- Title: USA: JOHN PAUL JONES OF LED ZEPPELIN FAME PROMOTES SOLO ALBUM
- Date: 31st October 1999
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (RTV) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JONES SAYING "It's a very personal record for me. What I wanted to do was bring all the skills that I had practiced over the years, in production and arranging, apart from literally instrumentalising, just playing and performing instruments. And the recording skills that I'd accumulated ... but I don't
- Embargoed: 15th November 1999 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Communications,Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA8PBI3LYJYS2MIHX848AS5LNEP
- Story Text: John Paul Jones, the artist internationally renowned as the bass and keyboardist for the legendary Led Zeppelin, has embarked on a U.S tour to promote his long awaited solo album.
Rock n' roll legend, John Paul Jones, former bass and keyboardist of the rock's Led Zeppelin, has released his first solo album, 'Zooma' and has begun a U.S.promotion tour.
As the only remaining Zeppelin member to progress and experiment with new styles and directions, John Paul Jones is now at the advent of an on-going solo career.For the last three decades, Jones has made enormous contributions to music history as a composer, arranger, producer and musician.
"Its a long story - I suppose at the back of every musicians mind is a solo album somewhere.And after the death of John Bonham, which was the end of Zeppelin, nobody knew what to do.I didn't want to join another band, after Zeppelin that's a pretty hard act to follow.So I started producing and arranging, I did classical composition, I even taught composition a little bit.I spent a lot of time with my family who were growing up and I hadn't seen that much whilst we were doing so many tours.Then coming right the way round to about 1994, 95, I did a collaboration, an album and tour, with Diamanda Galas - Sporting Life and I thought...wait a minute this is great, standing on a stage where you can see the people you're playing to, a small room you know you get a vibe going.I thought - how do I do this again.....that solo album could come back around now.Design it so it could be played live, take it out on the road and play again.So a lot of things coming together at this time."
Largely overshadowed by his nine phenomenally successful albums with Led Zeppelin between 1969 and 1980, Jones had long before established himself as a virtuoso musician, performer and consummate craftsman in composition, direction and arrangement for a string of hits by The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Jeff Beck, The Yardbirds, Cat Stevens and Marc Bolan dating as far back as 1963.
Jones composed and produced all nine tracks on his new album, and mixed several as well.He also plays a variety of instruments including four, ten and twelve string basses, bass lap steel, mandola, organ and guitars.The instrumental album clearly shows that he was one of the main architects of the Led Zeppelin sound.The riff-laden album is built around intricate bass/drum interplay and as Jones explains there was not need for lyrics.
"It's a very personal record for me.What I wanted to do was bring all the skills that I had practiced over the years, in production and arranging, apart from literally instrumentalising, just playing and performing instruments.
And the recording skills that I'd accumulated...but I don't sing and I don't write songs, so there didn't seem any point in getting another singer in to then write his lyrics, and then suddenly it wouldn't then be my own project."
The album was released in North America, Europe and Japan where Jones will perform to promote the album.The tour begins in North America, then moves to Europe and on to Japan in December. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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