Monday, October 6, 2025
HomeMusicJason Bonham Discusses His Prime 5 Songs from Led Zeppelin's Bodily Graffiti

Jason Bonham Discusses His Prime 5 Songs from Led Zeppelin’s Bodily Graffiti

On account of Led Zeppelin‘s ongoing monumental reputation, there have been fairly a couple of “tribute bands” which have celebrated their music through the years. However undoubtedly one of the crucial musically genuine and in style tributes must be Jason Bonham‘s Led Zeppelin Night. In spite of everything, it options John Bonham‘s son on drums – with Jason having really performed performances with Zeppelin through the years.

And with Zeppelin’s basic double album, Bodily Graffiti, celebrating it is fiftieth anniversary this yr, JBLZE (as it’s usually referred to) shall be taking part in a month’s value of exhibits from October 22-November 26 all through North America. For which, tickets may be bought by way of jasonbonham.internet.

Jason spoke with AllMusic a couple of month earlier than the tour’s launch, and was prepared to pick out his 5 favourite tracks off Bodily Graffiti, and clarify why for every.


Kashmir

“The simplest one I might come to within the 5 tracks could be ‘Kashmir.’ The way in which the story’s been informed, and Jimmy [Page] tells it a method, and I sort of heard it one other approach, and clearly, with dad being one of many co-writers, I at all times have a look at that and go, ‘How is that attainable that it is Robert [Plant], Jimmy, and John Bonham…and no John Paul Jones on that track?’ It baffles my existence to grasp that.”

“So I at all times stated, ‘I ponder how dad communicated his thought?’ And I believe he was simply grunting this sort of, ‘I received this concept’ [sings main riff of ‘Kashmir’]. And from that, the acorn grew to the oak tree. And that is usually, I believe, how he contributed plenty of the time. In order that, to me, was such a strong track that I am pleased with.”

“It is second to ‘Stairway to Heaven’ on this modern-day and age, the place we will see what’s in style in streams and no matter. And it was the track now that another band that does any sort of Egyptian, Indian-esque, sort of that Far East [feel], we’ll go, ‘Ah. Attempting to repeat Zeppelin.'”

“And that was from their affect of touring via Marrakesh, when Jimmy and Robert have been touring round. And he wrote it on a practice, apparently. And simply the simplicity of the of the drum. And that is one of many hardest issues to do as a drummer, is to have the ability to maintain again. And pop was nice at that within the studio. Not so nice reside – he would not maintain that reside! He would ‘go for it’ reside – which was good. It was an thrilling a part of the factor.”

“So, I really like that simplicity, the truth that they used two tape machines to run concurrently to get the flanging on the drums. That was the phasing on the drums. It wasn’t, ‘Put a phaser on it,’ or no matter. They ran two machines simply barely out of sync. So that you get that lovely – and Headley Grange – drum sound. Very ‘room mic,’ hardly any direct mics.”

“I really like the truth that it solely says ‘Kashmir’ as soon as within the track. They by no means have been refrain sort of guys. They have been items of music put collectively.”

Ten Years Gone

“I strongly consider – and also you’d need to ask Jimmy this – I ponder if he was influenced in any respect by something that McCartney and Wings had put out at the moment? I am attempting to assume, ’75…so ’74, I would need to look it up. However there are some issues in there that at all times remind me of Wings [sings beginning guitar bit of ‘Band on the Run’]. So when he goes into that guitar solo, it is received a really virtually like [sings] ‘Caught inside these 4 partitions…’ And I knew my dad was very near Paul, and to Wings. So, I simply questioned if there was some type of a range there.”

“As a result of that track, to me, is likely one of the most lovely items of music ever written. And reside, once we play it, it is one of the crucial emotional songs to play. As a result of it is a realization it is 45 years gone since he [Jason’s father] handed. And it is one of many final songs I keep in mind him taking part in at Knebworth ’79, after I stood on the aspect stage, disgruntled, as a result of I used to be very into my grime bike [Jason was thirteen at the time]. There was a race, a really huge race, that I used to be speculated to be at, and I could not. It was two races over the identical weekend. So, ‘It’s a must to select to overlook one race, as a result of you have to come and see your dad.’ Y’know, God, I’m so glad that my mother and pop have been like, ‘Hey, you’ll be able to’t have all the pieces in life. Make a sacrifice.’ As a result of I solely received to see Zeppelin 4 instances. So, I am glad.”

“And that present to me, Knebworth, was a really particular present. And it caught out to me. I keep in mind Robert saying, ‘It ought to be referred to as ‘Eleven Years Gone,’ as a result of it was now ’79 and it was ’68 once they first received collectively. I really like the road, ‘By no means thought I would see your face the best way it was once.’ At all times, it is a kind of moments that you simply’re, like, ‘Wow. I ponder, what he’d [Jasons father] assume now?'”

“And the solo, simply Jimmy’s taking part in in it. And for us musically now, how we put it along with having the opposite the opposite musician, the keyboard instrumentalist, come guitarist, come mandolin participant, come no matter we throw at him, Alex Howland, there’s one half, in case you take heed to that. There’s a sitar line, and it goes during [sings main guitar riff] in that.”

“[Howland asked] ‘Do you actually need me to play that one line?’ I went, ‘Truthfully, it really works so nice reside, as a result of once they did it reside, they did not have that functionality.”

Trampled Beneath Foot

“Particularly since I discovered it was impressed by Jeff Beck taking part in drums. I did not know, till solely proper up once we have been on tour and I watched YouTube, and [in a video interview with Beck] Stevie [Wonder] goes, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ And he goes, ‘Oh no, Stevie. It is me, Jeff. I am taking part in the drums.’ After which Stevie began doing the clavinet half, and I did not notice that was a collaboration between Beck. In order that impressed ‘Superstitious,’ which then I keep in mind, that impressed the Zeppelin guys on ‘Trampled Beneath Foot.'”

“There is a bootleg someplace of them really jamming that, after which immediately, they begin arising with their very own elements. And so it began off as a, ‘Let’s jam that track.’ After which hastily, it then varieties itself into ‘Trampled,’ which was great. And it is a kind of songs reside the place as we have been doing the entire present, however not within the order of the album, we put it aside as a result of it is an upbeat track. And it is the one the place everybody actually simply will get up and joins in. Simply nice. One other a kind of Zeppelin classics that got here from all of the totally different genres that they are allowed to be.”

Night time Flight

“Now, there’s going to be a left area track: ‘Night time Flight.’ Which, was an outtake from Led Zeppelin IV. I simply love dad’s drumming. Each evening once we begin with that hi-hat, all you need to do is do the hi-hat, and I see individuals within the viewers go, ‘Night time Flight!’ I completely adore taking part in that track reside.”

Down By the Seaside

“As a result of there’s so many nice different songs on Bodily Graffiti, like ‘In My Time of Dying,’ ‘Within the Gentle’ – epics – you overlook ‘Down By the Seaside.’ As a result of it is the variety and simply how they may simply go, ‘It is okay to do that.’ You get plenty of bands, they’re going to jam one thing and write one thing, they usually go, ‘Oh, that is not us.’ Zeppelin have been by no means afraid to go, ‘That is not us.’ ‘It nonetheless is us’.”

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments