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‘Into the heart of the whirlwind’: how Led Zeppelin were sweet-talked into making a new film
They were quizzed endlessly and one wrong answer could have blown the lot. The makers of Becoming Led Zeppelin relive the tactics – and cups of tea – that got it green lit
The Irish-British film-maker and his Scottish partner Allison McGourty had spent 10 months researching a film about that massively successful but elusive rock band Led Zeppelin. So MacMahon sent him a copy of American Epic, the duo’s documentary series about the impact of the first-ever recordings of blues, country, cajun and Mexican musicians back in the 1920s, which Robert Redford, who narrated it, called “America’s greatest untold story”. It is a triumphant finale that leaves out what was to follow – the exploration of more acoustic styles, Page’s fascination with Aleister Crowley and the occult, the decade of massive financial success, the stories of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll excess … and even Stairway to Heaven.
Or read this on The Guardian
