BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN

Great Entertainment for Zeppelin Fans

Valuable Lessons for Bands and Musicians

By Mikey Capone

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Led Zeppelin. In the 70s, the radio stations played all genres of music including Pop, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Disco, Folk, Country and Rock and being exposed to all this wonderful music was a great and life changing experience.

I understand today’s radio world that focuses on a particular genre, however it’s not the same. I feel that regardless of upbringing, status, skin color or language, music is something that unites us. Think about it. Even if you don’t understand the language that’s being sung, you can still hum a memorable vocal melody.

Back in those days the radio stations would play a set, usually about an hour give or take with commercial breaks and at the end they would list the song titles and names of the artists.

So, if you were listening while driving and busy or got to your location before the set was over you would not get to hear who the artist was of the song you liked.

A classmate in high school, who was a friend and drummer I jammed with, had an older brother who served in the US armed forces and was stationed in the UK. He would bring home all these LPs, and we would sit on the carpet and listen to all this stuff for hours.

One day I remember him saying, just wait until you hear this. We smoked some weed and after listening to this album, I just thought, this is my definition of what great music sounds like. The vocals were majestic and soaring as was the harmonica playing, the rhythm section was fierce and most importantly was dynamic and provided a solid foundation. The guitar song riffs and other instruments such as Mandolin were otherworldly.

However, what was truly remarkable and what really made this band different, was the way they created and recorded music.

They rented a farmhouse in the country, abundant with land, trees, brooks, rain, forests, castle walls.

In other words, massive vibe and history, where they lived and worked, away from the distractions of the city, they focused on creating and recording their work using sophisticated, unique arrangements, odd timing and alternate tunings and instruments.

It was those surroundings of the countryside, along with their personal chemistry and respect for each other as professional musicians. More importantly trust in their visionary leader, Jimmy Page, and the full support from their manager, Peter Grant. For example, after their first jam session inn a basement rehearsal studio everything went very well. Robert Plant said “ I knew I was in a room of Giants.”

Jimmy, very please said to the person who would become best known as the very best rock drummer in the world for five decades, yet Jimmy said to Bonham “can you tone it down a bit?” Evidently, Jimmy felt that Bonham was overplaying.

When they resumed the jam, Bonham ignored Jimmy’s suggestion and continued bashing about. Peter Grant didn’t miss a beat, and he noticed this exchange and said to Bonham “do what Jimmy says or fuck off!” In other words, I trust Jimmy, and you should too because he knows what he is doing.

Yet, at the same time, everyone wanted to do whatever it took to make each song the best it can be. Everyone was encouraged to speak out, to contribute individually and collectively and to try anything and everything, never afraid of speaking up or doing another take even when everyone felt the last take was the best. For example, while recording “Stairway To Heaven” and after listening Bonham said great lets go to the pub, implying he felt that take was the one. Jimmy Page, contemplating and in deep thought, Bonham looked towards Jimmy with that look and Jimmy said… “I’m not sure that’s our best performance.” Temperamental Bonham ran got on his kit and they did another take. After the listen, Bonham had the look on his face of “Bastards always right!”

Based on intuition, the gut feeling that they were capable of doing even better Jimmy pushed his own boundaries and trusted his instincts. The next take is the magic take we all listen to. Take all of that along with those arrangements, inspired vocal melodies which inspired the incredible subject matter, lyrics and storytelling.

That doesn’t scratch the surface of the attention to the tiny details that made Led Zeppelin… Led Zeppelin.

The album cover artwork was cryptic, mysterious and non-conforming, non-mainstream, non-commercial and often was non descriptive. A set of artistically and beautifully written lyrics, a mysterious tall, robed figure and four mysterious symbols were just about all I remember.

This is the iconic fourth album from the band known as Led Zeppelin, named after a statement from The Who drummer, Keith Moon, when hearing that Jimmy Page formed his own band, Keith’s response was “that will go over like a Lead Zeppelin” as in it will never fly.

Peter Grant, the bands manager felt that people might mis pronounce the band name “Leed” Zeppelin so he cleverly dropped the letter “A” from the spelling and so Led Zeppelin became the name. I was always listening to the radio and scouring the record stores and reading all the music magazines to see if there was any word of the next Led Zeppelin album.

It was like an addiction. Finally, “Physical Graffiti” was released as well as “Presence” and both masterpiece albums certainly exceeded expectations and took the Zeppelin to new sonic heights.

Then the announcement of a US tour. Then the tragic news that Robert Plants son, Karac had died, and the tour was understandably cancelled. Finally, the tour was rescheduled.

I waited in line for hours and when it was my turn, the tickets were sold out. I pleaded with the person and she said “ok wait over there and if I see any tickets available, I’ll call you.” I starred at her for what felt like an eternity, feeling my eyes dry from not blinking. After seeing person after person being turned away from the ticket booth, suddenly she motions to me and I jumped up and sprinted to her. She had tickets.

They were $9.50 each which was a lot of money considering I was a busboy at a coffee shop making $1.65 an hour working after school and on weekends. Today those tickets would be $3500. I remember walking into the ASU Activity Center and walking in and seeing the stage setup with Jimmy Pages iconic “ZOSO” painted on his Marshall speaker cabinet.

When the lights shut off, the entire stadium erupted into the most exciting and loud roar. It seemed like forever before they took the stage and hearing one by one Bonzo testing his drums with a few hits, John Paul Jones playing a couple notes, and boom it was on.

The concert was fantastic. It turned out to be the next to last performance they ever made. Tragically, John Bonham died along with the band. However, the legacy evidenced by the recordings keeps growing.

Today’s young adults are being exposed to this music by their cool grandparents who lived a far more wild life than they imagined and are realizing that the truly great era of music was indeed the 70s. Now, for the first time in more than 50 years, Becoming Led Zeppelin, a movie about the first 12 months of this legendary band’s meteoric rise is more than a great and entertaining movie.

Based on my experience as a music Producer, Recording Artist, Performing Artist, Songwriter, Lead Singer and Multi-Instrumentalist, my perspective is that Becoming Led Zeppelin is a textbook, an almost step by step guide to what it takes to become a great band and many of the ideas I present can be adapted to today’s music world.

With the current resurgence of classic rock music on the rise, there is room for creative musicians who have the creative skills, emotional skills and intellectual skills and social skills who make timely, wise decisions can be among the Legendary bands like Led Zeppelin.

Here is my perspective as a music artist, my take on this great movie and lessons to be learned by the serious musician and band…

The Visionary

The movie starts with scenes of the remnants of World War II and the bombed-out city of London and the resulting hardships of having to rebuild from scratch and at the same time relieved that Hitler and Nazi Germany was defeated. There was a great sense of hope.

The people of Europe are known for their educational principles and value all forms of art, especially literature and music. Being exposed to all the great music coming in from America, typically through the service men and women in uniform, Europe learned of all the great American Blues music, R&B, Jazz, Country, Rock and Pop.

With blues music artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Robert Johnson and songwriters like Willie Dixon, then Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley and others.

Jimmy Page was inseparable from his guitar. He would bring it to school only to have it confiscated by his teachers. Jimmy became a session musician who played on everything you can imagine and all styles of music.

He was fortunate to work with Engineer and Producer, Glynn Johns, and was able to ask questions and learn the technical side of music recording, mic placement and how the equipment worked.

These technical skills combined with Jimmy’s vision, taste and leadership would set the stage for many ideas that shaped his career, and it was his vision that made Led Zeppelin possible.

At the same time, it takes intelligent people to notice a visionary. Plant, Bonham and Jonesy were also visionary musicians and creators.

The massive body of work of masterpiece song after another, inspired by Jimmy’s vision, would inspire the future of the music industry for decades.

Jimmy was invited to play in the Yardbirds alongside Jeff Beck. One day, the band quit leaving only Jimmy Page. Page said to manager, Peter Grant “I’m going to form a band, and I know exactly what I want to do with it.”

Professional Support

Peter Grant was a formidable and highly experienced professional in the music industry. As the manager of the Yardbirds, he was well known as an honest, take no prisoners style of management. In person, he was a presence. Large, tall, well spoken, and due to his experience as a professional wrestler, as well as his interest in professional acting, he was keenly aware of the fact that his presence was felt among everyone who encountered him, and he used that to his advantage as well as the bands he represented.

Peter Grant had a reputation as someone you don’t want to mess with.

He was a great protector, and the few that got near Led Zeppelin didn’t do so without talking to Peter Grant. No one got away with trying to take advantage of his artists, especially Led Zeppelin.

He managed the Yardbirds and they had good success with hits like “For Your Love.” When the band broke up leaving Jimmy Page behind, Jimmy shared his vision of forming a new band and that he knew exactly what he wanted to do with this new band. Peter, without a moment of hesitation fully supported Jimmy.

The London Session Musician Culture

John Paul Jones was a session musician who played on everything including many Tom Jones hits. As a session musician in that circuit everyone in that community hung out every Monday looking for work and everyone knew each other. John Paul Jones worked together with Jimmy Page on a number of occasional including title track of the James Bond 007 move “Goldfinger.”

Word got out that Jimmy Page was forming a new band and one day when Jones got home from work, his wife made a profound statement. She said, “I read an article that Jimmy Page is forming a band and you should give him a call.” Jones said I have all these commitments and sessions. His wife insisted, “I think you should give him a call.”

Jones called Jimmy and said “I heard you are putting together a band and if you need a bass player, I would like to be part of it.” Jimmy said I’m working on some ideas and going to check out a singer and will call you.

Getting Straight to Work

Jimmy said to Peter, he wanted to talk to Terry Reid about joining his new group. Peter tracked Terry down and Terry couldn’t do it because of other commitments and suggested an unknown singer in the midlands named Robert Plant. Reid added, “and be sure to get his drummer too.”

Plant had his own band called “The Band of Joy” and they were playing gigs in his region of where he lived. Peter and Jimmy didn’t wait until next month or next week. They put on their coats and took off in the car to the midlands and that’s an important detail we’ll discuss in a moment.

Stepping Through Open Doors

The first place they go they see a man and asked him “do you know where we can find a chap named Robert Plant” and the chap replied “Yes, I’m Robert Plant!”

Peter and Jimmey invited Robert to come to London to jam with John Paul Jones and another drummer Jimmy had in mind and Robert immediately replied “you will not find a better drummer on the planet than John Bonham. He has the dynamics you want.”

Bonhams wife urged him not to get involved with that “Planty,” he’s a disaster. Plant had been homeless, had a suitcase with a few clothes and a harmonica and urged Bonham to go with him to jam with the Yardbirds, “This is a huge opportunity and you’ll regret it, you must go with me to London.”

One of the defining moments in becoming Led Zeppelin was their readiness to seize opportunities immediately. Jimmy and Peter didn't wait for Robert Plant to come to them.

They didn't overthink or delay; they got into their car and went straight to him. Opportunities don’t always wait. Hesitation often means missing out. Successful bands learn that taking prompt action, especially when it involves assembling the right people, can mean the difference between mediocrity and greatness.

Teamwork

From the outset, Led Zeppelin understood the critical importance of chemistry and teamwork. Jimmy Page could have chosen seasoned, well-known musicians, yet he trusted his instincts and prioritized synergy and creative alignment.

Each member brought unique talents and ideas, complementing each other's strengths and compensating for weaknesses. Great bands recognize that teamwork isn’t just playing together—it's genuinely listening, collaborating, and respecting each member’s contribution.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Jimmy and Peter weren't just dreamers—they were doers. They invested their resources, reputation, and time into the band.

Jimmy leveraged his experience, contacts, and session work savings, and Peter Grant invested his credibility and fierce protective instincts.

They both, along with John Paul Jones, invested their own money into putting the band together and recording their first album.

This demonstrated commitment and belief—key qualities every musician and band must adopt. If you truly believe in your music, you must be willing to invest everything you've got.

Focus

Led Zeppelin’s phenomenal rise wasn't luck—it was relentless focus. They immersed themselves fully into their work. The documentary reveals how meticulously the band prepared and rehearsed. Jimmy brought “The New Yardbirds” to his home by the river where they could live, focus full time energy into putting together the set and rehearse for the upcoming shows and tour.

Every song, arrangement, and stage setup were a product of relentless refinement and focus. Aspiring musicians must realize that distractions abound. Focus allows bands to evolve from good to exceptional.

Momentum

Building momentum was pure instinct, engrained into Led Zeppelin's being.

Jimmy and Peter, either consciously or subconsciously, understood momentum's power in both creativity and business-wise.

They quickly recorded their first album and immediately toured the U.S., knowing the exposure would solidify their reputation.

Bands today can learn the importance of consistently creating, performing, and engaging with audiences.

Momentum is like getting a giant ball rolling. Once you get it rolling it’s easy to keep it going by maintaining consistency, once lost, can be difficult to regain in most cases. However, in the case of Led Zeppelin, there is another force called suspense and mystery which we will discuss in a moment.

Fulfilling Commitments

A crucial lesson from Led Zeppelin is honoring commitments.

When the members of the Yardbirds quit, Jimmy Page understood the profound importance of fulfilling the touring commitments The Yardbirds had made..

At the same time, he shaped the opportunity to keep his name in the spotlight and using the Yardbirds brand to take his vision to the next step.

Professionalism means delivering what you promise, even when life becomes challenging.

Fans and industry professionals remember integrity, and it shapes lasting careers.

Branding

The Yardbirds already had a viable brand with hit songs and three iconic guitarists, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Jimmy could have done what most bands would do and have done and take the easy route and simply keep the Yardbirds name, and went along the ride with some success. However, Jimmy was a visionary.

With this lineup of Robert Plant, John Bonham, John Paul Jones and himself, Jimmy knew that he had the makings of something truly special. He also knew that he must take a calculated risk.

Jimmy page had a band like no other and knew he must create a new brand like no other.

By branding the band “Formerly Known as The New Yardbirds, introducing Led Zeppelin” Jimmy made the most profound decision of his career and shook the music industry to it’s core.

Future branding, by avoiding big, flashy commercial graphics, Led Zeppelin’s chose the understated. The unique, mysterious album cover art, cryptic symbols, and evocative imagery weren't accidents—they were carefully cultivated branding strategies.

The branding was simple. Brand Led Zeppelin as an underground band, the next band to conquer the world. No singles were released, few press releases, zero advertising. A press feeling left out published bad reviews of the band. Fans, after seeing the band firsthand, hearing the band and how good they were and feeling the energy, the smell of success was everywhere. Fans were supporting the band even more so. Shows were selling out in minutes and with zero advertising. The attempted strategy of the press to try to crush the momentum of the band had backfired.

George Harrison said the Led Zeppelin didn’t have enough acoustic songs. When Jimmy heard this, he took the opening hook of Georges iconic song “Something” which has been named as the best song by the Beatles, and Jimmy turned it into another masterpiece, The Rain Song.

Each album was designed to intrigue, create curiosity, and deepen fan engagement.

Today's musicians must develop a clear, authentic brand identity that resonates emotionally with their audience.

Your music, visuals, and messaging should create a unified, memorable brand.

Marketing

Peter Grant revolutionized music management through aggressive, smart marketing. On Jimmy’s insistence and with the full support of Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin famously avoided traditional singles, compelling listeners to experience entire albums.

They created a sense of exclusivity, turning their music into events rather than commodities.

Today, musicians can leverage unique marketing strategies, using storytelling and limited releases to build anticipation and excitement around their work.

Efficiency

Time management and efficiency were cornerstones of Zeppelin’s early success. Studio time was expensive and limited; they couldn't afford wastefulness.

Jimmy decided the band would record the second album while on tour after shows and on days in between show dates. Peter booked studios during their off time with one session starting at 11pm onward to get the lowest rates.

They prepared meticulously, arrived ready, and executed swiftly, taking advantage of the momentum of being on the road.

Modern bands should emulate this by optimizing rehearsal, recording, and touring schedules. Effective planning ensures that creativity flourishes rather than suffering from fatigue or burnout.

FULL CIRCLE

Decades later, Led Zeppelin's legacy endures stronger than ever.

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" closes the circle by reconnecting younger generations to a powerful moment in music history. The lessons learned can be adapted to current or future circumstances and can be more relevant today than ever.

I urge you to not just watch Becoming Led Zeppelin as great entertainment, but study it and learn from it.

Aspiring musicians now have a blueprint for greatness: vision, action, teamwork, commitment, focus, momentum, professionalism, branding, smart marketing, and efficiency.

Ultimately, becoming legendary—like Led Zeppelin—is about embracing your unique creativity, believing fiercely in your vision, and relentlessly doing the work necessary to realize it.

As Zeppelin taught us, the pathway to musical immortality isn't luck; it's deliberate, focused action fueled by passion and resilience.