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Jimmy Page

Photo: Jim Summaria (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

British

Jimmy Page

Also known as: James Patrick Page

Born: January 9, 1944, Heston, Middlesex, England• United Kingdom• Active: 1963–present

British Blues BoomBlues RockHard Rock

London's most prolific session guitarist of the mid-1960s, then the architect behind the Yardbirds' final transformation into Led Zeppelin — the producer-guitarist whose distance-miked, reverse-echoed studio techniques rebuilt what a rock record could sound like.

Before Jimmy Page ever formed a band of his own, he had already played on more hit records than almost anyone in Britain — as a teenager, without his name on a single one of them. That anonymous, hyper-disciplined session career is the least-told part of his story, and it's the part that turned him into rock's most meticulous architect (Kilde: Wikipedia). James Patrick Page was born on 9 January 1944 in Heston, Middlesex, the son of a plastics-plant manager and an Irish-descended secretary; the family later moved to Epsom, Surrey. He found a Spanish guitar in the house around age 12, taught himself almost entirely by ear, and appeared on BBC television at 13 playing skiffle. Early influences were the rockabilly of Scotty Moore and James Burton alongside the blues of Elmore James and B.B. King (Kilde: Wikipedia). By 1963, at nineteen, Page was one of London's busiest studio guitarists, working under the pseudonym "Little Jim" to avoid confusion with fellow session player Big Jim Sullivan, sometimes cutting three sessions a day, six days a week. His first major credit, Jet Harris & Tony Meehan's "Diamonds," hit No. 1 in January 1963. Over the next three years he played on records by the Who ("I Can't Explain"), the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull, Shirley Bassey and dozens of others, and contributed guitar to the Beatles' film "A Hard Day's Night" (1964). By 1965 he had also become house producer and A&R man for Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records (Kilde: Wikipedia). He turned down the chance to replace Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds out of loyalty to Clapton, but joined the band himself in May 1966 — first on bass, then in a short-lived twin-lead-guitar format alongside Jeff Beck, and finally, after Beck's departure, as sole lead guitarist. Live, the band's sound grew heavier and more improvisatory, especially on extended pieces like "Dazed and Confused" — a direction, and a song, Page would carry straight into his next group (Kilde: Wikipedia). When singer Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty left the Yardbirds in June 1968, Page was left holding contracted Scandinavian tour dates and no band. He recruited session bassist John Paul Jones, an unknown Birmingham singer named Robert Plant, and Plant's friend John Bonham on drums. Touring briefly as "the New Yardbirds," they renamed themselves Led Zeppelin that October — the band that would make Page, by most measures, the best-selling rock guitarist of his generation, with nine studio albums that all reached the US Top 10 (six of them No. 1) (Kilde: Wikipedia). As much as his playing, it was Page's work behind the mixing desk that reshaped what rock records could sound like. He pioneered "distance miking" — placing microphones far from the amplifier to capture room ambience, a trick borrowed from 1950s Sun Studio practice — and used tape-reversed "reverse echo," a technique he says he invented in 1967, on tracks including "Whole Lotta Love" and "You Shook Me." He deliberately rotated engineers (Glyn Johns, Eddie Kramer, Andy Johns) across albums so that credit for the productions would land squarely on him. He also plays guitar with a cello bow, a technique he picked up from a fellow session musician, used to devastating effect in live versions of "Dazed and Confused" (Kilde: Wikipedia). His three key guitars each tell part of the story: a 1959 Fender Telecaster nicknamed "the Dragon" — a gift from Jeff Beck, hand-painted with a psychedelic dragon, used on early Led Zeppelin tours and for the "Stairway to Heaven" solo — and two 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standards, "Number One" (bought from Joe Walsh for $500 and his main stage guitar from 1970 onward) and "Number Two" (customized with coil-splitting and phase switches for alternate tunings, especially DADGAD). A heavily modified 1960 Gibson Les Paul Custom, stolen in 1970, wasn't recovered until 2015–2016 (Kilde: Wikipedia). After Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980 following John Bonham's death, Page worked on film scores, briefly formed the Firm with Paul Rodgers, recorded "Coverdale–Page" (1993) with David Coverdale, and reunited repeatedly with Robert Plant — the 1994 MTV "Unledded" special, "No Quarter," and the album "Walking into Clarksdale" (1998). He received the OBE in 2005, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — with the Yardbirds (1992) and Led Zeppelin (1995) — and received the Kennedy Center Honors alongside Plant and Jones in 2012 (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Musical Influence

Page's session-era discipline and studio inventiveness — distance miking, reverse echo, deliberate engineer rotation — became the production template for arena rock, while his guitar work bridging the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin directly carried Chicago and Delta blues vocabulary (Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson) into stadiums (Kilde: Wikipedia; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).

Influences

Scotty MooreJames BurtonElmore JamesB.B. King

Formative experiences

•1944: Born James Patrick Page in Heston, Middlesex. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•January 1963: First major session hit, "Diamonds" by Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, reaches No. 1. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•May 1966: Joins the Yardbirds, initially on bass. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•June 1968: Left with contracted Scandinavian tour dates and no band after Relf and McCarty depart; recruits Plant, Jones and Bonham. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•October 1968: The New Yardbirds rename themselves Led Zeppelin. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
•2005: Appointed OBE. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Instruments & Equipment

Guitar

1959 Fender Telecaster ("The Dragon")

Gift from Jeff Beck, hand-painted with a dragon; used on early Led Zeppelin tours and for the "Stairway to Heaven" solo.

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard ("Number One")

Bought from Joe Walsh for $500; his main stage guitar from 1970 onward.

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard ("Number Two")

Customized with coil-splitting and phase switches for alternate tunings, especially DADGAD.

Danelectro 3021

Tuned to DADGAD, used live for "Kashmir" and other songs.

Other

Cello bow

Played on the guitar for droning textures, notably in live versions of "Dazed and Confused."

Stories & Anecdotes

"Page worked under the pseudonym "Little Jim" during his session years to avoid being confused with fellow in-demand session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"He claims to have invented the "reverse echo" technique in 1967 while recording a single, later used to dramatic effect on "Whole Lotta Love" and "You Shook Me." (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"His stolen 1960 Gibson Les Paul Custom, taken in 1970, went missing for over four decades before resurfacing in 2015–2016. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"Page deliberately rotated recording engineers across albums specifically so that critical credit for the productions would be attributed to him rather than any one engineer. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

"He performed "Whole Lotta Love" with Leona Lewis at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, handing the torch to the next host city, London. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"

Collaborators

Twin lead guitarist in the Yardbirds, 1966; lifelong friend and gave Page the "Dragon" Telecaster.

Recruited as vocalist for the New Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin; reunited repeatedly post-Zeppelin (Unledded, Walking into Clarksdale).

John Paul Jones

Recruited as bassist for the New Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin.

Drummer recruited on Plant's recommendation for the New Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin.

David Coverdale

Recorded the album "Coverdale–Page" (1993).

Formed the Firm together, 1984–86.

Watch & Listen

Featured

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant — Gallows Pole (live)

RobertPlantVEVO

Jimmy Page Solo — Stairway To Heaven (ARMS Concert 1983)

Jimmy Page Solo — Stairway To Heaven (ARMS Concert 1983)

The Yardbirds — live on French TV [Colourised] 1966 (feat. Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck)

The Yardbirds — live on French TV [Colourised] 1966 (feat. Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck)

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) teaches "Whole Lotta Love" to Jack White & The Edge

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) teaches "Whole Lotta Love" to Jack White & The Edge

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

Year	Title	Producer	Studio	Label	Chart	Sales	Musicians	YouTube	Notes
1963	"Diamonds" — Jet Harris & Tony Meehan (session guitar)	—	—	Decca	—	—	Jet Harris (Bass), Tony Meehan (Drums)		Page's first major session credit; reached No. 1 in the UK.
1967	Little Games (with the Yardbirds)	Mickie Most	—	Epic	—	—	Keith Relf (Vocals), Chris Dreja (Bass), Jim McCarty (Drums)		Only studio album with Page as the Yardbirds' sole lead guitarist.
1993	Coverdale–Page	Jimmy Page, David Coverdale	—	Geffen	—	—	David Coverdale (Vocals)		Collaboration with former Deep Purple/Whitesnake singer David Coverdale.
1994	No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded	Jimmy Page, Robert Plant	—	Atlantic	—	—	Robert Plant (Vocals)		Live album from the MTV "Unledded" special, reworking Led Zeppelin material with Egyptian and Moroccan musicians.
1998	Walking into Clarksdale	Steve Albini	—	Mercury	—	—	Robert Plant (Vocals)		Studio album of new material with Robert Plant, produced by Steve Albini; won a Grammy.
2020	Jimmy Page: The Anthology	—	—	Genesis Publications	—	—	—		Career-spanning archive book, later reissued in a more accessible edition, drawing on Page's personal collection of instruments, stage outfits, diaries and unpublished photographs.

Famous songs

01Dazed and Confused

02Whole Lotta Love

03Stairway to Heaven

04Kashmir

External links

YouTube Music Wikipedia

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Sources

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