SZABLON DO PRACY Z UCZNIEM – Stairway to Heaven - – Led Zeppelin (Top Musicians 5)
1. Questions for speaking.
Do you know Led Zeppelin?
What were they famous for?
Where are they from?
What kind of music did they play?
Who was the leader of the band?
What are their top hits?
When were they popular?
2. Answer key to exercise number 1.
GROUP 1
In the 1970’s Led Zeppelin was probably the biggest rock band in the world. And one of the most mysterious. Zeppelin’s music was exotic. The band rarely did interviews, they kept in distance from the music business. The critics didn’t like them, but in spite of that, Zeppelins had millions of fans and changed rock forever. But they paid a terrible price. Led Zeppelin are legends. This is their story.
Jimmy Page was born in 1944 and grew up in the suburb of London near Heathrow airport.
He took up guitar after hearing an Elvis Presley record. Page went to art school but soon realized that music was his true calling. He started jamming in various clubs around London.
By the age of 20, Pare was a top session guitarist, recoding with The Who, The Kinks and Them.
By mid 1966 Page had his filled session work. He accepted the invitation to join The Yardbirds. On base. The Yardbirds had begun as the electric blues band, featuring a brilliant young guitarist, named Eric Clapton. When the group went pop, Clapton left and was replaced by another guitar virtuoso, Jeff Beck. After few month, Page moved from bass to guitar.
Jeff Beck had ambitions beyond the Yardbirds. He put together a session, featuring Jimmy Page, a studio musician, John Paul Jones and a drummer, John Bonham.
A son of a carpenter, John Bonham, was born in 1948 and grew up near Robert Plant. His mother bought him his first drum when he was 10. As a teenager he knew a meaning of hard work. He also knew, that playing the drums was the only thing he was really good at. Bonham built up enormous strength, that he loaded in to his drum play. Off-stage he was a hard drinking, hard living wild man.
Their music sounded great and the musicians thought about forming a new band. Some of them joked, that they should call the group Red Zeppelin, because it would go over like a red balloon.
Page had breathed new life into The Yardbirds, but the original members were tired, dissoluted and thinking that their best days were behind them.
Jimmy Page looked at what was happening in British rock. It was the year of Jimi Hendrix experience. The Jeff Back group and The Who were group fronted by good- looking blond singers. Page went looking for a charismatic front man. He heard about the kid from the country choir, Robert Plant.
When Page first heard Plant perform, he saw a 19-year-old kid with flowing blond hair and incredible timbre. He found Plant’s vocal range unbelievable.
The newborn Led Zeppelin strategy was to build a reputation by intensive tour. In October of 1968 they headed into the studio to capture their live show on record. Their debut album was recorded in just three weeks. Most of the songs were intense and bluesy, like the stuff Jimmy had played with The Yardbirds. But there were also unusual choices, like the Indian influence.
The sound was something new and incredibly dynamic hard rock. Later it would be called heavy metal. Led Zeppelin was always bigger than that. The group played in England, while their manager, Peter Grant headed off to the States to secure recording. He returned with one of the most lucrative deals ever negotiated for an unknown band. Atlantic Records had signed Led Zeppelin, giving them a huge advance along with the complete artistic control.
With the mix of apprehension and excitement, Led Zeppelin headed off to America on Christmas Eve 1968, leaving behind their families for holidays.
(Adapted from TV programme - VH 1 Legends)
calling - a strong desire to do a job, usually one which is socially valuable
jam - to play jazz or rock music with other people informally without planning it or practising together
carpenter - a person whose job is making and repairing wooden objects and structures joke - to say amusing things
zeppelin - a large airship (= an aircraft without wings, containing gas to make it lighter than air, and with an engine)
dissoluted - (of a person) living in a way that other people strongly disapprove of
timbre - a quality of sound which makes voices or musical instruments different from each other
newborn - recently born
debut - when someone performs or presents something to the public for the first time intense - having strong emotions
bluesy – sounding like blues music
lucrative - (especially of a business, job or activity) producing a lot of money advance - happening, done or ready before an event
apprehension - anxiety about the future or a fear that something unpleasant is going to happen
head off - to start a journey or leave a place
GROUP 2
For 19-year-old Robert Plant America was an eye- opener. Compared to the frozen British midlands back home, L.A. was the land of milk and honey.
The band made their US debut on December 26 1968 in Denver. In January 1969 their debut album was released. It was penned by Rolling Stone. A female reporter from the Live magazine came out to do a feature on Zeppelin. But it was killed after she said, she was attacked by two band members. She called Led Zeppelins animals in the zoo. That set up a pattern. The critics hated them but the band’s growing fan base was intensely loyal. By May they pushed their first album to Top Ten.
In the spring of 1969 Zeppelin went to Scandinavia where they performed on Danish TV.
During the rest of 1969 the group toured the US extensively for to find their reputation as one of the best rock bands around. Zeppelin’s off-stage behaviour has also become legendary:
alcohol, drugs and groupies …
Whenever they could get some free time, Led Zeppelin were heading to studio to record some tracks for their second album. With Whole Lotta Love single all over the American radio, band’s second album became their first number one album.
In the months that followed, The Beatles broke up and Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison died. Rock’ n’ Roll was left with a huge void . Led Zeppelin was ready to fill it.
In the spring of 1970 Led Zeppelin decided to take some rest after a two-year tour. They started to prepare the material for the next album. Led Zeppelin III revealed the acoustic side of the band. When the bend went back on the road, they expanded their live show to including acoustic set.
Soon they became one the greatest money makers. John Paul Jones bought himself a new house and John Bonham entertained himself by spending thousands on fancy cars.
Robert Plant bought a farm and settled there with his wife Maurine and baby daughter, Carmen.
In 1971 Led Zeppelin moved into an old Victorian house to record their fourth album. One night Page played an instrumental, hit crafted in his home studio. Plant sat with him and started scribbling lyrics. When Page was done playing the song, Robert had written most of what has become the most requested rock’ n’ roll song in radio history, Stairway to Heaven.
When Led Zeppelin IV was released in November 1971, the album’s biggest controversy was over it’s cover. There was nothing written on it – no name of the group, no title. Eventually it was sold in 50 million copies and became the best sold rock album ever.
When Led Zeppelin arrived in America to start their 1973 tour, their latest single, Houses of the Holy, was already sitting on the top pf the charts. After thin great tour the band could afford their own plane. They made more money than any group before.
After a brake Zeppelin returned to the road in 1975. The tour was not without incidents.
Jimmy Page broke his finger which affected his playing. John Bonham was dinking heavily and alcohol increased his aggressiveness. But public couldn’t see that. The band was more popular then ever. Group sold out three concerts at Earl’s Court 51 thousand tickets in just two hours. After the Earl’s Court show Zeppelin was taking the brake from road when disaster struck. While on vacation in Greece, Robert Plant and his family was seriously injured in a car crash. Plant was stretched out in bed, unable to walk. The fans didn’t know it, but the future of Led Zeppelin was in doubt.
After Robert Plant’s 1975 car accident, a doctor in London told him he wouldn’t walk for at least six months. Robert has injured his ankle so badly that he was unsure if would ever be able to perform again. He tried to play one show but he had to sit on the stool. He knew it was a long way from performing as he had in the past. The band canceled their remaining tour dates and decided to head into the studio. Recorded in just 18 days and released in April 1976 Presence became a number one without a benefit of a tour or even the picture of the band.
(Adapted from TV programme - VH 1 Legends) pen - to write something
set up a pattern – provide something which is used as an example intensely - extremely
extensively - covering a large area; having a great range
groupie - a person who likes a particular popular singer or other famous person and follows them to try to meet them, especially in order to have sex with them head to – go to
void - a feeling of unhappiness because someone or something is missing
reveal - to make known or show something that is surprising or that was previously secret
expand - to increase in size, number or importance, or to make something increase in
this way
fancy - to want to have or do something
settle - to go and live somewhere, especially permanently
craft – do sth with skill and experience, especially in relation to making objects scribble - to write or draw something quickly or carelessly
request - a song or similar item which someone has asked to be included in a show or on the radio
cover - the stiff outside part of a book or magazine, usually made of thick paper or cardboard and often shiny
can afford - to be able to buy or do something because you have enough money or tim strike - to cause a person or place to suffer severely from the effects of something very
unpleasant that happens suddenly injured - hurt or physically harmed
stretched out in bed – stayed in bed for a long time in doubt - unlikely to continue or to be successful stool - a seat without any support for the back or arms
remaining - continuing to exist or be left after other parts or things have been used or taken away
GROUP 3
In 1977, after a two-year absence, Led Zeppelin returned to the road. This time it wasn’t so colourful. Plant was still hit by his injury and Bonham drinking was turning him into Mr.
Hyde. In Chicago he destroyed his hotel room and threw the TV out of the window. Jimmy Page was bone thin from heroine use. The enthusiastic fans couldn’t tell a bad Zeppelin show from a good one. They just wanted to stand on their chairs and pay honours to their heroes.
Some time later Bonham was arrested for assault. Moments later, Robert Plant received the call from his wife that would change his life forever. His five-year-old son was dead. Robert and his family were heartbroken. Zeppelin was devastated and cancelled the rest of their tour. Plant spent most of the rest of the year in seclusion. Sixteen months after the death of his son, Robert felt he was ready to go back to work. The band began recording again in late 1978. The song All my love was an outpouring of emotion from Plant to his lost child. The older and wiser Led Zeppelin was beginning to emerge.
After touring Europe in 1980, Led Zeppelin began rehearsing for US tour. The band started rehearsing at Jimmy Page’s home. Bonham was, as usual, drinking a lot. One night he passed out after a long day of drinking. When John Paul Jones checked on up on him next day, he didn’t wake up. At the age of 32, John Bonham was dead. So was Led Zeppelin. The band’s response to Bonham’s death was unanimous – Bonham was irreplaceable. Page, Plant and Jones announced that Led Zeppelin would not continue.
In 1982 Page produced Coda , a collection of Zeppelin out-takes and leftovers.
Robert Plant was afraid that it would be difficult to go out on his own because of his strong identity with Zeppelin. But, in 1982, he began a successful solo career. He did not want to trade on his past and for a long time he would not perform Zeppelin hits in concert. Outside and confide the band his friendship with Page deepened. They had experiences in common, no one else could understand. They often starred in each others bands. Eventually, Robert became more comfortable with Led Zeppelin’s legacy.
The man who did the most after leaving Led Zeppelin, was John Paul Jones. He continued to produce, score soundtracks and work for other people, such as Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and R.E.M. In 1987 John’s began to work on his solo album.
In 1995 Led Zeppelin were inducted into the rock’ n’ roll Hall of Fame. In 1997 Atlantic Records released a live Led Zeppelin album, called BBC Sessions. It was a great reminder of the bands power in front of an audience.
Led Zeppelin changed the way the business of rock’ n’ roll was conducted. And they changed the way the music sounded . Rock bands from Guns’ n’ Roses to The Beastie Boys and Nirvana have shown Led Zeppelin’s influence. Led Zeppelin began with great ambitions and accomplished more than they had ever dreamed.
(Adapted from TV programme - VH 1 Legends)
bone thin – very thin, so that you can see this person’s bones
pay honours – to show somebody your respect, pride and honesty for him assault - a violent attack
heartbroken - extremely sad
seclusion - when someone is alone, away from other people outpouring - an uncontrollable expression of strong feeling wiser – more clever
emerge - to become known
rehearse - to practise a play, a piece of music
pass out - to become unconscious for a short time, for example when ill, badly hurt or drunk
check on up on sb - to try to discover what someone is doing in order to be certain that they are doing what they should be doing
unanimous – when all agree about one particular matter or vote the same way
irreplaceable - too special, unusual or valuable to replace with something or someone else
announce - to state or make known, especially publicly
out-take - a short part of a film or television programme or music recording that was removed and not included, usually because it contains mistakes
leftover - describes part of something that has not been used or eaten when the other parts have been
trade on - to use something, especially a characteristic, for your own advantage and usually in an unfair way
star – to be the main person in a film, concert etc.
legacy - money or property that you receive from someone after they die
conduct - to behave in a particular way, especially in a public or a formal situation, or to organize the way in which you live in a particular way
accomplish - to finish something successfully or to achieve something
3. Answer key to exercise number 2.
Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings, Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west, And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees, And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now, It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know, The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
And as we wind on down the road Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all To be a rock and not to roll.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
Aleksandra Kazimierczyk Nauczyciel języka angielskiego British School
Warszawa
