The Becoming Led Zeppelin documentary from American Epic director Bernard MacMahon is complete Variety Reports. The project, then untitled was first announced in 2019. This will be the first ever Led Zeppelin documentary to actually have input from the band themselves. The only previous film to have the band members participate was The Song Remains the Same, and to be honest that was more of a weird 70’s live-action concert.
“’Becoming Led Zeppelin’ is a film that no one thought could be made,” said MacMahon. “The band’s meteoric rise to stardom was swift and virtually undocumented. Through an intense search across the globe and years of restoration of the visual and audio archive found, this story is finally able to be told.”
The film includes new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham, who died in 1980. The film features never-before-seen archive film and photographs, state-of-the-art audio transfers of the band’s music and the music of other artists who shaped their sound.
When the project was first announced, Page said: “When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is ‘American Epic,’ I knew he would be qualified to tell our story.”
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Ok, at LRM we do not normally cover music, or many documentaries, but this is flaming historic people. I am a huge Led Zeppelin fan, for me, they are the greatest band that ever was, or ever will be. I know LRM contributor Seth McDonald shares my love of the band as well. Led Zeppelin were only around for 12 years, from the bands formation and subsequent first self-titled album in 1968, to the tragic death of drummer John Bonham in 1980. If you like rock music, this is where it truly began. If the Beatles defined pop music in the 60’s then Zeppelin, along with Pink Floyd, defined the rock genre in the 70’s. The entire late 70’s and early 80′ Rock to hair metal to heavy metal phase began with Zeppelin and to a lesser extent, Black Sabbath.
Zeppelin were simply four world class musicians who when playing together produced magic. The live concerts, most of which can only be heard on bootlegs now were legendary. Zeppelin never seemed to play the same concert or set twice. There was always creativity, sometimes good, sometimes less so in a a Zeppelin show, and that flying by the seat of your pants jamming vibe was infectious. If you have never given them a chance, then check your Spotify or iTunes for Led Zeppelin, start at the start and follow their musical journey. You’ll be impressed by the sheer quality of the music on offer.
Becoming Led Zeppelin
There have been so many Zeppelin documentaries, and I’ve probably watched most of them. After all, I was only 2 years old when Zeppelin split up following Bonham’s death. However, no matter how good some of the docs were, the band would not talk. Therefore it means we only have the same old official footage from the same old interviews to see again and again. Even back in their hey day Zeppelin didn’t do much press or marketing, that’s how good they were. Zeppelin’s fourth and likely most famous album doesn’t even have a title or any words on the album cover.
Therefore, the chance for a proper, well made Led Zeppelin documentary, that has the bad involved, is historic. This has never happened before and likely will never happen again. Sadly, for now, there is no release date. However let’s hope it appears soon and I will be watching it wherever I can get access.
I sometimes wonder just where Zeppelin would have gone had Bonham not sadly passed away caused by his alcoholism? At the time Bonham’s alcoholism was probably less dangerous than Jimmy Page’s heroin addiction. It was Bonham’s death which helped Page to kick the habit. Zeppelin’s final album was the one least influenced by band creator Page due to his addictions. However, Zeppelin, without any of the four, is just not Zeppelin. And of them all, the sheer quality of John Bonham was arguably the most crucial component. Bonham is commonly regarded by most great drummers as the greatest of all time. Though I’d rate Jimmy the best guitarist of all time and JPJ was just a musical savant.
I can’t wait to see Becoming Led Zeppelin, what about you? Any Zep fans as excited as me for this new film?
