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September 4, 2008
Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page Would Be ‘Honored’ To Play At 2012 Olympics
Fanning the flames of speculation regarding a Led Zeppelin reunion yet again, guitarist Jimmy Page was asked if he would perform at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and the rocker responded that he would be "honored" to do so if her were asked.
Recent reports of activity that involved Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham seems to indicate that the three may be eager to bring Led Zeppelin back again, but with Robert Plant on tour with Alison Krauss until early October, and not sounding as enthusiastic about reviving the group as many fans would like, some doubt, as usual, remains.
Page also took some time to answer some criticism that has been directed at his performance with Leona Lewis at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing recently. Some critics went as far as calling the performance the worst part of the closing festivities.
"We got so much criticism and I really don’t know why. I think we did a great job, it was an honor to be there. People just need to be less cynical. You know we went out there, we only had ten minutes, what did people expect?" Page was quoted as saying.
With the 2012 Summer Games four years away, it certainly provides enough time for the boys to make up their minds about reuniting for the event if they are asked to contribute to the event. Heck, that should even be enough time for Robert Plant to make up his mind!
August 24, 2008
Led Zeppelin Classic Shows A Little Too Much Love For Olympic Officials
As most die-hide Led Zeppelin fans know by now, Jimmy Page has been called upon to display his talent to a huge audience during the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, which may have already wrapped up as of this writing due to the time difference.
Joining Page is British pop and R&B singer Leona Lewis. This is part of the Olympic tradition that calls for the host nation of the next Summer Games to contribute talent to the closing ceremony. With London being the pick for 2012, Page and Lewis were called upon to represent the United Kingdom.
The song that was chosen, however, has resulted in a bit of controversy due to it being perceived as a bit racy for a family show, and frankly, I’m hard pressed to disagree.
Led Zeppelin’s 1969 hit "Whole Lotta Love" does have a few suggestive versus that will be eliminated from the Olympic performance, while others have been changed a bit. The particular passage "Way, way down inside honey, you need it," has been eliminated, while "I’m gonna give you every inch of my love" has been changed to "I’m gonna give you every bit of my love."
As Leona Lewis rightly points out, that original line with the bit about inches really does not make a whole lot of sense coming from a female performer anyway. I don’t think anyone has any illusions about the real meaning behind those lyrics, despite the absence of any words that refer directly to the human anatomy. As a young teen back in the early 1970’s I knew pretty much exactly what Robert Plant was referring to.
I don’t know how die-hard Led Zeppelin fans feel about these modifications, and I’ve never been one to come down on the side of anything that smacks of heavy-handed, authoritarian-type repression or censorship, but under the circumstances, I think the correct decision has been made.
August 14, 2008
Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page Part of Olympics Closing Ceremony
Although Zep fans are unlikely to hear "Stairway To Heaven" or "Ramble On" blaring from the sound system during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Games, Led Zeppelin guitar legend Jimmy Page will be part of the show.
Page, is set to perform with pop star Leona Lewis. Lewis, who was the third season winner of the U.K. television talent show The X Factor, which is quite similar the wildly-popular American Idol here in the U.S. Lewis is also known for her debut single, "A Moment Like This", which smashed a world record when it was downloaded more than 50,000 times within a half 
hour.
Selecting someone to perform with one of the most recognizable rock legends of all time may have presented a challenge for the people that are charged with making such decisions, but Leona Lewis is likely to be very widely recognized as well, considering that her album reached all the way to number one on at least three continents and nine countries.
This is all part of the Olympic tradition, where the country that is set to host the next Olympic Games performs an 8-minute show during the closing ceremony. With London set to host the 2012 Summer Games, Jimmy Page and Leona Lewis were selected to represent their country, and give the world a chance for a sneak peek at the kind of spectacle the world might expect from the U.K. in 2012.
Also selected to perform as part of the U.K. team will be dancers from urban dance group ZooNation who will be accompanied by performers from the Royal Ballet and CandoCo, a disabled dance company.
After all the accolades we have heard about the monumental expense and effort that went into the preparation for the Beijing Games, and the favorable reports on the extraordinary hospitality shown by the people of that city to accommodate visitors from around the world, the people of London are facing a daunting task to compare with the impression left after the Games in Beijing.
