Metallica has always been famously picky about who licenses its music. Paradise Lost, the documentary about the West Memphis Three, was the first time the band ever allowed its music to be used in a film.
Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin has also been very selective about where Zeppelin’s music is licensed, and Almost Famous was the first time any of Zeppelin’s tunes were extensively played in a movie.
Interestingly, Zep’s music was also recently used in Argo and a Cadillac commercial, but you may also recall that Led Zeppelin was the number one requested band for a Guitar Hero game, and Page refused to let it happen.
Now Entertainment Weekly tells us that Zeppelin’s music has been allowed in a very unlikely place, namely the show Revolution. Indeed, a recent episode featured the Zep tunes Since I’ve Been Loving You, and one of their greatest epics, Kashmir. (In fact, the episode where Zep’s music was used was titled Kashmir).
As it turns out, with the release of the Zeppelin concert film, Celebration Day, music publishers Warner / Chappell asked the head of Warner Television if any of their shows would like to use Zeppelin’s music. Of course the answer would have to be a resounding yes, and for the head of Warner TV, Revolution immediately came to mind.
Eric Kripe, who created Revolution, told EW, “I’m truly not exaggerating when I say it’s one of the high points of my career,” and when the music was cut into the episode, he played it cranked through huge speakers. Kashmir also plays over a scene with no dialogue, letting the tune do the talking.
We also have to point out that as exciting as all this seems, there still won’t be a Zep reunion, even with Celebration Day getting raves from critics and fans alike. (It also sold a projected 90-100,000 copies its first week on CD, DVD and Blu-ray).
Jimmy Page has always been up for a reunion, Robert Plant has always said no, and as Page ruefully told Rolling Stone, “Some of us thought we would be continuing, that there were going to be more concerts in the not-too-distant-future. Because there was a lot of work being put into the show.”
