Communication Breakdown: The supergroup that Jimmy Page missed out on joining
Anyone even remotely familiar with rock and roll would want someone like Jimmy Page on their talent roster. The man helped birth what we know as rock and roll guitar, so why not let him be the one laying down the leads on songs if you can? Though Page certainly earned his keep as a session guitarist before and after Led Zeppelin dissolved, he ended up missing out on joining Them Crooked Vultures when he had the chance.
At the same time, being in a band with Dave Grohl usually means working with him whenever he has the chance. Ever since Nirvana split following Kurt Cobain’s death, Grohl seems to have never slept, going through every single project he can and trying to play with as many of his heroes as possible.
As far as Grohl was concerned, Led Zeppelin was at the top of his all-time favourite bands. The Beatles may have taught him how to put melodies together, but anyone who was a drummer first probably remembers having their DNA changed the minute that they heard John Bonham lay down a groove for the first time.
Despite having the punch to deliver Zeppelin tunes, it wasn’t until a decade into Foo Fighters’ career that Grohl got to thank the band for the inspiration. After reaching Wembley Stadium, the band thought they’d celebrate by bringing out Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, who ended up jamming with them on a version of ‘Rock and Roll’ with Grohl on drums and Taylor Hawkins singing.
Jonesy had already known Grohl after working on the arrangements for In Your Honour, but they had the wheels turning in their head for another potential collaboration. In their downtime between making Foo Fighters records, Grohl worked around the clock to put together Them Crooked Vultures, making the record with Jones on bass and keyboards, him on drums, and Josh Homme on vocals.
Although Page may have been looking to join, he admitted that he was never officially asked, recalling on Instagram, “Dave Grohl said: ‘You guys should come to the States and record with us.’ I didn’t hear anything more from Grohl, and John Paul Jones’ communications seemed to dim. The next I heard, they were promoting their new group”.
While anyone who says no to Page’s guitar playing better have a damn good reason, Them Crooked Vultures tended to work a lot better as a power trio. Every one of them was a monster at their respective instrument, and the thick sound of ‘Dead End Friends’ would have probably gotten muddied by adding another guitar to the mix. Since Homme also was known for detuning his guitar to insanely low levels, that might not have meshed with Page’s style, either.
If you look at the live shows the band played, everything functions with just the three of them, with no one stepping on each other’s toes and holding the band up perfectly, much like another band from the 1970s that happened to feature Jonesy. As much as Grohl loved Led Zeppelin in their prime, Them Crooked Vultures might be the closest he has gotten to forming his own version of the band that raised him.
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