License to Shred: The classic ‘James Bond’ theme Jimmy Page played guitar on
Unlike many of his fellow guitar heroes of the 1960s, Jimmy Page devoted his early years to session work. Like that delicate Christmas decoration you keep under wraps until the last moment, Page opted to develop his talent behind closed doors, racking up high-profile contacts, lucrative credits and plenty of industrial expertise.
Page began his career as a session guitarist in 1963. The 19-year-old found his feet with some early work for Chris Ravel & The Ravers and The Zephyrs before a particularly seismic run throughout 1964. Most notably, he first met The Who this year, with whom he recorded rhythm tracks for the debut single ‘I Can’t Explain’. He also contributed lead guitar to the B-side, ‘Bald Headed Woman’.
At around the same time, Page joined another gang of imminent hitmakers: The Kinks. During one of the band’s first sessions, Page contributed to a couple of early blues covers, including that of ‘I’m a Lover, Not a Fighter’. The Led Zeppelin star also claims to have recorded guitar overdubs to The Kinks’ early number one ‘You Really Got Me’. However, Ray and Dave Davies vehemently deny this.
One session, of which Page is incredibly proud, and that is subject to no dispute, is his brush with Agent 007. In August 1964, the 20-year-old guitar prodigy entered Abbey Road Studio One to play with John Barry’s orchestra. He had played with the group before, but this particular occasion was somewhat momentous.
Speaking to GQ in 2021, Page remembered his excitement upon hearing that he would support Shirley Bassey as she delivered her submission for the new James Bond soundtrack for Goldfinger. “The full orchestra sounded absolutely amazing, but then Shirley Bassey arrived,” Page told GQ in a recent interview. “She arrived with a friend, was very quiet and then was asked to come out and sing. And it took her just one take.”
Naturally, Page and his colleagues were awestruck, but little could prepare them for what happened next. “At the end of the tape, she collapsed on the floor. She just held this one note, and she basically ran out of breath and collapsed,” Page continued. “You know how dramatic she is usually, what with all the stuff she does with her hands, but this was even more dramatic – and I was in the front row of the musicians, so I really had a good view of all of this.”
‘Goldfinger’, composed by John Barry and with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, soundtracked the 007 movie of the same name starring Sean Connery. The movie was the third in the James Bond movie series, and many consider it to be one of the best of the classic 007 films. Fortunately, Bassey was perfectly fine after collapsing in front of Page, and even better after realising her recording had entered the top 40 in the US and the UK in one of her career’s greatest triumphs.
This session was certainly one of Page’s most unexpected. As a rock guitarist, sessions with Joe Cocker, The Kinks and The Who were fundamental building blocks on his path to success with The Yardbirds and later Led Zeppelin, but a brush with Bond is not to be snuffed at.
Speaking to Guitar World in 1993, Page reflected on his time as a session guitarist as an “invaluable” rite of passage. “At one point, I was playing at least three sessions a day, six days a week! And I rarely ever knew in advance what I was going to be playing. But I learned things even on my worst sessions – and believe me, I played on some horrendous things.”
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.