We're Gonna Groove

Part 2

Jimmy had learned from Terry about Robert's past few years away from home after a falling out with his parents at the tender age of fifteen.

Of course he was hungry, from what Terry said Robert seemed to be living on coffee and cigarettes, trying to cut down on the latter on account of his voice, and as he was quickly lacking the money to support that habit.

But it didn't take much persuading for Robert's bolder side to come out and soon after they were both munching on sandwiches, listening to a Joan Baez record.

"I was thinking I'd like the group to be able to do a song like that, only with more light and shade." Said Jimmy as the first notes of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" played.

According to Jimmy there was a way to make music like a painting of sorts, it shouldn't be just one or the other- music should somehow be chiaroscuro.

By evening the conversation flowed freely. Less was there the awkward tension of novice and master.

Robert was a Blues freak, a thing which Jimmy could more than appreciate as names such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Ledbelly and Robert Johnson among many others sprung from the youth's lips.

And of course Elvis, the early records which sound was so different from anything else up to that point, the bold statement that from now on this was main stream.

As Robert tried hopelessly to describe the feeling, Jimmy could definitely see the ten year old Robert listening to the radio, impersonating Elvis and Little Richard behind the living room curtains because his parents had rejected the Blues so whole heartedly they'd quite literally cut the cord of his record player.

Robert's pride possession was a bass mouth harp he'd nicked backstage at a Blind Willie Johnson concert.

Jimmy in turn explained that it was an Elvis record for him as well that at the age of twelve made him pick up the guitar, and though he took a half a dozen lessons back in the day he was pretty much self thought.

If Jimmy had any fears of Robert being a complete jerk, they were now subsided and utterly gone.

Jimmy found Robert witty and amiable, and so charming he could probably charm the knickers of a nun.

Not to mention his exquisite taste in music which Jimmy found so compatible to his own, except for the few odd psychedelic influences like Moby Grape which the singer kept pushing on to the top of the records pile, to which Jimmy just couldn't relate.

"You know, I found a new bass player that I'm really keen on" revealed Jimmy, remembering the call he got from John Paul Jones just days before Chris finally gave up to pursue his true passion, photography.

He explained to Robert that he'd known the bassist back from his session days.

The man was a genius of sorts, playing bass, keys, as well as having a gift for arrangements.

John Paul could lay a thick and heavy bass line and since such good bass players were hard to come by, Jimmy jumped at the chance of having him.

Finally it was past 3AM before they even noticed how late it actually was, Jimmy offered Robert the spare guest room and of course the bathroom there was at his disposal.

It was only round eleven that Robert finally woke up; he spent two more hours the previous night just trying to fall asleep.

His mind was swarming with excitement and ideas and with the man called Jimmy Page, who seemed to be opening a brand new door for him, no, rather kicking it wide open. Page, that frail and introverted creature, but only at first glance, for underneath it all he was drenched in power, precision and a completely enthralling mystique that at times gave Robert the ominous feeling of darkness.