mojo, Page says he thinks Kennedy "is a really fine singer." What stopped them from proceeding beyond the rehearsal stage, the guitarist proclaims, was a nagging feeling that no vocalist should have been introduced until after the music had first developed further.

"We hadn't really had the time to bring what the three of us had to fruition," Page opines. "I felt that once we'd done that, then that would have been the time to bring in a singer." He says all they needed was "more time," even "another two weeks."

However, forcing a singer in at the stage they did was "premature," he says. "I felt it was somewhat like putting the cart before the horse, because it was bringing in an unknown into an environment of three known elements."

Page says a lot more in that interview, and a little more in the Uncut interview. But first, let's place all the recent remarks -- from him and elsewhere -- in their proper context.

Special guests sit in as Led Zeppelin tribute band jams on Aerosmith, Ted Nugent

When you play a show in New York, you can expect some special guests show up. That's exactly what happened when Philadelphia-based Led Zeppelin tribute band Get the Led Out played the Nokia Theater in Times Square one week ago, on Jimmy Page's birthday.

Their Jan. 9 show saw the presence of a few special guests, which even spilled over onto the stage. Singer and guitarist Derek St. Holmes joined Get the Led Out during the show to jam out on Ted Nugent's memorable solo from "Stranglehold."

Also joining them for that song was Graham Whitford, the son of Aerosmith's Brad Whitford. The young guitarist, whose father once recorded an album with St. Holmes, traded licks on "Stranglehold" and also shared the lead on "Sweet Emotion."



Before the show, LedZeppelinNews.com caught up with Get the Led Out singer Paul Sinclair, who discussed his affection for Aerosmith, particularly Steven Tyler, who with Robert Plant is one of two singers he's often told he resembles in terms of his singing style and stage presence.

"Those are the two vocalists that I spent my life focusing on, so I guess when I decided I was gonna be a rock singer and, you know, to hell with college or whatever else, the reason was because I had such a passion and love for that music that Steven Tyler and Robert Plant had involvement with," Sinclair said. "So I just immersed myself in that stuff, so I guess you could call me a two-trick pony."

Listen to part one of my interviews with Get the Led Out singer Paul Sinclair and guitarist Paul Hammond here.

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Update: Part two, in which Sinclair and Hammond discuss the genre of Led Zeppelin imitators and various trends in rock music, is also available.

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Worthwhile reading on a possible vacancy in Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin 40 years ago

Last year, Steven Tyler was rumored to be rehearsing with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham. He was rumored to be one of the singers auditioning for a spot in the touring band that would have emerged, which the press insisted on incorrectly calling Led Zeppelin.

The only singer who has confirmed he was a part of rehearsals last year for this non-Led Zeppelin band is Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. Because the press insisted the resulting band would have been called Led Zeppelin, it was widely reported that either Kennedy was chief among singers being considered taking Robert Plant's place in Led Zeppelin.

Now, one blogger wants things to come full circle. Daniel Wilcox of 411mania.com says Aerosmith may be in shambles, with the band unsure whether or not Tyler has walked out on their touring commitments. Wilcox thinks Plant ought to volunteer to sing for Aerosmith. Of course, when he said that, he was kidding -- only about as serious as when he suggested Courtney Love ought to fill the same vacancy.

Wilcox finished up, though, with another suggestion, one he says he honestly means: Myles Kennedy. Check out his reasoning, among other things.

In the meantime, another blog has published a rather comprehensive look back at the album Led Zeppelin II, 40 years after its release.

Earlier this week was 40 years since a Led Zeppelin concert in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and Zeppelin fan Brian Gardiner marked the anniversary of the '69 show in his town with a trip to the library, which resulted in an informative piece on Zep's visit to the Canadian hamlet with a population of 100,000 at the time.

Jimmy Page's manager claims singer auditions failed, 'no plans' for tour

OK, so the only thing that stands in the way of a new album and tour with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham is identifying a singer. Right?

That's what one would be led to believe after being exposed to the words of Page's manager, QPrime's Peter Mensch, who just said as much when he spoke with BBC Radio, as reported today.

But now Mensch is quoted, also today, by another news site saying something a little different. According to Joe Bosso's report on MusicRadar, the manager has told that site:

"They tried out a few singers, but no one worked out. That was it. The whole thing is completely over now. There are absolutely no plans for them to continue. Zero. Frankly, I wish everybody would stop talking about it."

Confused? Parse these words from Mensch carefully:

"Led Zeppelin are over! If you didn't see them in 2007, you missed them. It's done. I can't be any clearer than that."

Right. We already knew that, considering past disclosures to that effect from Page himself and an unnamed QPrime representative speaking on his behalf. This is almost exactly what Page told reporters last September:

"Playing at the 02, that was our reunion and it was one day and it was at the 02 in London. ... And basically that was it because if you're going to do a reunion, you need four members. John Paul Jones, myself and Jason would sort jam afterwards but it was nothing as monumental as people are speculating."

It almost sounds like MusicRadar's reporter was asking Mensch about a Led Zeppelin reunion, rather than a new collaboration between a singer and the established trio of Page, Jones and Bonham. It was precisely this line of questioning that went out of fashion last year after it became clear Robert Plant wanted no part of a Led Zeppelin reunion.

But it's interesting to see Mensch commenting on the fruits of the rehearsals, particularly that of the "few singers" they "tried out," "no one worked out."

While it has been reported that Page, Jones and Bonham were auditioning or rehearsing or jamming with singers Myles Kennedy and Steven Tyler last year, there have been no previous comments on how fruitful any singer rehearsals or auditions were.

And so, if you believe MusicRadar's quote from Mensch, then that's it: The project is called off. It won't happen.

The MusicRadar report concludes with one final quote from Mensch on the topic. It asks him what Page's plans are for the new year, and the manager replies:

"F--- if I know. I'm waiting to hear."

We all are, Jimmy. In fact, we have been for a while.

The guitarist turns 65 this Friday, Jan. 9. Jones just celebrated his 63rd birthday last Saturday, Jan. 3.

Aerosmith guitarist says Page trying to motivate Plant to return to Zeppelin

Guitarist Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, in an appearance today on the syndicated "Todd n Tyler Radio Empire," explained what bandmate Steven Tyler was doing in England with Jimmy Page.

"First of all, they did it for fun," said Whitford, who plans to tour with Aerosmith again beginning in March 2009. His comments were the first from the Aerosmith stable confirming a report published Saturday in England's Daily Mail that mentioned Tyler's jam session with Page and Led Zeppelin bandmates John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham.

Whitford brought up Aerosmith's history of playing with Page and his own particular admiration of Page as a guitarist. He then speculated as to the message Page and the others may have been trying to relate to Robert Plant by way of the media.

"I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because, I think, he was trying to light a fire under Robert," Whitford said. "Come on! Come on, Robert, let's go!"

Plant announced in September in a message on his official Web site that he has no intention of touring or recording with Led Zeppelin for the next two years.

The "Todd n Tyler Radio Empire" interviewers asked Whitford if, out of all the singers in the world, Steven Tyler is one of the most intimidating Page and company could have brought in to motivate Plant. Whitford's answer was as short as it needed to be: "Yes, absolutely."

The program also conducted an interview with Danny Goldberg, who worked with Led Zeppelin's organization for three years in the mid 1970s. In that interview, Goldberg said he believes Plant will come around and play with Led Zeppelin again someday, even if it is two or three years from now.

Vocal auditions continue; Alter Bridge singer would juggle bands, bandmate says

The search for a new singer to join Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham is on, sources including Jones himself have confirmed either publicly or to news organizations.

Jones said as recently as yesterday that no one singer had been identified for his project with the other musicians. He did say the new music is loud and has been enjoyable for everyone involved.

His comments, delivered Sunday, were the first to come directly from any of the musicians after Robert Plant announced he had no intention of touring or recording with the others despite having joined up with them in December at Led Zeppelin's only full concert in over 27 years.

Two days ago, England's Daily Mail reported that Steven Tyler had been rehearsing with Page, Jones and Bonham, citing an anonymous source. Jones, in his spoken comments the following day, did not allude to any particular singers but said an announcement would be made only after a decision is made.

One oft-cited possible singer for Page, Jones and Bonham is Myles Kennedy, who is currently the vocalist for Alter Bridge, a Florida-based rock group that is scheduled to tour the United Kingdom and mainland Europe in November and December. This will include an early date, Nov. 8, in the Led Zeppelin base of London, that will be filmed for a DVD release. (This development is somewhat reminiscent to me of the Foo Fighters shows in London that were released on DVD earlier this year with an encore set including Page and Jones. I'm not saying history will repeat itself; I'm just saying it crossed my mind.)

For the first several weeks, none of Alter Bridge's members were known to be addressing the longstanding rumors of Kennedy's possible selection to join Page, Jones and Bonham. Guitarist Mark Tremonti has broken the silence in an interview published in Kerrang magazine, revealing that Kennedy would remain a member of Alter Bridge during time off with the British musicians. Tremonti says he welcomes the attention Alter Bridge would gain if Kennedy were to tour in some capacity with Page, Jones and Bonham.

Tremonti, a former member of Creed, formed Alter Bridge in 2004 with two other former Creed members and selected as their new singer Kennedy, who was singing for West Coast group the Mayfield Four. It was with a brief singing and acting role in the 2001 film "Rock Star" that Kennedy made his theatrical debut, giving him his first-ever connection to Bonham, who played drums for the movie's fictional band.

While Kennedy has not directly commented on his rumored link to Page, Jones and Bonham rehearsals, he did recently write on his official blog that he has been composing new music that could be used for a project other than Alter Bridge. He did not elaborate on what that project might be.

In August, Bonham became the first of the bunch to reveal he had been jamming with Page and Jones in England. Page offered sparse words early in September tempering media speculation that a Led Zeppelin tour or album was a certainty. Plant's announcement that he did not intend to participate in any Led Zeppelin activities followed at the end of the month, which coincidentally included the 40th anniversary of Led Zeppelin's first concert.

Steven Tyler rumor aired on eve of John Paul Jones Q&A

A public question-and-answer session with John Paul Jones scheduled to take place tomorrow just got more interesting.

It has been quiet since the statement by Jimmy Page that his jam sessions with Jones and Jason Bonham were not as monumental as the press had been making them out to be. At the time, media reports speculated about a Led Zeppelin album or tour already under works.

But that was before Robert Plant said he had no intentions of taking part in either an album or tour. And it was also before rumors spread placing the other rehearsing Led Zeppelin bandmates in the midst of a singer other than Plant.

Names like Myles Kennedy and Jack White have been touted in the press, but not a word on the subject has been uttered by Page, Jones or Bonham. It has been a while since any of them elaborated on it, and Jones in particular has been the least vocal in recent months.

But the quiet one is about to open his mouth. Jones is slotted to take questions during the event. Surely, not everything people want to know from Jones at this point has to do with instruments and strings and tunings. Especially not when the latest singer rumored to be jamming with the Zeppelin trio sans Plant is none other than Steven Tyler of Aerosmith!

What will Jones say tomorrow if asked to confirm or deny the rumors of his involvement with Page and Bonham and another singer? The question has been ready since the Mansons Guitar Shop in Exeter, England, announced Jones's participation a few weeks back in workshop taking place this weekend.

Perhaps the level of interest will be much higher thanks to the latest rumor about what has been going on behind closed doors and what might be around the corner.

An unnamed source has apparently told the Daily Mail that Tyler has spent a few days rehearsing with the others. As reported only one day before the Q&A with Jones, the source says, "Steve was jamming with Zep. They had a great time but Steve kept fluffing his lines. He got quite flustered about it."

Tyler has long admitted to being a huge fan of Led Zeppelin -- and also of Page's earlier band, the Yardbirds. The Boston band was founded in the early 1970s while Zep had just taken off. Aerosmith recorded "Train Kept A-Rollin'," which was a cover the Yardbirds used to play and had been resurrected in concert by Led Zeppelin in the band's early days. Page sat in with Aerosmith in 1990 while the group played London.



After Tyler inducted Zeppelin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, he and Aerosmith's Joe Perry sat in with Bonham, Jones, Page and Plant for a few songs.



Tyler also narrated the hour-long program "Legends" for VH-1 that focused on Led Zeppelin.

It is likely that during tomorrow's question-and-answer session, Jones will be prompted to address publicly for the first time the rumors he and the others involved with Led Zeppelin have been jamming with singers. Even if no decision has been reached as to what project may come out of the jamming, the opportunity to talk about Tyler or Kennedy will be there for Jones, should he choose to.

Kennedy, who fronts the band Alter Bridge and also plays guitar in addition to sporting a wild vocal range, has not commented on reports spread by Britain's The Sun and elsewhere that he has been musically involved with Jones, Page and Bonham.

Jones may have to tell all. The day of reckoning is upon us. This is tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow ...

Led Zeppelin hits media circuit

Interviews with the members of Led Zeppelin are popping up everywhere. A chat with Jimmy Page is included in the December issue of Classic Rock magazine hitting newsstands today, and Robert Plant and John Paul Jones are making media appearances tonight.

The magazine cover is made to look like the cover of Led Zeppelin III. The first installment in a two-part interview with Page is just one part of this special collector's edition, much of which is devoted to Led Zeppelin.

In the United Kingdom, Jones appeared on the BBC Radio 2 program hosted by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie. He discussed the Mothership release and the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion concert.

The hosts played "Black Dog" and "Trampled Under Foot" from Mothership, as well as "The Last Goodbye" from the album he produced for Uncle Earl. That four-piece old-time string band is currently on tour in England.

Plant will surely face a question or two about Led Zeppelin while guesting on tonight's episode of PBS television's "Charlie Rose." [Update: No Zep-related questions were asked! See TV spot here.] However, the singer is being interviewed alongside Alison Krauss and producer T-Bone Burnett; the three are promoting the recent release of their album, Raising Sand.

This issue of Classic Rock magazine "comes encased in an exclusive wallet that apes the design of the Zep III album," according to the magazine's official Web site. "What’s more, our wallet was designed by none other than the mysterious and enigmatic Zacron – the reclusive artist who actually created the original Zep III sleeve way, way back in 1970!"

The magazine also includes a feature on Zacron and an interview with former Atlantic Records executive Phil Carson, as well as features on the band's March 1969 Supershow appearance and on Page as a producer, or "Rock's Sonic Architect."

Several famous musicians also comment on Led Zeppelin's reunion in the new issue. The magazine carries quotations from "Slash, Roger Daltrey, Ian Anderson, Tony Iommi, Neal Schon, Steven Tyler, Nancy Wilson, Kid Rock, Dave Mustaine, Ace Frehley, Billy Gibbons and many more" including Ritchie Blackmore.

Led Zeppelin will also be the cover story of the Holiday 2007 issue of Guitar World magazine. Also available as a special collector's issue, it will feature two separate covers – one with a blue background and the other with a white background.

The Guitar World covers, each bearing a new photo of Page holding a guitar, promise Page's "most in-depth interview ever" as well as features on "the historic reunion tour," "his new custom Les Paul guitar," and "On the Road with Zep in '73."

Both shots of Page for Guitar World were taken by photographer Ross Halfin.