“What I bring to the party”: The cover that defines Robert Plant’s music taste
Led Zeppelin came at the perfect time in music history. Following the disbandment of The Beatles, the scene was becoming increasingly stale, and Robert Plant and his band of brothers ensured that rock would be the one place that would never become boring. Interestingly, he did this by bringing together various influences, providing an explosive sound that reflected interests from all over.
From the beginning, Zeppelin was never intended to be just another band. After leaving The Yardbirds, Jimmy Page went through a series of potential bandmates before landing on the final lineup, incessantly seeing his vision of materialising the next best innovative band. Although Plant wasn’t the original choice for the lead singer, his addition seemed like lightning in a bottle, not just because of his distinctive vocalisation but because he epitomised everything Page was looking for.
Plant represented raw charisma to Page, but he also enabled him to envision a future where ambition could become something explosive and powerful. To Page, the spirit of music meant bringing together people who understood the vitality of collaboration and open-mindedness, which, by extension, meant creating music that reflected various sensibilities beyond the usual oeuvre.
Growing up, Plant listened to a lot of American blues, including Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Many of these sounds originated the contemporary rock ‘n’ roll sound, so it’s no surprise that Plant was drawn to these names in particular. However, he also became endeared to world music, not just from his male counterparts but from his female soul crooners, too.
Listening to Plant’s voice, you can hear the different influences peering through from time to time, especially in moments when his sheer projection enters a dominance battle with his undertone of vulnerability. Beyond his natural ability, this technique emerged from his early influences, which sometimes even reached R&B spaces, including the likes of Barbara Lynn.
In 1965, Lynn recorded ‘Can’t Buy My Love’, which combined soul with elements of rock to create an energetic and rhythmic track about the perils and frustrations of having a lover who sees love as a materialistic transaction. “You can give me money, diamonds and pearls,” Lynn sings, “But you can’t buy my love with all the money in the world.”
Plant recorded his version of the song for his 2010 album Band of Joy, taking the earlier, springy feel of the soul classic and infusing it with a more overt rock headiness in true Plant fashion. However, he also dedicatedly kept a lot of the appeal of the original intact, including the lyrics and much of the vocal execution, proving his ability to take a classic and adapt it to his style.
From an early age, Plant enjoyed all kinds of music, which served as a help rather than a hindrance, particularly considering how he used various forms of expression as a springboard to create his own flavour of rock. As a result, he represented one of the true figures of innovation, even when his sources stemmed from seemingly unconventional arenas. As he told Mojo: “I know what I know, and what I bring to the party is black American pop from 1963 New Orleans.”
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.