John Paul Jones Pics

John Paul

Jones

03 January 1946

68

Slim

Green

Brown - Light

Sidcup, London

Capricorn

White

multi-instrumentalist (mostly bass and keyboards) for Led Zeppelin

Male

English

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John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin on 3 January 1946) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a producer. A versatile musician, Jones also plays guitar, koto, lap steel guitars, autoharp, violin, ukulele, sitar, cello, continuum and the three over-dubbed recorder parts heard on Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven".

John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin on January 3, 1946) is an English multi-instrumentalist musician, and was known for being the bass guitarist, the keyboardist and the mandolinist for rock band Led Zeppelin. In recent years he has developed a successful solo career, and is widely respected as both a musician and a producer. A versatile musician, Jones also plays guitar, koto, lap steel guitars, autoharp, ukulele, sitar, cello, continuum and the three over-dubbed recorder parts heard on "Stairway to Heaven"Jones was born in Sidcup, Kent, now part of Greater London. The name John Paul Jones was suggested to him by a friend, Andrew Loog Oldham, after seeing a movie poster for the film of that name in France. Jones started playing piano at the age of six, learning his keyboard skills from his father, Joe Baldwin, who was a pianist and arranger for big bands in the 1940s and 1950s, notably with the Ambrose Orchestra. His mother was also in the music business which allowed the family to often perform together touring around England. His influences ranged from the blues of Big Bill Broonzy, the jazz of Charles Mingus, to the classical piano of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Because his parents were on the road a lot, he was sent to boarding school at a young age.[1] Jones was a student at Christ`s College, Blackheath, London where he formally studied music. At the age of 14, he became choirmaster and organist at a local church and during that year, he also bought his first bass guitar, a Dallas solid body electric followed by a Fender Jazz bass which he continued to use until 1975. The fluid playing of Chicago musician Phil Upchurch had made him decide to take up the bass guitar, after he bought his recording You Can`t Sit Down which includes an impressive bass solo Jones joined his first band, The Deltas, at 15. He then played bass for jazz-rock London group, Jett Blacks, a collective that included guitarist John McLaughlin.[3] His big break came in 1962 when he met Jet Harris and Tony Meehan (who had just left the Shadows) and played bass for their band for two years. Jet and Tony had just had a Number 1 hit with "Diamonds" (a track on which Jimmy Page had played.) Jones played his `61 Fender Jazz Bass on hundreds of sessions from 1962 to 1968[4] and in 1964, Jones began session work with Decca Records on the recommendations of Tony Meehan. Between 1964 and 1968 he was much in demand arranging, and playing keyboards or bass guitar for artists including the Rolling Stones on Their Satanic Majesties Request (it`s Jones` string arrangement which is heard on "She`s A Rainbow").[5]; Herman`s Hermits; Donovan on "Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow"; Jeff Beck; Cat Stevens; Rod Stewart; Shirley Bassey; Lulu; and numerous others. As well as recording sessions with Dusty Springfield, Jones also played bass for her Talk of the Town series of performances. His arranging and playing on Donovan`s "Sunshine Superman", resulted in producer Mickie Most using his services as choice arranger for many of his own projects, with Tom Jones, Nico, Wayne Fontana, the Walker Brothers, and many others. Jones also got to record with fellow friends of Tony Meehan and Jet Harris, none other than Meehan and Harris` ex-band, Cliff Richard and the Shadows. Before these recordings, Cliff Richard and the Shadows came close to nearly preventing the future formation of Led Zeppelin, when they had talks about Jones replacing their ex-bassist Brian "Licorice" Locking. Instead they chose John Rostill. However, by 1968 Jones was quickly becoming burnt out. As a session arranger he was composing scores for horns and strings the night before, handing them out the next day and finishing the product. "I was arranging 50 or 60 things a month and it was starting to kill meMain article: Led Zeppelin During his time as a session player, Jones often crossed paths with fellow session veteran, guitarist Jimmy Page. In June 1966 Page joined The Yardbirds, and in 1967 Jones contributed to their Little Games album. The following winter, during the sessions for Donovan`s The Hurdy Gurdy Man, Jones expressed to Page an interest in being a part of any projects the guitarist might be planning. Later that year, The Yardbirds disbanded, leaving Page and bassist Chris Dreja to complete some previously booked Yardbirds dates in Scandinavia. Before a new band could be assembled, Dreja left to take up photography. Jones inquired to Page about the vacant position, and the guitarist gladly welcomed his old friend into the new project. As Page has explained: “ I was working at the sessions for Donovan`s Hurdy Gurdy Man, and John Paul Jones was looking after the musical arrangements. During a break, he asked me if I could use a bass player in the new group I was forming. He had a proper music training, and he had quite brilliant ideas. I jumped at the chance of getting him.[7] ” Vocalist Robert Plant and dr

John Baldwin

Soundtrack, Composer, Music Department

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