Jimmy Page Makes Surprise Appearance at Donovan Show

Last night at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page made a surprise appearance alongside folk-rock legend Donovan. Donovan, along with arranger John Cameron and the London Contemporary Orchestra, were set to perform Donovan's classic album Sunshine Superman almost note-for-note. For that, they needed the original session guitarist who played on four of the tracks -- one Mr. Jimmy Page. Page recorded guitars on Sunshine Superman after leaving the Yardbirds and before starting Led Zeppelin. He was paid just 13 pounds for his services. While Page's appearance last night was supposed to be a surprise, word had spread quickly, and when it was time for him to go on, fans were already screaming his name impatiently, even before he was announced. Page joined Donovan on stage for what seemed like a note-perfect rendition of the title track, "Sunshine Superman." He would later return to the stage to assist Donovan in a rendition of "Mellow Yellow," with a dark, bluesy vibe that was all too befitting of the Zeppelin guitarist. "Though he’s known for his power guitar, Jimmy is a real folk aficionado," said Donovan after the show. Page, who was certainly responsible for bringing a folk influence to mainstream rock, agreed. "A lot of my songs were written on the acoustic guitar," he said. "And so much of the first album of Led Zeppelin was acoustic too." Photo: Virgilio Fino/Govinda Gallery