How John Bonham helped craft Jimmy Page’s favourite Led Zeppelin riff
With a band like Led Zeppelin, it wasn’t just the case that they were good at what they did individually. Their musical ability needed to come together and merge into something more than just solo instrumentation. There is a reason people name Led Zeppelin members as the best bassists, guitarists, vocalists and drummers, not only because they were good but because they could come together as a band and bring the best out of one another.
That mindset seems to be replicated in one of Jimmy Page’s favourite riffs. There are no doubt several riffs the guitarist is responsible for, and upon hearing them, he’ll have known it would be a hit. It’s hard to listen to the opening to ‘Black Dog’ and not be swept up in Page’s fingers dancing up and down the fretboard. Equally, it’s impossible to hear ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and not have those notes committed to memory the moment they’re played. But when it came to Page’s favourite, it was the impact the band had as a whole that made it stand out, not just his guitar alone, and John Bonham was instrumental in that overall creation.
Page has always been open about the fact there is minimal process when it comes to creativity. “Riffs come out of the ether, out of nowhere,” he said, “Will you tell me where that is? Because no one knows.”
In an interview, when Page was pressed about his favourite Led Zeppelin riff, he hesitated to provide an answer. Whilst the creative process might be elusive, the product that comes from it is exceptionally intentional. “It’s difficult to be asked, ‘What’s your favourite Zeppelin track?’ They all were. They were all intended to be on those albums.” However, after pondering, Page finally decided, “I suppose ‘Kashmir’ has to be the one.”
Page’s affinity towards the Physical Graffiti track comes from not just the guitar but the whole band’s effort. “All the guitar parts would be on there,” he said, “But the orchestra needed to sit there, reflecting those other parts, doing what the guitars were but with the colours of a symphony.” John Paul Jones was responsible for the orchestral part, but the legendary drummer John Bonham was there during the early stages of the track.
Jimmy Page and John Bonham sat in the studio and put together the initial ‘Kashmir’ riff and the cascading section that divides it. “It’s it the first thing I ran through with Bonzo,” said Page, “I just know that [Bonham] is gunna love it, and he loves it, and we just play the riff over and over and over, because it’s like a child’s riff.”
One person alone can be a good musician, but making genre-defining records continuously requires the input of all members, and that’s what set Led Zeppelin aside from other bands at the time. Physical Graffiti is praised for its experimental approach towards rock and everyone contributed towards its creation.
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