I was watching footage of Led Zep in concert from the early 70s on Sunday and during ? (don't know the name of the song) Robert Plant sings "If I gave you diamonds and Pearls ...would you love me...". As P has played 'Whole lotta love' before and is well-versed in rock/pop music culture, is there any chance he was acknowledging/referencing their influence by using these words in 'International Lover' and the single 'Diamonds and Pearls'?

Seems like those jewels were known worldwide and historically in all cultures as romantic gifts! It's a common phrase, I think.

I think Prince said he discovered Led Zep's music later in life.

And that's pretty cool, because it's not played out music to his ears. He might enjoy Stairway more than people who listen to a lot of classic rock radio. He was as much of a fan of Joni as they were, but he could call her up and hang out because they admire each other's talent. She wasn't a big fan of Plant and Page, and when they did meet, it sounded like it was pretty awkward.

Led Zep lifted a lot of things from the blues, and Prince's dad grew up in New Orleans, and possibly crossed paths with a lot of those guys over the years. Maybe P's sisters and brothers know, but no one tried to interview him and get his story?

It can't be true that Prince discovered Led Zeppelin latter in life.

here is the reason way.

When Prince was a kid and teen only 3 % of the population in Minnesota were black,

so White classic rock radio stations was the dominant

force on radio waves those days.

Prince liked Grand Funk Raillroad band very much ,

especially their lead guitar player and singer.

Prince was also listening to bands like :Chicago,Boston,Thin Lizzy and many other rock bands.

So we can assume that Led Zeppelin were

the staple on those rock radios.

He had trouble finding black music on radio,

so he bought funk stuff in the record stores.

And he namechecked some of the bands

and some of the facts i stated are from some unofficial documentaries about Prince.

So trust me when i say that Prince knew who the Led Zeppelin were.

There are more Zepp refferences in Prince's lyrics like "Raspberry Berret"

the line "In through the out door" is either from a Led Zeppeling song or it was a Led Zeppelin album name .

And one of the reasons why guys from Mazarati ,the Time

and others from MPLS scene knew how to rock good

was not because only wanted to crossover ,it was because hard rock was part of the coulture they grew up.

[Edited 5/23/11 18:35pm]

Prince was a huge Zep fan in the interview in Rolling Stone in 1985. Already knew their whole catalog if you take his sentence to heart.

^Yes, but he had JUST discovered them thru W&L-

vitriol said:

^Yes, but he had JUST discovered them thru W&L-

I find that hard to believe. Midwesterner growing up in a much smaller place than Minneapolis, Hard Rock Bands were staples and it was hard to avoid the influence. Do Me Baby was a deal closer on the slow jam tapes we used to make but so too was Journey's Faithfully. If you had white homeboys (which i'm sure Prince did) how could you avoid what they were listening to?.

He probably heard them and was very aware of them, but didn't pay attention to them until later. Like, I was ALWAYS aware of a band called Pink Floyd and even heard some of their songs here and there and knew it was them and knew their overall sound, but I never paid much attention until a friend let me borrower a couple of their CD's.

vitriol said:

^Yes, but he had JUST discovered them thru W&L-

how that?

Since Lisa was in the camp since 1980 and Wendy was with her years prior to joining the band, why would they have to wait till 1985 to share that with him?

please LZ was a very popular band in the 70s. NO WAY anyone that was aware at all of the rock music of the day would NOT know LZ.

OldFriends4Sale said:

vitriol said:

^Yes, but he had JUST discovered them thru W&L-

how that?

Since Lisa was in the camp since 1980 and Wendy was with her years prior to joining the band, why would they have to wait till 1985 to share that with him?

I said he got into them (and into The Beatles) thru Wendy and Lisa. I never specified it was in 85.

But it was probably around that time when he let them permeate him with new influences. The same as Leeds and Bliss got him into jazz.

vitriol said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

how that?

Since Lisa was in the camp since 1980 and Wendy was with her years prior to joining the band, why would they have to wait till 1985 to share that with him?

I said he got into them (and into The Beatles) thru Wendy and Lisa. I never specified it was in 85.

But it was probably around that time when he let them permeate him with new influences. The same as Leeds and Bliss got him into jazz.

I think some of that is Prince's typical fibbing to include his current band members names in the interviews, since he was duplicating guitar solos from the band "Chicago" back in his pre-label days, note for note inorder to impress his high school buds. If he was listening to Chicago that studiously, he was probably listening to the mainstream "white" rock stations.

thebanishedone said:

It can't be true that Prince discovered Led Zeppelin latter in life.

here is the reason way.

When Prince was a kid and teen only 3 % of the population in Minnesota were black,

so White classic rock radio stations was the dominant

force on radio waves those days.

Prince liked Grand Funk Raillroad band very much ,

especially their lead guitar player and singer.

Prince was also listening to bands like :Chicago,Boston,Thin Lizzy and many other rock bands.

So we can assume that Led Zeppelin were

the staple on those rock radios.

He had trouble finding black music on radio,

so he bought funk stuff in the record stores.

And he namechecked some of the bands

and some of the facts i stated are from some unofficial documentaries about Prince.

So trust me when i say that Prince knew who the Led Zeppelin were.

There are more Zepp refferences in Prince's lyrics like "Raspberry Berret"

the line "In through the out door" is either from a Led Zeppeling song or it was a Led Zeppelin album name .

And one of the reasons why guys from Mazarati ,the Time

and others from MPLS scene knew how to rock good

was not because only wanted to crossover ,it was because hard rock was part of the coulture they grew up.

[Edited 5/23/11 18:35pm]

i doubt they are trying to say he never heard of them as a kid, just didnt really dig deeper into them until latter in life. there are tons of bands i heard of as a kid but didnt get into them or fully appreciate them till later in life.

vitriol said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

how that?

Since Lisa was in the camp since 1980 and Wendy was with her years prior to joining the band, why would they have to wait till 1985 to share that with him?

I said he got into them (and into The Beatles) thru Wendy and Lisa. I never specified it was in 85.

But it was probably around that time when he let them permeate him with new influences. The same as Leeds and Bliss got him into jazz.

ok, it was the 'he JUST got into...' that made me think you were saying around that time 1985

Zep songs I'd like to see him cover:

Thank You

When the Levee Breaks

That's the Way

Kashmir

Trampled Under Foot

Going to California

Down by the Seaside

herb4 said:

Zep songs I'd like to see him cover:

Thank You

When the Levee Breaks

That's the Way

Kashmir

Trampled Under Foot

Going to California

Down by the Seaside

interesting about when the levee breaks. I wonder who's drumming would be more suited to the song, john blackwell or sheila.

hhhhdmt said:

herb4 said:

Zep songs I'd like to see him cover:

Thank You

When the Levee Breaks

That's the Way

Kashmir

Trampled Under Foot

Going to California

Down by the Seaside

interesting about when the levee breaks. I wonder who's drumming would be more suited to the song, john blackwell or sheila.

Mike Bland

herb4 said:

hhhhdmt said:

interesting about when the levee breaks. I wonder who's drumming would be more suited to the song, john blackwell or sheila.

Mike Bland

all three! but who is going to play guitar?

OnlyNDaUsa said:

herb4 said:

Mike Bland

all three! but who is going to play guitar?

I'd like to see him do a cover of both whole lotta love and when the levee breaks

but what i want him to do even more is play his back catalogue.

hhhhdmt said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

all three! but who is going to play guitar?

I'd like to see him do a cover of both whole lotta love and when the levee breaks

but what i want him to do even more is play his back catalogue.

think Prince could pull off Achilles?

Actually both Prince and Robert Plant have mutual respect for one another and their music. Check Robert around the 0:49 mark.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

hhhhdmt said:

I'd like to see him do a cover of both whole lotta love and when the levee breaks

but what i want him to do even more is play his back catalogue.

think Prince could pull off Achilles?

yes if he put his mind to it. Covers are rarely as good as the orignal but he can come close to the orignal.

hhhhdmt said:

many of led zepplin songs have the word "the" in it.....so do prince songs.

That's a common lyric. Some Motown songs had lyrics similar so I don't know what's so different.

hhhhdmt said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

all three! but who is going to play guitar?

I'd like to see him do a cover of both whole lotta love and when the levee breaks

but what i want him to do even more is play his back catalogue.

He did Whole Lotta Love on the Aladdin DVD then completely choked on the guitar solo.

No way. Maybe at an aftershow with the right people on stage with him.

"Tangerine" would be a good cover I think (from LedZep III, not the one from Rave).