And whereas it is the ’80s that’s normally pinpointed to as the height “Led Clones” interval (i.e., artists that modeled their sound after Led Zeppelin), when you actually suppose lengthy and arduous about it, it was approach again within the early-mid ’70s that others started pulling inspiration from the primary few Zeppelin albums, and continued to take action for the rest of the last decade.
In my 2024 ebook, Led Clones: The Led Zeppelin Imitator Craze of the ’80s…and Past, this topic is completely explored and analyzed, and covers all Zep disciples all through every decade beginning within the ’70s as much as fashionable instances. And under are excerpts that concentrate on the actual decade that gave us Star Wars, pet rocks, bell backside denims, afros, and punk rock – along with a number of bands motivated by Plant, Web page, Jones, and Bonham.
Rush
With Led Zeppelin unquestionably probably the most well-liked and profitable rock bands by the early ’70s, the primary bands cropped up that had a sound that was decidedly Zep-heavy. And positively on the high of the record must be Rush. Though they’d finally discover their very own distinctive sound (peaking with among the best one-two punches ever in arduous rock, 1980’s Everlasting Waves and 1981’s Transferring Photos), there isn’t a denying that the Canadian trio’s self-titled debut from 1974 is just about only one large Zep-ism. Living proof, the Robert Plant-esque vocal wailing courtesy of Geddy Lee on such tunes as “Discovering My Approach” and Alex Lifeson‘s Jimmy Web page-like riffing on “Working Man.”
And in contrast to some artists who fib and fake as if it is only one huge “joyful accident” that they sounded related (a straightforward solution to wiggle out of a good spot in an interview has all the time been, “We share the identical influences…so, in fact we sound related”), the Rush lads have been all the time sincere about being influenced by Zeppelin. And Lee even made positive to confess as a lot in his excellent 2023 autobiography, My Effin’ Life.
Nevertheless, after I had the chance to ask Lifeson about Rush’s Zep-like observe “Working Man” for my 2023 eBook, The 100 Best Songs of Heavy Steel (oops, guess I simply gave away one of many record’s fortunate picks!), he defined that it was not Zeppelin that impressed the observe, however quite, one other legendary British band. “‘Working Man’ was written within the early Nineteen Seventies once we have been 17 years outdated. Influenced by our love for Cream, it grew to become considered one of our longer jam songs and a possibility to stretch out and exhaust our teenage fingers. Working youngsters, certainly!”
Coronary heart
And whereas a lot of the artists influenced by Zeppelin previous and current turned out to be male, there was at the very least one exception. In fact, the artist in query is Coronary heart. Whereas they’re extensively thought-about to hail from from Seattle, the band spent a formative early stint in Vancouver, British Columbia, particularly across the time of their debut album. The group was led by sisters Ann Wilson on vocals and Nancy Wilson on guitar, and like Montrose, issued a traditional debut immediately, with 1975’s Dreamboat Annie – which spawned such hits as “Magic Man” and “Loopy on You.”
And in contrast to the aforementioned Montrose, Coronary heart’s music total was not an apparent tip o’ the cap to Zeppelin…till you got here throughout a particular observe. And that observe was “Barracuda,” off their third providing, 1977’s Little Queen, which contained greater than a passing resemblance riff and groove-wise (in addition to sonically) to Zeppelin’s “Achilles Final Stand.”
Triumph
And but one other Canadian band that additionally obtained “Zepped” was Triumph. And their singer/guitarist, Rik Emmett, has clear recollections of Zeppelin’s early affect on him as a musician. “I can keep in mind sitting in the lounge with the Zeppelin albums – transferring the needle, transferring the needle – making an attempt to determine, ‘How do you play that intro to ‘Black Canine’?’ Which now, everyone is aware of what it’s. However again in these days, no person knew – ‘How do you rely that factor? That is simply bizarre.’ Everyone performed it fallacious. To mannequin ourselves after Zeppelin was the factor that allowed us to get our foot contained in the door and have knowledgeable profession.”
In consequence, there are particular early Triumph tunes which have an unmistakable “Led taste” to them. “If you happen to hearken to the first Triumph album [1976’s self-titled], there have been ‘riff rock’ songs. Songs like ‘Be My Lover,’ there may be an amalgam of influences that present up. However the riffs can be ‘Be My Lover,’ ‘Straightforward Life’ – that is Zeppelin. And the proof within the pudding was in these days, we have been nonetheless a bar band, and we nonetheless performed two units of Led Zeppelin each evening.”
Moxy
Now, at this level, how about we focus on one of many extra obscure Zep replicators of the ’70s – one other Canadian band, that glided by the identify of Moxy. By no means heard of them? Do not feel dangerous, neither did I – till I heard a few their tunes nestled inside the 1989 Tommy Bolin field set, The Final (as Bolin was employed as a session guitarist to lend his six-string expertise to a number of tunes on their 1975 self-titled debut). And upon giving the whole album a hear, tunes equivalent to “Cannot You See I am a Star,” “Nonetheless I Marvel,” and “Out of the Darkness – Into the Fireplace” comprise plain Zep components. However one tune specifically, “Prepare,” is the group’s most evident swipe.
Talking to Moxy guitarist Earl Johnson for the 2008 ebook, Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story, he defined how the late/nice guitarist (finest identified for brief stints in the James Gang and Deep Purple, plus taking part in on the jazz-fusion traditional Spectrum by Billy Cobham) obtained concerned with the band within the studio. “I beloved his taking part in, however by no means met him personally, and need I had. I wrote about 95% of Moxy’s first album because the guitar participant. I obtained right into a struggle with the producer concerning the guitar solos I used to be taking part in on the time – extra like Web page and Beck – and Tommy was introduced in a single evening after I was thrown out of the studio by the producer.”
Trying again years later, Johnson figures all of it labored out for the very best. “It truly made me a greater participant, as I felt challenged, and knew I had to enhance my taking part in. Tommy had an amazing really feel and elegance, and I admired him for that. Moxy went on to report two extra albums, and by the third album, I used to be ripping and utterly assured – a lot of that was spinoff from the primary album. I used to be fortunate in that our two largest songs from the primary album have been songs that I performed all of the guitar tracks on – ‘Sail On Sail Away’ and ‘Cannot You See I am A Star’.”
So…Why So Many Canadian Zep Disciples within the ’70s?
Trying again upon Canadian rock bands of the ’70s, it looks as if the bulk have been equally influenced by Zep rock and in addition, prog rock. And Triumph’s Rik Emmett defined why/how this occurred. “I feel the prog factor got here only a tiny bit later. However when you look again on Zeppelin, their first album got here out in North America in ’69,
their second album got here out in ’69, their third album got here out in ’70, their fourth album got here out in ’71. So, in two years you bought 4 albums. That is like a blizzard of stuff.”
“And on the identical time, you had all these different acts that have been doing stuff like, the Jeff Beck Fact album was ’68 – that was a really influential album right here. Pink Floyd albums have been occurring on the identical time. Proper round then I used to be discovering Sure, Genesis, and Pink Floyd. Canadian radio – that was a number of the stuff they performed. So, there was an enormous marketplace for that stuff in Canada. However the factor in fact was…it was a little bit tougher to play. [Laughs] You wanted extra gear, you wanted extra musicians. It was an extended haul between gigs in Canada, in order that’s why it was extra like, ‘Maintain the band small. Make it’s a trio – you possibly can all match within the van with the gear’.”
“I feel it is truthful to say that the entire concept of ‘riff rocking’ was type of the factor that Zeppelin discovered. I favored Deep Purple so much, however you needed to lug round a Hammond B3. If you happen to have been making an attempt to get in on the grass roots and also you have been an influence trio, it was only a query of getting amps on the backline – and you did not have to have a fourth man to pay. So, Zeppelin, Hendrix, and Cream – that was the triumvirate of heavy bands that everyone stated, ‘We will do that. The least quantity of mouths to feed, and essentially the most quantity of noise you can make’.”
Led Clones: The Led Zeppelin Imitator Craze of the ’80s…and Past is accessible as paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and audio variations. Click on right here to order.
