“I was pissed off”: why John Paul Jones resented his Led Zeppelin bandmates
Led Zeppelin bassist and multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones has always been something of an enigma. As one of the more reserved artists from an era known for its flamboyant personalities, his quiet nature is indeed ironic. Without the sheer gravity of his musical contributions, it’s certain that the band would not have achieved the same level of success.
While Led Zeppelin leader Jimmy Page is also an accomplished musician, one of the most revered guitar heroes of all time, and an astute composer and producer, largely, he was the band’s ideas man. Of course, all four members contributed to the sonic leviathan and brought something vital to the fold. Still, in many instances, John Paul Jones was the bridge between their outlandish creative visions and actualisation.
After all, Jones had been thrust into a musical life from the outset. Both his parents were in the business, and this home environment and formal training at public school meant that by the time the cultural explosion of the 1960s occurred, he was all set to chart his course as a storied session player and arranger. Before he stepped into the bright lights of superstardom, he helped bring many classics of the pre-Led Zeppelin era to life, working on records for The Rolling Stones, Nico, Dusty Springfield, and more.
Although Jones wasn’t initially approached by Page for the role of Led Zeppelin bassist when he was assembling his band of creative Argonauts, when an opening emerged, and the unassuming genius was encouraged by his wife to ask his peer from London’s studio scene about it, Page was overjoyed. He could not believe that someone of Jones’ gilded ilk would seek to join his project, which says all about his standing even back then. He brought a cerebral cool to everything he did.
Jones’ importance to the story of the British band is well-known, with him conceiving some of their best moments, including the iconic ‘Ramble On’ bassline and the shifting melody of ‘Black Dog’. Elsewhere, his keyboard added a different dimension to highlights such as ‘The Rain Song’, ‘Trampled Under Foot’ and the monumental ‘Kasmir’. It was also on his mandolin that Page wrote ‘The Battle of Evermore’, which Jones would sing during the group’s 1977 US tour. He had many strings to his bow.
Being so integral to Led Zeppelin meant that when Page and the band’s frontman, Robert Plant, started the imaginatively named project Page and Plant in 1994 without him, Jones was rightfully “pissed off” when he found out through the newspaper. It irked him even further that the news broke shortly after he and Plant discussed doing an Unplugged effort.
Recalling how it felt seeing Page and Plant venture off without him, during an Uncut Q&A with fans in 2010, Jones said: “Oh yeah, I was pissed off about it. The surprise was in not being told. It’s ancient history now, but it was a bit annoying to find out about it while reading the papers. It came just after Robert and I had been discussing the idea of doing an Unplugged project.”
He continued: “Then I’m on tour in Germany with Diamanda Galás. I turn on the TV and see Robert and Jimmy doing it, with someone else playing all my parts! I was pissed off at the time. You would be, wouldn’t you? But… it’s all in the past, isn’t it?”
It might be all in the past, but Jones can be safe knowing that the project lasted only four years. It culminated with one album, 1998’s Walking into Clarksdale, which the late Steve Albini, of all people, produced.