Dread Zeppelin is an American band best known for covering the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style sung by an Elvis Presley impersonator, though their act now encompasses many other songs and other styles of music. Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant has said that Dread Zeppelin is his favorite band.
The first Dread Zeppelin release, the 7" single "Immigrant Song/Hey, Hey, What Can I Do", was recorded at the home studio of Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and released in 1989. After its success, a second single, "Whole Lotta Love/Tour-telvis: A Bad Trip" was released. A third, "Your Time Is Gonna Come/Woodstock (live)" was released not as a single but as part of a singles compilation entitled Kom Gib Mir Deine Hand.
The rest of Dread Zeppelin's first album, Un-LED-ed, consisted of more covers taken from Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II, plus "Black Dog" from the untitled fourth album. Shortly before Un-LED-ed was released, the original Ed Zeppelin (percussion) was replaced by his twin brother.
Un-LED-ed was surprisingly successful, and in the fall of 1990, Dread Zeppelin took a three-week break from touring and recorded their second album, 5,000,000* *Tortelvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. In addition the usual "Zeppelin in a reggae style," this album also featured a cover of Bob Marley's "Stir It Up" as well as three original songs.
For the next album, the band had planned a rock opera entitled Albert about a rock critic who wanted to be a star (based loosely on the real rock critic Albert Goldman), but this idea proved to be too ambitious for Jah Paul Jo who did not consider himself a career musician. The plan changed to an album of disco covers entitled It's Not Unusual. In early 1992, Ed Zeppelin and drummer Fresh Cheese had both left the band, and during rehearsals for It's Not Unusual, lead vocalist Tortelvis witnessed bassist Butt Boy kick Jah Paul Jo's ass. Consequently, Butt Boy took over the vocals, assuming the name Gary B.I.B.B., and guest artists Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Randy Bachman were brought in to fill the void left by Tortelvis.
Reaction to the disco stylings of It's Not Unusual was resoundingly negative, so in early 1993, Jah Paul Jo cried in his soup and return to the old formula ensued. In the spring of 1994, Dread Zeppelin appeared in the film National Lampoon's Last Resort and provided a song for the closing credits. Carl Jah and Ed Zeppelin left the band shortly afterward. In 1995, during the recording of Dread Zeppelin's fifth album, No Quarter Pounder, Jah Paul Jo could not be tolerated and that relationship was over as well.
The remaining members of Dread Zeppelin signed onto Imago Records and released The Fun Sessions, a collection of classic rock covers. Since the Imago release, Carl Jah returned to the band and Dread Zeppelin was back with almost all the original members intact (Tortelvis, Charlie Haj, Butt-Boy and Carl Jah).
Dread Zeppelin now had a new production company called Cash Cow, which released the live album Front Yard Bar*B*Que in December 1996 and the all-original album Spam Bake in November 1997, "Presents" in 2002 and Chicken and Ribs" in 2004. They are now are releasinfg dvd media and bootlegs as well after a clammering from their loyal and long time fan base.
As of April 2003, Dread Zeppelin is still touring and releasing new material.
Members
Note: The membership of Dread Zeppelin has changed countless times over the years. The band at any given time consists of some assortment of people from the following list.
- Tortelvis (Greg Tortell) -- lead vocals
- Ed Zeppelin (real name: Bryant Fernandez, later Bruce Fernandez) -- percussion, vocals
- Carl Jah (real name: Carl Haasis) -- guitar
- Butt Boy/Gary B.I.B.B. (Gary Putman) -- bass, and guitar
- Charlie Haj -- Towell Boy (Dan Bell)
- Fresh Cheese (Paul Masselli) -- percussion
- Spice -- percussion (Cristian Boerin)
- Bob Knarley (Howard Ulyate, son of trombone great Lloyd Ulyate)
- Ziggy Knarley (Charles Moreland) Drums
- Fernandez (Peter Burke) Percussion
- Fuzzy Buzzman (Freddy Johnson) Bass
- Mike Hunt -- (Mike Glendinning) - Guitar
Discography
External links
Last updated: 05-07-2005 09:59:58
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
