The Jeff Beck Recording Session With Jimmy Page That Spawned The Name Led Zeppelin

The influential British blues rock band The Yardbirds famously cycled through many lineup changes in the early-1960s. For a brief period in 1966, the lineup for The Yardbirds included both Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.

Originally playing bass with the band, Page — who was born on this date in 1944 — eventually moved to his more adept instrument and, for an even shorter period, joined Beck on guitar. Also in 1966, Beck made his first solo recordings, which included a fateful session that had a long-lasting effect on the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

Beck’s first solo recording was of an instrumental song titled, “Beck’s Bolero.” Based in part on French composer Maurice Ravel’s orchestral piece, Boléro, there remains controversy over the songwriting credit for “Beck’s Bolero,” which was ascribed solely to Page, despite Beck claiming to have made significant contributions to the composition.

Dispute over who produced the track, which was contractually assigned to Mickie Most, provoked controversy as well, with Page and The Yardbirds’ producer Simon Napier-Bell each asserting credit for helming the sessions. Held over two days in May 1966, Beck serendipitously recruited an incredible group of musicians to join him in London at IBC Studios.

Beck and Page played guitars on “Beck’s Bolero.” Beck brought in The Who drummer Keith Moon, who reportedly arrived in secret while wearing a disguise. The Who bassist John Entwistle was supposedly asked to participate but ended up no showing. In response, local session musicians, bassist John Paul Jones and keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, were brought to the studio.

“Beck’s Bolero” was finally released in 1967 as the B-side to Beck’s first single, “Hi Ho Silver Lining.” The track also appeared on Beck’s 1968 debut solo album, Truth.

The recording sessions for “Beck’s Bolero” were important not only for bringing together some of the most significant figures in the early British rock ‘n’ roll scene, but also for allegedly being the source of the name of the band Page and Jones who soon form together.

Variously attributed to Moon and/or possibly Entwistle, a suggestion that the collective of musicians who recorded “Beck’s Bolero” form a band together elicited a response that the supergroup would, “Go down like a lead zeppelin.”

That assessment stuck with Page, who soon after left The Yardbirds and along with “Beck’s Bolero” bassist John Paul Jones, drummer John Bonham and vocalist Robert Plant formed the influential British rock band Led Zeppelin. (Hopkins went on to amass many credits with the likes of The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Beatles and dozens of others).

Beck (who died one year ago tomorrow) was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009. Jimmy Page joined his former Yardbirds bandmate at the induction ceremony, coming out for Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” after Beck kicked off his performance with “Beck’s Bolero.” Watch that collaboration below: