The rock icon who gave Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones his name
Almost every notable group has its understated member, an essential cog in the machine who flies under the radar while fans gush over their more prominent bandmates. Whether it’s George Harrison, Richard Wright, or Krist Novoselic, there is a long list of such subtle geniuses. Among them, the quintessential example is Led Zeppelin bassist and multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones.
Jones has always been fascinating because he brought genuine panache to the quartet without ever seeking the spotlight. Before joining the group, as a revered session musician and arranger, he came from a family of accomplished musicians and received a rare and comprehensive sonic education. Having already worked with artists like The Rolling Stones and Donovan in the studio prior to Led Zeppelin, Jones had achieved feats that most would consider a fulfilling career in their own right.
Jones and Page were two of the most celebrated players in London, and naturally, they got to know each other through travelling in the same circles. Yet, after The Yardbirds split and the latter set about forming a group in his own image, Jones was not his first choice. Instead, it was Chris Deja of his previous outfit, but he quickly changed his mind and left to try his hand at photography.
So, when the pair were both working on Donovan’s The Hurdy Gurdy Man, at the encouragement of his wife, the peaceful Jones questioned Page about the vacant position. Page would later recall that he was overjoyed to hear that Jones was interested; after all, he’d had “proper music training” and had “quite brilliant ideas”, as he told Rolling Stone in 1985.
It says everything about Jones’ accomplishment that Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has openly discussed his nerves at the prospect of joining him and Page at the band’s first jam. Furthermore, the vocalist has also maintained that it was always “difficult” working with Jones, as he never listened to a song’s lyrics, instead purely listening to the music in light of his refined musical background, which was at odds with Plant’s autodidactic Black Country development.
Regardless, the band would hit it off and form a tight-knit gang that would quickly knock an ailing Beatles off their perch and rise to be the most exciting act of the era. Enacting real innovation and putting a genuinely expansive twist on rock music, their 12 years of existence would see many moments of sheer brilliance, with Jones underpinning all of it, from his iconic, twisting riff on ‘Black Dog’ to the atmospheric synths in ‘In the Light’.
Apart from his slick bass grooves, grasp of myriad instruments, and astute arrangement, a crucial part of Jones’ brand is his name. After all, he wasn’t born John Paul Jones but John Baldwin, a firm name that admittedly lacks the alliterative power of his nom de guerre. When speaking to Uncut in a 2010 Q&A with famous fans, he revealed that former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham bestowed him with the moniker, inspired by the heroic captain of the same name from the American Revolutionary War.
When Oldham told Jones it was good to see him “so engaged” in the contemporary era, he asked, “Any advice for old farts who can’t move on?”
Revealing all, Jones replied: “Who are you calling an old fart? I dunno, Andy, you tell me! Ha ha. He’s done a good job of staying up to date. Andrew, of course, gave me the name John Paul Jones. I was John Baldwin until Andrew saw a poster for the French film version of John Paul Jones. I thought it’d look great in CinemaScope, as I wanted to do music for films. I imagined it saying ‘Music By John Paul Jones’ over the whole screen. I never realised then that he was the Horatio Nelson of America!”
The original film being referred to here is, of course, John Farrow’s 1959 biopic about the titular war hero who earned his place in the history books for his efforts during the American Revolutionary War. Although the movie itself wasn’t a particularly inspired effort, its legacy is now forever intertwined with that of Led Zeppelin.
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