“Absolutely incredible”: The band Mick Jagger wishes were still touring
From his position in the upper echelon of rock and roll stardom, Mick Jagger has witnessed countless young artists come and go throughout his long and illustrious career. Of course, few of these artists have managed to reach the colossal level of fame and notoriety attached to The Rolling Stones, but that has not stopped Jagger from heaping praise onto a variety of promising up-and-comers, including a budding session musician by the name of Jimmy Page.
Following the initial formation of The Rolling Stones in 1962, the blues band wasted no time in bringing their uniquely rebellious sound to the masses. Mick Jagger became a globally renowned rock star almost overnight, and, as a result, many of the tracks he wrote alongside Keith Richards have become an unavoidable part of rock and roll history. Although, during their early years, the band favoured simplistic, youthful rock tracks, their compositions became increasingly complex as the band matured.
Couple those complexities with the ever-worsening condition of Brian Jones, and it is clear to see why the Stones began to employ a variety of session musicians in the studio. Within the British music scene of the 1960s, there were few session artists quite as talented or notable as the guitarist Jimmy Page. Jagger was particularly taken with Page’s guitar stylings, and that appreciation continued long after the guitarist graduated from his session and became the songwriter behind Led Zeppelin.
Speaking to BBC Radio Two, Jagger once recalled, “The thing was, I knew Jimmy [Page] very, very early on, going back ten years before that. I used to be a producer. It was fun for me. I was sort of learning the trades, so to speak, and it was all played live, of course. One of the backing musicians was Jimmy Page; he was one of the best session guitarists at the time; he was very young.”
Page formed Led Zeppelin in 1968, and the pioneering band had an invaluable impact on the development of hard rock and heavy metal. During the early 1970s, the Stones began exploring hard rock on records like Exile on Main Street. So it makes sense that Jagger would find the defiant sounds of Led Zeppelin endearing. However, Page’s rise from session musician to global rock star was still pretty surprising for Jagger.
Reflecting on his production work and employment of session musicians, the frontman recalled, “So that’s how I met Jimmy, and that’s how I met John Paul Jones, because he was the bass player, like in 1965, maybe. Then ten years later, or a bit less, they’ve made this very successful kind of band.” The Stones songwriter added, “I used to go and watch them live. I remember watching their concerts live in New York and everything.”
Jagger, who is often noted for his own onstage performances, adored the performances of Led Zeppelin: “It was a great, thunderous, wonderful racket, brilliant. I saw their last concerts as well, and they were absolutely incredible,” Jagger shared. Inevitably, when Zeppelin disbanded in 1980, Jagger was not happy. “I was so disappointed that they didn’t actually go out and tour,” Jagger said, before adding, “But that’s their business, not mine.”
The disappointment over Led Zeppelin’s 1980 breakup was certainly not limited to Mick Jagger, as millions of rock fans worldwide were devastated by the loss. Although the band has reformed sporadically on numerous occasions over the years, the magic of Led Zeppelin’s early live performances have never been recaptured.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Led Zeppelin Newsletter
All the latest stories about Led Zeppelin from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.