Very impressed by Seasick Steve on Later with Jools Holland the other night.( 3 strings, beat up old guitar, tiny amp, sings like he means it). Blow me, on bass was none other than John Paul Jones playing a lovely fiesta red precision bass, complete with both ashtrays. Looked him up on Wiki.He was in Jet Harris and Tony Meehans' backing band at the tender age of 16, and later there was some talk that he was to take the bass chair in the Shadows after Brian Locking left. Wow what effect would that have had on the Shadows, as he is a talented multi instrumentalist and composer/arranger? But no Led Zep? Perhaps in an alternate universe?
Never seen him with a precision bass before. It even had the tortoiseshell scratch-plate, just like Jets' in the 'classic, all red fender lineup'. I somehow got the impression that it was a sort of understated tribute to Jet. I could feel the hairs rising on the back of my neck.
Definitely worth seeing if they plan to do any gigs. Another example of artists who one associates with different styles, but who play together well.
Chris Hill