Jimmy Page and the late Jeff Beck’s origin stories overlap in all kinds of ways. They emerged from the same scene and became friends. Both had stints in the Yardbirds, both became greats of the instrument.
But in a 1977 interview with Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press, which was republished in the November 1991 issue of Guitar World, Page revealed just how close he and Beck came to forming a band together – and this band was the O.G. Led Zeppelin.
“We were going to form a group called Led Zeppelin at the time of the Beck’s Bolero sessions, with the line-up from that session,” said Page. “It was going to be me and Beck on guitars, [Keith] Moon on drums, and maybe Nicky Hopkins on piano.
“The only one from the session who wasn’t going to be in it was [John Paul Jones] Jonesy, who had played bass. Instead, Moon suggested we bring in Entwistle as bassist and lead singer as well.”
Not only would it have a twin-guitar act of Beck and Page, this Original Led Zeppelin was to have the rhythm section of the Who, with Keith Moon on drums and John Entwistle on bass guitar.
“After some discussion we decided to use another singer,” Page added. “The first choice was Stevie Winwood, but it was decided that he was too heavily committed to Traffic at the time, and probably wouldn’t be interested.
“Next, we thought of Stevie Marriott. He was approached, and seemed to be full of glee about it. Then a message came from the business side of Marriott, which said, 'How would you like to play guitar with broken fingers? You will if you don’t stay away from Stevie.' After that the idea sort of fell apart.”
This ‘Original Led Zeppelin’ could have returned to Moon’s original idea of having Entwistle front the band. But the year was 1967, and things were moving fast.
“We just said, ‘Let’s forget about the whole thing, quick.’ Instead of being more positive about it and looking for another singer, we just let it slip by,” said Page. “Then the Who began a tour, the Yardbirds began a tour and that was it.”
And all things considered, it worked out just fine. Page might have been upset that the Yardbirds were coming apart but they were soon to evolve. John Paul Jones called Page and asked if he wanted to do something together. “Jonesy was in,” said Page.
Terry Reid was mooted to front the next iteration of the Yardbirds, though he had signed up with Mickie Most. But he was eager to help. Reid put Page in touch with the singer in a band called Hobbstweedle. Robert Plant was his name.
![Led Zeppelin - How Many More Times (Danmarks Radio 1969) [Official Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wEPog_WdPE4/maxresdefault.jpg)
Page had to pinch himself. He couldn’t believe it. This guy Plant had the stuff.
“When I auditioned him and heard him sing, I immediately thought there must be something wrong with his personality, or that he had to be impossible to work with,” Page remembered.
“I just could not understand why he hadn’t become a big name yet. So I had him down to my place for a little while, just to sort of check him out, and we got along great. No problems.”
And Plant knew a drummer by the name of John Bonham and that was that… The real original Led Zeppelin was born. Though Keith Moon can still take the credit for naming the band.
“It was Moon,” Page answered when asked who named the band. “I’m sure, despite anything Entwistle may have said. Entwistle must have just been upset that the original Led Zeppelin never took off.”
