John Paul Jones

[B Bent]

The previous Led Zep post made me want to post this. In all of my readings about Zep and all the interviews etc etc I really have never got to know much about JPJ. I never have heard anything about him doing the drugs the rest of the guys were doing back in the day.

I heard JPJ was famous for locking himself in his room and experimenting with small flutes and other weird instruments. And you hardly ever see him around especially whenever there is any mention of the rest of Zep. I know he does some columns in bass magazines and I'll see him endorse something every now and again, but have I not paid attention and missed out on him?

 

[75lespaul]

Re: John Paul Jones

I have a guitar player magazine from either 77 or 79 that has an awesome interview with Page and John Paul Jones--two seperate interviews, not one combined. They both talk about their gear. JPJ has his own website also.

It's funny you brought this up, and that I'd come onto the forum today because I was just talking today in work about how Page and Plant seem to have aged horribly, Jones looks great. I really think he stayed away from all the fun stuff and just watched and laughed as the others blew their brains out with drugs and alcohol. :smoker:

 

[marvar]

Re: John Paul Jones

IMO Jones was the most talented guy of the whole group, I feel he was the best musician. And I'm not even a bass player! Live he also played keys.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: John Paul Jones

I agree with marvar... He always klnows exactly what to play (and I AM a bassist. I don't know if that's a good thing though... lol). That goes from simple stomp grooves doubling Page's guitar and Whole Lotta Love to basslines that walk all over the place yet never seem out of place. The Lemon Song has to be one of the best bass parts ever. Another thing I read is that he was the "arranger" of the group, Page threw out the ideas and he made them cohisive statements, raising the bar on what the song could be.

 

[B Bent]

Re: John Paul Jones

I have always kind of gathered that JPJ was somewhat of a musical genius. Does anyone know why JPJ never reunited with Page and Plant during No Quarter and Walking in to Clarksdale? IT almost seems as he has been shunned away or he either shunned himself away.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: John Paul Jones

I have always kind of gathered that JPJ was somewhat of a musical genius. Does anyone know why JPJ never reunited with Page and Plant during No Quarter and Walking in to Clarksdale? IT almost seems as he has been shunned away or he either shunned himself away.

Page was the force and the "name" behind Zep at the beginning, and then you start seeing a broader variation from the bluesy rock sort of thing- I think that was mostly JPJ.

As far as the rift between JPJ and Plant:

An interview with Plant in the May 13th 2005 Entertainment Weekly says it's from a 1994 press conference when someone asked where Jones was and Plant said "parking the car."

Page 50

The cover that says "Ray's Last Laugh."

 

[moog1000]

Re: John Paul Jones

I recommend you take a look at JPJ's website and the multimedia page. Look at the video for 'Tidal' - at the start he's introducing himself as 'a session musician, arranger, played in a few R 'n' b bands.......oh, and I played in Led Zeppelin!' Quality!

Also check out the biography page, it lists all the work he's done. I never knew he did most of the arranging for Automatic For The People......

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: John Paul Jones

IMO Jones was the most talented guy of the whole group, I feel he was the best musician. And I'm not even a bass player! Live he also played keys.

The other guys in the band always felt JPJ was the most talented musician of the four.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: John Paul Jones

The other guys in the band always felt JPJ was the most talented musician of the four.

I read that too....& it's also my opinion! :laugh2:

I remember reading an interview with JPJ after Page & Plant reunited & he basically said without Bonzo, what's the point?! I took it that he wasn't interested in reliving the old....nowadays, he's a session player, writes scores & produces bands.

"The Lemon Song", "Bring It On Home", "Since I've Been Loving You", & "Ramble On" are probably my favorite Zep songs to play....ON BASS!

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: John Paul Jones

"The Lemon Song", "Bring It On Home", "Since I've Been Loving You", & "Ramble On" are probably my favorite Zep songs to play....ON BASS!

It's so much fun just listening to the bass parts on Zep songs sometimes. The best tone I've heard him get is on "Achilles' Last Stand." It's just so heavy and insistant.

 

[B Bent]

Re: John Paul Jones

I recommend you take a look at JPJ's website and the multimedia page. Look at the video for 'Tidal' - at the start he's introducing himself as 'a session musician, arranger, played in a few R 'n' b bands.......oh, and I played in Led Zeppelin!' Quality!QUOTE]

I just checked this video out. It's hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or if he honestly just assumed people knew that he was in LZ.


And holy cow...... that is some crazy cool bass work he does on Tidal!!! I have really missed out by not keeping up with Jonesy!!! He sounds great!!

 

[75lespaul]

Re: John Paul Jones

Heartbreaker!!! During the vocals where the bass really stands out...that is the heaviest, most GRINDING distorted bass. What a tone! It fills up the whole song. His tones were incredible. :smack:

 

[Rich_S]

Re: John Paul Jones

I always got the idea JPJ was kinda like the kid that wants to hang around with the cool kids, but they never quite let him into the clique. Jones would do whatever Zep needed: Play bass? OK. Oh, now we need some mandolin? No problem. Keyboards now? Sure whatever you want, guys. He always did in with talent and style.

And for that, Plant and Page make fun of him behind his back.

 

[bluey@sunni]

Re: John Paul Jones

All of Led Zep's are God's it their own way's but JPJ was by far the best musician. The man was a session muso and the band needed a bass player, and what a bass player they got. Says alot for being classicaly trained as he writes and plays the "right" thing at the right time, always.

"Going to California" and "When the Levee Breaks" are pure killer and class.

 

[Hellion]

Re: John Paul Jones

I think the union of the four musicians in L/Z was very much a Gestalt type of combination, where the end quantity was greater than the sum of their parts. I loved Page's sense of composition, but he really needed JPJ's sense of musicality to create what they did. Case in point to me is that the solo projects that Page did by himself just don't seem to sound quite right.

 

[Mike M.]

Re: John Paul Jones

I remember reading when JPJ was talking about some of his session work prior to LZ. He did the arranging and bass playing on some of Hermins Hermits songs. He said it was hilarious because they were never there! He also did the session for Donovans song "Hurdy Gurdy Man." I love all of LZ's work, but my favorite as far as JPJ bass playing has got to be LZ II. You can really hear his Motown influence on things like "The Lemon Song", and "What Is And What Should Never Be", just to name a few. Brilliant stuff. Jimmy Page acknowledged on a few occasions that JPJ was the real musical genious behind Led Zeppelin.