Becoming Led Zeppelin Chased John Bonham Around the World

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As a die-hard fan of Led Zeppelin, I never thought a documentary about the legendary band would ever come to fruition. It wasn’t due to any personal vanity or reluctance to revisit the past, as I had shared my memories two years ago. The harsh reality was that our late drumming genius, John Bonham, rarely granted interviews while he was alive, a habit that extended throughout the band until their disbandment in 1980. How could one tell the complete story of Zeppelin without Bonzo’s insights, or any fresh insights for that matter? According to director Bernard MacMahon, “Robert told me, ‘I don’t think you can make this film. We didn’t do interviews. We didn’t do television. There’s just not enough.’

In summary, all three members of Led Zeppelin – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones – have agreed to participate in the film “Becoming Led Zeppelin” now available in IMAX. This documentary follows the band’s journey from their origins up until the massive success of “Led Zeppelin II” in early 1970. Inspired by a 2017 documentary called “American Epic” about the history of roots music, Plant and Page decided to trust this project and persuade Jones of its value. The band members gave separate interviews for the film, though they were slightly edited. Despite this, they shared stories of their early brotherhood and the surprising way they formed as a group. Unfortunately, if you were hoping for confirmation about the mud-shark incident, you’ll be disappointed. However, the filmmakers knew that the success of their documentary hinged on finding previously unheard Bonham material, which led them on a frantic search.

MacMahon stated, “We were constantly on the lookout, looking, and searching again.” He emphasized, “It was crucial to hear his voice.” The duo initially made some progress by receiving a recording from a British music journalist who managed to speak with Page and Bonham, but the audio quality was dismal. MacMahon described it as “a lot of noise that resembled a spy movie.” He then sought help from the person responsible for Led Zeppelin’s website, who played an unofficial archivist role by collecting every piece of material related to the band. “He provided us with a bootleg recording of John and Robert conversing with an Australian journalist,” MacMahon continued. “The quality wasn’t good enough for us to use. However, I could tell it had been copied multiple times. We sent it to several contacts in Australia, crossing our fingers.

The most remarkable event indeed transpired. It was discovered that one of the sources identified the voice of journalist Graeme Berry, who was associated with radio station Sydney 2SM. The interview, presumed to have taken place in 1971, is notable because it features John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, who was essentially introducing the band to Australia prior to their first tour there. In this interview, John was asked questions such as “How did you learn to play drums?” and “Who were your role models?”, which are quite ordinary yet significant, as they provide insights into John’s background that weren’t covered in other interviews. MacMahon, who is familiar with the interview, praises its authenticity, stating that it captures John in the present moment, making it fresh and energetic.

2SM radio station in Sydney stopped preserving tape recordings; instead, they led MacMahon and McGourty to the University of Canberra, which took charge of most of the station’s archives. MacMahon remembers that the university said they didn’t have it, but when he asked about uncatalogued tapes, they mentioned they had thousands. Since MacMahon had a good professional relationship with the university from working on a project called American Epic, he requested their help in looking for the tape. After some time, MacMahon received a late-night phone call and an email containing a pristine recording of John speaking. The university had found this tape hidden in an unmarked box labeled “Slade,” another British band. They were meticulous in examining everything, rewinding the tapes, and listening to them all.

The university delivered the recording to MacMahon and McGourty’s location for them to make an optimal copy from it. In total, Becoming Led Zeppelin amassed approximately 90 minutes of previously unheard Bonham interviews – this included two additional radio spots that were discovered soon after. Bonham’s sister, Deborah, additionally shared home movies from their childhood with the team, capturing adorable footage of Baby Bonzo playing his first drum kit with just a snare and cymbal. This material played a significant role in shaping the production into the core element of the final cut. As MacMahon explains, “The tapes contain John discussing his bandmates and his feelings towards them. He often spoke about things that his other bandmates hadn’t mentioned. He was the one who talked about how nobody wanted to book the band in their homeland. In the end of the film, he reveals to the viewer that they were still relative strangers to each other even by the end of their first year. It’s all about the music.

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2025-02-11 21:56