As Led Zeppelin’s musical backbone, John Paul Jones brought a distinctive blend of rhythmic sophistication, harmonic invention and technical precision to the band’s sound.
His twisted Black Dog riff was an attempt to trip up fans who would dance at the band’s concerts. His tasty subhook on Ramble On brought the song’s verses to a completely different place, and The Lemon Song is a masterwork blues that every developing bassist should try to transcribe or learn – preferably, both.
With a seemingly bottomless skill set, Jones has also worked with the likes of Dusty Springfield, Seasick Steve and R.E.M., and even provided the string arrangement for The Rolling Stones’ 1967 hit She’s a Rainbow. He was also among the early pioneers of the eight-string bass guitar.
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So, how well do you really know John Paul Jones? Did you know, for instance, that John Paul Jones isn’t his birth name, but a stage name inspired by a 1959 film starring Robert Stack?
From his iconic Led Zeppelin basslines to his work as a session musician, and multi-instrumentalist, there’s plenty more to discover about one of rock’s most versatile musicians. Test your knowledge in our quiz below.
