Jimmy Page Stuns Crowd With Surprise Appearance at Donovan Show
The pair performed Donovan's classic 1965 album 'Sunshine Superman' in London
Comment 17

Jimmy Page joins Donovan on stage at Royal Albert Hall, London, June 3, 2011.
Photograph by Virgilio Fino/Govinda Gallery
By Ravi Somaiya
June 4, 2011 10:30 AM ET

Backstage at London’s Royal Albert Hall last night, as the psychedelic folk-rock legend Donovan prepared to go on stage, a woman wheeled a harp hurriedly through a corridor, a Buddhist monk in flowing robes pressed fake pearls into the hands of passing strangers and a security radio crackled to life. “When Jimmy goes on,” said a concerned-sounding male voice to nobody in particular, “it’s going to be very, very loud, okay?”

At that moment Jimmy Page – in a black short-sleeved shirt and black jeans, his shoulder-length gray hair tied in a very small ponytail – sauntered past, head down. Page, and his black Gibson Les Paul Custom, had been called into service to help Donovan, his arranger John Cameron and the London Contemporary Orchestra recreate his classic 1965 album Sunshine Superman virtually note-for-note for the thousands who had crammed into the venue.

Choose Rolling Stone's Cover: The Sheepdogs vs. Lelia Broussard. Vote Now

“In 1965, Jimmy had just left the Yardbirds and hadn’t started on Zeppelin yet," said Donovan, who resembled a particularly spry woodland faun in a flowery shirt and waistcoat. "So we hired him to do a session at Abbey Road.” The price, for three hours on the album’s title track, was 13 pounds.

Before Page appeared on stage to reprise his work, ominous spotlights hit the Royal Albert Hall’s ceiling and the orchestra played a portentous low note. Though Page’s cameo was supposed to be a surprise, word had spread and fans were already on their feet. “Hurry up!” yelled one, moments before Page arrived. With legs spread wide, left foot tapping and his head bopping, Page joined the band in a wailing rendition of "Sunshine Superman," arching his back as he pushed down on his guitar’s gold Bigsby vibrato arm. It was, as predicted, loud.

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: Jimmy Page

After an end-of-show encore, and a Page-assisted version of "Mellow Yellow" (with dark accents and blues inflections that made you ponder why he missed that session) the men retreated to a roped-off indoor tent in the bar of the nearby Gore Hotel.

“Though he’s known for his power guitar, Jimmy is a real folk aficionado,” said Donovan, sipping a flute of Beaumont des Crayères champagne. Page, sat to his right amid piles of cushions in the snug tent, agreed. “A lot of my songs were written on the acoustic guitar. And so much of the first album of Led Zeppelin was acoustic too.”
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jimmy-page-rocks-surprise-appearance-at-d...

Well it's nice to hear Jimmy out doing something. Instead of waiting for Plant,I wish he would put some guys together and go out on the road. Doesn't have to be a Zep reunion.Just play Jimmy.

Here ya go.... Sunshine Superman featuring Jimmy Page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdhzhF7HuoM

Epistle To Dippy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qdgN0uR2_8

Catch The Wind / Colours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FXehXz16Tg

Ferris Wheel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x73BCYY_urE

Nice...........................................

Thanks for all the great video's Voodoo, Sunshine Superman (the album) has a special place in my heart, I bought it when it came out, loved it & still do.

Honky Tonk Man wrote on Jun 7^th, 2011 at 2:36pm:


Yes, you're correct about that, one thing I do know is my Yardbirds history, John Paul Jones was probably doing sessions for Herman Hermits.

Jimmy Page joined The Yardbirds in June '66, they were one of the opening acts for The Stones at the Royal Albert Hall concert in '66.


When Jimmy Page Debuted With the Yardbirds and Steely Dan Broke Up
This week in rock history also saw the first performance of the Beatles' 'All You Need is Love'

The Yardbirds in 1966.
Gered Mankowitz/Redferns/Getty Images
By Stacey Anderson
June 21, 2011 12:40 PM ET

This week in rock history, Jimmy Page hit the stage with the Yardbirds, the Beatles told the world that "All You Need is Love," Steely Dan broke up, John Lennon's murderer pleaded guilty, and the Ronettes took Phil Spector to court.

June 21, 1966: ­ Jimmy Page makes his live debut with the Yardbirds

Before Jimmy Page became the quintessential guitar player with mystique, he was a bass player with ambition.

In 1966, Page joined one of the most influential and up-and-coming British bands of his era, the Yardbirds. At only 22 years old, he was already a respected session musician in London – in fact, the blues-leaning rock band had approached him two years earlier to replace then-guitarist Eric Clapton, but Page declined in loyalty to his pal. A year later, when Clapton quit, the group solicited Page again, who in turn recommended another friend, Jeff Beck (because Page was raking in the cash sitting in with Decca Records artists, including the Rolling Stones).

Page finally joined the group in 1966 as a replacement for bassist Paul Samwell-Smith. At his first show with the Yardbirds, at the Marquee Club in London, he played electric bass. The venue was a significant one for the Yardbirds, as they'd held their first residency there in February 1964, and the show celebrated Page's hard-won presence. Page kept up four-string duties for a bit before switching to twin lead guitar alongside Beck – until Beck left the tumultuous group too, and the Yardbirds became a quartet with Page at lone lead guitar. It was with this lineup that they released their final album, 1967's Little Games.

All three guitarists of the Yardbirds – Clapton, Page, Beck – would become guitar superstars. However, the Yardbirds proved an especially strong catalyst for Page's future glory: When singer Keith Relf and drummer Jim McCarty left the quarreling group in 1968, Page rebranded the band as "the New Yardbirds" and recruited vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham. Bassist John Paul Jones came into the fold soon after – and with him, the one and only lineup of Led Zeppelin was cemented.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/when-jimmy-page-debuted-with-the-yardbird...