The one singer that Jimmy Page considered a “genius”
Throughout his career, Jimmy Page has always remained a fan of rock music. He has become a genuine deity in the world of rock and roll and has garnered enough acclaim to warrant the many, many judgments he has thrown down over the years.
Although he may have been in the dog-eat-dog world of the English club scene when working with The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, Page had tremendous respect for anyone who was excelling in their field, collaborating with artists as varied as The Black Crowes and Puff Daddy after Zeppelin. While many artists may try to foster creativity in various proteges, there is one pop marvel that Page considered to be a genius.
Granted, Page had already been reinventing what traditional rock meant with Zeppelin. But his beginnings were rooted deep in the studio long before he broke out on his own. A job which saw him work on a wide variety of classic 1960s tracks as a session musician meant that he was privy to a whole range of different music and musicians.
Before breaking out the massive riffs on songs like ‘Black Dog’, Page wanted to constantly toy with what made listeners pay attention to the band’s music, using strange instruments like the theremin during ‘Dazed and Confused’ and even putting together strange tunings to create riffs for ‘The Rain Song’ and ‘Friends’.
While Page was making progressive leaps with Zeppelin, it was Kate Bush who turned the pop world inside out. After working alongside giants like David Gilmour, Bush had carved herself into one of the biggest talents in the business, thanks to her singles like ‘Wuthering Heights’, showcasing her phenomenal vocal range and her penchant for baroque arrangements in her songs.
With every new release, Bush would continue to reinvent the wheel for herself, seeing the studio as an open canvas when working on albums like The Dreaming and Hounds of Love. Even though Page had been recovering from losing John Bonham during Bush’s ascent, he thought he was watching her rewrite the rule book on traditional pop music.
It was a judgment often laid at the feet of Bush. She was a genuine unicorn of a performer and songwriter, with David Gilmour famously noting her skills when she was still a teenager. Her skill only grew from there, and her position as one of Britain’s finest musical minds should never be forgotten.
In an Instagram post, Page would detail how much complexity went into Bush’s music, recalling, “Kate Bush is an artist and writer of some of the most extraordinary material I have had the pleasure to experience. From hearing ‘Man With A Child In His Eyes’ written in her teens and on her debut album, I knew this was a unique talent with a depth of profound understanding of all things musical”.
Even though Bush’s most significant moments were confined to the studio, Page would say how well her material translated to the live stage when he saw her in 2014, explaining, “The feeling for love and respect for Kate was tangible. Her show displayed the measure of her genius and vision, both past, present and future. Each and every one of us was truly moved by her concert both visually and musically”.
Although it’s difficult to say how much Page has taken from Bush in his music, there’s a kindred spirit mentality that goes along with Bush’s music and Page’s approach to the guitar. When looking at Page’s unconventional way of playing, he seems to be drawing from the same influences as Bush does with her voice, turning every part of the instrument inside out to make it sound completely different from what fans are used to. Page could have had his licks patented for years, but artists like Bush are a reminder that there’s always room to explore past the conventional song ideas.
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.