
From Loudersound.
Seven minutes of footage from Led Zeppelin‘s celebrated show at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles on September 4, 1970 – filmed during the band’s sixth American tour – has emerged after lying unattended in a drawer for 50 years.
The footage has been matched to audio from the band’s famous On Blueberry Hill bootleg, which was recorded the same night, to give fans previously unseen footage of Zeppelin performing Since I’ve Been Loving You, Thank You, What Is And What Should Never Be, Whole Lotta Love, Some Other Guy and Lemon Song, as well as organ and theremin solos.
The original footage was shot by Led Zeppelin fan Eddie Vincent, who borrowed his parent’s home movie camera – a windup 8mm Kodak Brownie capable of recording in 30-second bursts, plus two reels of film – and took it to the show, smuggling it all into the venue under the armpits of a baggy jacket.
“I had really great seats,” Vincent tells Classic Rock. “They were right behind the band. I had seats in the front row, right behind John Bonham’s kit. The only problem was that you couldn’t really see John because the gong was there, but he came around and chatted to us while they were doing the acoustic set.”
Vincent didn’t do anything with the film, and so it gathered dust for the best part of half a century, until he came across some live footage on the internet of The Who shot at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim in 1970, and noticed its similarity to some Who footage of his own.
He reached out to video bootleg trader John Waters, and asked if he could help transfer his own footage into digital files. Waters was blown away by the quality of Vincent’s film and asked if he had any more, and that’s when Vincent revealed he had the Led Zeppelin tape.
“My collector’s heart was racing,” says Waters. “A few days later, the reels arrive and the magic unfolds.”
The footage was despatched to another collector, a French Led Zeppelin expert and audio synchroniser named Etienne Marchand, who was able to identify the exact moments in the 106-minute set that Vincent had filmed, and match them to the relevant parts of the On The Blueberry Hill audio. And that’s the footage that has been released today, on the 50th anniversary of the original show.
“To write ourselves into a little bit of Led Zeppelin history is an honour,” Waters tells Classic Rock. “The music needs to be out there. I know a lot of collectors and traders that don’t give their stuff away, and that’s a shame to me. Music’s to be shared, and today you need it to get away from the crazy world. And if this film brings a lot of people happiness, hey, we did a good job.”
There is a postscript: The following year, when Led Zeppelin came back to Los Angeles, Vincent returned with a camera and a microphone, and was happily recording the show until a familiar, looming figure approached.
“I had a little mic I put on a floor stand under my seat,” says Vincent. “I guess at some point the light shined off this mic, and all of a sudden [Led Zeppelin manager] Peter Grant was by the side of the stage looking at me, and then he started walking over. I was thinking ‘Oh no!’, and he walked right up to me and started pulling at my microphone. You can hear it all on the tape. Finally you hear him go, ‘You’re not allowed to tape the concert’, and it goes dead.”
Grant later returned Vincent’s equipment.
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- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - Remastered 180 Gram - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £24.99, $29.99, €27.99 (New Item) (arrived 08-Feb-2023 11:00)on February 8, 2023 at 2:28 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin IV (2014 UK/EU 8-track LP, their classic 4th album from 1971 Remastered & Produced by Jimmy Page. Pressed on audiophile quality 180-gram heavyweight vinyl, including Stairway To Heaven, Black Dog and Rock And Roll. Housed inside the iconic gatefold picture sleeve replicating the original cover artwork, hype sticker on the front and Swan Song hologram sticker on the reverse. Factory sealed. Essential) #Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - 5th - UK - vinyl LP - £35.00, $42.00, €39.20 (New Item) (arrived 31-Jan-2023 10:05)on February 8, 2023 at 2:28 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin III (1970s UK fifth issue of the 1970 10-track LP on the green & orange Atlantic label with the perimeter text starting and finishing in the orange with no 'W' logo, housed in a die-cut gatefold picture sleeve with rotating wheel. The sleeve displays just light wear whilst the vinyl has very little signs of play. A really nice copy of this great album)
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - Remastered - 180 Gram - Sealed - UK - vinyl LP - £24.99, $29.99, €27.99 (New Item) (arrived 28-Jan-2023 09:46)on February 8, 2023 at 2:28 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin II (2014 UK/EU 9-track LP, their classic second album from 1969, Remastered and produced by Jimmy Page, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Includes Whole Lotta Love, Ramble On and Heartbreaker. Housed inside a gatefold picture sleeve replicating the original sleeve art, hype sticker on the front and Swan Song hologram sticker on the reverse. Factory sealed from new. Essential) #Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV - 180gm - German - 2-LP vinyl set - £35.00, $42.00, €39.20 (New Item) (arrived 28-Jan-2023 10:01)on February 8, 2023 at 2:28 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin IV (2014 German limited edition 16-track double audiophile LP issue of the 1971 album, newly remastered by guitarist & producer Jimmy Page & pressed on 180gm Vinyl, expanded to include previously unreleased companionaudio including studio outtakes, rough mixes & backing tracks, tri-fold picture sleeve with credits insert & Zeppelin logo hologram on the back. The sleeve is Excellent with the odd minor corner bump & the vinyl is Near Mint)
- Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti: 40th Anniversary - 180gm Vinyl - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £34.99, $41.99, €39.19 (New Item) (arrived 28-Jan-2023 10:33)on February 8, 2023 at 2:28 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti (2015 UK/EU Limited 40th Anniversary Edition 15-track double LP reissue of their classic 1975 album, pressed on Audiophile quality 180gm Heavyweight Vinyl, newly remastered by guitarist & producer JimmyPage. The die-cut picture sleeve with picture inners & tracklist insert replicate the original album artwork with a Zeppelin logo hologram on the reverse. The packaging & the vinyl appears Near Mint)
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