The rock band Led Zeppelin (John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, John Bonham and Jimmy Page) poses for a portrait in 1968.
Gallery of John Jones
1970
Bath Festival, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England, United Kingdom
Bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham of the British rock group Led Zeppelin perform at the Bath Festival, Shepton Mallet, June 28, 1970.
Gallery of John Jones
1973
John Paul Jones, John Bonham, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, pictured in front of their jet in New York, July 24, 1973.
Gallery of John Jones
2007
Jones playing mandolin in 2007.
Gallery of John Jones
2010
Geddy Lee and John Paul Jones, London, 10th November 2010.
Gallery of John Jones
2012
Washington, DC, United States
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin arrive for a dinner for Kennedy honorees hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the U.S. Department of State on December 1, 2012 in Washington, DC.
Gallery of John Jones
2012
Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City, New York, United States
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham and John Paul Jones attend premiere of "Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day" at Ziegfeld Theatre on October 9, 2012 in New York City.
Gallery of John Jones
2012
British Academy, London, England, United Kingdom
Mica Ertegun and John Paul Jones pose for photos to celebrate the announcement of one of the largest donations to Oxford University in its 900 year history at British Academy on February 29, 2012 in London, England.
Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin arrive for a dinner for Kennedy honorees hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the U.S. Department of State on December 1, 2012 in Washington, DC.
Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City, New York, United States
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Jason Bonham and John Paul Jones attend premiere of "Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day" at Ziegfeld Theatre on October 9, 2012 in New York City.
Mica Ertegun and John Paul Jones pose for photos to celebrate the announcement of one of the largest donations to Oxford University in its 900 year history at British Academy on February 29, 2012 in London, England.
John Richard Baldwin, better known by his stage name John Paul Jones, is an English musician and record producer who was the bassist in the rock band Led Zeppelin. Prior to forming the band with Jimmy Page in 1968, he was a session musician and arranger. After the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, Zeppelin disbanded and Jones developed a solo career. He has collaborated with musicians across a variety of genres.
Background
John Baldwin was born on January 3, 1946, in Sidcup, Kent. He started playing piano at age six, learning from his father, Joe Baldwin, a pianist and arranger for big bands in the 1940s and 1950s, notably with Ambrose and his Orchestra. His mother was also in the music business which allowed the family to often perform together touring around England as a vaudeville comedy act. His influences ranged from the blues of Big Bill Broonzy, the jazz of Charles Mingus, to the classical piano of Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Education
Because his parents often toured, Jones was sent to boarding school at a young age. He was a student at Christ's College, Blackheath, London where he formally studied music. At the age of 14, Jones became choirmaster and organist at a local church and during that year, he also bought his first bass guitar, a Dallas Tuxedo solid body electric followed by multiple basses in which he part exchanged until he finally bought his 1962 Fender Jazz Bass which he used until 1976. The fluid playing of Chicago musician Phil Upchurch on his You Can't Sit Down LP, which includes a memorable bass solo, is cited by Jones as being his inspiration to take up the instrument.
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. Jones' big break came in 1962 when he was hired by Jet Harris and Tony Meehan of the successful British group The Shadows for a two-year stint. Shortly before hiring Jones, Harris and Meehan had just had a Number 1 hit with "Diamonds" (a track on which Jones' bandmate-to-be Jimmy Page had played.) Jones' collaboration with the Shadows nearly prevented the future formation of Led Zeppelin, when the parties engaged in talks about the possibility of Jones replacing their bassist Brian Locking, who left the band in October 1963, but John Rostill was ultimately chosen to fill the position.
In 1964, on the recommendation of Meehan, Jones began studio session work with Decca Records. From then until 1968, he played on hundreds of recording sessions. He soon expanded his studio work by playing keyboards, arranging and undertaking general studio direction, resulting in his services coming under much demand. He worked with numerous artists including the Rolling Stones on Their Satanic Majesties Request (Jones' string arrangement is heard on "She's a Rainbow"); Herman's Hermits; Donovan (on "Sunshine Superman," "Hurdy Gurdy Man," and "Mellow Yellow"); Jeff Beck; Françoise Hardy; 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. In 1967, Most, as music supervisor, also tabbed Jones to arrange the music for Herman's Hermits' theatrical film Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (film), released in January 1968. Such was the extent of Jones' studio work – amounting to hundreds of sessions – that he said years later that "I can't remember three-quarters of the sessions I was on."
It was during his time as a session player that Jones adopted the stage name John Paul Jones. This name was suggested to him by a friend, Andrew Loog Oldham, who had seen a poster for the 1959 film John Paul Jones in France. He released his first solo recording as John Paul Jones, "Baja" (written by Lee Hazlewood and produced by Oldham) / "A Foggy Day in Vietnam", as a single on Pye Records in April 1964.
Jones has stated that, as a session musician, he was completing two and three sessions a day, six and seven days a week. However, by 1968 he was quickly feeling burnt out due to the heavy workload: "I was arranging 50 or 60 things a month and it was starting to kill me."
During his time as a session player, Jones often crossed paths with guitarist Jimmy Page, a fellow session veteran. In June 1966, Page joined The Yardbirds, and in 1967 Jones contributed to that band's Little Games album. The following winter, during the sessions for Donovan's The Hurdy Gurdy Man, Jones expressed to Page a desire to be part of any projects the guitarist might be planning. Later that year, The Yardbirds disbanded, leaving Page and bassist Chris Dreja to complete previously booked Yardbirds dates in Scandinavia. Before a new band could be assembled, Dreja left to take up photography. Jones, at the suggestion of his wife, asked Page about the vacant position, and the guitarist eagerly invited Jones to collaborate. Page later 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."
Vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham joined the two to form a quartet. Initially dubbed the "New Yardbirds" for the Scandinavian dates, the band soon became known as Led Zeppelin.
Jones was responsible for the classic bass lines of the group, notably those in "Ramble On" and "The Lemon Song" (Led Zeppelin II), and shifting time signatures, such as those in "Black Dog" (Led Zeppelin IV). As half of Led Zeppelin's rhythm section with drummer John Bonham, Jones shared an appreciation for funk and soul rhythmic grooves which strengthened and enhanced their musical affinity.
After retiring his Fender Jazz Bass (which he had been using since his days with The Shadows in the early 1960s) from touring in 1975, Jones switched to using custom-designed Alembic basses while touring. However, he still preferred to use the Jazz Bass in the studio and in an interview for Elixir Strings, he mentioned that he still has the bass to this day. Jones' keyboard skills added an eclectic dimension that realised Led Zeppelin as more than just a hard rock band. Keyboard highlights include the delicate "The Rain Song" (Houses of the Holy) played on a Mellotron; the funky "Trampled Under Foot", played on a Clavinet (Physical Graffiti); and the eastern scales of "Kashmir", also played on a Mellotron (also on Physical Graffiti). In live performances, Jones' keyboard showpiece was "No Quarter", often lasting for up to half-an-hour and sometimes including snatches of "Amazing Grace", Joaquín Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez", which had inspired Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain, and variations of classical pieces by composers such as Rachmaninoff.
Jones' diverse contributions to the group extended to the use of other instruments, including an unusual triple-necked acoustic instrument consisting of a six and a twelve string guitar, and a mandolin. Jones often used bass pedals to supplement the band's sound while he was playing keyboards and mandolin. On the band's 1977 tour of the United States, Jones would sing lead vocals on "The Battle of Evermore," filling in for Sandy Denny, who had sung on the studio version.
Since Led Zeppelin dissolved in 1980 with the death of John Bonham, Jones has collaborated with a number of artists, including Diamanda Galás, R.E.M., Jars of Clay, Heart, Ben E. King, Peter Gabriel, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Cinderella, The Mission, La Fura dels Baus, The Harp Consort, Brian Eno, the Butthole Surfers and Uncle Earl.
He appeared on sessions and videos for Paul McCartney and was involved in the soundtrack of the film Give My Regards to Broad Street. In 1985, Jones was asked by director Michael Winner to provide the soundtrack for the film, Scream for Help, with Jimmy Page appearing on two tracks. Jones provides vocals for two of the songs. He recorded and toured with singer Diamanda Galás on her 1994 album, The Sporting Life (co-credited to John Paul Jones). Jones set up his own recording studio called Sunday School, as well being involved in his daughter's (Jacinda Jones) singing career.
In 1985, Jones joined the other former members of Led Zeppelin for the Live Aid concert with both Phil Collins and Tony Thompson filling in on drums. The former members again re-formed for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert on 14 May 1988. Page, Plant and Jones, as well as John Bonham's son Jason, closed the event. In 1992, Jones arranged the orchestration on the R.E.M. album Automatic for the People.
Zooma, his debut solo album, was released in September 1999 on Robert Fripp's DGM label and followed up in 2001 by The Thunderthief. Both albums were accompanied by tours, in which he played with Nick Beggs (Chapman Stick) and Terl Bryant (drums).
Jones plays on two tracks on Foo Fighters' album In Your Honor. He plays mandolin on "Another Round" and piano on "Miracle", both of which are on the acoustic disc. The band's frontman Dave Grohl (a big Led Zeppelin fan) has described Jones' guest appearance as the "second greatest thing to happen to me in my life".
He played at Bonnaroo 2007 in a collaboration with Ben Harper and The Roots' drummer Questlove as part of the festival's all-star Super-Jam, which is the festival's annual tradition of bringing together famous, world-class musicians to jam on stage for a few hours. Jones appeared and played mandolin with Gillian Welch during the festival during the song "Look at Miss Ohio" and a cover of the Johnny Cash song "Jackson". He also appeared during the set of Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals where they played a cover of "Dazed and Confused". Jones then closed Gov't Mule's first set, playing part of "Moby Dick" and then "Livin Lovin Maid" on bass, then proceeded to play keyboards on the songs "Since I've Been Loving You" and "No Quarter". Jones also performed on mandolin with the all-female bluegrass group Uncle Earl, whose album he had produced in 2007.
Jones played in the Led Zeppelin reunion show at London's O2 Arena on 10 December 2007 with the other remaining members of Led Zeppelin as part of a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun.
On 1 May 2013, Jones appeared with Seasick Steve at a concert at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. Introduced by Seasick Steve as a member "of the best rock band ever", Jones played bass, mandolin, and steel guitar, and provided vocals. During November 2013, Jones joined a seven-day tour of the Southeast US, playing mandolin with the Dave Rawlings Machine. The Atlanta show (21 November 2013) included a rendition Led Zeppelin's "Going to California." Jones also toured with the Dave Rawlings Machine in autumn 2014.
On 5 and 6 September 2015, Jones, along with Queen drummer Roger Taylor, joined Foo Fighters on stage in Milton Keynes to perform a cover of Queen's "Under Pressure," with Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl singing.
While all members of Led Zeppelin had a reputation for off-stage excess (a label that has been claimed was exaggerated), Jones was widely seen as the most quiet and reserved member of the group. For his part, Jones has claimed that he had just as much fun on the road as his bandmates but was more discreet about it, stating "I did more drugs than I care to remember. I just did it quietly." Benoit Gautier, an employee of Atlantic Records in France, echoed this impression, stating that "The wisest guy in Led Zeppelin was John Paul Jones. Why? He never got caught in an embarrassing situation."
Views
Quotations:
"Nothing ever exciting happens to me."
"Think not just how you should sound... but how the band should Sound."
"I don't think he knows who else was there with him!"
"I like Physical Graffitti a lot."
"You know, I would just fall over of boredom probably."
"Organ was always my first love, but for session playing I found it much easier to carry a bass to work than an organ."
Interests
Music & Bands
Big Bill Broonzy, Charles Mingus, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Connections
Jones married his wife, Maureen, in 1967, and they have been together ever since, currently residing in West London. They have three daughters.
2008 - Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert - Event of the Year;
2013 - Celebration Day - Film of the Year;
2014 - Led Zeppelin I, II, & III Deluxe Edition - Reissue of the Year.
2008 - Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert - Event of the Year;
2013 - Celebration Day - Film of the Year;
2014 - Led Zeppelin I, II, & III Deluxe Edition - Reissue of the Year.
GQ Men Of The Year Awards
2008 - Led Zeppelin - Outstanding Achievement Award.
2008 - Led Zeppelin - Outstanding Achievement Award.
1999 - Led Zeppelin IV - Grammy Hall of Fame;
2003 - "Stairway to Heaven" - Grammy Hall of Fame;
2004 - Led Zeppelin - Grammy Hall of Fame;
2007 - "Whole Lotta Love" - Grammy Hall of Fame;
2014 - Celebration Day - Best Rock Album.
1999 - Led Zeppelin IV - Grammy Hall of Fame;
2003 - "Stairway to Heaven" - Grammy Hall of Fame;
In December 2012, US President Barack Obama, honored Led Zeppelin by awarding the band with the US's highest cultural award, the Kennedy Center Honors.
In December 2012, US President Barack Obama, honored Led Zeppelin by awarding the band with the US's highest cultural award, the Kennedy Center Honors.