Jimmy Page played as a session musician on Who songs. Jimmy Page played as a session musician on Stones songs. Jimmy Page played as a session musician on Kinks songs. NOBODY ever played as a session guitarist on a Zeppelin song. Period.
True, but in the end The Who we’re the better band. And Townsend is a genius who can not only play amazing guitar but also compose brilliant music and write intelligent and meaningful lyrics.
That's because of the time line. By the time Led Zeppelin formed, they were a second-stage English Rock Band. The Stones, the Who, and the Kinks were seen by us American fans the cream of the original English Rock bands. Shel Talmey's insertion of another guitarist in the Who was a product of the times. Bands had more say by the time Zeppelin formed. In 1968, various members of the original bands were all branching out, trying to form "super groups"...i.e Winwood's Traffic, Clapton's Cream, etc.
The last sentence of my first reply was poorly written. What I meant to say: By the time Led Zeppelin formed in 1968, there was already a bit of phenomena of "super groups" of musicians leaving their former bands. This was an attempt to branch out musically, as they became more accomplished musicians. By this time, some Rock groups had achieved a track record of success and had more say in what music they were able to produce.
What shocks me is there were so many great musicians like all at the same time in the same place all driving each other and competing. Incredible time.
I have always liked both Led Zepplin and The Who. That being said, quotes and stories attributed to Pete Townshend make him sound like an arrogant ass and it's a wonder The Who was so successful. He dishes on everyone, including his own band. I don't doubt Keith would have left if he had been able to. I've read that he went so far as to ask this band from Liverpool if he could join them and was told he would have to talk to their current drummer, Ringo Starr. Needless to say, it didn't go any further. Pete sounds more bitter than what people say about Van Morrison He shouldn't be. His place in music is secure.
Tis interesting that all 'the best' guitarists emerged so close together. In the case of Beck, Page, and Clapton, all very similar age and geographically close to each other. So what's going on there? My take is that boys at the time were widely fixated on guitars, so there were thousands of them giving it a go. Plus, the mood of the time made them very interested in pursuing technical proficiency. What this suggests is that there are many potential Jimmy Pages out there in the world, even now. But they are just not motivated to pick up guitars and push them to the max. Just like there was once an ocean of brilliant black american blues and funk musicians, with mastery of their instruments, and now there are hardly any. The skills are still there in the population, but the interest is not. And such a pity!, as we are now left with tragically sub standard popular music.
@@jameshancock6455 Moon would soon realize he had the best job in the world, playing for the best. he said it loudly and often. the picture of Keith w/ a pair of sticks sitting behind his Premier 'pictures of Lily' kit, both bass drums reading THEWHO (in Superman lettering), wearing a T-shirt w/ exactly the same lettering, says it all about this man's loyalty. in the early days, they nearly shit-canned Roger for throwing speed (which they all loved except for Daltrey)down the toilet. he claimed it was throwing their timing off big time. in the late days of the band, Moon nearly got the axe for out of control drinking ,making his playing suck. during their mid -late'70's 18 month layoff, Moon lived in Malibu, and didn't practice ever. PT was working on the film soundtrack for 'QUADROPHENIA' and writing songs for 'WHO ARE YOU'. Keith played to live, and lived to play for TheWHO.
@@tonym994 That's true. But, earlier, he did ask either John or Paul about joining the Beatles and they are reported to have told him he would have to talk to Ringo. Obviously, even with any conflict, the Who found a way to work it out. Interesting, too, is Keith became Zak Starkey's Godfather and, after Keith's death, Zak ended up touring with the Who in Keith's place. Also Interesting. And, I know their styles are different and the Beatles stopped touring in 1966, but, Ringo said he never practiced, either. Yet, his skills never seemed to suffer.
Page was an extremely good guitarist for the time, some of his songs are still mesmerizing to this day. Say what you like about Jimmy but he blazed trails.
No problem for me, I love both! I grew up with this music and I listened to every rock group at that time. Also Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC etc. Best time of my life. And guess what... I still listen to it!
let's face it, loud guitars ruled the day. there's a quote by PT where he says that not being able to play like Steve Cropper or Jimi Hendrix made him more destructive of his guitars(besides the first time he smashed a guitar by mistake after realizing a low ceiling had busted off his headstock). but his lack of sophistication on lead made him frustrated, so he'd get rough w/ the things. so, happenstance, as well as frustration, caused something out of control .MOD kids loved the destruction, so they'd yell ,"smash it, Pete!" sometimes Pete blames it on Gustav Metzger, a performance artist who came to Townshend's art school, preaching 'auto destructive art'. he died a couple years ago.
He is envious because they had much more commercial success. It could also be that he simply doesn't go for their music. My friend Buford loves some Zepplin songs but there are a bunch that he won't listen to. He hates the slow ones where plants moans as if he were getting butt phucked and that type of thing.
@@satoshibitcoinsaki6532Your friend gets it. That indulgent shit is indeed annoying as we listen with older., more honest ears. Ergo why punk was eventual. 😆 🤣
Townshend always seemed to have a level of insecurities about other artists (Hendrix, Zeppelin). He's great he shouldn't worry about petty stuff like that.
Love pete and the who! But why have hang ups about the mighty led zep. Hes always been a complex character. Even more sad when 1 considers plant and daltrey r good mates.
Very well done production here! Thought-provoking for a man my age (over 60) that started playing guitar in 1974 and loved all artists/bands mentioned!
@@karsguitarchannel6088 word on the street is that Page's small contribution to I Can't Explain never made the final cut. Page was bragging to people that he played guitar on final version of I Can't Explain. Pete got wind of it. Confronted Page. Page didn't deny it. Pete punched him in the face, as Page cried, Pete called him a lying C*** and told him never to lie again. That is why Pete and Page don't discuss it. Who knows how it really went down.
I always thought The Who were part of the trifecta of early British invasion (The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones) and Zepp was part of the middle invasion (Led Zeppelin , Deep Purple , Black Sabbath). Pete should be proud that he was part of a group that influenced Zeppelin, not jealous.... Great stories as always guys! Love it! : )
I never knew the extent of Pete’s feelings about Zeppelin. Growing up in the 70s I listened intently to both groups. While I liked Zeppelin’s overall musical sound better, it was so hard, heavy and cool, I had a much stronger emotional connection to The Who. Who’s Next and Quadrophenia are lyrically superior, to almost anything, whereas Zeppelin’s lyrics were kind of abstract and emotionally distant. I love both groups, but I never viewed them similar in any way.
Yeah me too, Led Zeppelin musically especially 'Stair Way to Heaven' moved me musically but songs like 'Baba O'Riley' with lyrics like :- "I don't need to fight To prove I'm right I don't need to be forgiven" and 'Love reign on Me' "Only love can bring the rain That makes you yearn to the sky Only love can bring the rain That falls like tears from on high" as a troublesome teenager and falling in love later as a young man to be dumped, both musically and the words The Who meant far more to me, still do and helped me all those years ago far more than Zeppelin did.
@@westerling8436 lol...well said mate. I said the same thing years ago. You know I never got into zeppelin. I think it's because I don't like jimmy. I'm more of a Pink Floyd Beatles sycophant lol..✌🏻
Cinematic Passages A genius like Bert Jansch didn't REQUIRE praise from the likes of Page - any more than Ry Cooder or Richard Thompson do. He should've just PAID the man, FFS.
When Jimmy Page was asked about the development of guitar feedback, he said: I don't know who really did feedback first; it just sort of happened. I don't think anybody consciously nicked it from anybody else. It was just going on. But Pete Townshend obviously was the one, through the music of his group, who made the use of feedback more his style, and so it's related to him. Whereas the other players like Jeff Beck and myself were playing more single note things than chords.
@@murphymoe753 Hendrix had one bloke who used to make his pedals. Hendrix understood what his axe could do, what his pedals could do and what his amps. could do.100 % knowledge on all those. And he could play like fuck. Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the greatest blues guitarists that ever lived. I've got SRV doing Voodoo Chile. Sensational. I did an experiment one day. SRV followed by Hendrix doing Voodoo Chile. Hendrix blew Stevie Ray outta the ball park. Not many (if any) axe men can do that to SRV.
The Mojo interview cited at 4:16 (with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, summer 2004, conducted by Charles Shaar Murray) is magnificent, packed with great moments, candid confessions, insights and absolutely hilarious anecdotes by those two legends. Jeff Beck, in particular, is incredibly funny. I bought that issue on sight at the time, and still have it! :)
Also Plant has stated on many occasions his love and friendship of Daltrey and his admiration of The Who. Even when Plant was young he would sneak off to see The Who perform. And on tour Plant thanked The Who for allowing him to be on the same stage and tour and said, about The Who, we have the true original professionals in the house tonight.
The really cool thing about Jimmy Page that despite his massive guitar playing talent, throughout those years he was obviously just happy to be just a session guy! It’s almost like he knew he could be big any time he wanted!
Yes but he worked his way up, he went up to the top as fast as he could. There were tons of great players then, it was not that easy like you might think.
As a session player he was also competing with the likes of duane allman(also a session player the same time page was)! Would have loved to heard those two together!
The Holy Prophet Cupid Stunt PBUH That's pretty debatable. Berry Gordy's house band the Funk Brothers - great as they were were called upon to contribute their signature sound over and over again. Same is true of LA's fabled 'Section'. Right on through a whole list of albums that most of us think of as a particular genre - James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, JD Souther etc, etc. I'm not suggesting they weren't capable of everything else - I'm only saying that their greatest selling point as studio ringers lay in reproducing 'that sound' at the drop of a hat - over and over again. Guys like T- Bone Burnett, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt? Their entire reputations as artists rest on reinventing themselves with each new album - often with a shifting cast of gunslingers - many of whom made their names in front of live audiences.
I've never heard Jimmy Page bad mouth anyone .. he actually goes out of his way to compliment his contemporaries of the day.. Page , plant , jonesy and Bonham .. class act ....
Jimmy Page is just an amazing and talented guy! He doesn’t need to bash other musicians to make himself look good! Pete Townsend’s insecurities have caused him to badmouth others!
I think of the Who as hard rock pioneers while Led Zeppelin took it further by adding folk and indian music to the blues and hard rock. Led Zeppelin did such a brilliant work!!!
The Who were Good , and Pete Townsend is an Good Guitar Player but Zep and Jimmy Page are just way above Them in my Book , the Greatest Rock Band in History!!!!
@@christopherekin1747 yep you admitted Zeps boring slop on stage. I thought the trance was, why the hell did I spend a fortune on these expensive Zep tickets to listen to this slop? At a Who concert, there was no trance, it was, GOD DAMN! And total involvment in the Who's talent and showmanship. A Who concert was not a boring trance, nor a concert, but an EVENT! Cheers mate.
@Michael lees The Brits like to muddle the topic being discussed (Does Townsend not dislike anyone?) by conflating his predilection and arrest for frequenting websites featuring photos and then downloading the numerous illegal photos of very young prepubescent boys, with the superfluous topic of Jimmy Page's affair with a teenage girl.
@Michael lees But the comment/question had nothing to do with Jimmy Page: it was about Townsend only. The fact that he likes little boys has nothing to do with Jimmy Page and Lori Maddox.
However, I may have misunderstood what you wrote about "the Americans" and Townsend. Perhaps you were agreeing/expanding on my comments. If so, I apologize.
Daltrey's explanation makes total sense. If "Can't Explain" was recorded "live" without laying down separate tracks serially - you needed the riff to be played simultaneous with the lead guitar solo. So both Townsend and Page were needed to do it properly. Nobody thinks that Townsend "couldn't play the parts". It's pretty clear that Townsend thought Page tried to poach his band members, and that explains the animosity. BTW, I am an equally big fan of both bands - they both made great music.
As the vocalist, Daltrey had less jealousy, less skin in the game. It also makes sense that Page would be modest about his contribution: he may not even vividly remember, having been so busy, & it's not a ghostwriter or session musician's job to grab the attention. Plus, why alienate PT any further after trying to steal his bandmates?
Townshend is underrated as a guitar player but he couldn't outplay Jimmy Page on his best day and Page's worst. his only real talent is writing songs that only Roger Daltrey can sing.
Exactly. Townshend is an icon and the Who are legendary, but Page is in his own league. Him and a few others, and Zeppelin changed music in my opinion. Them and the Beatles.
I've never seen anything to show me that Pete Townsend was anywhere near Hendrix Page Clapton Beck ..... Never seen any footage of him shredding or playing anything but single note leads in his songs they're more of a power band and he was more of a songwriter than a guitar player
🙄page and zeppelin were nothing more than collage artist dude. . come on. A cover band. You going to tell me anything different,? At least the who wrote their own songs....not like page stealing from everyone, and not giving credit. Pink Floyd were better than both so having said I'll go back to grading papers ..🙏🏻🎸🤘🏻
@@ProfessorKenneth That's you're opinion. Unfortunately everybody has one. Zeppelin has probably sold close to as much as both of those bands put together. Having said that, I like both of those bands but they're not better or definitely not more influential than Zeppelin. Sorry....
He's correct. And so what if he didn't like them... I can see why he wouldn't. The substance of the two bands repertoire is like chalk and cheese. There's no doubt every rock act from the mid 60s owes something to the Who. That type of power and visceral approach began with them. And it isn't pronounced "townSHend".
All these artists are legends today. We were very spoiled musically in the seventies. The Beatles,The Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple etc. etc.
I happened to see Zep open for the Who at Merryweather Pavilion in the sixties. Zep were great but the who ended up putting on the best show I'd ever seen. Re Dalty's book. He doesn't coming off as a very nice fellow...
Loving these videos and enjoyed this one in particular - however do you need to keep mentioning the full names of the musicians (First and second names) as after the first 5 minutes we get who you are talking about :)
I don't get that? Zeppelin was a carry over from the Yardbirds and doing primarily blues based type songs. The Who in the early days were more popish and closer to the Beatles side than Zeppelin. So i've never heard anyone compare the Who to Zeppelin, Apples to oranges. Sounds more like a rivalry thing Pete had than a style comparison thing.
Zeppelin were only a carry over in the fact that Chris & Jimmy were the only two left & there were dates to forfill . When Jimmy formed his new band, the did go out as the New Yardbirds. I thought Zeppelin were more of a Carry over from Cream if anything, certainly not the Who.
Outstanding compilation of facts and tidbits.....some known, many, not.... Thank you! Biggest surprise was that Page wrote Bolero....had no idea and never would have guessed....mind blower!
THEWHO are actually Daltrey's band. He formed them. Asked Pete (Entwistle's friend) to join them. Pete took over as songwriter as necessity, and was clearly very good at it. So the dynamics of the band did change, and Daltrey had to come to terms with it, and not having punch ups all the time due to differences. Daltrey knew keeping Townshend in the band would pay dividends.
Curious that when Townshend got tired of Daltrey's violent behaviour and gave the Who the ultimatum it's him or me they chose Townshend and Daltrey had to promise to change his ways to remain in the band.
Townsend has nothing to be jealous about. Growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s The Who were hugely successful. They wrote and recorded great masterpieces. But, like every other band, their time at the top ended as music evolved and Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath took over.
Zeppelin were mega successful. 8 number one albums in Britain and 6 in the USA. The Who only had 1 number one album in the UK and 0 in the USA. There was a massive gulf in success between the two bands. Zeppelin have sold three or four times as many albums as The Who.
@@lyndoncmp5751 so based on your own criteria, Garth Brooks, Elvis, The Eagles, are all better than Zep because they had more hits than Zep, more hit albums, and greater album sales than Zep, who would have thunk it.
Despite other replies---you are right in terms of technical ability on the guitar. Same thing in regards to Hendrix---Townshend has an apparent need to see it as a competition, kinda like guys living in the same neighborhood who want to "compete" for the bigger lawn tractor or snowblower, for "bragging rights". It's human (aren't we all), but it''s also childish and shallow. Townsend couldn't compete with Hendrix or Page TECHNICALLY. Townsend is a master songwriter and lyricist, Hendrix was no slouch in that department, Page is only really involved in the musical aspect. Page's skill as a producer and studio wiz is without question, beyond Pete's IMO. But there should be no debate when it comes down to guitar chops.
@@markflemmer1326 no debate when it comes down to singing and songwriting that Pete is the master over Page. No debate that Pete on stage is far more entertaining than Page. No debate that Pete on the keyboards and drums blows Page away. No debate.
@@trajan6927 yep, you are right on these points, there is no validity at all to any of my previous comments. You sure put me in my place. There. Happy Thanksgiving.
I like the story about the "Can't Explain" studio session when Page challenged Pete. Pete ended up nailing the solo on his 12 string from what I heard...it is great! Page is too tho, obviously.
They were all great players day one. There was no gestation period. They didn't have a lot to play, so they extended and Bonham played long drum solos. That started a trend.
Who is the the most angry grumpy British rock star of that era, Pete Townshend, Van Morrison or Roger Waters? For all the money and success all three have had they seem to be miserable people...Imagine if they had to live, just a few days, in the real world and had to actually work for a living.....
Correct. Water's is the worst. Share a football team and can be really bad with people who recognizing him. Shouting "I am not in the FUCKING Pink Floyd!" at someone once. Strangely he later played that Live 8 thing billed as the Pink Floyd so "You are in the FUCKING Pink Floyd!"
Jimmy was/is a pretty happy guy. Pete, on the other hand, admits that he's been pretty unhappy for most of his life. And when you're unhappy, you spread it around. Just like if you're joyful, you spread that around, as well.
The Led Zeppelin group seemed pretty rare for those bands because as Pete says, they were all really nice guys. The sniping and infighting from the other English rock bands was never-ending. Page almost has nothing but nice things to say about all the other bands. He just seems to care about making good music and has a very optimistic outlook.
Thank you for sharing this! I love The Who so very much, but can't stand Led Zeppelin. The Who lost all of their power the day John Entwistle died. Pete has even made comments that they're not the same without him.
I can listen to Plant’s voice for maybe two tracks. Then I have to turn it off. Give me Hendrix, Paul Rogers, Steve Winwood, Pete Townsend or a host of other vocalists. The list is endless.
Superior musicians and quick success created haters. I think there is a backstage interview of plant and Roger backstage in ‘05 ish. I think plant says to him “I remember seeing you when I was 15 and thinking, I can do that!” The Who definitely influenced Zep and many many others. Zep just took that to a level they didn’t or couldn’t
@@stickman1742 yeah I could see that. I guess what I hear is a bunch of bands from the 60s that were able to jam but not able to take it to next level. Granted some, the Beatles wrote great songs but for many it was just a party and if you could keep rhythm cool! Zep was blowing doors off the place and really playing with swagger, energy AND composition. The Who, Deep purple and Black Sabbath were close but not on the same level as Zep. To be fair it lasted about 5/6 years for Zep and I think that’s also where people started to hate on them. Plants voice gone, page on H, bonzo alcoholism. I were over the top by the mid/late 70s so I get it. But when they were on they were fantastic
Pete's rhythm playing is outstanding - one of the best hard rock right hands in the business, and he's no slouch as a blues rock lead player - but this is clearly sour grapes from Pete. They both were brilliant game changers but Jimmy had so much more width and depth on the guitar. Its sad Pete insists on comparing himself to Jimmy, and feels Zep stole what would have been The Who's crown for hard rock whether he admits it or not .
WRONG, Zeppelin were better than the Who, & Jimmy was better than Pete, if you dont agree, just listen to a Townsend solo, & then listen to a Page solo, & you will get it.
@@francishughes2016 Wrong they very different bands Townsend not only wrote better songs but he was the one who kept the beat in the Who as Moon could not keep a beat if he tried he was all drum fills and no rhythm.Page was just a great guitar player no more no less.
Zep and the who occupy my office with posters each.....I even have the first Zep record I ever bought framed in my office along with a union jack flag in the who's honor!
Page also was called into the studio when Chris Farlowe recorded “Baby, you’re out of time”. He’s doing that lovely acoustic bit during the “you thought you were a special girl” verse. Gorgeous!
@@peterh1353 I stand corrected I wasn’t thinking at the time. Most people know it by that name because if its association with the Rolling Stones. I’ve been a Farlowe fan since his stint with Atomic Rooster.
What a wealth of talent all in one relatively small scene at this particular time! Not part of this story but floating around in the same milieu we also had guitarists such as Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton. Bonkers!
@@dougreed2257 Rory Gallagher 👍👍.(rip) Rory was Irish and not part the "British invasion" of the US musical scene. Also, Van the man and Them, Thin Lizzie and others.
Pete has been plagued with insecurity and may not have been technically as proficient on guitar as Jimmy Page or Beck, but he had amazing songwriting craftsmanship and soul to go with it, so definitely no lesser artist.
Jimmy page is a sloppy guitarist hes horrible who are you trying to kid Townshend is a much better guitarist than page and a better song writer.. oh that's right Zeppelin wrote very little of their own music Zeppelin road the coattails of fame on other Artist songs and music
That confirms my suspicion, it WAS John Entwistle that said " It will go down like a lead zeppelin" not Keith Moon Peter Grant decided to drop the "a" in lead to remove any confusion
Guys always fight and compete, especially young men. Players are always leaving groups for better opportunities. If a guy like Paul McCartney wants to tour, probably every guy he hires is working with a band or several bands. It’s tough to make a living as a musician and you have to take your opportunities.
Honestly between The Who & Zeppelin's own respective live performances, Led Zeppelin are like a broadsword. The Who are like a sledgehammer. I mean watching Who shows like Shepperton or Rpck n Roll Circus, the power of footage just leaps off the screen. Led Zeppelin seems more refined and versatile musically. Each member of Zeppelin seems more in control. But also much tamer, in a way, as live performers. On the recordings though, I feel Led Zeppelin's drums were MUCH better recorded than The Who, so many of their records Bonham is front & center. Page was an innovator in how drums could recorded.
Wow. This story was known in bits and pieces but this detailed version is truly amazing. Having read the anti Who and Pete comments I have this to say. The Who was four headed hydra pulling in different directions. Moon loved surf music, Daltrey liked blues and Entwistle wanted the bass over everything else. For Pete it was a herculean problem how to make everyone happy and accommodating. To his credit he did it with aplomb and hence we got the now all to familiar WHO sound. Zeppelin lovers should all know if Moon , Daltrey and Entwistle had joined Page in the new band they would never have heard of Plant, Bonham and Jones. Think about that
Wrong. Daltrey disliked the blues...he even says it's limiting and just insulted the stones as a mediocre pub band partly because they're mostly based on the blues.
@Andy Butler Bonham couldn't play like Moon and Moon couldn't play like Bonham. If you think Moon is just "decent" then you need to go listen to more of The Who's music. Moon was more sloppy than Bonham but Bonham came nowhere close to Moon's frantic energy. Zeppelin obviously were influenced by The Who. I can see why Pete feels the way he does because The Who laid the blueprint for what Zeppelin became. Zeppelin were standing on the shoulders of The Who..
@Andy Butler Some of the jazz guys, as great as they are, are biased and stuck up, and are unwilling to accept imperfections in drummers and don't appreciate simple rock and roll and blues enough, and completely dismiss punk music as an art form. Moon had a sloppiness that was part of his style. He was no jazz drummer, but he rocked harder than any other drummer you can name. I am sure you are correct about Bruford and the other jazz guys, but you are dead fucking wrong about Peart. Neil Peart was MASSIVELY influenced by Moon. He couldn't play like Moon but he adored his drumming and The Who was one of his all time favorite bands. Whether the other guys like it or not, The Who helped shape modern rock and were one of the first progressive rock bands..
I think the key to the whole problem that Pete has with Zeppelin is explained in its entirety at the 1-minute Mark of this video. That's exactly what the problem is.. as great as the who was..1965 - 78.. was Their Zenith. 1978 was 43 years ago.. Pete should just be proud that they had eight albums that changed the world.. that's plenty to be proud of
@@lyndoncmp5751 What do you mean? The Who are legends and influenced Zeppelin and Hendrix and Rush and thousands of other bands. The Who were arguably the first Progressive Rock band. Without The Who rock music probably wouldn't have become what it is..
@fastguitar Live At Leeds sounds like a better version of Led Zep. Their studio albums aren't too similar, but the live shows clearly show The Who were the better band.
My 2 favorite English bands from the day Who couldn’t be any more different. Got to see the Who, missed Zep. Bonham passing cancelled the concert I would have seen. Daltry and Plant were amazing frontmen. I liked early Zeppelin and late Who. Led Zeppelin mesmerized me in those days, Lynyrd Skynyrd also. Think I’ll listen to Jimmy’s work with the Black Crowes tomorrow at work.
I saw the Who twice, Page and Plant 3 times , the Firm once and JP w/Black Crows once. Stones twice, Pink Floyd twice, SRV twice, Clapton twice, Deep Purple twice, Van Halen, Allman bros, Skynyrd etc...the list goes on and on ... Back when rock and roll was Rock and Roll. Probably at least 50 different bands. Times have changed, those days are no longer what a shame.
There were many original forces within Led Zep. Jon Paul’s involvement is very under acknowledged, and obviously Bonzo’s unique timing, ability and energy cannot be touched by anybody. There were a handful of talented superstars of that time. I was lucky enough to have lived through it and applaud them all. Thank you. Those of you still alive, just enjoy your millions and put it to good use for the good of mankind. With the sort of resources you guys have, just please use it all wisely.
I wasn't lucky enough to have lived back then, but I love and devour these old British bands and their music. I'm only 24, so my opinion may not have as much merit as yours, but regarding Bonham, who I think is amazing, I'd say that imho Baker is a notch above Bonham. Nevertheless, I appreciate your comment, and love to discuss these topics. I totally agree with you about JPJ, Zeppelins secret weapon. Cheers!
@@WranglerJess97 I'm SOO happy you're carrying on the tradition of delving into these great bands, and appreciating them like folks should. This is great music, and I was born during the time, and remember listening to my older sister (by 11 years) and brother jamming to it, and thus my musical taste was born as well. Insure others hear it too..
Many thanks for checking out, much appreciated!!! Funny in the first video we made on Pete Townsend, Shawn pronounced it like "TownZend" but later it transformed into "TownJend". Come on guys, no big deal. It's just pronunciation. As for me, TownJend sounds nice too. Shawn's from California, so his pronunciation may be different
The stones, the who and a lot if British bands hated zeppelin. They considered them tossers (posers). I really believe it was because they were threatened by them. I think bands that followed them like sabbath, purple and heavy bands worshipped them. Ritchie Blackmore fired his singer and bass player and switch to playing harder music after zeps first album came out.
@@henryalva8819 Mick was more of a poser! 2 big posers is right. I cant believe they ever got that big. Stones had some cool songs, but as Mick Taylor himself said " Stones were a garage band with great promotion" Taylor was actually a good player, he did not fit in that band at all! When he finally could not stand the glam, drama, and fairy dancing he left right before the 1975 tour. They must have really pissed him off, to leave all the fame behind. Stones tried to recruit Rory Gallagher for a while, he turned them down every time. If ever there was an awesome pure bad ass great rocker with no gimmicks. no glam, that was 100% opposite of the Stones it was Rory! Listen to any Rory song. He was far ahead of Clapton, right up there with SRV!
@@michaelcraig9449 From what I remember, the reason was drugs. Taylor left because he'd developed a heroin habit, knew he needed to get "clean" and that he never would as long as he was in the Stones.
It’s funny that Zeppelin fans just can’t believe that some people just don’t like Zeppelins music, when someone says they don’t like them Zeppelin fans always think there has to be a reason for it. Keith Richards doesn’t like Led Zeppelin and he said he didn’t like then even before Zeppelin got really big. He was the only one in the Stones who said he didn’t like them.
"Although I had been contracted in to play on this session, I wasn't’t really needed but I played on it somewhere in the background. What a privilege it was to be part of that pure adrenaline rush.” - Jimmy Page on playing on I Can't Explain
You seem a little salty. By your logic the best musician is a multi-instrumentalist who does it all alone to make sure his work isn't contaminated by any other people. Why have a band when a single person can do it all right? lol@@trajan6927
I grew up hearing both bands on a regular basis. I'm a guitar player and I NEVER heard much by way of comparison between Zep and The Who. Each band had their own sound and aura. The professional struggle that Pete felt in regards to Jimmy is common among bands and players. Both of them were ambitious individuals. Both are great at what they do. Enough said.
Amen brother....man I saw it in my mind,,,,,you were taming an angry crowd...and then " ' Nuf Said!!!" you grabbed your SG and made swiss cheese out of your hiwatt stack...you tipped a twenty inch cymbal t hat fell and cut the lamps In the blackout you danced right into the aisle Friggin doors flew open even Bonham smiles Itook my pants and rafters chanting "little cock",,,, I forgot what happened next....ahahahahayha
Four piece rock band with roots in the 60s, enigmatic long haired blond lead singer, genius songwriter/guitarist who also produced and was known for wild stage antics, quiet but extremely talented bass player, and legendary drummer with a unique style and reputation for alcoholism which ultimately led to his death at a young age, a band which was known for their live shows as well as their high concept albums. Which band did I just describe? Sure they don’t sound that close when you listen to them, but they’re remarkably similar in their story and image.
Wow, all the backstage drama between the two bands, had no idea! I love both bands, and TBH I think Townshend is probably the best rock songwriter of all time other than the Beatles, but his jealousies of Zep were petty and childish. Those guys were very young when this all happened, so I guess it's no big surprise in that sense. If Zep did "steal" the big sound of the Who, it's not like anybody could ever mistake one for the other, they were as different as night and day, a completely different vibe. Zep, as great as they are, were always mysterious, mystical and downright weird at times. The Who are icons of every facet of "classic rock", and take a backseat to nobody, even the Beatles. Too bad Pete let his insecurities get the best of him, he was standing on the same mountaintop.
There was truly never any “backstage drama” between these bands. Robert Plant toured with them in the states as recently as 2002 (I was happy to attend the Chicago show). Pete is renowned for talking shit about *everyone*, including his own band. It’s been his m.o. since the beginning, and it still works like a charm, apparently. I’ve heard him trash the Beatles, the Stones, Rod Stewart…he knows and loves them all. And most of them have done the same in return.
I agree about Townsend not playing notes. He plays more of a rhythm-lead "bang chords". John Entwistle played a "lead bass". "My Generation" on "Live at Leeds" is my favorite Townshend guitar.
Who cares? They're both great bands and for him to come out and make a statement like that is a massive mistake. It does nothing for his credibility. I'd take Zeppelin over The Who anyday though. The Who pioneered the audio visual concepts better than anyone with their rock operas but for balls out hard rock Zeppelin take the cake. Few bands can match Achilles Last Stand and Kashmir. Maybe only Yes have come close to such majesty. Townsend was a great songwriter but he was overshadowed by the rest of his band who were better musicians than him.
Why do multiple sources say that it was Page simply because they couldn't record two guitar tracks? I agree that it sounds more like Townshend to me but there are so many sources saying otherwise.
@@harrykadaras9459Are you sure that means lead tracks? I can't imagine how two different guitar players solos would be indistinguishable. And, at the end of the day, they still chose one. The question is, whose is it?
Word on the street is that Page was bragging that he played on I Cant Explain. Pete got wind of it and confronted Page who didnt deny it. Pete popped Page in the face and Page ran off crying as Pete called Page a f ing lying c*** and told Page to stop lying. Nothing has been said ever since. Who knows exactly what happened. Both guys wont talk about it as Pete doesnt want anyone to know Page does have a small part that didnt make the cut and Page doesnt want to be known as a liar and someone who got beat up by Pete, lol. Who knows! .
I love these bands, snd can’t imagine them not existing, but I still would love to hear Townshend, Page, Moon, Entwistle & Plant. Yet, I think Page ended up with band mates Who matched himself better.
"Town-shend"? No. It's Towns-hend, and you can pretty much leave the 'h' silent. The 's' and the 'h' do not interact. There is no 'sh' in Townshend. Please re-train your pronunciation of Townshend's name, just leave the 'h' out.
Funny in the first video we made on Pete Townsend, Shawn pronounced it like "Townzend" but later it transformed into "Townjend". Come on guys, no big deal. It's just pronunciation. As for me, Townjend sounds nice too. Shawn's from California, so his pronunciation may be different
Fascinating perspective, thank you for sharing. I find it incredibly hard to choose who was best, Zep or Who, because both groups showcased incredibly talented musicians and frontmen. I love to listen to both of them.
@Star Traveler I put a lot of it down to the Ox and Moony nearly joining Zeppelin , John said he and Keith were with Page and considering joining him since the Who were going through one of there break up periods and they weren't sure the who would continue it is also according to John where the name Led Zeppelin came from after he supposedly commented that the potential band would go down like a lead zeppelin.
Man!! Both these groups for this 57 year old rocker are undoubtedly the two greatest rock and roll bands in the history of the earth!!! So who cares if they had many little differences or likes or dislikes about eachother. I wouldn't even want to ever lived if those two bands never existed!!!
After 40 years of enjoying both, I tend to go back to the who more...I don't like plants lyrics as much, but I love zeps music so much. The who has so much meaning in their songs....
Two other notes which may or may not have been mentioned. One of Page's original choices for lead vocal for Zep was Steve Mariott (of Small Faces fame). Apparently their manager got wind of it and told Page essentially 'how would you like to play guitar with your fingers broken?', Terry Reid was his next choice who declined but suggested Plant. The other thing was just the observation that it was fairly accepted that Live at Leeds, the Who's most in your face guitar rock record, was Townsend's direct response to Led Zeppelin's early success as a 'See, I can play guitar too' retort. So , yeah I think there was a little bit of jealousy.
There was clearly a lot of jealousy between all the English rock bands back then often within the bands as well. Just listen to all their comments about each other. I guess that what happens when talented people are all competing in the same arena.
Jimmy Page played as a session musician on Who songs. Jimmy Page played as a session musician on Stones songs. Jimmy Page played as a session musician on Kinks songs. NOBODY ever played as a session guitarist on a Zeppelin song. Period.
True, but in the end The Who we’re the better band. And Townsend is a genius who can not only play amazing guitar but also compose brilliant music and write intelligent and meaningful lyrics.
@@PS987654321PS LOL, Who better than Zep. Not a chance.
That's because of the time line. By the time Led Zeppelin formed, they were a second-stage English Rock Band. The Stones, the Who, and the Kinks were seen by us American fans the cream of the original English Rock bands. Shel Talmey's insertion of another guitarist in the Who was a product of the times. Bands had more say by the time Zeppelin formed. In 1968, various members of the original bands were all branching out, trying to form "super groups"...i.e Winwood's Traffic, Clapton's Cream, etc.
The last sentence of my first reply was poorly written. What I meant to say: By the time Led Zeppelin formed in 1968, there was already a bit of phenomena of "super groups" of musicians leaving their former bands. This was an attempt to branch out musically, as they became more accomplished musicians. By this time, some Rock groups had achieved a track record of success and had more say in what music they were able to produce.
@@michaelmclaughlin6376 comparing The Who to Zep is actually unfair ...2 totally different bands . as the per norm back then..which was awesome
What shocks me is there were so many great musicians like all at the same time in the same place all driving each other and competing. Incredible time.
How true, kinda like the Mississippi Delta Blues era.
I have always liked both Led Zepplin and The Who. That being said, quotes and stories attributed to Pete Townshend make him sound like an arrogant ass and it's a wonder The Who was so successful. He dishes on everyone, including his own band. I don't doubt Keith would have left if he had been able to. I've read that he went so far as to ask this band from Liverpool if he could join them and was told he would have to talk to their current drummer, Ringo Starr. Needless to say, it didn't go any further. Pete sounds more bitter than what people say about Van Morrison
He shouldn't be. His place in music is secure.
Tis interesting that all 'the best' guitarists emerged so close together. In the case of Beck, Page, and Clapton, all very similar age and geographically close to each other.
So what's going on there? My take is that boys at the time were widely fixated on guitars, so there were thousands of them giving it a go. Plus, the mood of the time made them very interested in pursuing technical proficiency.
What this suggests is that there are many potential Jimmy Pages out there in the world, even now. But they are just not motivated to pick up guitars and push them to the max. Just like there was once an ocean of brilliant black american blues and funk musicians, with mastery of their instruments, and now there are hardly any. The skills are still there in the population, but the interest is not. And such a pity!, as we are now left with tragically sub standard popular music.
@@jameshancock6455 Moon would soon realize he had the best job in the world, playing for the best. he said it loudly and often. the picture of Keith w/ a pair of sticks sitting behind his Premier 'pictures of Lily' kit, both bass drums reading THEWHO (in Superman lettering), wearing a T-shirt w/ exactly the same lettering, says it all about this man's loyalty. in the early days, they nearly shit-canned Roger for throwing speed (which they all loved except for Daltrey)down the toilet. he claimed it was throwing their timing off big time. in the late days of the band, Moon nearly got the axe for out of control drinking ,making his playing suck. during their mid -late'70's 18 month layoff, Moon lived in Malibu, and didn't practice ever. PT was working on the film soundtrack for 'QUADROPHENIA' and writing songs for 'WHO ARE YOU'. Keith played to live, and lived to play for TheWHO.
@@tonym994 That's true. But, earlier, he did ask either John or Paul about joining the Beatles and they are reported to have told him he would have to talk to Ringo. Obviously, even with any conflict, the Who found a way to work it out. Interesting, too, is Keith became Zak Starkey's Godfather and, after Keith's death, Zak ended up touring with the Who in Keith's place. Also Interesting. And, I know their styles are different and the Beatles stopped touring in 1966, but, Ringo said he never practiced, either. Yet, his skills never seemed to suffer.
Page was an extremely good guitarist for the time, some of his songs are still mesmerizing to this day. Say what you like about Jimmy but he blazed trails.
he also blazed pedophilia laws
I still think Jeff Beck was a better guitarist.
@@cenok420 You are referring to TOWNSHEND NOT PAGE!!
@@DanaWebb2017 You guys don't quit, do you?
@@DanaWebb2017 Torture. Must be a maga
No problem for me, I love both! I grew up with this music and I listened to every rock group at that time. Also Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC etc. Best time of my life. And guess what... I still listen to it!
let's face it, loud guitars ruled the day. there's a quote by PT where he says that not being able to play like Steve Cropper or Jimi Hendrix made him more destructive of his guitars(besides the first time he smashed a guitar by mistake after realizing a low ceiling had busted off his headstock). but his lack of sophistication on lead made him frustrated, so he'd get rough w/ the things. so, happenstance, as well as frustration, caused something out of control .MOD kids loved the destruction, so they'd yell ,"smash it, Pete!" sometimes Pete blames it on Gustav Metzger, a performance artist who came to Townshend's art school, preaching 'auto destructive art'. he died a couple years ago.
Oh golly gee
The fact is Pete is jealous of Zeppelin. Hell, he admits it.
He wrote way more of a better catalogue of songs than zeppelin did
The Who were never accused of plagiarism.
He is envious because they had much more commercial success. It could also be that he simply doesn't go for their music. My friend Buford loves some Zepplin songs but there are a bunch that he won't listen to. He hates the slow ones where plants moans as if he were getting butt phucked and that type of thing.
@@dennismcdonald2607 this is absolutely true. The only thing that Pete has been accused of is being a pedophile.But he beat the rap or is it the wrap?
@@satoshibitcoinsaki6532Your friend gets it. That indulgent shit is indeed annoying as we listen with older., more honest ears. Ergo why punk was eventual. 😆 🤣
Townshend always seemed to have a level of insecurities about other artists (Hendrix, Zeppelin). He's great he shouldn't worry about petty stuff like that.
"EXACTLY,life is to FU#KING Short for little petty nonsense.Pete should just CHILL.
Love pete and the who! But why have hang ups about the mighty led zep. Hes always been a complex character. Even more sad when 1 considers plant and daltrey r good mates.
@@colingeddes2172
Precisely
Share the same sentiment
Townshend seems to have a problem with everyone at some point. Just rock and roll kids
I think he was always joking. He knows how great The Who we're and still are.
Fascinating historical trivia. Thanks for uploading :) And Vale Jeff.
Very well done production here! Thought-provoking for a man my age (over 60) that started playing guitar in 1974 and loved all artists/bands mentioned!
Great pleasure to hear that, thank you!!!
Nice, I started playing guitar in 1964 we are similar age, im currently 67
OMG!!! Another historic telling of seminal music and cultural history I’ve NEVER heard before.
PLEASE keep these coming. Please.
Many thanks!!!
Great pleasure to hear that, Rock 'N' Roll!
@@karsguitarchannel6088 word on the street is that Page's small contribution to I Can't Explain never made the final cut. Page was bragging to people that he played guitar on final version of I Can't Explain. Pete got wind of it. Confronted Page. Page didn't deny it. Pete punched him in the face, as Page cried, Pete called him a lying C*** and told him never to lie again. That is why Pete and Page don't discuss it. Who knows how it really went down.
I felt and thought exactly the same. 😍
Pete didn't like them because he couldn't carry Jimmy's guitar case.
I always thought The Who were part of the trifecta of early British invasion (The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones) and Zepp was part of the middle invasion (Led Zeppelin , Deep Purple , Black Sabbath). Pete should be proud that he was part of a group that influenced Zeppelin, not jealous.... Great stories as always guys! Love it! : )
Many thanks Davy Boy, great pleasure to hear that!!!
I believe the British Invasion consisted of The Who, The Stones , The Beatles & The Kinks.
Zeppelin was odd man out
LOL I dont think Page was influenced by Pete. Ugh.
@@jimmorrison7102 Gotta include the Animals and the Zombies in there as well..
journeyquest
LOL I don't think Page was capable of something as varied and nuanced as Rough Mix on his BEST day - not w/out JPJ's help at any rate
I never knew the extent of Pete’s feelings about Zeppelin. Growing up in the 70s I listened intently to both groups. While I liked Zeppelin’s overall musical sound better, it was so hard, heavy and cool, I had a much stronger emotional connection to The Who. Who’s Next and Quadrophenia are lyrically superior, to almost anything, whereas Zeppelin’s lyrics were kind of abstract and emotionally distant. I love both groups, but I never viewed them similar in any way.
Exactly well said I agree with u 100% whole heartedly.
Very well put. There was a spiritual and emotional side to the Who's music that Zeppelin never had. But I liked them both.
Yeah me too, Led Zeppelin musically especially 'Stair Way to Heaven' moved me musically but songs like 'Baba O'Riley' with lyrics like :-
"I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven"
and 'Love reign on Me'
"Only love can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high"
as a troublesome teenager and falling in love later as a young man to be dumped, both musically and the words The Who meant far more to me, still do and helped me all those years ago far more than Zeppelin did.
Spot on
Same here, I agree 100% percent.
When I was a kid I liked Led Zeppelin. I now very much favor The Who. I have heard my fill of Led Zepplin. Pete Townsend is a hero to me now!
Led Zeppelin is a band for 17 year olds
@@westerling8436 lol...well said mate. I said the same thing years ago. You know I never got into zeppelin. I think it's because I don't like jimmy. I'm more of a Pink Floyd Beatles sycophant lol..✌🏻
The WHO 🎯 as far as I'm concerned were better than zeppelin. I'd rather listen to the who any day 👍🏻🇬🇧🎸
@@ProfessorKenneth same
Townshend has always comes across as a rather bitter unpleasant character. I've never seen a video of Jimmy Page bad mouthing anyone.
Page's the nicest dude...he just smiles and is always humble with his fans...any of them. He also praises his peers.
Townsend has always had his head up his ass
Jimmy was always high out of his head lol.
Cinematic Passages
A genius like Bert Jansch didn't REQUIRE praise from the likes of Page - any more than Ry Cooder or Richard Thompson do.
He should've just PAID the man, FFS.
@@cinematicpassages8884 a bit too "nice" to teenagers for my liking
When Jimmy Page was asked about the development of guitar feedback, he said: I don't know who really did feedback first; it just sort of happened. I don't think anybody consciously nicked it from anybody else. It was just going on. But Pete Townshend obviously was the one, through the music of his group, who made the use of feedback more his style, and so it's related to him. Whereas the other players like Jeff Beck and myself were playing more single note things than chords.
Hendrix was the best for guitar sounds
Arguably gilmour too
One name springs instantly to mind. Jimi Hendrix
@@murphymoe753 Hendrix had one bloke who used to make his pedals. Hendrix understood what his axe could do, what his pedals could do and what his amps. could do.100 % knowledge on all those. And he could play like fuck. Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the greatest blues guitarists that ever lived. I've got SRV doing Voodoo Chile. Sensational. I did an experiment one day. SRV followed by Hendrix doing Voodoo Chile. Hendrix blew Stevie Ray outta the ball park. Not many (if any) axe men can do that to SRV.
@@Total1Now Jimmy and Jimi.
They ALL GREAT. THE WORLD STAGE IS BIG ENOUGH FOR THEM ALL.
The Mojo interview cited at 4:16 (with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, summer 2004, conducted by Charles Shaar Murray) is magnificent, packed with great moments, candid confessions, insights and absolutely hilarious anecdotes by those two legends. Jeff Beck, in particular, is incredibly funny. I bought that issue on sight at the time, and still have it! :)
It's great that Daltrey and plant are friends and robert plant is Daltreys favorite rock god
Daltrey looks at Plant and asks, why the little girls shirts? Laughs
Also Plant has stated on many occasions his love and friendship of Daltrey and his admiration of The Who. Even when Plant was young he would sneak off to see The Who perform. And on tour Plant thanked The Who for allowing him to be on the same stage and tour and said, about The Who, we have the true original professionals in the house tonight.
The really cool thing about Jimmy Page that despite his massive guitar playing talent, throughout those years he was obviously just happy to be just a session guy! It’s almost like he knew he could be big any time he wanted!
Yes but he worked his way up, he went up to the top as fast as he could. There were tons of great players then, it was not that easy like you might think.
@@michaelcraig9449 I’m sure it wasn’t.
As a session player he was also competing with the likes of duane allman(also a session player the same time page was)! Would have loved to heard those two together!
@The Holy Prophet Cupid Stunt PBUH yep like backup singers! Ive heard quite a few of them that were actually better than the lead singer!
The Holy Prophet Cupid Stunt PBUH
That's pretty debatable.
Berry Gordy's house band the Funk Brothers - great as they were were called upon to contribute their signature sound over and over again.
Same is true of LA's fabled 'Section'. Right on through a whole list of albums that most of us think of as a particular genre -
James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, JD Souther etc, etc.
I'm not suggesting they weren't capable of everything else - I'm only saying that their greatest selling point as studio ringers lay in reproducing 'that sound' at the drop of a hat - over and over again.
Guys like T- Bone Burnett, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, John Hiatt? Their entire reputations as artists rest on reinventing themselves with each new album - often with a shifting cast of gunslingers - many of whom made their names in front of live audiences.
Informative clip and nice use of images, many of which I don’t remember seeing.
Many thanks!!!
The good ole days. When music mattered.
I've never heard Jimmy Page bad mouth anyone .. he actually goes out of his way to compliment his contemporaries of the day.. Page , plant , jonesy and Bonham .. class act ....
Jimmy Page is just an amazing and talented guy! He doesn’t need to bash other musicians to make himself look good! Pete Townsend’s insecurities have caused him to badmouth others!
@@connietaubert1776 agreed 100%
Page has said some salty things bout Clapton
I think of the Who as hard rock pioneers while Led Zeppelin took it further by adding folk and indian music to the blues and hard rock. Led
Zeppelin did such a brilliant work!!!
And The Who took it farther with Tommy and Quadrofenia.
The Who were Good , and Pete Townsend is an Good Guitar Player but Zep and Jimmy Page are just way above Them in my Book , the Greatest Rock Band in History!!!!
@@darylhoskins5696 The Who live are the greatest.
@@trajan6927 Zeppelin live were mind boggling and put their audiences in a trance that's how good they were. Cheers Mate !!!
@@christopherekin1747 yep you admitted Zeps boring slop on stage. I thought the trance was, why the hell did I spend a fortune on these expensive Zep tickets to listen to this slop? At a Who concert, there was no trance, it was, GOD DAMN! And total involvment in the Who's talent and showmanship. A Who concert was not a boring trance, nor a concert, but an EVENT! Cheers mate.
Love the picture at the end with Rodger and Plant. Very cool.
cool video, getting the behind the scenes back in the day.
Many thanks!
Always find these behind the scenes stories fascinating.
Is there anyone Pete doesn't dislike?
Little boys.
@Michael lees The Brits like to muddle the topic being discussed (Does Townsend not dislike anyone?) by conflating his predilection and arrest for frequenting websites featuring photos and then downloading the numerous illegal photos of very young prepubescent boys, with the superfluous topic of Jimmy Page's affair with a teenage girl.
@Michael lees You've muddled up the point by dragging Jimmy Page into the conversation, is that not abundantly clear?
@Michael lees But the comment/question had nothing to do with Jimmy Page: it was about Townsend only. The fact that he likes little boys has nothing to do with Jimmy Page and Lori Maddox.
However, I may have misunderstood what you wrote about "the Americans" and Townsend. Perhaps you were agreeing/expanding on my comments. If so, I apologize.
Daltrey's explanation makes total sense. If "Can't Explain" was recorded "live" without laying down separate tracks serially - you needed the riff to be played simultaneous with the lead guitar solo. So both Townsend and Page were needed to do it properly. Nobody thinks that Townsend "couldn't play the parts".
It's pretty clear that Townsend thought Page tried to poach his band members, and that explains the animosity.
BTW, I am an equally big fan of both bands - they both made great music.
As the vocalist, Daltrey had less jealousy, less skin in the game. It also makes sense that Page would be modest about his contribution: he may not even vividly remember, having been so busy, & it's not a ghostwriter or session musician's job to grab the attention. Plus, why alienate PT any further after trying to steal his bandmates?
Fascinating, thanks for sharing!
Many thanks!!!
Townshend is underrated as a guitar player but he couldn't outplay Jimmy Page on his best day and Page's worst. his only real talent is writing songs that only Roger Daltrey can sing.
Exactly. Townshend is an icon and the Who are legendary, but Page is in his own league. Him and a few others, and Zeppelin changed music in my opinion. Them and the Beatles.
I've never seen anything to show me that Pete Townsend was anywhere near Hendrix Page Clapton Beck ..... Never seen any footage of him shredding or playing anything but single note leads in his songs they're more of a power band and he was more of a songwriter than a guitar player
@@paulvaluska2174 exactly. Townsend wrote great songs only Roger Daltrey could sing.
🙄page and zeppelin were nothing more than collage artist dude. . come on. A cover band. You going to tell me anything different,? At least the who wrote their own songs....not like page stealing from everyone, and not giving credit. Pink Floyd were better than both so having said I'll go back to grading papers ..🙏🏻🎸🤘🏻
@@ProfessorKenneth That's you're opinion. Unfortunately everybody has one. Zeppelin has probably sold close to as much as both of those bands put together. Having said that, I like both of those bands but they're not better or definitely not more influential than Zeppelin. Sorry....
Roger and Percy,to this day very good friends.Bonzo loved Moonie,Pete doen't even like himself!
facts
Roger also said publicly that the musician he'd like to play with the most is Jimmy Page.
He's correct. And so what if he didn't like them... I can see why he wouldn't. The substance of the two bands repertoire is like chalk and cheese. There's no doubt every rock act from the mid 60s owes something to the Who. That type of power and visceral approach began with them. And it isn't pronounced "townSHend".
@THE RENAGADE they certainly were.
@THE RENAGADE how so? I can’t figure out which band I like best. They’re both extremely good groups.
Thank you for this information! It was great! Please do more!
Great to hear that, you are very welcome!!! Thank you
All these artists are legends today. We were very spoiled musically in the seventies. The Beatles,The Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple etc. etc.
You need to mention the Kinks specifically because they added a totally different dimension to the British invasion bands.:)
@@davidt9238 the Kinks were good.
the beatles ceased to exist in 1970 dude... though lennon, harrison, mccartney and starr released excellent albums during this decade...
Just another reason to see these rock legends as people and not rock gods. 🤔
Pete has no reason to be insecure. He needs to let this go and appreciate another huge band.
After all, the essence of being insecure is that there is no need for it! Otherwise you're just being realistic..
I happened to see Zep open for the Who at Merryweather Pavilion in the sixties. Zep were great but the who ended up putting on the best show I'd ever seen.
Re Dalty's book. He doesn't coming off as a very nice fellow...
Awesome!
Loving these videos and enjoyed this one in particular - however do you need to keep mentioning the full names of the musicians (First and second names) as after the first 5 minutes we get who you are talking about :)
I don't get that? Zeppelin was a carry over from the Yardbirds and doing primarily blues based type songs. The Who in the early days were more popish and closer to the Beatles side than Zeppelin. So i've never heard anyone compare the Who to Zeppelin, Apples to oranges. Sounds more like a rivalry thing Pete had than a style comparison thing.
Zeppelin were only a carry over in the fact that Chris & Jimmy were the only two left & there were dates to forfill . When Jimmy formed his new
band, the did go out as the New Yardbirds. I thought Zeppelin were more of a Carry over from Cream if anything, certainly not the Who.
Outstanding compilation of facts and tidbits.....some known, many, not....
Thank you!
Biggest surprise was that Page wrote Bolero....had no idea and never would have guessed....mind blower!
Many thanks for checking out, much appreciated!!!
Rock 'n' Roll!
Must be the reason Page put parts of that song into How Many More Times.
THEWHO are actually Daltrey's band. He formed them. Asked Pete (Entwistle's friend) to join them.
Pete took over as songwriter as necessity, and was clearly very good at it. So the dynamics of the band did change, and Daltrey had to come to terms with it, and not having punch ups all the time due to differences.
Daltrey knew keeping Townshend in the band would pay dividends.
Curious that when Townshend got tired of Daltrey's violent behaviour and gave the Who the ultimatum it's him or me they chose Townshend and Daltrey had to promise to change his ways to remain in the band.
Love this stuff, I knew lots of your info, but can't believe I'm well into my 70's before I found out Page wrote Becks Balero. Nice video, thanks.
Great pleasure, you are very welcome !!!
Thanks for this, loved every minute of it !!
You are very welcome Ken, thanks for watching! Much appreciated
I love 💕 Pete! Who Rocks better !!!!
Townsend has nothing to be jealous about. Growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s The Who were hugely successful. They wrote and recorded great masterpieces. But, like every other band, their time at the top ended as music evolved and Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath took over.
No he didn't. Pete was an exceptional guitarist and songwriter. However, he was said to be egomaniacal.
Zeppelin were mega successful. 8 number one albums in Britain and 6 in the USA.
The Who only had 1 number one album in the UK and 0 in the USA.
There was a massive gulf in success between the two bands.
Zeppelin have sold three or four times as many albums as The Who.
The Who were tops live up to 1975. Zep declined and Deep Purple and Sabbath took over.
@@lyndoncmp5751 so based on your own criteria, Garth Brooks, Elvis, The Eagles, are all better than Zep because they had more hits than Zep, more hit albums, and greater album sales than Zep, who would have thunk it.
@@lyndoncmp5751 I think based on your criteria, Michael Jackson and Madonna are better than Zep.
Very informative. Thanks for the insight.
Many thanks, great pleasure!
Pete probably thought there was a competition between he and Jimmy Page, truth is there is no comparison.
Yep, no comparison - one was totally original, the other not so much
Despite other replies---you are right in terms of technical ability on the guitar. Same thing in regards to Hendrix---Townshend has an apparent need to see it as a competition, kinda like guys living in the same neighborhood who want to "compete" for the bigger lawn tractor or snowblower, for "bragging rights". It's human (aren't we all), but it''s also childish and shallow. Townsend couldn't compete with Hendrix or Page TECHNICALLY. Townsend is a master songwriter and lyricist, Hendrix was no slouch in that department, Page is only really involved in the musical aspect. Page's skill as a producer and studio wiz is without question, beyond Pete's IMO. But there should be no debate when it comes down to guitar chops.
@@markflemmer1326 no debate when it comes down to singing and songwriting that Pete is the master over Page. No debate that Pete on stage is far more entertaining than Page. No debate that Pete on the keyboards and drums blows Page away. No debate.
@@trajan6927 yep, you are right on these points, there is no validity at all to any of my previous comments. You sure put me in my place.
There. Happy Thanksgiving.
@@markflemmer1326 long live the greatest all around singer/songwriter/performer/musician Pete Townshend. Cheers Mate!
I love Led Zeppelin
My man! 👌👍
I like the story about the "Can't Explain" studio session when Page challenged Pete. Pete ended up nailing the solo on his 12 string from what I heard...it is great! Page is too tho, obviously.
great video thanks
You are very welcome Ric David, thank you!!!
Led Zeppelin was a Supergroup... to be honest..
They were all great players day one. There was no gestation period. They didn't have a lot to play, so they extended and Bonham played long drum solos. That started a trend.
@@peterh1353 shut up
That would have been true if Plant and Bonham were well known but they weren't major names.
@@peterh1353 yes the boring long drawn out drum solos.
Who is the the most angry grumpy British rock star of that era, Pete Townshend, Van Morrison or Roger Waters? For all the money and success all three have had they seem to be miserable people...Imagine if they had to live, just a few days, in the real world and had to actually work for a living.....
Correct. Water's is the worst. Share a football team and can be really bad with people who recognizing him. Shouting "I am not in the FUCKING Pink Floyd!" at someone once. Strangely he later played that Live 8 thing billed as the Pink Floyd so "You are in the FUCKING Pink Floyd!"
@@peterh1353 Waters is just a malcontent, angry at the world. I applaud David Gilmour for telling him, as they say in England, to piss off......
Ginger Baker
Richie Blackmore.
@@pulsarlights2825 someone had to
Jimmy was/is a pretty happy guy. Pete, on the other hand, admits that he's been pretty unhappy for most of his life. And when you're unhappy, you spread it around. Just like if you're joyful, you spread that around, as well.
The Led Zeppelin group seemed pretty rare for those bands because as Pete says, they were all really nice guys. The sniping and infighting from the other English rock bands was never-ending. Page almost has nothing but nice things to say about all the other bands. He just seems to care about making good music and has a very optimistic outlook.
Thank you for sharing this! I love The Who so very much, but can't stand Led Zeppelin.
The Who lost all of their power the day John Entwistle died. Pete has even made comments that they're not the same without him.
You are very welcome Daniel, thank you!
I can listen to Plant’s voice for maybe two tracks. Then I have to turn it off. Give me Hendrix, Paul Rogers, Steve Winwood, Pete Townsend or a host of other vocalists. The list is endless.
Superior musicians and quick success created haters. I think there is a backstage interview of plant and Roger backstage in ‘05 ish. I think plant says to him “I remember seeing you when I was 15 and thinking, I can do that!” The Who definitely influenced Zep and many many others. Zep just took that to a level they didn’t or couldn’t
Spot on.
Many 60s rock musicians, critics and fans alike did not like the changes in the 70s music and they blamed Zeppelin's success for paving the way.
@@stickman1742 yeah I could see that. I guess what I hear is a bunch of bands from the 60s that were able to jam but not able to take it to next level. Granted some, the Beatles wrote great songs but for many it was just a party and if you could keep rhythm cool! Zep was blowing doors off the place and really playing with swagger, energy AND composition. The Who, Deep purple and Black Sabbath were close but not on the same level as Zep. To be fair it lasted about 5/6 years for Zep and I think that’s also where people started to hate on them. Plants voice gone, page on H, bonzo alcoholism. I were over the top by the mid/late 70s so I get it. But when they were on they were fantastic
Pete just talks honestly, including his insecurities. Nothing to get mad about, he always puts it on the table.
Truth! He’s an open book, for better, or for worse. He can be insightful and interesting and he can put his foot in his mouth.
Next to the pictures of children
Sardof: But WHY?
@@spinynormanbest6410 but he was just doing some research, you know like we all do.
Yes but why hate everyone? That’s what everyone is saying.
I read an interview once where Jimmy Page said he formed the concept for Led Zeppelin after hearing Jeff Beck Group's album "Truth."
Pete's rhythm playing is outstanding - one of the best hard rock right hands in the business, and he's no slouch as a blues rock lead player - but this is clearly sour grapes from Pete. They both were brilliant game changers but Jimmy had so much more width and depth on the guitar. Its sad Pete insists on comparing himself to Jimmy, and feels Zep stole what would have been The Who's crown for hard rock whether he admits it or not .
And Pete also can sing
WRONG, Zeppelin were better than the Who, & Jimmy was better than Pete, if you dont agree, just listen to a Townsend solo, & then listen to a Page solo, & you will get it.
@@francishughes2016 Wrong they very different bands Townsend not only wrote better songs but he was the one who kept the beat in the Who as Moon could not keep a beat if he tried he was all drum fills and no rhythm.Page was just a great guitar player no more no less.
The only difference is that Jimmy Page blow Pete away in a all phases
@@kethughes8266 the one that's more less was pete
Zep and the who occupy my office with posters each.....I even have the first Zep record I ever bought framed in my office along with a union jack flag in the who's honor!
Pretty cool there John Hall
Awesome!
Page also was called into the studio when Chris Farlowe recorded “Baby, you’re out of time”. He’s doing that lovely acoustic bit during the “you thought you were a special girl” verse. Gorgeous!
It is actually called "Out of time" - if you want to check it out.
@@peterh1353 I stand corrected I wasn’t thinking at the time. Most people know it by that name because if its association with the Rolling Stones. I’ve been a Farlowe fan since his stint with Atomic Rooster.
1971 was a great year for both bands
What a wealth of talent all in one relatively small scene at this particular time! Not part of this story but floating around in the same milieu we also had guitarists such as Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton. Bonkers!
I think you forgot to mention rory gallagher!! 🎸
@@dougreed2257 Rory Gallagher 👍👍.(rip) Rory was Irish and not part the "British invasion" of the US musical scene. Also, Van the man and Them, Thin Lizzie and others.
@@seanmagee5669 ah of course, cheers,to me he's the greatest though! 😊👍
Don't forget Jeff Beck !
@@JoseHerrera-vs8nv Oh I wouldn't do that, for sure. I didn't mention Beck because he's already mentioned in the video, that's all.
Pete has been plagued with insecurity and may not have been technically as proficient on guitar as Jimmy Page or Beck, but he had amazing songwriting craftsmanship and soul to go with it, so definitely no lesser artist.
Great and True Statement, Rob. I agree.
Excellent analysis!
If you separate Pete's play on "Love ain't for Keeping" I say it is superior.
Jimmy page is a sloppy guitarist hes horrible who are you trying to kid Townshend is a much better guitarist than page and a better song writer.. oh that's right Zeppelin wrote very little of their own music Zeppelin road the coattails of fame on other Artist songs and music
@@thepatriot4355 Balogna,page was a creative guitarist and one of the most fundamental players to ever play.Are you jealous?
Awesome. I knew some of this story, but learned a lot here.
Many thanks, great pleasure!!!
@@karsguitarchannel6088
You have an outstanding channel man.
Never knew about Plant going to Pete for a job. Awesome
That confirms my suspicion, it WAS John Entwistle that said " It will go down like a lead zeppelin" not Keith Moon Peter Grant decided to drop the "a" in lead to remove any confusion
Guys always fight and compete, especially young men. Players are always leaving groups for better opportunities. If a guy like Paul McCartney wants to tour, probably every guy he hires is working with a band or several bands. It’s tough to make a living as a musician and you have to take your opportunities.
The Who were great. Great live band too but, the Zeppelin were pure power. They had the Led!! Love both bands!
Honestly between The Who & Zeppelin's own respective live performances, Led Zeppelin are like a broadsword. The Who are like a sledgehammer. I mean watching Who shows like Shepperton or Rpck n Roll Circus, the power of footage just leaps off the screen. Led Zeppelin seems more refined and versatile musically. Each member of Zeppelin seems more in control. But also much tamer, in a way, as live performers. On the recordings though, I feel Led Zeppelin's drums were MUCH better recorded than The Who, so many of their records Bonham is front & center. Page was an innovator in how drums could recorded.
I love both of them too. There’s no way for me to choose the best. Zep and Who were both fabulous live and recorded.
The Who still had that restricted pop persona. They never really upped the anti.
Wow. This story was known in bits and pieces but this detailed version is truly amazing. Having read the anti Who and Pete comments I have this to say.
The Who was four headed hydra pulling in different directions. Moon loved surf music, Daltrey liked blues and Entwistle wanted the bass over everything else. For Pete it was a herculean problem how to make everyone happy and accommodating. To his credit he did it with aplomb and hence we got the now all to familiar WHO sound.
Zeppelin lovers should all know if Moon , Daltrey and Entwistle had joined Page in the new band they would never have heard of Plant, Bonham and Jones. Think about that
Many thanks for checking out, great pleasure to hear that!
@@karsguitarchannel6088 two great bands.
Wrong. Daltrey disliked the blues...he even says it's limiting and just insulted the stones as a mediocre pub band partly because they're mostly based on the blues.
@Andy Butler
Bonham couldn't play like Moon and Moon couldn't play like Bonham. If you think Moon is just "decent" then you need to go listen to more of The Who's music. Moon was more sloppy than Bonham but Bonham came nowhere close to Moon's frantic energy. Zeppelin obviously were influenced by The Who. I can see why Pete feels the way he does because The Who laid the blueprint for what Zeppelin became. Zeppelin were standing on the shoulders of The Who..
@Andy Butler
Some of the jazz guys, as great as they are, are biased and stuck up, and are unwilling to accept imperfections in drummers and don't appreciate simple rock and roll and blues enough, and completely dismiss punk music as an art form. Moon had a sloppiness that was part of his style. He was no jazz drummer, but he rocked harder than any other drummer you can name. I am sure you are correct about Bruford and the other jazz guys, but you are dead fucking wrong about Peart. Neil Peart was MASSIVELY influenced by Moon. He couldn't play like Moon but he adored his drumming and The Who was one of his all time favorite bands. Whether the other guys like it or not, The Who helped shape modern rock and were one of the first progressive rock bands..
Very interesting stuff!
Big thanks!
I love The Who but I prefer Led Zep. While they were incredibly heavy, they also had that beautiful light side.
I think the key to the whole problem that Pete has with Zeppelin is explained in its entirety at the 1-minute Mark of this video.
That's exactly what the problem is.. as great as the who was..1965 - 78.. was Their Zenith. 1978 was 43 years ago.. Pete should just be proud that they had eight albums that changed the world.. that's plenty to be proud of
The Who didn't have even one album that changed rock, nevermind the world.
@@lyndoncmp5751 What do you mean? The Who are legends and influenced Zeppelin and Hendrix and Rush and thousands of other bands. The Who were arguably the first Progressive Rock band. Without The Who rock music probably wouldn't have become what it is..
@@lyndoncmp5751 Oh my God. You know nothing. Tommy, Live at Leeds, Who's Next, and Quadrophebia are as good as it gets. Get a clue.
@@lyndoncmp5751 clearly you undermine the cultural and musical importance that Tommy, Who's next, and Quadrophenia had over rock and over the world.
@fastguitar Live At Leeds sounds like a better version of Led Zep. Their studio albums aren't too similar, but the live shows clearly show The Who were the better band.
Who cares who was the best let's enjoy the music 🎶 👍
No! We need a champ champ! 💪
My 2 favorite English bands from the day Who couldn’t be any more different. Got to see the Who, missed Zep. Bonham passing cancelled the concert I would have seen. Daltry and Plant were amazing frontmen. I liked early Zeppelin and late Who. Led Zeppelin mesmerized me in those days, Lynyrd Skynyrd also. Think I’ll listen to Jimmy’s work with the Black Crowes tomorrow at work.
I saw the Who twice, Page and Plant 3 times , the Firm once and JP w/Black Crows once. Stones twice, Pink Floyd twice, SRV twice, Clapton twice, Deep Purple twice, Van Halen, Allman bros, Skynyrd etc...the list goes on and on ...
Back when rock and roll was Rock and Roll. Probably at least 50 different bands. Times have changed, those days are no longer what a shame.
There were many original forces within Led Zep. Jon Paul’s involvement is very under acknowledged, and obviously Bonzo’s unique timing, ability and energy cannot be touched by anybody.
There were a handful of talented superstars of that time. I was lucky enough to have lived through it and applaud them all. Thank you. Those of you still alive, just enjoy your millions and put it to good use for the good of mankind. With the sort of resources you guys have, just please use it all wisely.
I wasn't lucky enough to have lived back then, but I love and devour these old British bands and their music. I'm only 24, so my opinion may not have as much merit as yours, but regarding Bonham, who I think is amazing, I'd say that imho Baker is a notch above Bonham. Nevertheless, I appreciate your comment, and love to discuss these topics. I totally agree with you about JPJ, Zeppelins secret weapon. Cheers!
John Paul Jones is a GREAT musician..
@@WranglerJess97 I'm SOO happy you're carrying on the tradition of delving into these great bands, and appreciating them like folks should. This is great music, and I was born during the time, and remember listening to my older sister (by 11 years) and brother jamming to it, and thus my musical taste was born as well. Insure others hear it too..
Great coverage of an interesting moment in rock history. But, just so you know, it's Pete TownSend, not Pete TownJend : )
Many thanks for checking out, much appreciated!!! Funny in the first video we made on Pete Townsend, Shawn pronounced it like "TownZend" but later it transformed into "TownJend". Come on guys, no big deal. It's just pronunciation. As for me, TownJend sounds nice too. Shawn's from California, so his pronunciation may be different
Sorry But your TownJend is driving me nuts. Just say “Pete”!
The stones, the who and a lot if British bands hated zeppelin. They considered them tossers (posers). I really believe it was because they were threatened by them. I think bands that followed them like sabbath, purple and heavy bands worshipped them. Ritchie Blackmore fired his singer and bass player and switch to playing harder music after zeps first album came out.
It was either Geezer Butler or Bill Ward who said that when they listened to the first Zeppelin album they were completely blown away by it..
@@henryalva8819 Mick was more of a poser! 2 big posers is right. I cant believe they ever got that big. Stones had some cool songs, but as Mick Taylor himself said " Stones were a garage band with great promotion" Taylor was actually a good player, he did not fit in that band at all! When he finally could not stand the glam, drama, and fairy dancing he left right before the 1975 tour. They must have really pissed him off, to leave all the fame behind. Stones tried to recruit Rory Gallagher for a while, he turned them down every time. If ever there was an awesome pure bad ass great rocker with no gimmicks. no glam, that was 100% opposite of the Stones it was Rory! Listen to any Rory song. He was far ahead of Clapton, right up there with SRV!
I love the stones and The Who. I also believe it was fashionable for bands to put down other bands eventhough many of them were friends.
@@michaelcraig9449 From what I remember, the reason was drugs. Taylor left because he'd developed a heroin habit, knew he needed to get "clean" and that he never would as long as he was in the Stones.
It’s funny that Zeppelin fans just can’t believe that some people just don’t like Zeppelins music, when someone says they don’t like them Zeppelin fans always think there has to be a reason for it.
Keith Richards doesn’t like Led Zeppelin and he said he didn’t like then even before Zeppelin got really big. He was the only one in the Stones who said he didn’t like them.
"Although I had been contracted in to play on this session, I wasn't’t really needed but I played on it somewhere in the background. What a privilege it was to be part of that pure adrenaline rush.” - Jimmy Page on playing on I Can't Explain
But Page can't sing, Pete can. Page can't write hit songs all on his own like Pete. Cheers mate!
You seem a little salty. By your logic the best musician is a multi-instrumentalist who does it all alone to make sure his work isn't contaminated by any other people. Why have a band when a single person can do it all right? lol@@trajan6927
Interesting! Thanks for posting. (Incidentally, the "h" is silent. It's pronounced Towns-end not Town-shend)
Many thanks!!!
I grew up hearing both bands on a regular basis. I'm a guitar player and I NEVER heard much by way of comparison between Zep and The Who. Each band had their own sound and aura.
The professional struggle that Pete felt in regards to Jimmy is common among bands and players. Both of them were ambitious individuals. Both are great at what they do. Enough said.
Yeah. I see no juxtaposition between both bands. Both had their own sound and I personally enjoyed both as single entities were i drew no comparison.
🎯
Amen brother....man I saw it in my mind,,,,,you were taming an angry crowd...and then " ' Nuf Said!!!" you grabbed your SG and made swiss cheese out of your hiwatt stack...you tipped a twenty inch cymbal t hat fell and cut the lamps
In the blackout you danced right into the aisle
Friggin doors flew open even Bonham smiles
Itook my pants and rafters chanting "little cock",,,, I forgot what happened next....ahahahahayha
Four piece rock band with roots in the 60s, enigmatic long haired blond lead singer, genius songwriter/guitarist who also produced and was known for wild stage antics, quiet but extremely talented bass player, and legendary drummer with a unique style and reputation for alcoholism which ultimately led to his death at a young age, a band which was known for their live shows as well as their high concept albums.
Which band did I just describe? Sure they don’t sound that close when you listen to them, but they’re remarkably similar in their story and image.
@@Pencilman246 That was definitely The Who!
Wow, all the backstage drama between the two bands, had no idea! I love both bands, and TBH I think Townshend is probably the best rock songwriter of all time other than the Beatles, but his jealousies of Zep were petty and childish. Those guys were very young when this all happened, so I guess it's no big surprise in that sense. If Zep did "steal" the big sound of the Who, it's not like anybody could ever mistake one for the other, they were as different as night and day, a completely different vibe. Zep, as great as they are, were always mysterious, mystical and downright weird at times. The Who are icons of every facet of "classic rock", and take a backseat to nobody, even the Beatles. Too bad Pete let his insecurities get the best of him, he was standing on the same mountaintop.
Yes except Led Zeppelin were musically brilliant, they were mysterious, mystical and weird. And I truly love that!
There was truly never any “backstage drama” between these bands. Robert Plant toured with them in the states as recently as 2002 (I was happy to attend the Chicago show). Pete is renowned for talking shit about *everyone*, including his own band. It’s been his m.o. since the beginning, and it still works like a charm, apparently. I’ve heard him trash the Beatles, the Stones, Rod Stewart…he knows and loves them all. And most of them have done the same in return.
RIchard Thompson is a much better writer than Pete TOwnsend. Ray Davies, too.
Interesting, thank you.
A ton of amazing facts on this! Awesome.
Question; are you pronouncing Pete’s last name as TownSHEND?
Many thanks! Yes Shawn is from LA, so sometimes he pronounces Pete's last name TownShend. But I explained that it's pronounced Townsend
I didn’t know Townshend was so jealous of Led Zeppelin. That was very interesting.
Great pleasure to hear that, thank you!
It’s an English thing. I am from England. We hate success especially newcomers.
@@johnnykaplan3837
Must be all Democrats.
@@johnnykaplan3837
Must be all Democrats.
I agree about Townsend not playing notes. He plays more of a rhythm-lead "bang chords". John Entwistle played a "lead bass". "My Generation" on "Live at Leeds" is my favorite Townshend guitar.
Absolutely, great insight
1000%. Townshend is a Genius musician, Case closed, case re-opened and case closed Again.
I listen to the Who jam on My Generation all the time. Definitely their best live track.
The Who was a great rock band. But, Led Zeppelin was a paradigm shifting band.
The Who certainly stayed relevant in time, whereas Led Zep seems dated. And comparing them both at Live Aid... let's not.
Er, other way round. Led zeppelin were a blues band, the who moved music forward
@@pookachu64 Love Reign Over Me... need I say more.
?
no, led zeppelin were a cover band (and that’s being nice, because they were straight up musical thieves).
Anyone else love The Yardbirds as well?
Who cares? They're both great bands and for him to come out and make a statement like that is a massive mistake. It does nothing for his credibility. I'd take Zeppelin over The Who anyday though. The Who pioneered the audio visual concepts better than anyone with their rock operas but for balls out hard rock Zeppelin take the cake. Few bands can match Achilles Last Stand and Kashmir. Maybe only Yes have come close to such majesty. Townsend was a great songwriter but he was overshadowed by the rest of his band who were better musicians than him.
Wait Greta VanFleet lol 😆 😂 🤣 😅 😳 😄 😆
Guess you never heard Live At Leeds
Trajan,
Live at Leeds was after Zeppelin already had two albums out and had been playing 3 hour concerts for a while. Since early 1969.
@@lyndoncmp5751 and?
@@lyndoncmp5751 ok, I dont understand your point.
The solo in "Can't Explain" is totally Townshend. That's not Page.
Why do multiple sources say that it was Page simply because they couldn't record two guitar tracks? I agree that it sounds more like Townshend to me but there are so many sources saying otherwise.
@@tomscholte603 Every book that I have says the two tracks were indistinguishable...didn't matter whose they used.
@@harrykadaras9459Are you sure that means lead tracks? I can't imagine how two different guitar players solos would be indistinguishable. And, at the end of the day, they still chose one. The question is, whose is it?
Word on the street is that Page was bragging that he played on I Cant Explain. Pete got wind of it and confronted Page who didnt deny it. Pete popped Page in the face and Page ran off crying as Pete called Page a f ing lying c*** and told Page to stop lying. Nothing has been said ever since. Who knows exactly what happened. Both guys wont talk about it as Pete doesnt want anyone to know Page does have a small part that didnt make the cut and Page doesnt want to be known as a liar and someone who got beat up by Pete, lol. Who knows!
.
I concur, it was Pete.
I love these bands, snd can’t imagine them not existing, but I still would love to hear Townshend, Page, Moon, Entwistle & Plant.
Yet, I think Page ended up with band mates Who matched himself better.
I think Page was a Mad Genius for how he put Led Zeppelin together.
Jealousy, envy and bitterness are certainly part of human nature!!!!!!
"Town-shend"? No. It's Towns-hend, and you can pretty much leave the 'h' silent. The 's' and the 'h' do not interact. There is no 'sh' in Townshend. Please re-train your pronunciation of Townshend's name, just leave the 'h' out.
Funny in the first video we made on Pete Townsend, Shawn pronounced it like "Townzend" but later it transformed into "Townjend". Come on guys, no big deal. It's just pronunciation. As for me, Townjend sounds nice too. Shawn's from California, so his pronunciation may be different
Fascinating perspective, thank you for sharing.
I find it incredibly hard to choose who was best, Zep or Who, because both groups showcased incredibly talented musicians and frontmen. I love to listen to both of them.
Awesome, thanks you! Rock 'N' Roll
@Star Traveler I put a lot of it down to the Ox and Moony nearly joining Zeppelin , John said he and Keith were with Page and considering joining him since the Who were going through one of there break up periods and they weren't sure the who would continue it is also according to John where the name Led Zeppelin came from after he supposedly commented that the potential band would go down like a lead zeppelin.
Right! But he is said to be jealous of good guitarists. He claimed Jimi Hendrix was nothing more than a session or studio musician!
Entwistle is a bass beast
John Entwistle was voted, Bassist Of The Millenium.
As a big fan of both bands, this was a very insightful historical recount. Long Live Rock.......! Be dead or alive!
Man!! Both these groups for this 57 year old rocker are undoubtedly the two greatest rock and roll bands in the history of the earth!!! So who cares if they had many little differences or likes or dislikes about eachother. I wouldn't even want to ever lived if those two bands never existed!!!
After 40 years of enjoying both, I tend to go back to the who more...I don't like plants lyrics as much, but I love zeps music so much. The who has so much meaning in their songs....
Two other notes which may or may not have been mentioned. One of Page's original choices for lead vocal for Zep was Steve Mariott (of Small Faces fame). Apparently their manager got wind of it and told Page essentially 'how would you like to play guitar with your fingers broken?', Terry Reid was his next choice who declined but suggested Plant.
The other thing was just the observation that it was fairly accepted that Live at Leeds, the Who's most in your face guitar rock record, was Townsend's direct response to Led Zeppelin's early success as a 'See, I can play guitar too' retort. So , yeah I think there was a little bit of jealousy.
There was clearly a lot of jealousy between all the English rock bands back then often within the bands as well. Just listen to all their comments about each other. I guess that what happens when talented people are all competing in the same arena.
Because he can’t play like Jimmy Page
And vice versa
Such great insights! The history of Page’s contributions fascinates me. Thanks so much!
You are very welcome Mark Brady, thank you! Great pleasure to hear that
Page and Jones were both well known and well respected session musicians.
Nice vid! The H in Townshend is silent.
Many thanks!!!