Zeppelin's Jimmy Page uncomfortable lending master recordings to rhythm games
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Jul 5th 2008 at 11:35AM }
Many of us could write entire volumes of songs and bands we'd like to see in one or both of the reigning emperors of the rhythm genre, Rock Band and Guitar Hero -- we'd wager that included in everyone's wishlist is a track or twelve from the legendary early 70s rock outfit Led Zeppelin. Unfortunately, Zeppelin front man Jimmy Page recently hung a definitive "No Stairway" sign on the genre, citing his hesitance to lend game developers the band's valuable master tracks.
The reasons behind Page's apprehension are unknown -- perhaps it has to do with the recent news of the easily misplaceable nature of master recordings. We hope the group's co-founder can be persuaded to part with the recordings before the siren call of "Immigrant Song" swoons the games' developers, forcing them to include earnest but unsatisfying covers of Zeppelin's bigger tracks. Discerning ears know -- there really is no rock-scream like a Robert Plant rock-scream.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kevin @ Jul 5th 2008 11:43AM
Ummm... I'm assuming they mean there's no rock-scream like Robert Plant's rock scream, considering Jimmy Page doesn't sing the songs....
bigsofty @ Jul 6th 2008 11:14AM
They'll sell there crap to anyone... that terrible PDaddy Kashmir remix is a testament to that... never bought an album of theirs since...
Lord Bowser @ Jul 5th 2008 11:44AM
I think it's because he realises that an action like this will instantly devalue his work. His band's work will go from high art to simple playthings for mega corporations; nothing more than fisher price toys.
When this genre finally eats itself, the incredible amount of nickel and diming, the overexpensive shallow plastic, Page will fully realise the mistake he has just performed. Selling your band out for a couple bars of silver.
ToRo @ Jul 5th 2008 11:53AM
As much as I would love to disagree with you, I can't. Your completely right.
Zep is my favorite band and if letting these companies get a hold of the master tracks makes them look like if their selling out then I would rather not have them in any game at all. Especially in guitar Hero.
Shagittarius @ Jul 5th 2008 12:58PM
You know that Led Zeppelin already sold "Rock and Roll" to Cadillac right?
Cadilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac!
Garrett @ Jul 5th 2008 1:00PM
Didn't this already occur when Chevy or whoever started using the Ocean in their commercials? Led Zep has appeared in plenty of ads, I think that makes their music "corporate playthings" just as much as being in a video game does
AirIntake @ Jul 5th 2008 1:04PM
Led Zep is hardly an indy band. They're already on a major label (Atlantic I think), they already sell T-shirts, their music is used in car commercials etc. How exactly would GH/RB be selling out at this point? We are talking about the same Jimmy Page that lent his guitar talents to 'Uh huh, yeah' Puff Daddy for the goddamn Godzilla soundtrack, so I don't think there's any more out to sell.
ck @ Jul 5th 2008 1:05PM
Selling out is a bullshit term. Get over yourselves and let led fans who also enjoy videogames get the best of both worlds. Oh and just to let you know, I'm pretty sure the band members don't care about "mega corporations," especially when most of their catalogue is on record giant's Atlantic label (which is now owned by Warner Bros.) And even when they went independent with Swan Song Records, Atlantic still distributed their music. Everybody wants to make money, plain and simple.
And I'm pretty sure this genre won't die, it just won't be as popular (look at DDR).
Efren @ Jul 5th 2008 1:15PM
Yeah right.. they've got no artistic integrity, they just want a boatload of money.
If you believe they're doing this for artistic reasons then you need to turn on your tv and wait for the next commercial break when you hear their songs being used to push cadillacs and cell phones.
Yes to that, but no to Linklater when he was making Dazed and Confused?
Psh.. just throw more cash at them to help them see the more artistic side of Rock Band.
Jakka @ Jul 5th 2008 1:12PM
I don't think they can sell out any further after Puff Daddy's Remix of Kashmir:
WARNING NOT SAFE FOR ROCK ENTHUSIASTS(NSFRE)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXc3glQTDpI
Personally, I'd pick AC/DC over Led Zeppelin, but that's only because I'm primarily a guitar-type and frankly AC/DC is better in this aspect.
Then again,it's Led Zep so It'll be awesome regardless.
Carl @ Jul 5th 2008 5:01PM
I don't think selling out is the issue. Led Zeppelin has released a number of remastered discs and combo box sets over the past few years along with DVD sets as well. Throw in some Cadillac commercials and other merchandising and Zeppelin is still one of the top money makers in the music business today. I think that the issue is that Jimmy Page is one of the most notorious control freaks when it comes to their material. An example of this was the DVD set that they issued a year or so back when instead of just giving the go ahead for someone to use the footage and put together a DVD he personnaly sifted through and edited and mixed all the footage and music. This has been true of all of the music releases as well. Perhaps he wants to retain the same control for the video game and those firms see that might end up being too expensive on the production side.
David @ Jul 5th 2008 11:53AM
Even if we can't have the master tracks, can we at least have covers? I'd still play covers of Black Dog if it comes to that.
The Stick @ Jul 5th 2008 11:54AM
Um, Led Zep's frontman is Robert Plant.
joey @ Jul 5th 2008 11:56AM
I hope it's only an issue of money and not the masters.
GatorSax2010 @ Jul 5th 2008 12:07PM
Zeppelin has always been hesitant about licensing their music anyway, so it doesn't really surprise me.
ck @ Jul 5th 2008 1:06PM
ummm, no.
Conbus @ Jul 5th 2008 1:16PM
I would understand their hesitation if not for the the usage of their songs in car commercials and that awful P Diddy song for Godzilla. I get that they have made mistakes and don't want to be burned but really, Page is coming off as a luddite to me here.
It's as if having their songs in these games will negatively impact them. If anything, it'll expose their music to a younger generation and broaden their appeal. If that P Diddy song didn't hurt them, then I don't think anything can.
GatorSax2010 @ Jul 5th 2008 2:14PM
Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Good call.
nuero @ Jul 5th 2008 10:20PM
Well, it's still true, besides some really odd decisions, they have been pretty hesitant about licensing their music. It's no coincidence that once a car company got ahold of a song, they used it in tons of commercials. If you're going to disagree, at least be educated on the subject.
horngreen @ Jul 5th 2008 12:09PM
Could a copy of the master tapes not be made? I could understand using the actual master tapes when mixing a new greatest hits CD but to roll them through a machine for any other reason seems risky. I know a copy made from analog tapes will lose some quality but hardly enough to matter for a game as it would still be better than a cover. Oh and Jimmy if it's about selling out just say so instead of making up some BS about master tapes.
copa @ Jul 5th 2008 1:09PM
Yes, copies can be made and usually are. If this is really about being uncomfortable with making the masters available, it is probably because they are worried that the copies will find their way out onto the internet.
Kevin Morrell @ Jul 5th 2008 12:12PM
If by a Robert Plant rock-scream, you mean a Roger Daltrey rock-scream, then I agree completely.
AirIntake @ Jul 5th 2008 1:06PM
or the Bruce Dickinson scream, and then I agree.
Casey Vincent @ Jul 5th 2008 12:34PM
Most people don't realize that letting your original recordings go allows for Activision or Harmonix to remix your record. This takes an incredible amount of trust as they could easily ruin your song with a bad mix.
ronald.raygun @ Jul 5th 2008 1:05PM
led zep has always been stingy with their music, i remember an interview with the guy from almost famous, talking about how hard it was to get led zep to use a few of their songs. Granted Cadillac ruined that one, other than that.
fco. @ Jul 7th 2008 9:43AM
Exactly that's the point.
I also remember a bonus feature on the School of Rock DVD that showed a video they sent to Jimmy Page on which Jack Black and all the movie staff kneeled begging him to let them use a Zeppelin song..
mark5674 @ Jul 5th 2008 1:09PM
so they lend there music to p. diddy but wont to RB/GH so people can enjoy it on a different mass medium? stupid.
Wolftech @ Jul 5th 2008 1:20PM
As much as I am a fan of Led Zeppelin, I feel they are really dropping the ball on this one. Not only would it totally cool to be able to play the LZ catalog, think of not only the money but the new generation of fans they will reach. Plus, lets face it, if Napster-hating Lars Ulric of Metallica will let Activison put out Guitar Hero: Metallica next year, then Jimmy can come off the masters so we can have GH: Led Zeppelin. Of course, that would be the end of the GH series considering that it would archive perfection at that point and no one would ever need to buy GH or Rock Band ever again.
Vol @ Jul 5th 2008 1:42PM
Maybe they are just being Led Zeppelin and wanting more money. They are famously absent from some of the music download services.
Abe Froman @ Jul 5th 2008 2:02PM
Jimmy Page is not the frontman for Led Zeppelin! Griffin McElroy, please stop writing blogs for AOL if you don't even know that.
Jody Anthony (gamertag and psn: JodyAnthony) @ Jul 5th 2008 2:10PM
I would rather have "I Hate Led Zeppelin" by Screeching Weasel
eugaet @ Jul 5th 2008 2:11PM
Honestly...I could do w/o the Led Zeppelin, so no hurt feelings here. I'm tired of hearing them, can't switch the radio station fast enough when one of their songs comes on. Over-saturation, I guess.
But, hey, some would say the same about the songs I listen to and wish were released to RB/GH, and there's a ton of LZ fans out there...so, yeah, by all means, LZ, give it to the fans.
Hafk @ Jul 5th 2008 3:04PM
I like Led Zeppelin. But you are right about the over-saturation. I am sick and tired of hearing the same 3 songs over and over again.
Jakka @ Jul 5th 2008 4:12PM
God I wish London had a radio where you could Led Zeppelin "oversaturated".So far the only thing that comes any close is Magic 105.4 which hardly ever plays rock music.
GatorSax2010 @ Jul 5th 2008 2:13PM
Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Good call.
Lord Bowser @ Jul 6th 2008 5:23AM
Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Good call.
Dark Archon @ Jul 6th 2008 6:53AM
Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Good call.
frogprince @ Jul 5th 2008 2:27PM
Whenever I see an old photo of Robert Plant I think of the cucumber scene in This Is Spinal Tap.
tommy @ Jul 5th 2008 3:51PM
Led Zeppelin is by far the best band ever.
vidGuy @ Jul 5th 2008 4:26PM
Totally understandable. I too would be uncomfortable making more money and reaching a new audience with my decades-old music. Wait...
J.Goodwin @ Jul 5th 2008 5:23PM
He's more than entitled to say "don't want" if he prefers.
If he'd compromise by doing new recordings, that would be nice though. Of course, it wouldn't be the same, but I think that's part of the problem, those tracks are irreplaceable, and may be worth more later than they are now, presuming that the genre doesn't implode.
Even a bunch of tracks from that recent (last ten years) double live set would be welcome, I think.
Jeff @ Jul 5th 2008 5:28PM
I think the reasoning behind Page's thinking is that Harmonix remixes the songs themselves. Unlike with the Puff Daddy collaboration, Page wouldn't have any control over the mixing. Harmonix might *gasp* MIX DOWN SOME OF THE GUITARS. Or turn down the midrange, which anyone who's bought the remastered (by Page) Zep cd's knows Page won't tolerate. You might even be able to actually hear John Paul Jones! :O
Eventually, either Activision or EA will cough up enough money to make Page give in.
I wonder if EA could just pay for Plant's vocal tracks and then cover the rest of the music :p
Young_Nastyman @ Jul 5th 2008 11:13PM
"I wonder if EA could just pay for Plant's vocal tracks and then cover the rest of the music :p"
I was gonna post the same thing :P
Samael @ Jul 5th 2008 7:14PM
Funny, Jimmy Page didn't feel weird or uncomfortable when he was playing for Puff Daddy on live television on that song with the Kashmir sample? What a tool.
Purple Haze @ Jul 5th 2008 10:38PM
Being a huge classic rock fan (my alias is named after a Jimi Hendrix song, not the drug the songs named after) I don't understand why people love Led Zep so much. I will give them the benefit of the doubt being that I've only really listened to Kashmir, Stairway to Heaven and Immigrant song, probably their three most mainstream songs, but they seem pretty over rated based on those songs.
Boxer @ Jul 6th 2008 2:07AM
Purple Haze: "...they seem pretty overrated based on those three songs."
Jimi seems pretty overrated based on "Purple Haze," "Foxey Lady," and "Hey Joe." A lot of great musicians seem pretty overrated when you don't listen to their music. If you're not into any of those three songs on their own legs, try Physical Graffiti. It's a later album, and although Kashimir is on it, it's in the proper context. (Read: not recycled through the endless classic-rock radio loop.)
It's a little ridiculous to cite instances of Zep's commercial licensing as evidence that Jimmy Page is a tool. He hasn't said that he resents the notion of the band's music in video games: he's merely considering whether or not he wants to hand over the masters to the developers. Horror of horrors. It's a question of process, not concept. If he decides to go along, great. If he doesn't, all that's happened is he's exercised his right of ownership. There are plenty of other tracks to enjoy.
DTR @ Jul 6th 2008 1:29PM
Quoting Homer Simpson
"There's Jimmy Page, the greatest thief of American black music who ever walked the earth."
Give Kashmir to f'n Puff Daddy who ruined it and put it in one of the worst big lizard movies I've ever seen.
But introduce their music to a huge new audience of young people through GH and RB ohhhh no Led Zep's got integrity. Whatever.
zeldazeppelin @ Jul 6th 2008 2:43PM
yeah kinda sad isnt it he stole from black ppl then he gets famous sound like iv heard this story b4
Danny @ Jul 6th 2008 5:20PM
They're just holding out for more money. If you'll sell your songs to cadillac and puff daddy, selling to a videogame should not be a big deal.
I mean, if selling a song titled "rock and roll" to cadillac isn't the definition of sellout, what is???
Also, letting puff daddy rap over kashmir was awful beyond words.
Alex @ Jul 6th 2008 10:58PM
Jimmy Page is the lead guitarist, not the frontman. xD