Swan Song

Tune into the Late Show with David Lettermen December 8th (the day John Lennon died in 1980) to watch an interview with Led Zeppelin! No doubt they're be dodging questions about a possible reunion in the future.

Some Things You May Not Have Known About Jimmy

• He can't swim. Bonzo once threw George Harrison into a swimming pool at a posh country club and everyone jumped into the pool but Jimmy just walked down the steps and stood in the shallow end (in a white tailed suit) because he can't swim.
• He can't drive. When he was in The Yardbirds, Chris Dreja was his main chauffeur.
• Jimmy usually slept after every concert on the way home if he wasn't occupied with a groupie.
• Chris Dreja almost killed Jimmy and Jimmy doesn't even know it. While speeding home from a gig with the Yardbirds in Dreja's Minnie Cooper S (Jimmy was asleep as usual), Chris turned a corner and almost hit a donkey.
• While Jimmy slept in Chris's car, Chris would swerve left and right to see how long it would take Jimmy to wake up from hitting his head on the window.
• His  most common nicknames are Jim, Jim-jam, and Pagey.
• The only song Jimmy ever sang in and played all instruments in (besides drums) was She Just Satisfies. He thinks he's a terrible singer, but if you have listened to the song, his voice is beautiful!:

• Jimmy is in 60% of all songs in the 60s. Bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, Them, and The Kinks hired Jimmy to play guitar for them while their guitarists were developing their skills.
• His first guitar was attained by accident. When he moved to Epsom at a young age, the house that he had moved into had an old acoustic guitar in his room. The family that had owned the house he moved into before his family had left the guitar behind. Jimmy took it and began to teach himself guitar. Talk about fate!
• Jimmy was, and still is, really good friends with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck (both formerly of The Yardbirds).
• Jimmy was rated the third best guitarist ever by Rolling Stone magazine in 2011/2012. Eric Clapton was second, Jeff Beck was fourth, and Jimi Hendrix was first.
• Jimmy was into The Occult (Black Magic for a higher spirituality) but it was normally good-hearted. Jimmy said Zoso was an Occult symbol for something.
• He left school at 16 to join a band with his friend Christian Neil. It was around this time he got his first Les Paul (a Custom with 3 humbucks) and learned how to play with a Cello bow. He named the Les Paul "Fretless Wonder".
• He appeared on Huw Wheldon's All Your Own in 1957 and played Mama Don't Want Me to Play Skiffle Anymore:

• Jimmy was the creator of Led Zeppelin. Contrary to popular belief, it was not Robert who founded the band; it was Jimmy who formed it from the remains of The Yardbirds.
• He wrote most of Led Zeppelin's songs including the famous The Song Remains the Same and Stairway
• Jimmy was the one to suggest Jeff Beck join the Yardbirds after Clapton left instead of Jimmy, himself. They were friends since childhood.
• During the 1975 Madison Square Garden concert for the filming of The Song Remains the Same the movie, Chris Dreja tells Guitar World magazine that he was invited backstage and as soon as Led Zep began to play, the whole building began to shake precariously.
• Jimmy, Jeff Beck, Keith Moon, and John Paul Jones wanted to form a supergroup but they only got around to making one song. Beck's Bolero:

 

 

Chop Shop

If you get Chop Shop on the radio near you like I do here in Michigan, then prepare yourselves for this weekend that is going to be all about Jimmy Page! :D Excited!

Season of the Witch

I startled from my sleep, panting heavily as I recognized my surroundings. I was on the couch in the living room. It was dark and a blanket had been drawn over my body. Rain pattered on the windows and a bang came from the kitchen. I jumped up and held the blanket around my shoulder with one hand and searched in the darkness for a weapon.

"Oh shit," came a high-pitched voice from the kitchen. Terrified, I grabbed a cork coaster from the coffee table and stalked toward the kitchen door. Slowly, my heart racing, I pushed the swinging door open and threw the coaster at the first person I saw. "Ow!" Jimmy shouted. "Mother fuck! Why in bloody Hell did you throw that?"

I sighed with relief. Jimmy was picking up the bread tin he had apparently dropped and wasn't doing anything Black Magic-y like I had feared. Rubbing his lower back, he placed the bread tin on the counter and gave a sharp, painful breath.

"Why did you throw a bloody coaster at me?" he repeated. He bent over and grabbed the coaster and set it on the counter. "Oh, well it's definitely bloody now, isn't it? Real fucking bright, you schmuck. My back is killing."

"I'm so sorry," I apologized sincerely, trying to suppress a chuckle. "Crazy dream-- I didn't want to take any chances."

"You haven't had a crazy dream until you've done Cocaine and fallen asleep afterwards," Jimmy laughed, then became serious after realizing he had revealed information he hadn't planned to share. "Forget that." He sat at the island and patted the chair next to him. "Come tell Papa what scared you. After you've told me, then I'll beat you for throwing that fucking coaster.... joking of course."

I smiled and sat beside him. We didn't turn the chairs, but Jimmy swiveled his body to face me and I stared at the open stove on the far wall of the kitchen opposite me. "Well," I began without hesitation, "you were in it." A shudder raked my body when Jimmy calmly set his hand on my knee. I looked at him and he held a steady gaze as if he didn't realize his hand was where it was. I cleared my throat and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Anyway, you were in the dream and you were possessed over this weird Black Magic- Witchcraft anchor-shaped symbol you had--" Jimmy's hand slid a few centimeters up my leg and I froze.

"I do dabble in Occult," Jimmy said. "It sounds like the Cross of Salem; it can be good or it can be possessively bad. That may be what it was. Zoso is an Occult symbol, as well."

"Really?" I asked, watching Jimmy out of the corner of my eye. "What does it-- Oh!" Jimmy placed his hand on my inner thigh and I began to shake and shiver. "Jimmy--"

"I told Leenin to go home. You were asleep and I didn't want him to make dinner if you were going to sleep. We'll eat left-overs. Do you know what I want to do right now?"

"I have a guess," I breathed as Jimmy rubbed his hand up and down the length of my thigh teasingly.

"Really? I want to get," he whispered in my ear now, "high. Name your drug and we'll do it. I have Cocaine, Acid, Wacky-Tabacky, and Heroin."

"Is none of the above and option?" I asked, pushing away his face and the nauseating smell of Jack with it.

"Pick one or we could just fuck."

"You're a real catch. Bianca is a lucky woman," I hissed sarcastically.

"Come on," Jimmy begged, retracting his hand. "Don't be a Sore Sally."

I sighed. "We can do the grass, but that is it!" I pointed a finger at him. "And you're giving up Heroin. That stuff is nasty-bad!"

To both my luck and my relief, the sound of the front door opening and closing with bodies in the foyer rang through the house; John Paul and Bianca were home and I was free of my Page Trance (Page Rage, if you will). I smirked at him and he frowned, then winked and excused himself from the kitchen.

Black Magic Woman

Jimmy and I were the only ones in the house today. Bianca and JPJ were out at a mechanic's because John Paul's car was acting up after Bianca had taken it for a spin, and Robert and Bonzo were on an unnecessary road trip to a visit Robert's mother up north in West Bromwich, Straffordshire.

Something loud from upstairs-- a bang, I believe-- woke me from my nap on the couch in the living room. After a silent minute or so, I brushed it off as a bird hitting the window and stretched. The living room was a beautiful and elegant room. The walls were a tan color with white molding and there weren't any curtains on the floor-to-ceiling lattice windows. The whole room was a dull blue haze not unlike the one in my apartment the morning of the dinner. Storm clouds outside were forming and the clock on the wall said that is was only 4 in the evening.

There came a great clanking of pots in the kitchen and I jumped, holding my heart. I knew it was only Leenin beginning tonight's meal, but after the bang from upstairs, I wasn't sure whether I had imagined it or not. Leenin entered the living room through the door separating this room and the kitchen.

Leenin was a young man with brown hair who was famous in the house for being gangly  slender, and polite. He looked appalled at the moment and let out a hefty breath, audible even from where I lay in the flowery couch near the fireplace.

"You heard that bang from the second level, aw well, correct?" he asked timidly. I stared at him, my eyes wide and my heart racing a bit. I nodded. "Who is up there?"

"I believe Jimmy is," I replied. "In his room. Do you want me to check if he's alright?"

"Would you?" Leenin began kneading his hands together and I felt sorry for him. "Mister Cheever is out getting groceries, otherwise I'd have him see to it."

I put out a hand in a call for silence. "I can check. What's for supper?"

"A roast." Leenin sighed and left for the kitchen once again. As soon as he was back in the kitchen, another bang erupted from upstairs and I jumped again. I wanted to cower in the corner of the couch; these bangs were the type of bangs that a person falling would make. They sounded like an engine backfiring-- a more of a pop!-- more than anything else.

Summoning up all the courage I had, I exited the living room into the foyer and began climbing the marble staircase. As I reached the second floor, I could hear talking from Jimmy's room and I automatically felt relieved. I was grateful it wasn't something paranormal or demonic living in our house, that it was just Jimmy possibly throwing things in his room.

Cheerfully, I walked down the left wing of the passage and knocked on Jimmy's door at the same time another bang shuddered through the door. I recoiled, then knocked again, to no reply. I knocked a third time. Still no reply. "Jimmy?"

There was a chanting from within and I began to worry again. I cracked one of the two white doors open slowly to see what Jimmy was up to. Jimmy was kneeling on the floor with his back to the door, a giant shape made of flour laying before him on the carpet. Candles lined the shape and the room seemed darker than normal. A shutter ran through me and Jimmy chanted something in Latin.

"Jimmy, what are you doing?" I called in a slight whisper, pushing my head through the door crack. He ignored me, so I walked in and shut the door behind me. "Jim-Jam?"

Jimmy chanted something again and I walked up to him hesitantly. I touched his shoulder and whatever trance he was in was broken, scaring me even more. Jimmy stood and turned to me; as soon as he recognized who it was, he became angry. He grabbed my four arms and pushed me against the door, his eyes smoldering behind his wispy  curly black hair. The smell of sweat on him was overwhelming and beads of liquid sweat dotted his forehead.

"What are you doing in here!" he growled. Tears welled in my eyes because of the discomfort and fear. He shook me for a second. "Answer me!"

"I- I- I... There was... What's going on?" I managed to whisper. Jimmy's eyes flickered. "Jimmy?"

"Leave," he ordered, pressing me against the door harder. I gasped. He dropped my arms and backed up.

Terrified, I opened the door, my eyes never leaving his brown ones. Something came over me as I saw the shape in my peripheral view. It resembled an anchor somewhat and I automatically knew it was something that tied in with witchcraft.

"No!" I shouted.

"Hey!" I sprinted past Jimmy and dragged my foot across the shape, flour flying up in a billow of smoke. Lighting struck outside and a body rammed into me, holding me as we rolled into the wood frame of the bed.  I flipped to see Jimmy sitting on top of me, pinning my arms down again. His eyes were burning with hatred and I screamed.

"What did you see?" Jimmy asked. He was much stronger than I had ever given him credit for and he weighed enough to make my breathing difficult.

"What has gotten into you?" I spat back, my breathing becoming labored. Suddenly he became himself again,  shaking his head and lightening up on my arms. "Jimmy, what in the Hell?"

Another lighting strike. Jimmy crawled off of me and sat, Indian-style, beside me. I got up quickly and made a wide circle around him, trying to get to the door slowly. "Wait," Jimmy stopped me, his body looking weak. "I- I apologize for all of that--"

Jimmy's door opened and Bianca stood there with keys in her hand, horrified and out of breath. "What was all the banging? Jenni? Are you okay? You look pale. What in God's name happened in here?"

I looked at Jimmy and he stood. "It's fine, Bianca. I'll meet you downstairs."

"But Jim--"

"Downstairs," he repeated. Bianca nodded and closed the door. I turned to leave. "Stop." I faced Jimmy worriedly. "You saw none of that."

"What is 'that', exactly?" I asked, pointing to the demolished anchor.

Jimmy sighed. "Black Magic. Occult. That sign means Good, if it's made correctly. I didn't make it correctly."

I nodded and glanced down at it, my heart still racing. "What happens if it's not made correctly?"

"The maker or the house could become possessed."

I was furious. "You risked the sanctity of yourself and our home!?" I shouted and scoffed. "You're ridiculous! And by the way, Ow!" I rubbed my forearms. "You're strong."

Swan Song

Confusing Lyrics?

Led Zeppelin are pretty well known for their hard-rock guitar-driven sound, but they're also famous for the confusing lyrics. For example, "A bushel in your hedgerow" from Stairway. What do they mean? Ultimate Classic Rock has taken ten of the most confusing lyrics and has done their best to decipher the meanings. Check it out!

Good Day Sunshine

I grabbed my Eastman-Kodak camera and trotted down to the living room where Robbie, Jimmy, JPJ, and Bonzo all sat in shorts and tees. It was unbearably hot inside and, oddly enough, it was even hotter outside. Leave it to England to rain every consecutive day of August except for today! Bianca was out working today and I was thankful for it; Jimmy looked fabulous without a shirt and I figured it would be nice to stair at him while we were at he pond without getting another "Are you looking at my boyfriend? Why are you looking at him with that expression?".

"Are we ready to go?" I asked, clapping my hands together. I was sweating to nothingness in a bikini under a cut-up Rolling Stones tank top and a pair of shorts, my camera around my neck. "Picnic basket still in the fridge? Do you have the radio? Towels?"

"Aye, Jim and I are bringing our own cameras, as well," Robert replied. "Bonzo, the basket's on the table. Blast! It's too bloody hot, I'm going to melt!" Robert slouched deeper into the couch. "My hair hasn't always been this poofy. I'm highly concerned."

Everyone except Robert gave a chuckle and Robert smiled up at me. "Well, what are we waiting for, gentlemen?" I asked. "Do you want to sweat inside or swim outside? Has anyone ever been to the pond before? Is it a nice place to swim or is it grummy?"

"I have," John replied. "It's moderate. I've never swam there, but the water is clear and the bottom is sand."

"Very well," Jimmy said, slapping the arms of the winged chair near the fire place and pushing himself to his feet. "We better get out there before Epsom begins raining again. Only a matter of time in this ole place, ey?"

Everyone grabbed their towel and bag of essentials. Bonzo trotted into the kitchen and returned with a stereotypical wicker picnic basket. We left the house through the front door and told Cheever to guard it. The five of us trudged at a steady speed down the front steps, around to the back, and through the lush grass of the back yard. I was grateful I was the only girl joining them; more attention for me. You see, the deal with the wives was this: they didn't live here permanently, but were free to spend as many nights there as they so pleased, so as to eliminate the drama that would arise should a groupie be found in the mansion.

For a while, Robert, Bonzo, and Jimmy were all taking pictures of each other for no reason, some with Bonzo posing as a model or with Robert giving the camera a face so sexy it sent a shiver down my spine.

Robert began singing, "Well, I got a woman way over town/ That's good to me --oh yeah!" and the rest of the boys joined in. All I knew of the song was that it was very blues-y and I assumed it was from a R&B artist. "Say I got a woman way over town/ Good to me --oh yeah!/ She give me money when I'm in need/ Yeah she's a kind of friend indeed / I got a woman way over town that's good to me oh yeah!"

"What are you singing?" I asked no one in particular.

"Ray Charles!" Jimmy responded with a tone suggesting that I should have known the answer. "I Got a Woman."

"To Hell you do," Robert muttered, catching Jimmy's attention. We entered the threshold of the woods. They seemed a lot less erie in the bright sunlight and I smiled at the beauty this property had to offer, if only England's weather was nicer.

Jimmy turned to walk backwards in front of Robert, his eyes flickering to me for a slight second. "What was that?"

"I said 'to Hell  you do,'" Robert laughed. "Why, you told me just yesterday you see Bianca as more of a friend."

Jimmy glanced at me, hoping I hadn't heard even though I couldn't help it. "I'm just missing me freedom is all-- Bianca's a fit woman and I enjoy her company greatly."

"Jenni," Bonzo began, smiling over at me, "you're a fit woman and I enjoy your company."

"Oh, why," I chimed in, holding my laden hand to my heart, my eyes twinkling with the humour of the lie, "Bonzo, that's very sweet of you! I enjoy your company as well. It's much better company than Jack the Ripper or that mad American fellow Charles Manson."

"And you're far more beautiful than that rock, and certainly more attractive than that blade of grass!"

"Marry me, Bonzo! You know just what to say!" Everyone but Jimmy laughed and I grinned at his frowning face. "Lighten up, Jim. You just need to learn how to compliment."

In no time at all, which was strange considering the proximity of the pond and the house, we reached Arcane as we emerged from the trees and set our things in the grass. There was a makeshift dock extending from the edge of the shore that reached near the center of the medium-sized pond. It was much cleaner than any pond I had ever been to and it looked very inviting in the penetrating sun.

I laid a towel out for me to sit on and put the radio near it, turning the knob on the top to serenade myself with the middle of The Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want. Jimmy set his towel down next to mine and John, Bonzo, and Robert set theirs next to Jimmy.

"Who wants to jump in first?" John asked, but before he had even finished his sentence, Robert had slipped his shirt and shorts off and was sprinting toward the pond in nothing but his briefs. I took the camera from around my next and turned it toward Jimmy who wasn't dressed according to the weather. He wore a white tee shirt with a navy cardigan over it. He held a camera to his chest as if he were afraid it may be stolen.

A giant splash washed the shore and Robert couldn't be seen in the pond. Suddenly he burst out of the water like a breaching dolphin and floated on his back. I snapped a picture and laughed. "The water is hunky dory!" Robert called, raising his hand in the "okay" symbol.

John walked onto the dock cautiously with Bonzo in tow. Mischievously, Bonzo pushed John into the pond, gave a great cackle, and followed; I got the picture. I turned to Jimmy imploringly. "Aren't you going to join them?"

"You need to teach me how to compliment, first," Jimmy purred. His eyes were heavy lidded and I wondered how long it took him to master this sexy, smoldering gaze he usually wore when talking to women.

He held the camera up and took a quick picture of me. "Stop," I chuckled, pushing the camera away. "Jim, stop. I don't know how to teach a man to compliment!"

"The sun makes your hair look a lot blonder than usual, like a ray of sunshine," he observed. "I've yet to meet a bird with those green of eyes. It's almost as if I'm looking into a forest."

"No more similes," I snapped, a grin betraying my serious tone. "You need to say things that won't make a woman think. Like, 'Bianca, your hair is beautiful today' or 'Bianca, your brown eyes look exceptionally sparkly today'. Something sweet and endearing but simple."

"Jenni, your green eyes look exceptionally sparkly today," Jimmy drawled sweetly. He gave a smirk and I raised a brow.

"Yes, exactly like that, except with Bianca's name."

"Are you two coming in? The water feels fantastic!" called John. "Are do you want to stay on shore and do some hanky-panky?"

I shouted "Be there in a second" just as Jimmy shouted "Hanky-panky!" I scowled at him but he wasn't looking at me. He was stripping.

"I probably won't be in the water very long," he whispered to me. "I can't swim, but I can walk."

"You can't swim?" I asked. He shook his head seriously.

"I can't drive, either." I raised my eyebrows impressively.

As soon as we was in his skivvies (and believe you me, it got much hotter outside!), he hopped up and walked down to the dock where he inched in, wary of the depth of the water. I sighed and removed my tank top and shorts, setting them on top of my camera. I ran after Jimmy and cannon-balled in.

When my face broke surface, I saw all the men circling around Robert who was splashing around like and idiot. In a few seconds, Robert's hand flew out of the water brandishing a pair-- his pair-- of skivvies. He hopped toward the dock and threw them on top. The men-- er, boys-- cheered and did the same as him. I could feel the butterflies release when Jimmy's pair flew through the sky and landed on the dock. Suddenly the spot light was on me. I shook my head.

"Take them off, Jen," Robert coaxed. I shook my head again and all the boys made a charge for me.

"No!" I shouted, holding desperately to my red and white bikini. Luckily none of them touched me and I swam away to the dock. "You're all perverted in the head! What would you four do if I just stole your undergarments?" I found this idea clever until it backfired... for the better.

"Then we'll go buck-naked," Robert retorted. "Naked! Nakey nakey naked! You'd probably like that, now wouldn't you, you dirty girl!" They all laughed and I suppressed my own laughter. "Get a picture will me and me mates, will you?"

Shaking uncontrollably from some unknown cause, I nodded and climbed on to the dock. They all whistled and I ignored them. I shuffled over to my towel and grabbed my camera, all the while singing along to the Cream song on the radio, and carried it back to the dock. Trying hard to forget how clear the water was and how fantastic the clarity was, I managed to only look into their faces. They all lined up with their arms around each other and I snapped a picture.

"Group hug?" Robert asked cleverly with a wink.

"Not today, big guy," I laughed.

"Little guy," Bonzo whispered the double entendre. We all broke out in a fit of laughter and I immediately became grateful for the sun today. It was the first time in a while I had been outside and I was loving every minute of it.

Enjoy these rare pictures that took me a few months to find! I'm hoping to find the rest of the photoshoot with JPJ and more of Bonzo and Jimmy. Either way, enjoy! :)

Like Wine

Nope. I didn't make it up. After watching a few pirated videos of Celebration Day on Youtube, I'm certain; Jimmy Page is so much better at guitar now than in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I bet Jeff Beck is proud of him, because I know I am :) I wish he was touring because his guitar skills are fucking amazing right now. I also wish his aged guitar skill also translated into his looks. Don't get me wrong, he's still cute, but he looks like an Asian Quakers oatmeal guy. I wish 70s Jimmy was still around :/

Jimmy's guitar skills are like wine. Better with age and different in appearance. Sadly, I don't like wine. So technically Jimmy's more like Rootbeer, but whatever, point made.

But then again, maybe not?:

Jimmy's proclaimed best guitar solo: YouTube

Goal Achieved

This is going to sound really pathetic, but yay! I got one more follower! Do you know what that means? Enjoy this picture of Jimmy Page! I'm aiming for ten followers now!

Led Zeppelin Wish List

My Led Zeppelin wish list, just in time for Christmas! I want (but in no way need or will get):

1. Celebration Day
2. The Song Remains The Same
3. Jimmy Page poster
4. Led Zeppelin poster
5. Jimmy Page
6. Light & Shade: a biography of Jimmy Page
7. A subscription of Guitar World
8. Led Zeppelin tee
9. Swan Song necklace
10. Zoso sweater like Jimmy had
11. Bell bottoms
12. Led Zeppelin Rolling Stone Collector's Edition
13. Jimmy Page's hair style (even though I'm a girl)
14. Aviators and a scarf like Jimmy had
15. A "Nurse's Do It Better" inspired poster like the shirt Robert wore
16. A Zoso tattoo (when I'm 18 obviously)
17. A Mothership school supplies set (journals, folders, etc.)
18. More views and fans of this blog!

ZOSO: Squeeze My Lemon

August 12, 1973
(Bianca's Point of View)

"Jimmy!.... Jimmy!" The whole house was quiet, probably because Jenni was out shopping for film with Cynthia. "Jimmy, come ed, I need some help moving this monster bed!" There was absolutely no reply and I sighed. Then there was the sound of a heavy door opening and closing down the corridor; Jimmy's room if I was not mistaken.

"What, love?" his voice called. "You're screaming bloody murder."

"Come move my bed, please!" I shouted as I lay on my purple shag carpet, trying to push the four-poster princess bed with my legs. I grunted and gave up, annoyed that Jimmy wasn't here yet.

His laugh came from the doorway. I tilted my head backward and saw his upside-down smile. I flipped onto my stomach and smiled back at him. "Where do you want me to move the bed, Bumble Bee?"

"Oh, just--" I stopped and eyed him curiously. "You remember the nick-name Mum gave me?"

Jimmy entered the room, his hands in his pockets. "Of course. Stacia was a lovely woman and I always thought Bumble Bee was an adorable nick-name. I also remember," he knelt down near me and touched my hair lightly, "that the first time I had heard her call you that was the day of our first kiss back in ninth year."

"Yeah... yeah, it was!" I recollected. "Fabulous day, that was."

"You wouldn't want to-- oh, perhaps-- recreated that day, now would you?" He winked at me and my stomach produced millions upon millions of butterflies. I gulped as he leaned toward me and our lips met.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

"Jimmy! Bianca! I'm home, and I brought Rob, John, and Bonzo with me! Well, not really... But it just so happened that we both pulled into the driveway at the same time!" came a shout from the foyer downstairs. I gasped and threw the covers from my body, turning to Jimmy with an exasperated face. He was laying in bed smoking a cigarette, calm as could be.

"Jimmy!" I whisper-shouted. "Jenni's home! Quick! put on some clothes and get out!"

You underestimate the speed in which I can exit a bedroom, fully clothed and undetected," he responded coolly. "I've done it a thousand times before, love."

I growled and he sat up, putting his cigarette in the ash tray on the bedside table. He stood and pulled on his pair of leather pants and grabbed his Renaissance-style blouse-thing. "So I guess we're an item now, eh?" He leaned over the bed and kissed me one more time before leaving the room with everything he had left. 

One of my favorite Jimmy Page pictures:

"Fuck you, Scarf!"

Viewer Challenge

Come on, people! I know you're reading my blog-- Blogger tells me that you are. None of you comment or join! 50 more views and I reach 300 views, but I still have only one follower! If I get at least ONE MORE follower (very desperate, I know), then I'll post a rare picture of Jimmy Page. If I get 700 more views, I'll post a rare picture of Bonzo and Robert. Please give me some feedback, people!

To persuade you all, here's the wackiest picture of Jimmy I could find (from 1981). I mean, what the total fuck? Why would he stand with his crotch on the chair? Oh, Jimmy...

You Better

Bonzo had finished his drumkit assult and was now looking up at me expectantly. "How was that?" he panted, pulling his long hair behind his ear.

"Fine," I replied politely, "but no one can beat the drumkit harder than Keith Moon-- quite literally."

"Keith?" a voice behind me asked, catching both John and I off guard and making me jump with fright. Jimmy was standing at the doorway of Bozo's room, holding tightly to the door frame. I nodded toward him and he continued, "You like Moonman, ey?"

"Yeah, his drumming is brilliant," I replied. Jimmy took a step into the room and stopped. Bonzo stood  and made his way around the drumkit to sit on the side of his bed.

"I can invite him over-- if you'd like," Jimmy stated. My heart-rate increased and Jimmy continued, "We're great mates, me and him. If you want to meet him, he could come over for a set some time."

"Sure!" I breathed, excited. "He's the greatest musician to ever have graced the Earth!" Jimmy shot me a genuinely happy smile and grabbed the doorway again.

"Expect to meet Moon the Loon some time soon."

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

I sat at the kitchen island quietly. No one ever went into the kitchen unless they were hungry and the chefs were out, so it was a prime place for me to sit for some peace and quiet. Bianca had been getting on my nerves lately, complaining about Jimmy's behavior. Why, just the two days ago she was livid when she had found out he was married to a French model and had a daughter named Scarlet.

"In all the years he could have mentioned it over the phone or in his letters, he never told me he was a father," Bianca complained, sprawled on the plum-colored carpet in Jimmy's bed chamber while I sat in the window nook a few feet from the bed. "Honestly! How do you simply 'forget'? Personally, I think he just forgot. He must be a terrible father!"

The door to the master bedroom opened and both Bianca and I flinched. John Paul Jones' head popped out from behind the door and eyed us both expectantly. "Is Pagey in here?"

Bianca sat up. "He and Robbie are out. Again. I have to work in a few hours and I won't get to see him all day."

"Oh," Jonesy sighed, ignoring Bianca's complaint. He entered the room and closed the door behind him quickly. With his back pressed to the door, he said, "You both know it's Planty's birthday, correct?"

"Yeah," I called, "Jimmy said he was planning something."

Bianca threw her hands up and grunted. "He told you, of course, but not me!"

Again, Jonesy ignored her. "Roger Daltrey, Keith Richards, Mick, Roger Waters, and I believe some others are coming over. He'll be 24. Jimmy's keeping him busy; I need both of you to help set up!"

"I'm not helping if Jimmy's involved," Bianca spat. "He's being a bugger lately."

Honestly, it was like Jonesy didn't know she was there. Still looking at me, he asked, "Can you help Bonzo and I decorate the living room?"

"I would love to!" I replied eagerly, hopping to my feet. "I get to meet Mick Jagger!?"

Jonesy nodded and I followed him out the door, the sound of "Great, I work on Robert's birthday!?" being left behind in the room. 

I took a bite of my apple pensively. The pale green walls made me imagine I was in a forest some place far off. I wondered why I wasn't taking a walk out in the woods with Robert like he had invited, but I was content. That is, until Robert walked into the kitchen, the smell of outside fresh on his jacket. He smiled at me, took an apple from the bowl on the island, tossed it up and caught it, then sat beside me and took a large bite from it.

"Nice brisk walk," he said between chews. "You should have joined me. It's nice outside. The paper says it'll be warm tomorrow-- Bonzo, Pagey, John and I are all going for a dip tomorrow in the pond. Jimmy named it Arcane Pond; said it had something to do with The Occult and Zoso. I don't quite understand it, personally..." He took another bite of apple. "Where's Bianca and the other ladies?"

"Maureen and Patricia are out shopping," I replied. "Bianca's at Abbey Road working." Robert nodded understandingly and took another bite of the apple. I smiled at him and he grinned.

"Why don't you get on with the other girls?" Robert asked. "I'd bring my Maureen over to live here, but she wants to stay home with Karac and Carmen. Lovely woman, she is. Bianca doesn't understand the complexity of musicians alike Pagey, Bonzo, John and I. We love our wives, we really do. But when you're on the road--" he took another bite, "--you need to make a choice right then; do I want to be a good, faithful  gentleman who carries on through life playing heavy music or do I want to except the perks? Ole Bonzey's a smart bastard; he chose to be a gentleman. Jimmy and I? We're fucking fools, no matter how fantastic the perks. But at the end of the day, our wives know we'll always come home. Bianca doesn't understand that and she's expecting too much of Jimmy."

"I swear, you just said everything that was pressing me," I laughed, setting the apple on the counter and hopping off my seat to trek toward the wine rack for something to drink. "Bianca's riding my nerves. I love her, but there's just this... this thing about her and Jimmy that infuriates me."

"You're not jealous, are you?" Robert asked, his voice echoing around the spacious kitchen. I gave a snort of laughter as I poured myself and Robert a glass of Raspberry wine. "That's the sign of a jealous dragon, my dear."

I replaced the wine and brought the two glasses to the island. "I'm not jealous. I- I don't even like Jimmy that much. My favorite person in the band is actually you."

"I'm flattered," Robert said, taking a sip of wine with an ugly pucker. "Thank you for the wine, but I think I prefer Jack."

"Just drink it," I laughed. "So we're all going to the pond tomorrow? What did Jimmy call it? Arcade?"

"Arcane," Robert corrected politely, taking the final salvageable bite from his apple. "Yeah. We need a photographer! I'm sure the birds would love pictures of us down in our skives."

"I'm a professional photographer," I told Robert excitedly. "So all these weeks I could have been taking every one's pictures?"

"You never said you were a photographer! Bring your camera tomorrow; we'll have a candid day. What do you say?"

"Sounds fantastic!"

Swan Song

Led Zeppelin News Feature

Ultimate Classic Rock has made a featured page just for the news circulating about Led Zeppelin lately. Check it out!

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Why Led Zeppelin Never Played Again

According to Jimmy Page in the new Rolling Stone magazine, the reason Led Zeppelin never reunited and played again was because "Robert was too busy". After the concert at the O2 arena in England, Jimmy tells Rolling Stone that he expected to do another concert in the near future. However, Robert was busy making his own concert-based movie at the time and therefore never organized a reunion. Jimmy and John Paul Jones arranged to make an reunion with just them and Jason Bonham, but Jimmy felt it was imperative that there be a singer, and considering none of the three could sing, it never happened.

Breakfast in America

Unlike the typical dinner sounds of clanking plates and silverware, chewing, shuffling, and quaint conversation, the night's supper was filled with obnoxious laughter and loud voices. The 18 person table was half seated with Jimmy at the head. Bianca, John and Maureen, Bonzo and Patricia, Robert and I all sat with Jimmy on the farthest end of the long mahogany table.

The dinning room was my favorite room of the manor. The large lattice windows on the wall opposite the kitchen lit the hall during the day, and tan curtains were pulled to make the room dark at night. The walls were a warm auburn color with gold crown molding. Behind Jimmy was a marble fireplace that was usually lit, adding to the warm feel of the room. There was a ficus in every corner of the room, and hanging from the tall ceiling directly over the center of the long table was a lavished chandelier with white and red crystals that hung from every golden arm.

The chairs were a matching mahogany with red cushions mimicking the walls. The wood floors were tarnished with years of use, making the room seem older than it was and adding a character that could not otherwise be achieved.

Robert, Bonzo, Maureen Jones, John, and Patricia Phillips Bonham were all stuck in their own conversation about Robert's birthday party yesterday while Bianca and Jimmy bickered over the possibility of getting a cat. Bianca was allergic, but Jimmy loved animals-- yet another thing in common between us.

"But I'd be sneezing all day!" Bianca argued. Jimmy shoveled another spoonful of Blood Pudding into his mouth, making the most God-awful face I'd ever seen.

"This was splendid the first time I had it," he said, more to himself than to Bianca or I. "Now it's just disgusting. I'm sure I'd enjoy it more if I were Liverpudlian, but until that day, I need to tell Leenin to discontinue it."

"While you're talking to the chef," I put in, "you may want to get over to Cheever."

Jimmy eyed me before turning to Bianca. Irritably he scolded, "You still haven't sacked him? What did I tell you four days ago? I'm not fucking rich; I can't afford two chefs, this home, my taxes, and Cheever, regardless of how clean he keeps the house. I've told you, love, he needs to go."

Bianca sighed and looked down at her duck and potatoes. "I know, Jimmy, but I don't want to hurt his feelings. It's a job!"

"I don't care that it's a job," Jimmy snapped. "I don't have a job! I can't afford him! I don't go to work every day. I live my life traveling the world-- spending pounds-- to spread music. I just bought this manor-- more money!-- and I'm left with, what?, only enough in my wallet and bank account to afford this monster mansion and everyone that lives in it. I wasn't the one to suggest them living here, either."

"Sorry about that," I laughed nervously. "But it's better this way!"

"To Hell it is!" Jimmy spat, his temper rising. He whipped his head to face Bianca, scooping a spoonful of potatoes into his mouth. He swallowed, then pointed his spoon at Bianca accusingly. "You're firing him within the next five days or else."

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Friday's Rolling Stone

If you've got a subscription to Rolling Stone, or have a news-stand somewhere near you, guess what magazine will be out this Friday!? I don't know about you, but I'm excited!

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Celebration Day Released!

Guess what came out yesterday? Celebration Day! I'd suggest buying it on Amazon... Either way, it's a must see!

Leave it to Cheever

While unpacking my Rock Library carefully in the spacious living room, a knock from the front door rang through the house. As far as I knew, Bianca was taking a shower, so I automatically assumed it wasn't her. But who could it possibly be that Davy (the man who worked the toll booth) had allowed them in uninvited?

"Bia?" I called, my voice echoing eerily through the empty house. The only reply was another rap on the door. I got up clumsily and headed toward the door past the grand staircase. A third knock came on the door as I grabbed the large Gothic door handle.

"Hello," I greeted, swinging the door open to an unfamiliar man in his late 50s. He had red hair that was obviously receding and a matching red/white walrus mustache. He wore a black-tie appropriate butler suit. "Looking for someone?"

"My name is Charles Cheever, pleasure to meet you," the man replied, holding out his hand for my to take politely. I gave him my hand and he kissed it. "A Misses Lawrence hired me for personal services... er, Butlery." I gaped at him.

"Bianca!" I roared over my shoulder into the house. There was some ruckus from upstairs and Bianca came racing down the marble staircase in a blue bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. She froze on the bottom step at the sight of Charles.

"Mister Ch-Cheever?" Bianca asked, trying to ignore my belligerent expression burning into her. Charles nodded and Bianca glanced toward me, kneading her hands nervously.

"We don't have the money for a butler," I snapped. "I just got done doing a photo shoot for Levi's and I only made enough money to save. "

Bianca bit her lip. "Jimmy does...."

"But does Jimmy know you hired a butler?" I asked.

"Well, no... But he said he didn't mind if I made changes to the place," Bianca stated hopelessly.

"Mister Cheever is not a change, he's an addition," I hissed, directing my voice toward Bianca in the hopes that Cheever hadn't heard me. He cleared his throat and I shut my eyes tightly, pity bubbling in my stomach. I turned to face Cheever and noticed the heart-jerking frown on his face.

"I can leave if you feel so fit," Cheever said. "My apologies for the misunderstand--"

"No, Cheever-- can we call you that?--" he nodded, "it's no misunderstanding. Forget the whole argument. Misses Lawrence can be a bit of an aggro sometimes." I glared at Bianca and she melted to the floor like a little kid who got in trouble. "You... you're going to live here, and I not mistaken?"

Cheever nodded. "My belongings are in the cab outside." He examined the mansion's beautiful foyer, all the while possessing the ora of a person who was beyond polite and appropriate.

"Go get your things and I'll show you to your room, I guess," I ordered. He thanked me and shuffled out the door.

Meanwhile, I studdied Bianca as she lay on the ground in a loose fetal position. She looked up at me with desperation in her eyes. "I can't clean this house myself! I work all week save the weekends and I haven't the time to keep up on this gigantic house! Oh, please, Jenni, spare me the reprimanding!"

"You can get up now, you know," I told her. "I'm not the one you should be worried about... Wait 'til Jim-Jam gets home."

Swan Song

Black Dog, "Celebration Day"

Led Zeppelin have JUST released a preview of Celebration Day, and by preview, I mean the entirety of Black Dog from their O2 performance! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fpigDGf6vXM

P.S. Is it just me or is Jimmy Page 10 times better since The Song Remains The Same? I think his guitar has a better, fuller sound.... Oh how I love Pagey....

Here's a cute picture of my tired baby! Notice it's from the same concert as the picture of him on the right (same shirt). I just noticed that last week.

That's The Way

"Read it and learn it, ladies," Jimmy had said as he slapped a list to the wall in the developing foyer. It was a list he had cruedly and quickly constructed with a loose peice of paper and a pen. It read:

Mondays: Billiards and pub games AFTER practice and collaboration

Tuesdays: Free (music muse)

Wednesdays: Practice in the soundroom-- do not interrupt, Jenni!

Thursdays: Promotional appearances (sometimes)

Fridays: Poker and Jack Daniels with the mates

Saturdays: Take care of Bonzo's garden, occult practice, cartoons, band practice, and me mates go home after last night

Sundays: church Jack Daniels, meditation, and freetime (groupies)

For no reason do we skip caring for Bonzo's garden, nor do we miss poker Fridays.

Love, Pagey

ZOSO

Green Grass and High Tides

While the paint inside was drying and the acrid fumes wafted to and fro, Bianca, Jimmy, and I sat outside on a bench near a Weeping Willow in the front yard. The gates were closed and had been since newspapers had reported Jimmy's purchase and had made the mistake of giving out the lot name. Ever since, the toll booth out front was no longer vacant; it was necessarily in use by a guard and it had already stopped several fans from entering or scaling the fence.

It was obvious Jimmy felt uncomfortable living in such an extravagant place. He pulled petals off a Cosmo awkwardly, Jack Daniels bottle in hand, antsy because he wanted to do something other than sit and wait. As hard as it was to believe, there was nothing to do at the moment. We couldn't leave the property because we were waiting for Bonzo to show, and we couldn't enter the house. We'd already explored the acreage (and what a magnificent acreage it was, with a pond in the far east of the lot!), so that was out of the question.

Bianca sat in the grass next to Jimmy who sat beside me on the bench, telling him the story about how she and I ended up at a Rolling Stones concert some years back. But Jimmy wasn't listening; a brown car pulled into the gate and hollered something to the toll guard who let him in.

Jimmy stood and Bianca scouched backward. I stretched out on the bench and Jimmy looked back at me. "Bonzo's here to start a garden out back," he explained. "I've never met a Green Thumb like him before, quite honestly." He began walking toward the car now parked on the gravel drive. Bonzo exited the car and both Bianca and I resisted the urge to run over and beg for an autograph.

"Hallo!" Jimmy called as Bonzo made his was toward Jimmy.

"Hiya, Pagey," Bonzo greeted once he got to his friend. They hugged and a few droplets of Jack dropped to the ground with the motion.

Bonzo wore tan chinos (khakis) and western-style boots. His brown chest hair was unattractively sticking out of his half-buttoned geometric-patterned dress shirt. He had a moustache that looked like he had tried to manage it, but couldn't. His brown hair was, surprisingly, longer than Jimmy's and had been decorated with a red paisley bandanna around his forehead. "God awful day, eh?" he remarked, looking up at the sky.

Although Bonzo had worn such (typically) nice clothes, he seemed a lot more casually dressed than Jimmy, who stood comfortable-- for once-- next to his best mate in a white tee, a navy cardigan, and flare denim jeans.

"Tad over-dressed for a garden, are we?" Jimmy observed, eyebrows raised and a humorous smile on his face.

"Pat and I had taken Zoe and Jason out to dinner while they were in town," Bonzo replied. "I've got a spare set in the boot." Bonzo glanced over at Bianca and I. "Groupies?"

"No," Jimmy corrected. He pointed to Bianca, "That's my girlfriend, Bianca--" he pointed to me, "and that's Jenni, Bianca's friend. She's a fan."

My heart jumped when he had said that Bianca was his girlfriend; I wasn't jealous, but it was surprising to me. I had never heard that they were an item before, and it made me furious to know they hadn't told me they were.

Jimmy and Bonzo walked to Bonzo's car and opened the trunk, all the while discussing music. I lost track of them as I turned to Bianca, who was the brightest shade of rouge I had ever seen. She cleared her throat and hid her face so I couldn't see her giggles.

"Since when have you been Jim-Jam's girlfriend?" I asked, hiding the bubbling angst in my voice but failing miserably.

"Since when do you call him Jim-Jam?" she asked, curious and obviously fretting. "I thought you didn't like him? Nick-names are a sign of friendship."

"I figured that-- considering I'll be living with the bloke for a few months or even years-- I may as well get on with him. No need for hate in this stone palace. Not to mention, it's a story that my grand kids would love! Could you imagine? A grandmother or even a mother who had lived with the Jimmy Page? It's unbelievable!"

"I suppose," Bianca sighed. She laid back in the grass and stared up at the gray sky and the Weeping Willow. "I didn't even know we were together until he said that. I mean, we did it, but I figured it was just because we were so close, you know?"

More anger bubbled in the deepest pit of my stomach. I sat straight up on the bench. "You shagged Jimmy Page? You're fucking joking! You've got to be."

Bianca gaped at the tree's leaves for some time and bent her knees. "Happened maybe two nights ago. I had asked him to help me move my bed and build that bookshelf I got. Well, we only got half-way through moving the bed."

"Where was I?" I asked.

"I believe Cynthia Peele came by and you two went shopping for furniture," Bianca replied. "I didn't even think you two were still close."

I nodded, remembering shopping with Cyn. My heart rate increased and I scowled down at her. "So if you and Jimmy get in a row, we'll have no where to live? Smart thinking, B!"

Before Bianca could retort, the boys returned with gloves and shovels that Bonzo had brought. "I love this place," Bonzo remarked, looking around to get a 360 view. "Beautiful yard. How many rooms did you say she has?"

"Ten," Jimmy replied. "Plus a whole third floor that I'm set up as a sound studio."

"Blimey!" Bonzo exclaimed. "I could live here!" He chuckled.

"Then why don't you?" I asked.

Jimmy shot me a curious look, his handsome facial features more visible with his hair pulled behind his ears. He gave a wide smile to me and faced Bonzo. "John, do you want to live here? You and Pat?"

Bonzo's eyes widened and he smiled at the three of us. "Where do I sign!"

I smiled up at Jimmy. "Maybe Robert and JPJ could live here, too! Lets see... that leaves four spare bedrooms for guests. Oh! Jeff Beck could live with us, too!"

"Let's not get carried away," Jimmy said. He was hardpressed to give up his house to a bunch of people, but he compromised with, "Robbie, Jonesy, and Maureen can live here, but as for Becky, he's pretty content with where he's at now."

I grinned at Bianca and she could tell what I was trying to express. I'm going to live with Led Zeppelin! 

Swan Song

Magazine Round-up

Mojo Magazine

Unlike me, if you're from England, guess what magazine is on news-stands right now? A Celebration Day inspired Led Zeppelin edition!

http://cover.mojo4music.com/Item.aspx?pageNo=1842&year=2012

__________________________________________

Rolling Stone Online

Check out this recent poll from Rolling Stone Online: The 40 Greatest Led Zeppelin Songs of All Time! I'll give you a hint what number one is (and no, it's not Stairway): It's my favorite Zeppelin song, and it also scored number 75 on the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-40-greatest-led-zeppelin-songs-of-all-time-20121107

Houses of the Holy

As we pulled into Henderson Collige, the first thing that struck me was the medieval castle positioned in the center of the lot. I knew it was a manor and nothing more, but coming from a person whose only lived in apartments point of view, it was a gray brick castle fit for a romantic.

The castle was surrounded by a mass of trees that stretched for kilometers and over the hills in the distance. It was a dark day, adding to the erie appeal of the place. A gray brick fence was pitched around the place, and the fences out front were a black wrought iron. The gates were open and the limo driver pulled in without hesitation.

There was a large, long circular gravel drive surrounding a huge decorative fountain with a guitar statue on top. Bianca glanced at Jimmy and he responded simply, "David Gilmour used to live here."

I nodded in understanding and excitement, being a fan of Pink Floyd. The limo stopped before the house's front doors and the driver hopped out, making his way around the automobile. He opened the door and Bianca crouched through the door and into the disgusting weather outside. I followed closely behind, trying to maintain some modesty as I crawled out with my butt raised high in the air. Jimmy crawled out after the two of us and stood, giving the driver a nod before walking up the steps and to the large dungeon-style front double doors.

The handles were guitars-- very fitting to be quite honest-- and the large bronze knocker on the right door was a soldier's drum. All in all, the outside of the house was pretty overwhelming and slightly intimidating. Jimmy threw the left door open and held it open for Bianca and I. We hurried inside to escape the terrible weather and were amazed, even more so, at the foyer.

The ceilings had to be a million meters high, and a marble staircase curved up to a second floor balcony. The entire place had an open-floor plan and to the left of the foyer was a giant living room with ginormous lattice windows that belonged in a church on the wall facing the limo outside. Off of the living room was a professional kitchen with a bar that separated the dining room, living room, and kitchen. On the other half of the house was a large study and one of the eight bathrooms.

"The bedrooms have already been completed," Jimmy explained as Bianca and I explored our new castle. "Save for paint, of course. But I figured you two would want to decorate it. But I've had a fourposter put in both rooms for your bed. Driver; could you please unload the luggage the girls left in the limo? The van with the moving things will be here soon and I'll unpack that. Thank you."

I raced up stairs and leaned over the balcony to see Jimmy starring up at me. "What bedroom is mine?" I asked.

"Bianca's is the first one to the left. Yours is the one opposite hers. I hope I chose the right color fourposter for you two."

I ran to my room and Bianca followed. I swung my bedroom door opened and was surprised at what I saw. It was nothing special, but the fourposter Jimmy had mentioned was... flabbergasting. Lavished grey silk drapes hung over the bed in a canopy. A single gold curtain was dangling from one of the posters. I walked to the bed clumsily, my legs shaking in joy. As I plopped down on the bed, I noticed myself on the ceiling; a mirror had been inlayed with the silk fabric and I smiled at myself.

Jimmy you dog, I thought. I jumped when I heard a voice at the door. It was Jimmy and he was smirking deviantly. "I remember you saying how much you loved grey, so I scoured the market places for grey silk. It's hard to come by, did you know?"

At first I scowled at him, upset that he had purposefully gotten me to color I had conceded wasn't my favorite, but I ended up laughing. He laughed too and I hopped off the comfy bed to invite him over for a hug.

Slowly but surely, Jimmy trudged over and I pulled him into a thanking hug. We couldn't stop laughing and it wasn't until we separated that he grew serious. Without a word, he left the room and made way for Bianca.

Bring It On Home

What first caught me was Jimmy's high-pitched voice; it was far more high-pitched than Bianca had prepared me for. It was almost humorous, listening to him talk. I guessed that his voice was that way from drugs, but I wasn't quite sure, and Beaux's wasn't the time or place to ask Bianca if his voice had always been like that.

"I've never met you, Jenni," Jimmy observed as we waited for our food. Bianca sat closely to Jimmy at the circular table while I sat directly across from them. "Peculiar name, 'Jenni'."

"It's my nick-name," I replied. "A pet name. My real name is Jane."

Jimmy nodded and Bianca rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, nice to meet you. I must say, I wasn't expecting a third person, but I never mind meeting a new face. Especially when they're a fan."

"Jenni went to Ewell," Bianca explained to Jimmy, her tone like honey. "She started as soon as you left. She got kicked out of her last school."

"For what?" Jimmy asked, studying me from across the table. His eyes were dark and sunken, and his long curly locks shaded most of his facial features. His nose was slightly pointed upwards and his smile was intoxicating. He wore a black casual formal-jacket over a Ramones tee, and his black hair sat neatly on his shoulders. His purple bell bottoms really didn't match, but he had managed to pull the outfit off.

I felt over-dressed by comparison, sporting a sharp red dress and silver heels with my hair crimped and flowing down my shoulders. I almost didn't want to reply. Almost. "Are you a fan of dismay? Or even chaos?"

"I'm not a fan of dismay and chaos to be quite honest," Jimmy replied with much friction. He narrowed his eyes at me-- not menacingly, but more curiously.

"I was kicked out of school or disobeying uniform," I stated calmly. Bianca starred imploringly at me and cleared her throat obnoxiously. I sighed. "And I had convinced half of ninth year to set Headmaster Primeworth's hedge afire because of the dreadful uniforms. They're groty... grotesque. Grey isn't my color."

"I quite enjoyed the grey uniforms," Jimmy interjected. "But I refused to have my hair so many centimeters above my collar. Was Primeworth pissed? I wish I had stayed-- that would be worth seeing."

Bianca threw him a concerned look. She seemed to be worried at how dark Jimmy had grown as compared to his school boy year. "Anyway," she cut in, hurriedly changing the topic, "how is it that you weren't mobbed by fans? I know this restaurants on a private lot, but..."

"You tend to lose fans at high speeds," Jimmy replied, putting his arm around Bianca's shoulder. She smiled. "That Coupe Deville goes just over the set fan speed limit." He glanced at me. "Zero to seventy in eight seconds." I gave an approving "hmmpf".

Bianca shifted her body to face Jimmy. "You've missed a whole lot!" she exclaimed. "Do you remember Pamela Sader from school? She just had a little boy, John; cute little thing."

At the name "John", Jimmy seemed to become pensive. "Ace," he responded absent-mindedly. There was something obviously clouding his thoughts. "Look, Bianca, there's something we need to discuss." He glanced toward me. "In private."

"Anything you tell me can be said to Jenni," Bianca told him excitedly, ready to hear what news Jimmy had for her. Perhaps he would ask her to be his girlfriend? Or maybe even join the band? Be a manager?

While Jimmy weighed his options, Rod and Elton passed by our table on their way out the door. They stopped to chat for a second and Jimmy seemed uncomfortable once again.

"It was nice meeting you ladies," Elton said politely. He clapped Rod on the back. "There was something you wanted to say, Phyllis?"

He stood awkwardly next to Elton and quickly became rigid. His eyes found mine and he spoke softly in a nearly cockney accent, "I couldn't help but notice that you're eating alone and I was wondering... Would you like to go on a date with me sometime? I could give you my house number and we could set a date."

I was a tad taken aback, like most girls who are asked out, especially since it was Rod fucking Stewart who had taken a liking to me. He studied him for a second, my mouth gaping and my mind blank. I threw a look at Jimmy and Bianca, who both looked surprised as well. Looking back at Rod, I mouthed, "Sure" before clearing my throat and actually saying the word.

"Fantastic!" he laughed, smiling at Elton and I. He padded his pockets for a slip of paper and eventually found an old laundry list. He pulled out the pencil he was using earlier for lyrics and wrote down a number. He put the pencil back into his coat pocket and handed me the slip of paper. "Call any time, Jenni-- it was Jenni, right?"

"Yes," Jimmy, Bianca, and I all said simultaneously. I whipped my head around to face them and we all began to chuckle.

Elton and Rod joined in on the chuckling before waving goodbye and exiting the restaurant. Once gone, I examined the slip of paper with a list on the back of it. I was beyond excited and happy. I watched over the paper inconspicuously as Jimmy became uncomfortable again, removing his arm from Bianca's shoulder and playing with the saucer under his tea cup.

"So what was it you wanted to say?" Bianca pressed again. Jimmy's eyes widened as he remembered what he had to say, obviously taken off guard. He took in a deep breath and I set the paper beside me.

"Very well," Jimmy agreed. He eyed me suspiciously before turning to face Bianca. "Well, Bianca... I've bought a manor on Henderson Collige right out of Epsom in the woods. Brilliant place, really-- ten bedrooms and eight baths. There's a horse-shoe drive way, a fountain, and enough forest for a garden of some sort. Beautiful place, just simply beautiful."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bianca asked. She smiled devilishly. "Are you going to ask me to live with you?"

Jimmy hesitated. "Yes. Would you? I can't imagine living at a place of such size without my best mate."

Bianca blushed and Jimmy looked like he was about to kiss her, but resisted. Before Bianca could say yes, she looked at me worriedly. "Pagey, I can't live anywhere without my best mate. Could Jenni live with us? Is that asking too much?"

Jimmy looked positively aggravated. He leaned in and whispered something incoherent into Bianca's ear. She murmured back, "But there's ten rooms! You need someone to take care of the house while you're gone..." He whispered something again and she replied, "It's not going to happen. No matter how much I love you. Don't give me that look."

Jimmy buried his face in his hands and shook his head. When he raised his head, his eyes were burning with frustration as he groaned, "Jenni, would you care to live with me and Bianca?"

I knew I should say no, that I would put more stress on Jimmy, but I had some reasons to say yes. One, I couldn't support myself without a second income. Two, I've never lived in a mansion. And three, I was on a role! I was having dinner with someone from one of my favorite bands, I had just gotten Rod Stewart's phone number and Elton's autograph, and the prospect of living with Jimmy Page was unbearable.

"I would love to," I replied against my better judgement. Jimmy sighed and looked down at the table. He didn't seem at all excited, but me, I was buzzing with joy.

Summer Breeze

Part of me didn't quite understand why I had agreed to a double date without a significant double. I knew this would be the most awkward I had ever felt, but the prospect of meeting someone from Led Zeppelin was overwhelming. Bianca and I waited outside of Beaux's for about ten minutes discussing how she had met Jimmy.

"I had to be thirteen the first time I had met him," Bianca had begun. "He was new to the school and the district, having been from the other side of London. He had strange hair. Black, shinny, and normally long enough to cup his chin. I guess that was the first thing that drew me to him; the fact that this boy had enough bollocks to wear his hair longer than uniformly appropriate. He had this high-pitched voice that repelled all the gals in school, including my own girlfriends. The boys thought he was for the opposite gender, if you know what I mean.

"I came up to him one day in Grammar and asked him if he'd like to be friends. That's how it all began. He had told me that he was going to take up guitar after he had found an acoustic left behind from a family that had previously lived in the house he lived in at the time. It was a sign, really. He taught himself by listening to a James Burton character and some Scotty Moore. The kids at school laughed at him for loving skifle. Yes! I was thirteen, as was he, because I fondly remember him appearing on Huw Wheldon's All Your Own with his school-boy band and bragging that I was his best friend.

Bianca sighed. "Then he left at sixteen to tour with his friend Neil Christian until he got Glandular Fever. He came home and Patricia-- his mother-- and I took grand care of him. I believe I was in college then, studying business management. After Jimmy partially recovered, he pursued his second love in college."

"What would that be?" I asked pulling the flying strands of blonde hair behind my ear, trying my hardest to ignore the wind as it picked up. "A girl, right?"

"No, painting," Bianca corrected. I nodded in understanding, thinking to myself how compatible we were. He seemed like the all-around artisan, quite like myself. My thoughts became clouded with romantic thoughts about the man, much to my concern.

I was only brought back down to Earth when a black Cadillac Coupe Deville pulled into the parking spot before me. The passenger door opened slowly. I could not make out the figures inside until a black curly mass that was the person's hair emerged from the doorway. Jimmy took a step back and removed his sunglasses, tossing them onto the passenger's seat. He closed the door lightly and approached Bianca and I smoothly, watching his Dingo boots kick his purple Chinos the entire way.

The Coupe Deville drove away and Jimmy seemed unfazed. Not until he reached us did he look up. He put a finger to his lips as a call for silence and motioned toward the door.

"Don't say my name," he whispered to us as we made our way to the elegant entrance of Beaux's. The doorman was dumbstruck and speechless, luckily, as Jimmy passed by him. He pointed and stammered, but ultimately said nothing.

Inside was fit enough for the Queen, and I wouldn't be surprised if she had eaten here before. I got the impression that there was a real reason I had never stopped in here. The restaurant had few tables, so as to accommodate the large and luxurious black piano in the center of the room. The carpets were a rich red, matching the curtains on the several lattice windows that naturally lit the room. A golden chandelier hung over every table, and over every table was draped a cream silk cloth with golden trim. Needless to say, it was a place Bianca and I probably wouldn't have gotten into if Jimmy wasn't with us.

Jimmy shuffled over to the maitre-de and muttered, "Table for two-- er, three, please. Reservations for Jimmy Page."

The man flipped though his reservation book for a second. "You have reservations for two only, sir," the maitre-de informed Jimmy.

Jimmy groaned and studied both Bianca and I, as if he were weighing which one to bring in with him. "Who is your friend, Bianca?" he asked.

"My friend Jenni I mentioned one day," Bianca replied. "I-- she... she wanted to meet you really badly. I hope you don't mind." She glanced my way and I nodded.

"I don't, except the fact that I have reservations for only two of us. I'm gutted. We'll eat somewhere else, I suppose," Jimmy concluded, his face saddened and his body crest fallen.

The maitre-de had over heard Jimmy and ran around his podium to ensure all of our attention was on him. "No need to eat elsewhere, Mister Page. You and your lovely ladies can eat at the open table next to the Stewart and John party. Please forgive me for the hitch. Follow me."

Jimmy's face brightened some as we were led toward a table next to what appeared to be Rod Stewart and Elton John. Elton, clad in the most ridiculous glasses and ensemble I had ever seen, called to Jimmy, "I see you've brought your bitches! I brought mine, as well." He cackled and Rod hid his face.

"Nice seeing you again, my Queen," he laughed back. Bianca and I raced up to Elton and Rod and asked for an autograph. My mind was reeling; I hadn't been with Jimmy for five minutes and I had already met two very important musicians that I idolized.

"You two look lovely," Elton complimented. Rod avoided looking at us and instead took to writing on a piece of paper-- probably the lyrics to a song.

"Thank you, Mr. John," Bianca giggled nervously. I smiled as I looked down at the eccentric nancy, holding back laughter at his glasses.

"Please, call me Elton," Elton insisted. In the corner of my eye I noticed Jimmy standing uncomfortably by our table, looking a tad antsy.

Dream On (Prolouge)

August 1, 1973

The inside of the apartment was a dull blue haze as the sun rose over the hills in the east. The windows were open and the crisp summer air wafted through with a whistle, causing the blue curtains to dance softly. As the cool air made its way to Jenni's tea cup and saucer, it had heated up some degrees. It carried the smells of freshly grilled fish and a sweet scent Jenni couldn't place.

She sat on the couch quietly, cup and saucer in hand, prepared to take a sip of her morning tea but fearful of burning her lips. She would watch the telle, but she and Bianca hadn't enough money to afford one at this point in their living here. In fact, the living room was sparsely decorated and furnished. They had recently moved here from the slum that was their first home, and life wasn't as easy as they had hoped.

Then again, one couldn't hope much on a photographer's salary. Bianca was the breadwinner, no doubt. She was an associate at Apple Corps., and boy was she proud of it. It was this weird thing about Bianca and music businesses. Jenni recalled her music class she had shared with Bianca in secondary school, when Bianca was both obsessed with her clarinet and the band The Yardbirds. She had claimed to know one of the members, and, upon further inspection of the secondary school's class records, she did.

Bianca was completely unaware that Jenni knew who she had been writing to all these years, and Jenni found it strange. On several accounts, Bianca would spend nights up, just telephoning her friend until all hours of the night. From what Jenni had uncovered, his name was Jimmy. Being a fan of The Yardbirds and any other pop band in general, she concluded that it must be Jimmy Page, the co-lead guitarist. He wasn't anything special, and nothing short of a normal guitarist. He wasn't spectacular, and he surely wasn't handsome.

That is, until the band The New Yardbirds formed from the remains of the old. From there, they became Led Zeppelin, a new hard rock band that undoubtedly triumphed over The Who, that one American fellow Jimi Hendrix, The Stones, and The Beatles. Well, maybe not The Beatles, but the music was solid and catchy.

Jenni studied the Jimmy Page poster left on the ground by Bianca last night. He was very talented, yes, but he was a showman, an exhibitionist, and sham. What Bianca saw in him, she'd never know.

The door to Bianca's room opened and she trudged out, obviously tired. Jenni turned to watch her pretty friend scratch her brown hair. She yawned, cleared her throat, and asked, "What day is it?"

"August first," Jenni replied casually. Bianca went mad; she grabbed her head and paced a bit, all the while talking to herself. "Why? What's wrong?" Jenni asked, now shifting her entire body to face Bianca.

"The dinner! The dinner! I forgot all about the dinner!" she shouted. She began to fret as she paced between the hall and the open kitchen. "My dress will never be done in time! Did he make the reservations? Do I have his number? And my hair! I need to take a shower! Oh Lord, why aren't there more hours in the day..."

"What about supper?" Jenni asked as her friend paced the hall, walking in and out of the open kitchen with an air of anxiety. "Do we not have food? Is that the problem?"

"I have a scheduled dinner date tonight!" she cried before sprinting toward Jenni on the couch. "I'm so nervous. Will you please go with me?"

"On a date? Look, B, I love you, but wouldn't I--"

"Jen, you owe me!" Bianca pointed out desperately. "Please!"

With a long drawn out sigh,  Jenni set her tea on a cardboard box close at hand. "Who is the date with and where?"

"It's at the one brilliant formal restaurant, Beaux's Bar and Grill tonight at 6," Bianca replied with a guilty expression. "You know, that quaint little place round central London that you've always wanted to stop at...."

"But B, who is the date with? Don't avoid the question. Is it that Henry fellow you met at the office?"
"No... no, it's not," she kneaded her hands.

"Well alright, then who is it? Out with it, dear."

With an enormous dramatic sigh, Bianca knelt beside the couch and looked up into Jenni's green eyes with her own brown ones. "His name is Jimmy-- he's in a band. While he's home he said he would take me out. Oh, please Jenni!"

Jenni gave a sigh, too, as she crawled off the couch and over to the poster that had been carelessly strewn about the floor. She took it firmly and turned to face her friend with a scolding expression.

"This Jimmy?" she asked. "Jimmy Page?"

Bianca stood and walked toward the kitchen island. She tapped on the granite counter-top and turned to face Jenni with prominent embarrassment. "Why, yes. That very one."

"Oh, dammit, Bianca!" Jenni whined. "You know I would feel out of place! And if you were to have supper with any one of Led Zeppelin, why in the bloody Hell would it be Jimmy Page? Why not Robert Plant? John Paul Jones? John Bonham? Wait..." An excited thought hit Jenni and she starred at her brunette friend questioningly. "How do you know Jimmy Page? From Apple Corps?"

"No," Bianca signed, hopping up onto a bar stool. She opened up the glass candy jar next to her and pulled out a butterscotch. She unwrapped it slowly, avoiding confrontation, and popped it into her mouth. "No, Led Zeppelin doesn't belong to Apple Corps.-- they have to be the most UnBeatlistic band in London." She shifted the candy in her mouth. "I've known Jimmy since secondary school. You weren't in school when he was. He and I were the best of mates. He dropped out at sixteen to join a band."

"And you supported him?"

"Of course! I wouldn't be a very good person if I hadn't, now would I?" She laughed and sniffed. "Not my place to judge, eh? So you'll go with me? Jimmy says he had big news for me."

After much thought, Jenni replied, "B, I'm going because I want to meet a person in Led Zeppelin-- and because of you."

Bianca hopped off her stool and ran toward Jenni who was sitting on the ground near the poster. She enveloped her friend in a huge hug and thanked her a thousand times over. "Oh thank you, Jen, thank you!" she chanted. When Bianca had released her blonde friend, she held on to Jenni's shoulders and became very serious. "Please do me a favor. When he talks to you, don't make fun of his voice. His voice is very high-pitched and he's had enough laughter about it to last him his life. Can you handle that?"

Jenni hesitated, wondering how bad it could be, but under the gaze of her stern friend, she agreed. And thus began the greatest adventure of her life.