Monday, April 25, 2011

First Back to Schoolin' Interview

During the course of their official existence, Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham are notorious for their extreme reticence in being interviewed by "journalists". This is a stance taken by the band within the first couple years of their existence when the negative press they receive (principally in relation to album and concert reviews) proves to be so pervasive, and often so unnecessarily nasty, that they feel the need to withhold comment in order to limit the damage. Having learned this lesson early on, they make the wise decision to maintain complete control over whom it is that interviews them in order to get a fair and necessary advantage. Only a handful of music writers are afforded the privilege of interviewing them during their hey-day in the 1970's.

My first official interview discussing my book, Back to Schoolin': What Led Zeppelin Taught Me About Music, has recently taken place and I am privileged to have been interviewed by Stephen Mitchell, a man who is not only an extremely experienced and expert interviewer, but one who asks intelligent and appropriate questions. The members of Led Zeppelin would have been pleased to have been interviewees under Mr. Mitchell's probing and informed questioning. The only disappointment is the (understandably necessary) short duration of the interview. I could have continued much longer.



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In 1980, Stephen founded an entertainment industry think tank in the guise of a repertory company for film and television labeled The New Hollywood Studio System. In 1985, Stephen pioneered a unique application of product integration in branded entertainment with his cable TV series (Interview). In 2006, Stephen authored a protocol for the management and marketing of business executives. He is currently producing a documentary on the Ferrari GTO, one of which he owned for several years.


Check out Stephen Mitchell's blog site below:

http://emcpb.blogspot.com/