Dread Zeppelin

Dread Zeppelin is an American band best known for covering the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style sung by an Elvis Presley impersonator, though their act now encompasses many other songs and other styles of music. Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant has said that Dread Zeppelin is his favorite band.

The first Dread Zeppelin release, the 7" single "Immigrant Song/Hey, Hey, What Can I Do", was recorded at the home studio of Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and released in 1989. After its success, a second single, "Whole Lotta Love/Tour-telvis: A Bad Trip" was released. A third, "Your Time Is Gonna Come/Woodstock (live)" was released not as a single but as part of a singles compilation entitled Kom Gib Mir Deine Hand.

The rest of Dread Zeppelin's first album, Un-LED-ed, consisted of more covers taken from Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II, plus "Black Dog" from the untitled fourth album. Shortly before Un-LED-ed was released, the original Ed Zeppelin (percussion) was replaced by his twin brother.

Un-LED-ed was surprisingly successful, and in the fall of 1990, Dread Zeppelin took a three-week break from touring and recorded their second album, 5,000,000* *Tortelvis Fans Can't Be Wrong. In addition to the usual "Zeppelin in a reggae style", this album also featured a cover of Bob Marley's "Stir It Up" as well as three original songs.

For the next album, the band had planned a rock opera entitled Albert about a rock critic who wanted to be a star (based loosely on the real rock critic Albert Goldman), but this idea proved to be too ambitious for Jah Paul Jo who did not consider himself a career musician. The plan changed to an album of disco covers entitled It's Not Unusual. In early 1992, Ed Zeppelin and drummer Fresh Cheese had both left the band, and during rehearsals for It's Not Unusual, lead vocalist Tortelvis witnessed bassist Butt Boy kick Jah Paul Jo's ass. Consequently, Butt Boy took over the vocals, assuming the name Gary B.I.B.B., and guest artists Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Randy Bachman were brought in to fill the void left by Tortelvis.

Reaction to the disco stylings of It's Not Unusual was resoundingly negative, so in early 1993 a return to the old formula ensued. In the spring of 1994, Dread Zeppelin appeared in the film National Lampoon's Last Resort and provided a song for the closing credits. Carl Jah and Ed Zeppelin left the band shortly afterward. In 1995, during the recording of Dread Zeppelin's fifth album, No Quarter Pounder, Jah Paul Jo could not be tolerated and that relationship was over as well.

The remaining members of Official site (http://www.dreadzeppelin.com/) Dread Zeppelin signed onto Imago Records and released The Fun Sessions, a collection of classic rock covers. Since the Imago release, Carl Jah and Ed Zeppelin returned to the band and Dread Zeppelin was back with almost all the original members intact (Tortelvis, Charlie Haj, Butt-Boy, Ed Zeppelin and Carl Jah).

Dread Zeppelin now had a new production company as of 1995 called Cash Cow, which released the live album Front Yard Bar*B*Que in December 1996 and the all-original album Spam Bake in November 1997, "Presents" in 2002 and Chicken and Ribs" in 2004. They are now releasing dvd media (Jah-La-Palooza 2004 and Live in Minne-Jah-Polis 2002) and bootlegs as well, after a clammering for such product from their loyal and long time fan base.

Lead singer Tortelvis flanked by his boys finally got his shot at singing the The Star Spangled Banner at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona on May 27th 2005, after his first chance was ruined (he was scheduled to sing at a Minnesota Twins game in 1992) by the infamous Rosanne Bar stunt she pulled just 2 days prior to Tortelvis' sceduled appearance when she disrespected the Anthem with a whiney rendition and a grab at the crotch. Sidenote; Tortelvis nailed it in Phoenix.

As of April 2005, Dread Zeppelin is still touring sparingly and releasing new material.

Members

Note: The membership of Dread Zeppelin has changed countless times over the years. The band at any given time consists of some assortment of people from the following list.

• Tortelvis (Greg Tortell) -- lead vocals
• Ed Zeppelin (real name: Bryant Fernandez, later Bruce Fernandez) -- percussion, vocals
• Carl Jah (real name: Carl Haasis) -- guitar
• Butt Boy/Gary B.I.B.B. (Gary Putman) -- bass, and guitar
• Jah Paul Jo (real name Severs Ramsey) -Guitar
• Charlie Haj -- Towell Boy (Dan Bell)
• Fresh Cheese (Paul Masselli) -- percussion
• Spice -- percussion (Cristian Boerin)
• Bob Knarley (Howard Ulyate, son of trombone great Lloyd Ulyate)
• Ziggy Knarley (Charles Moreland) Drums
• Fernandez (Peter Burke) Percussion
• Fuzzy Buzzman (Freddy Johnson) Bass
• Mike Hunt -- (Mike Glendinning) - Guitar

Discography

• Un-LED-ed (1990)
• 5,000,000* *Tortelvis Fans Can't Be Wrong (1991)
• It's Not Unusual (1993)
• First No Elvis (1994)
• Hot & Spicy Beanburger (1995)
• No Quarter Pounder (1995)
• The Fun Sessions (1996)
• Front Yard Bar*B*Que (1996)
• Spam Bake (1997)
• Dejah Voodoo (1999)
• Presents (2002)
• Chicken and Ribs (2004)

External links

• Official site (http://www.dreadzeppelin.com/)