Sonic Boom: The Impact of Led Zeppelin. Volume 1 - Break & Enter. Frank Reddon
Middle Earth and Steve Miller, to name some of them all had this feeling on their records. And when they were performing.
The Los Angeles scene by contrast? There was much more emphasis on the music’s production value. Theirs didn’t have that laid-back, experimental feeling apparent in the San Francisco bands and their recordings. Bands on the LA scene weren’t into improvising half as much as the San Francisco groups. They were much more heavily produced on record. A good example? The band that people instantly associate with the LA scene in the 1960s is The Doors. They were a slickly produced band, especially on record.
But I recognize preferences are a state of mind. I guess you could call those of us who think like I do about the respective San Francisco and LA scenes of the 1960s, somewhat elitist or musical snobs. But that’s the way it was. Those differences did exist between the two scenes and the music that’s been recorded is proof of that.
REDDON:
That’s an amazing comparison I would never have made myself. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and telling me all about the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between music in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Very engrossing stuff.
Okay, given both the San Francisco and Los Angeles music scenes and the influence the British bands had on those music scenes of the U.S., how do you think Led Zeppelin fit into all of this? Was their music completely cutting edge, somewhat laid back, laid back, under-produced, over-produced, etc.? What did you think of them in comparison to what was going on in San Francisco and Los Angeles, when you first saw them at the Fillmore West in January 1969?
MALONE: That’s an amazing comparison I would never have made myself. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and telling me all about the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between music in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Very engrossing stuff.
Led Zeppelin was mind-blowing when I saw them at the Fillmore West. I was never a musician but I always was very strongly connected to music in general. I expressed myself through dancing. It’s multi-dimensional: moving through time and space, creating emotion and culture. People danced at the Fillmore West, often barefoot on the parquet floor. Sometimes, you would step on a hot cigarette butt which you always wanted to avoid! We used to either sit on the floor or stand at the back or side of the stage.
The light shows at the Fillmore West were also fantastic. As well, another good light show company, Jerry Abrams’ “Headlights” and, later, Little Princess 109, did amazing presentations. The centre part of the Fillmore West stage was more raised. The stage area around the side-walls was lower.
There were black lights at the Fillmore West. People would paint their faces with iridescent paint. It was like a movie when you were there. All this was happening to the music and lights. The general energy of the crowd made it all very intense. Everywhere, there was freeform dancing in front of the stage…it depended on the music. Bill Graham did an exceptional job of promoting the events. He used to mail out the coming attractions on postcards. So did Chet Helms – he did it first!
REDDON:
What other memories do you have from the 1960s, in addition to seeing The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin?
MALONE: Other recollections from back then? There are so many…I’ll give you a few of my favourites.
REDDON: Excellent, I’m all ears!
MALONE: I met Pink Floyd at the Fillmore West and interviewed them for the local paper. It was such an exciting time for me as a teenager in the 1960s. I also got to be in a movie made by United Artists, called Revolution. It was filmed in 1968. They flew me to the Cannes Film Festival in France. That was an honour because they chose one film per country. At the Cannes Film Festival, I ran into a troupe of travelling theatrical and musical people who called themselves “Human Family”. One of the people I knew did sound for Pink Floyd and it was really something to run into somebody I knew from here, over in France. That was very cool! It’s a small world. So, that’s one off-shoot of the whole “hippie culture” that was truly a memorable experience for me.
The documentary I was in, Revolution, was about sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. The film actually preceded Woodstock and United Artists suppressed it so that it wouldn’t compete with Woodstock. A friend of mine saw Revolution on PBS [Public Broadcasting Service] and Showtime. Now it’s available on DVD with some Big Brother. Revolution was also chosen to represent the United States at Venice and Locarno. It was the first film in history to be chosen for three festivals because it was cutting edge, both innovative and artistic.
We filmed many of the people in it twenty years later (in 1987). The film was recut and re-released as Hippie Revolution. That one is not available. My street and “movie” name was “Today Malone”.
REDDON:
I’d very much like to see The Hippie Revolution sometime. If you ever hear of it becoming available, could you let me know?
MALONE: Sure thing! It would be neat to see it again.
REDDON:
It’s obvious you led an incredibly eventful and fun existence throughout the 1960s. It has been a real education speaking with you, Loui. Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you.
MALONE: It’s been my pleasure, Frank. Let me know how you’re doing on the project, all right?
REDDON: Sure thing Loui, I’ll keep you posted and good-bye.
MALONE: Good-bye!
GORD COTTRILL
A CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSICIAN RIFFS ON HIS RURAL AND ROCK’N’ROLL ROOTS
Jimmy Page in a typical pose of supreme concentration, during his tenure with The Yardbirds.
Courtesy: Howard Mylett Collection, used with permission. Enzepplopedia Publishing, Inc.
In the late 1960s, Gord Cottrill was in his mid-teens. He played lead guitar in a high school band in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, called The Rembrandts. The band became so popular throughout Southern Ontario that the group was eventually invited to play on the prestigious Canadian Bandstand television program in 1967.
Gord (Gordie) went on to become one of the finer professional guitarists in Canada, enjoying a successful career as a live performer as well as a studio musician.
Here he recollects the music that inspired him as a teenager as well as the musical influences that helped him get where he is today. They include two of the most significant British bands in popular music history: The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.
REDDON:
Hi, Gord! Thanks very much for speaking with me. I really appreciate it.
COTTRILL:
Hi, Frank! It sounds like quite a project you’ve undertaken.
REDDON:
It has been a while in the making but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the research I’ve conducted over the past eleven years. To get things underway, I’d like to get some biographical information from you. How did you first get involved with music?
COTTRILL:
I started in what you’d call “rural” or “old time country music” by playing fiddle and banjo as a young child. My family were farm people. We baled hay, cut wood and picked tobacco. Because money was sometimes scarce, our entertainment was the music we made ourselves. I guess I've been a musician for my entire life. I've had the privilege of being in the company of great musicians, doing innumerable concerts, television shows and dances over all this time. Today I've cut back somewhat, doing mostly recording sessions.
REDDON: Your main instrument is electric guitar, is that correct?