PRESS RELEASE: May 17, 1973

LED ZEPPELIN IN NEW ORLEANS!!!
THEIR SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE SOLD-OUT CROWD OF THE USA TOUR: GROUP MEMBERS HEAR DIXIELAND JAZZ, BLUES, AND ROCK GREAT FRANKIE FORD!

AHMET ERTEGUN FLIES IN, THROWS LED ZEPPELIN A PARTY WITH MUSIC, MAGIC & MORE!

Robert Plant told a 10,000 member audience at the New Orleans auditorium that “Although I’ve only been here a few days, I feel as nervous as if we were playing a concert in my home  town.”

New Orleans is the second “home base” Led Zeppelin used for their 33 concert USA tour. Staying at the French-Quarter “Royal Orleans” hotel, they flew to St. Louis, and Mobile for concerts in their private jet and flew back immediately afterwards.

Atlantic Records president, Ahmet Ertegun, please no doubt that the group’s “Houses of the Holy” LP continued to be listed in all three music trade magazines as the USA’s best seller, flew to New Orleans to throw the group an impromptu party at Cosimos Recording Studio. The party was highlighted by the presence of the Olympias, a 12 piece Dixieland Jazz band and the Mardi Gras Indians, an eight member set of local dancers who were colorfully costumed in feathers, sequins, headdresses and glitter.

Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones were particularly happy to see and hear some of the rock and roll, and blues greats who influenced their music. At Ertegun’s party, Ernie K. Doe, most famous for “Mother In-Law”, received apt attention from the Led Zeppelin members as he performed backed by the R&B group The Meters, blind piano legend, Professor Longhair also played and eventually John Paul Jones jammed on organ with Atlantic Sales Director Jerry Greenberg on drums and England’s Phil Carson on bass guitar.

Solsters | Sabinson | Roskin Inc., Public Relations
MAY 17, 1973

"In New Orleans Atlantic President Ahmet Ertegun had a party for the band. It was held in some funky recording studio in god knows what section of town. You had to get into a very shaky looking elevator and be pulled up by ropes to get to the 'room where Mardi Gras Indians were already dancing paradestyle in their feathers and glitter. (Imagine twenty Dr. Johns.. and that's what it was like, all led by an old colored man in a full dress suit, top hat and cane.)"

"Real down-home food was served, ribs, corn bread - the whole number. Zeppelin loved it, especially when such legendary New Orleans musicmen like Ernie K. Doe, Professor Longhai: and the Meters performed."

"When Atlantic Vice Predident Jerry Greenberg started to sit in on the drums, with Atlantic UK Chief Phil Carson doing honors on the bass and John Paul Jones playing his very best cocktail lounge organ, it was well into the early hours of the A. M. Everyone trooped out in a rather drunken state and went to the local teenage hangout - the Deja Vu, where (what else?) "The Crunge" blasted forth from the jukebox."  [-Lisa Robinson]