Peter Grant by Chris Welch

Author:Chris Welch [Welch, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780857121004
Publisher: Music Sales Corp.
Published: 2009-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

* Marcel Proust (1871–1922), French novelist and author of À la recherche du temps perdu.

* This is unlikely, given the strenuous efforts made to ensure that the previous band, Flock, departed promptly. In the event, Jefferson Starship appeared much later in the evening and were forced to abandon their set due to rain.

* Aubrey Powell, a celebrated sleeve designer.

* Frank Wells died a few years later climbing Mount Everest.

8

SWAN SONG

“Peter was able to achieve all kinds of things by employing his remarkable persona and that included that terrible stare of his. If he decided to stand up and move a bit too close to you, he could intimidate you with his body language.”

– Swan Song executive Alan Callan

In the midst of the battle to produce The Song Remains The Same Peter Grant had another scheme on his mind. At the same time that he was keeping Zeppelin afloat and placating irate film-makers, he was busy planning a challenging new venture, the group’s very own record label.

During the Seventies the major record labels had a habit of swallowing each other up, a practice that continued apace, until by century’s end there were only a handful of multi-national conglomerates controlling the industry. However there was still room for talent spotting independent labels, and these ‘Indies’ gave sanctuary to many groups and artists whose music might otherwise have beeen overlooked. Another development was the growth of artists’ own labels, widely seen as ‘ego trips’ or simply a means of maximising income from record sales. Such labels were often launched with the best of intentions, by bands that wanted to share their good fortune and boost the aspirations of artists they liked and admired. The Beatles had set the ball rolling in the late Sixties with Apple Records, about the only aspect of their Apple empire that succeeded. The Stones set up their own label, Rolling Stones Records, distributed through a new deal with Atlantic following their departure from Decca, and Elton John launched his own Rocket Records with a logo inspired by Thomas The Tank Engine. Led Zeppelin unveiled plans for their own label in January 1974, to be called simply Swan Song.

The move followed the expiry of the band’s original five-year contract with Atlantic. Just as The Song Remains The Same had been a Zeppelin production under Grant’s control, so Swan Song would represent another step towards artistic independence, not to mention greater financial control. Jimmy Page came up with the name of the label, having apparently considered several less attractive suggestions, among them Slut, Slag, Eclipse, De Luxe, Stairway and Zeppelin Records.

Peter Grant and Ahmet Ertegun put Swan Song on a sound business footing, with Ertegun’s Atlantic records distributing the new label’s product. Grant called a press conference to announce their plans just a few days after his right-hand man Richard Cole got married, at a ceremony at Caxton Hall, London on January 2,1974. Richard had hoped to be involved in the management of Swan Song, but his ambitions were dashed when other, less volatile characters were appointed to take over the running of the label.

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