✨classicrock✨

“So John said, ‘We’re called Led Zeppelin.’ I thought that was the worst name I’d ever heard. I thought, ‘Man, how could you be so stupid and wrong?’ But they got it right, and that first record was amazing. And later, in ’69, while I was getting going at Electric Lady Studios, I got a phone call from Jimmy Page, saying, ‘Do you want to work on an album with us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’ They brought in the tapes from England, and off we went.”

Jimmy is something of a studio wizard himself. What was it like matching wits with him?

“The cool thing was that I’d set up the mics how I did it, and Jimmy would listen and say, ‘Yeah, great.’ There was never a point of contention. It was an exchange of ideas and a lot of give and take. I appreciated that Jimmy knew what he was looking for, and he knew I could get the take and make it sound good. While we were mixing Led Zeppelin II, like with Jimi Hendrix, we laughed a lot and created a lot of great sounds. We had a very compatible relationship.”

Seeing how diverse Zeppelin’s Seventies records are, it seems the atmosphere didn’t change after they became kings of the world.

“The magic word there is ‘diverse.’ I loved the fact that Page was able to play acoustically so beautifully. And here’s the thing: dynamics is a huge part of what Zeppelin did, you know? All the greats, like [Frank] Zappa, Hendrix or whoever, understand that dynamics within music are important. They would bring the music down low and then come back slamming. I love that, and Page was an expert at that. So was John Paul Jones. It wouldn’t have been the same experience in the studio without both of those guys.”

Can you pick out a solo or moment from Jimmy Page as a favorite?

“Led Zeppelin II stands out for me because of the guitar work. Every album they did was magnificent, but I have a special place in my heart for Zeppelin II. The dynamics and the fact that we created some things through panning and using frequencies to create a vibe make it special. But I also must call out the live record; The Song Remains the Same, which was done under some challenging circumstances but did a great job of reflecting their energy and interaction on stage.”