The key to Jimmy Page’s style, according to Prince
Many aspects made Prince such a storied musician, from his songwriting ability to his stage presence and even notoriety as a tough taskmaster in the studio. One key to his success was how he was undeterred by the trappings of the genre. Emerging in an era marked out by subcultures and relative musical forms, the Minnesotan blurred lines before it was popular with an extensive list of influences comprising his wildly varied oeuvre.
Across his career, Prince delved into everything from funk to rock, with pop, R&B, soul, and other less corresponding genres also finding their way into his eclectic sonic medley. While he might be commonly thought of as a pop artist due to his iconic efforts such as ‘Purple Rain’, which brought his kaleidoscopic vision to life in the most refined of ways, not to mention his propensity to craft intoxicating hooks, he was always best defined by his name only, the sign of a true great.
Yet, for all the soulful grooves and pop melodies, rock was also commonly present in his most important efforts, from his general attitude to his atmospheric licks, the latter of which qualify him as a unique force in the pantheon of greats. He set out to do what those who had inspired him on the six-string had done: carve out a space for himself by distinctively crossing the boundaries of genres. It speaks volumes that rock heroes The Rolling Stones deemed him perfect for supporting them so early on in his career, despite it ending terribly.
It might not seem evident from the outset, but there are several connections between Prince and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Purveyors of constantly surprising melodies, with ample audacity underpinning their efforts – as well as a tangible atmosphere – without the English musician’s work in his most lauded band, Prince may not have had such a solid footing on which to emerge and supply celebrated moments such as the Super Bowl half time show in 2007. It was searing, cacophonous and utterly vibrant, three words aptly fit for Page at his peak.
Prince was such a fan of Led Zeppelin that he covered their spirited early classic ‘Whole Lotta Love’ over 50 times in the live arena. Furthermore, after 1985’s psychedelic Around the World in a Day arrived, he named the British band as an example of an act that continuously strived to push themselves to new heights, a tactic he would find much success mimicking.
“I don’t mind that because that was the only period in recent history that delivered songs and colours. Led Zeppelin, for example, would make you feel differently on each song,” he said after a comparison was drawn, offering insight into his own dynamism.
However, in proper form, the outspoken Prince would later make his misgivings about Page’s style known. This materialised in one of his last-ever interviews, with Mojo in 2014, during a playback for that year’s Plectrumelectrum. While he described the Led Zeppelin master as undeniably “cool”, he wryly asserted that the quartet’s late drummer, John Bonham, who died in 1980, was key to all of his brilliance. It was all a matter of timing.
“Jimmy Page is cool,” Prince said with a sideways smile, “but he couldn’t keep a sequence without John Bonham behind him. He went from one to four without stopping at two and three.”
Nodding to his band’s excellent guitarist, Donna Grantis, Prince affirmed that he wants his players to be their own favourite players, adding: “I don’t want people to play like nobody else.” In such a short sentence, the late musician holistically explained his artistic essence more concisely than anywhere else.
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.