Jimmy Page looks back at 50 years of Led Zeppelin

Who knew that Joan Baez had a part in the formation of Led Zeppelin? Or that Jimmy Page painted a psychedelic dragon on his favorite instrument, a 1959 Fender Telecaster, because he was full of creative inspiration and needed to release it?

"My whole life is moving so fast at that point," Page, now 74, said as he reflected on Led Zeppelin's 50th anniversary in an interview with The Associated Press at the Fender guitar factory in California. "Absolutely just a roller-coaster ride." In the interview, Page marveled at how fast the whole situation took off after Plant brought on drummer John Bonham and Page pulled in his friend John Paul Jones to play bass. He also exclaimed how excited they were that the fans were so supportive during the rise of Led Zeppelin and how well the band got along.

So, where does Joan Baez fall on the Led Zeppelin timeline? Apparently, she was the folkie inspiration that Jimmy Page used to show Robert Plant the sound he wanted of her recording the song "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and telling him to emulate the way she sang the top line of the song. Zeppelin would later put the tune on their first album.

Jimmy’s ’59 Telecaster, affectionately named "the Excalibur", was wielded through the wildly eventful year of 1968 when his old band the Yardbirds crashed and his new band Led Zeppelin was born just two months later. Maybe the guitar did wield some magical powers? When Page left the Yardbirds, he recommended another guitarist who happened to be Jeff Beck. The guitar was a gift to Jimmy Page as a thank you gift and Page said that he made immediate and intense use of the instrument, and wanted to "consecrate" it, so he went at it with paints that were used at the time for psychedelic posters and summoned the dragon. Well, bad things happen, and the guitar was painted over by a friend who at the time was watching his house. Angrily, he stripped off the paint and it sat in storage. Flash Forward, his love for this guitar has found its glory once again! Page has struck up a deal with Fender and they are creating an anniversary rendition for the public. The design will be unveiled in January, with four different versions to choose from.

Besides the photo book, the instruments are a tribute to the band’s 50-year legacy. There probably won’t be a reunion concert to celebrate the iconic band’s 50th anniversary, but at least they’re doing interviews and remastering versions of their live collection. For me, it still allows me to enjoy their music in the comfort of my own home. They also have been doing digital downloads of early interviews that you can check out and kind of relive their glorious past. Stay tuned!

~Michelle S.