Led Zeppelin’s First Jam Session 55 Years Ago
via Led Zeppelin Rarities | Youtube
Fifty-five years ago, on August 12, 1968, four young musicians gathered in a small basement room on Gerrard Street in the West End of London. Little did they know that this initial gathering would mark the birth of one of the most iconic rock bands in history – Led Zeppelin. Comprising Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, this fateful day was the inception of a musical journey that would revolutionize the world of rock and roll.
The Explosive Chemistry of Genesis
In that modest room, Led Zeppelin’s first sparks ignited with the strains of “The Train Kept A-Rollin’,” a familiar tune from Page’s previous band, the Yardbirds. The chemistry among the musicians was immediate, a fact attested to by Led Zeppelin’s official website. John Paul Jones reflected on that moment, stating, “We first played together in a small room, a basement room. There was just wall-to-wall amplifiers and a space for the door – and that was it. Literally, it was everyone looking at each other – ‘What shall we play?'” As the music surged, the room itself seemed to come alive. Jones recalled, “the whole room just exploded.”
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This raw energy and synchronicity was undeniable, even in the infancy of their collaboration. Robert Plant, reminiscing about that foundational session, described it as “Very exciting and very challenging really. It felt like we’d found something that we had to be very careful with because we might lose it. But it was remarkable, the power.”
From Debut to Legend
Despite still being called the New Yardbirds at the time, the band’s debut jam session was the start to their future greatness. The magic of that day continued to resonate as they played their first official concert on September 7. A little over a month later, on October 14, they would adopt the legendary name we all know today – Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page’s words, “Exciting is the word,” perfectly capture the essence of that initial gathering. Their collective realization that something extraordinary was unfolding was a defining moment. As they navigated through the strains of “The Train Kept A-Rollin'” and let the energy flow, Led Zeppelin carved their path to electrifying success. It was here, in the intimate setting of a basement room, that the legend of Led Zeppelin began – an explosive journey that would forever change the course of rock history.
