European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Former led Zeppelin Lead Singer Robert Plant has come to terms with his musical past. By Mary Campbell associated press or the first time in his Solo career Robert Plant who Sang Lead in led Zeppelin for two decades pays a musical Salute to the group that ended its reign in Rock n Roll when drummer John Bonzo Bonham died after a european tour in 1980. On his latest up now and zen Plant has lifted guitar riffs Bridges and musical phrases the group once used in their hot tunes and inserted them into his new work. At the end of White clean and neat Plant sings a bit of since i be been Loving you a hit for led Zeppelin in 1970. On stage he puts some of Zep s custard a Efrom the physical Graffiti up on the end of tall Cool one. Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page also plays on Plant s first single heaven knows and tall Cool one the current single. Plant co wrote and Sang the Only one on outrider the new album Page has after years of Semi retirement. I m tipping my hat looking Back Plant said in an interview in new York. I be had kind of a mental Block on that whole period. Now i have no problem with it at All. I think it was crucial to distance myself just for my own integrity. I did t know it was going to happen like this. I thought i would forever be a Little reluctant and reticent but i see now that it s of. I think this Solo record is about the nearest i be got to succeeding on nearly All Levels. This is the most commercial and attractive. It s the happiest record i be made probably in my most of the musical references to led Zeppelin Are on the fadeout of tracks and they re done by a synthesizer briefly recreating the Zeppelin music. Plant said now is a Good time to have a record out because there s a renewed interest in led Zeppelin. I think the time seems to be appropriate right now he said. That s All right by me. My father always tells me be thankful for Small mercies " Plant s father was a civil Engineer in Bromwich Staffordshire England where he was born almost 40 years ago. It s an interest in the music of the 70s, but we were from the 60s," Plant said. It s sad really because i thought somebody could have come up with something else by now. There Are other things around. But there is also a lot of the led Zeppelin thing about. It would be Nice to get something with that kind of intent that thing whatever it was that we had instead of All these impersonators trying to get somewhere near us and generally missing by a Good on now and zen Plant has new partners Phil Johnstone and Dave Barrett two Young songwriters whose publisher sent Plant a demo tape. I think the whole thing is a lot fresher he said. It has been a revival for me within myself never mind within the Industry. I just wanted to get songs. Then i could see what could happen next. Of All the 100 or 120 tapes that had been sent me i found this one Little old baby cassette tape had got the very essence of what i wanted to do musically and what i be always Felt that i represented musically. . Times there it was in its Virgin splendor heaven knows with a girl singing it. Virgin publishing sent it. It was sent by some astute Lackey publisher s boy who knew that this was what everybody else did t know. Most publishers Are hawking anything they can irrespective of whether it s the right thing for the Job. It had some intrigue and some kind of mood that you Don t get on a pop record generally. You hear it sometimes on a Kate Bush or Peter Gabriel record Plant said. I arranged a meeting with Johnstone and Barrett. They arrived late enough to be Cool but not to be aggressive. It was really Good because they were arrogant and not impressed. From that meeting the three of us got together in Barrett s bedroom set up the computers and started chattering our Way through the first two songs that we wrote together. Barrett turned knobs and stuff while Phil and myself wrote White clean and neat and tall Cool that was in december 1986. A band was assembled by March 1987 final songs were written by the band and recording started in May. Plant launched a . Tour in May. I think it s time to tour and tour and tour and tour and tour and play and celebrate this new thing and write the next album during the process of the group goes to Europe in september and might extend the tour to the Orient and Australia. Plant turns 40 on aug. 20, and had these observations about his birthday there s no deterioration anywhere particularly a few visual Marks a few fenders May need a Little bit of adjustment Here and there. But the spirit and body and the Man is doing Fine so it s of no consequence. I know it sounds corny but basically i m thrilled and i m glad to be weird al weird out by Brett j. Blackledge associated press they stood on their Heads and smashed marshmallows in their Mouth Sand chanted Chubby Bunny Chubby Bunny Chubby they dressed a Uncle Sam and tap danced on stilts. They were weird. But they had a purpose. More than 100 people staged their weirdest acts in Tulsa okla., last week for a Chance to be seen on the big screen with a Guy who proudly Bills himself As weird his real name is al Yankovic a 27-year-old Southern California native who hit the big time in 1983 with a song called another one rides the bus. It was his Way of laughing at pop culture the song is a parody of the Rock group Queen s hit song another one bites the dust. He s been laughing his Way to the Bank Ever since. Five albums later weird al is on the radio and video music stations again laughing at pop culture this time with i m fat from his even worse album. The song and up is a Takeoff on Michael Jackson s i m sad from the bad album. Most of the songs i do Are about food or to two of the things that have shaped my life most Yankovic said. Five years later weird al is still Well weird. And he s making a full length feature film to prove it. It s called u h f and is due for release next summer. Shooting was to begin in Early August in Tulsa. It feels kind of cold and Clammy said the former College disc jockey. It s a lot harder to be funny for an hour and a half than it is for three or four minutes he said referring to his work with music videos. Ten years ago Yankovic was an architecture student at Cal poly san Louis Obispo College. He left with a degree and moved on to develop weird al. Now he has a movie Deal to film the screenplay he and longtime Friend and manager Jay Levey finished in 1983. The character that i play is going to be somewhat like weird al Yankovic said. But this in t going to be weird al s big the movie is a Cross Between it s a wonderful life the Texas Chainsaw massacre and purple rain said Levey who is directing the film. It s a love of not really. Yankovic s character George Newman owns a uhf to station and turns it into the hottest thing around by putting on Nice wholesome weird programming. Levey began managing Yankovic s career from his inception. When he was an he also has directed the weird al videos a change of Pace from directing uhf his first feature film. The Tulsa auditions were an open Call for acts that May be used later during the eight week filming schedule when staging a telethon to save Newman s station Levey said. Top of the charts 1 2 34, 5 6 78 9 10 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.7 8 9 10 top pop singles Roll with it Steve Winwood hands to heaven breathe hold on to the nights Richard Marx make me lose control Eric Carmen sign your name Terence Trent d Arby 1.2-3 Gloria Estefan & Miami sound machine i Don t Wanna go on with you like that Elton John i Don t Wanna live without your love Chicago pour some sugar on me def Leppard Monkey George Michael top up s appetite for destruction guns & roses hysteria def Leppard Roll with it Steve Winwood Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman dirty dancing soundtrack ou812 Vanhalen Faith George Michael he s the do i m the rapper . Jazzy Jeff & the fresh Prince open up and say Ash Poison More dirty dancing soundtrack top country singles baby Blue George Strait Don t close your eyes Keith Whitley bluest eyes in Texas restless heart the wanderer Eddie Rabbitt give a Little love the judds 6. I la give you All my love tonight Bellamy Bros 7.1 could t leave you if i tried Rodney Crowell 8. A Little bit in love Patty Loveless 9. Don t we All have the right Ricky Van Shelton 10.1 have you Glen Campbell top Black singles 1. Off on your own al b. Sure 2. Sign your name Terence Trent d Arby 3. Tamacita troop 4. Groove me Guy 5. Loosey s rap Rick James & Roxanne Shante 6. Don t be cruel Bobby Brown 7. Off the Hook . S latest arrival 8. If it in t love new edition 9. Watching you Loose ends 10. Work it Teena Marie top pop cd s 1. Roll with it Steve Winwood 2. Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 3. Appetite for destruction guns & roses 4. Stronger than Pride Sade 5. Hysteria def Leppard 6. Reg strikes Back Elton john7. Scenes from the Southside Bruce Hornsby & the Range 8. Ou812 Vanhalen 9 heavy Nova Robert Palmer 10. Dirty dancing soundtrack wednesday Augusta 1988 the stars and stripes Page 17
