Zep-tomaniac

>> For John Paul Jones, the songs remain the same

By JOHNSON CUMMINS

John Paul Jones is, of course, best known for being in one of rock's most influential bands, Led Zeppelin. But the silent Zep member has been more than busy since the band's demise, producing Butthole Surfers, Diamanda Galas and REM, scoring soundtracks and doing classical arranging. The Mirror caught up with him while he was on the road supporting his first solo record Zooma.

Mirror: I think that a lot of people don't realize that Led Zeppelin wasn't just Page and Plant. Does it bother you that you never got proper credit?

JPJ: I guess history got rewritten a bit when Page and Plant went out together and people began to think that they were Led Zeppelin. I suddenly kind of said, "Hey, wait a minute, there were four people in that band."

M: On the new record Zooma I can still hear a lot of Zeppelin.

JPJ: Well, I was in the band for 12 years. I liked the things I did in Zeppelin, so I guess I was re-influenced by the band.

M: I think a lot of people weren't expecting something so hard-edged from you.

JPJ: Well, "Black Dog" was my riff, y'know (laughs).

M: What are you listening to these days?

JPJ: I'm listening to Morphine, Nine Inch Nails, Primal Scream and I just got a lot of bluegrass stuff when I was in Nashville.

M: Are you still in contact with Page and Plant?

JPJ: We get together for Zeppelin business but not really for social contact.

M: Will you play with those guys again?

JPJ: No. I'm really happy with what I'm doing now.

M: You have been putting Zeppelin songs in your set. How did you pick them?

JPJ: Well, "No Quarter" and "Black Dog" just seemed obvious and the other songs, like "When the Levee Breaks," seemed well-suited for the steel guitar, which is what I play on those songs. I always knew I would do some Zeppelin songs in the set and one of the reasons is because I would only have a 45-minute set without them (laughs).

M: Are you proud about having been in one of the most powerful rhythm sections ever?

JPJ: I will always be proud of everything I did in Zeppelin but I'm especially proud of the work I did with John Bonham. There was no limit to what we could do.

M: Do people freak out when they meet you on the street?

JPJ: I had a real hard time checking into the hotel today because I couldn't prove who I was. But the other day I was in a cab and the driver could rattle off every session I've done since 1964. It's strange and unreal that people can know so much about me.

M: When I read Hammer of the Gods it seemed like you were the only guy in the band who avoided the parties, groupies, drugs and so on.

JPJ: That book is completely inaccurate. What a wretched book. It really painted us as miserable bastards, which was not true at all. We loved being on the road. They messed up all of the stories. I would avoid the journalists but I didn't really avoid the parties (laughs). :

At the new Club Soda on Saturday, April 1, 8:30pm, $24.50+taxes. Advance tickets at Theatre St-Denis (Soda ticket-wicket not yet up and running)