Led Zeppelin in Bombay, 1972. The 'Slip Disc' Photos.

The exact chronology of events isn't clear. What is known  is that by the end of October 1972, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of British rock band Led Zeppelin, who were not yet the legends that they were eventually going to be, along with their manager Richard Cole had one night walked into a small pub named  'Slip Disc' in Bombay  and before a dazed Indian audience gave an impromptu performance with support from local musicians. The re-telling by these local rock musicians was going to become the primary source of  this lesser known, lesser documented story involving one of the greatest rock band ever. [Check 'One Muggy Night in Mumbai ...'( Published in Times of India Pune, on 7th July, 2001 ) by Nandu Bhende, one of the musicians who performed with the band.]

All evidence suggests that this was in fact their third visit to the city. But for Indian fans of the band, it proved to be the most memorable event. With the easy on-line availability of the band's 'The Bombay Sessions' [ youtube search link], recorded with Indian classical musician during their third trip, there was a renewed interest in details of Led Zeppelin's Indian experience. Interestingly, there are Led Zep biographies out there that mistakenly claim that the tracks with 'Bombay Symphony Orchestra' were recoded in March (during their second trio. That ain't so. Also 'Bombay Symphony Orchestra' comprised of artists like young Ustad Sultan Khan went on to be quite famous in their own right and some were in fact musicians who worked on music for films from Bombay. There was no 'Bombay Symphony Orchestra'.

The two first visited Mumbai after winding up their Japan tour on September 29, 1971. A second visit followed in February 1972 after they were denied entry into Singapore (on account of their long hair) while on their Australia tour. So instead of Singapore they were walking down the roads of Bombay with a camera in hand [video link], capturing the sights (not the sound) of the city.

While on their third trip someday in October ( maybe on 16th) of 1972, staying at Taj Hotel whose discotheque called 'Blow Up' they didn't find to their liking, they decided to hit the town looking for the coolest joint. They found their way to 'Slip Disc', an establishment at Colaba owned by a man named Ramzan who was back them also known in the film circles. Initially, they did have some difficulty getting-in, no one recognized them, but once they did get in, and as the word spread through the city among the fans, the stage was set for an urban legend among Led Zeppelin fans.

The event was hardly covered by the local media. But the event was photographed, and some claim even an audio recording. But three decades later, it seemed, nothing remained. Even memories were getting hazy.

Six months ago, given the nature of my blog, I was contacted by a die-hard Led Zepplin fan who goes with with the name PlanetPage over at official Zep Forum. He had some queries about this legendary event and asked if I had anything on it. It seemed that the Led Zeppelin's night-out at Slip Disc had been captured on camera. There was one photograph available online, a scan uploaded by musician Madhu Dhas featuring Richard Cole, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and another Indian musician named Xerxes Gobhai (bassist for The Human Bondage) and some beer bottles. There was no other evidence. Little authentic information. Fading memories. Busy time-lines. Little responses. And News Journos [someone who was equally involved, his story].

Although I was able to provide little actual help, I found myself following the interesting quest, providing whatever little bits of information I could provide, following as I was curious about how information is created  in private space and distributed in public space. And I wanted to test how difficult a venture like this can be in India. It proved quite tough and frustrating.

All evidence about those photographs pointed to a publication known as Junior Statesman, Indian's first 'Youth Magazine' started started by Desmond Doig and published by The Statesman newspaper starting 1967 and having a run till late 70s. There was an issue of the magazine in  1972 that carried photographs of Led Zeppelin's India gig.

After exhausting all sources and coming up with nothing, PlanetPage went ahead and got in touch with the staff at Statesman who informed that they did have an archive of Junior Statesman. Three months after first hearing from them, and after getting a affirmative from them about existence of 'Slip Disc' snaps, and after negotiating a price, PlanetPage managed to get the elusive photographs which he generously shared with me.

From November 1972 issue of Junior Statesman, here is Led Zeppelin at 'Slip Disc', Bombay.

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 It must be mentioned that with time as Bombay changed, 'Slip Disc' went on to evolve into a seedy gay bar by the end of 80s. The article next to these photographs, along with an interview of the band in Bombay, ends with line which has a ring of truth even today:


"Led Zeppelin At Slip Disc" will not read as the gripping headlines of any newspaper nor will it generate any excitement for the underground heads in any other part of the world. But, it will remain, in a special corner of the minds of Zep and their audience-of-an-evening, truly as a happening - a deep, personal, re-affirmation of faith on music.

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Update: Here's the interview that they gave to the magazine in Bombay while on this trip:

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PlanetPage believes there's more to the story and that there ought to be more photographs, recordings, photographs of band's  stay at Taj. Any help is welcome.

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Update:

“Sitting outside a brothel in Bombay, during an air raid rehearsal in 1971, using basic recorders to tape street singers –that was what Led Zeppelin was for us. ”

Thanks to Beth came across this quote by Robert Plant published in Times of India dated December 1996 under the article 'The dinosaurs of Rock'. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were in India to attend Channel V Music awards.
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Update: Bombay through the camera of Jimmy Page

via JimmyPage.com (Thanks to PlanetPage!)

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