The Rolling Stones song Robert Plant couldn’t live without: “That was really special”
For Robert Plant, rock ‘n’ roll was nothing short of a saviour. Before rising to fame as the frontman of Led Zeppelin, Plant immersed himself in music, attending as many concerts as he could and honing his craft in various bands across the Midlands, including a brief stint with a group covering The Rolling Stones.
The Rolling Stones played a pivotal role in setting Plant on the right path. His all-encompassing love for the blues gave him the courage to quit his accountancy course at 16 and dedicate himself fully to music—a bold but essential step in staying true to himself. The band’s music provided him with an overwhelming sense of belonging, and witnessing them live was a transformative experience that solidified his decision to pursue a career as a singer.
Plant was 15 when The Stones released their debut single, the perfect age to appreciate their brilliance. He was fortunate enough to witness their rise from the beginning after being in attendance on their first major nationwide tour. Not only did their performance dazzle him, but it kickstarted a lifelong love affair with the band. At the time, The Rolling Stones had only released their cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Come On’. It had been a minor hit in the UK but they weren’t expected to become global superstars, but Plant recognised their talent.
All these years later, their version of ‘Come On’ remains one of his collection’s most sacred records. To Plant, it’s more than just another rock ‘n’ roll song; it’s a cherished memory of a night that he’ll never forget, and it acted as a crucial gateway to the blues.
During an appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks Of My Years, the Led Zeppelin frontman named the composition one of his favourite songs. “You probably may have realised that in my early history as a singer and a recording artist, and the adventures that I had in the music game, I was really drawn and obsessed by the music of Chicago and Mississippi and the Delta blues,” he told the programme.
However, accessing the beautiful sounds produced in cities such as Mississippi or Chicago was challenging. Thankfully, The Rolling Stones helped open his eyes to a plethora of their inspirations, as they did to many others. He added: “I think on the English music scene, one of the main forerunners and purveyors of this music bringing it to us as early teenage kids was the Rolling Stones.”
Referring to ‘Come On’, Plant described the debut single as “just the beginning of their great career promoting and perhaps giving us inspiration for country blues and [the] blues of North America”.
He also fondly reminisced about witnessing The Rolling Stones perform in 1963 on a package tour alongside Bo Diddley and Little Richard. The run of dates was the first time The Rolling Stones stepped out of their comfortable London surroundings and challenged themselves by bringing the blues to a string of provincial towns all over Britain. “We were all leaning towards that music. But nobody really had it down. I think in those days, The Stones were bringing the stone down the mountain. So that was really special,” Plant remembered.
Within a couple of years of Plant seeing The Rolling Stones appear at the bottom of the bill at a local town hall, they were vying with The Beatles in chart battles. However, getting to the top of the mountain was the easy part. More impressively, they’ve remained in the spotlight ever since and come back stronger from every setback. Although Plant’s career has endured many different chapters, The Rolling Stones remain committed to being messengers of the blues. Still, to this day, they are putting new fans on a voyage of discovery of artists like Chuck Berry, just as they did with Plant in the 1960s.
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