Rock History 101
Satan Renegotiates His Pact with Me, Led Zeppelin Guitarist Jimmy Page
Satan’s rebrand of Hell doesn’t go according to plan.
I was busy at work in my London castle, dreaming up yet another fortune-generating re-issue of the complete works of Led Zeppelin, when the being I least wanted to behold again in this lifetime materialized in my drawing room. It was Satan.
If you didn’t come of age during the 1960s and 1970s, you can be forgiven for not being hip to my relationship with the Lord of Darkness, which back then was reported in headlines that knocked the moon landing, the Vietnam War, and Watergate off the front page. Here’s a recap: In 1968, singer Robert Plant, bassist John-Paul Jones, drummer John Bonham, and I — London’s hottest session guitarist — were an unknown rock group hungry for success. It was rumored Satan was looking for an act to sponsor, and after being turned down by The Turtles, he offered us his classic Faustian pact: talent, fame, and wealth in exchange for our souls post mortem. He proffered a contract, we signed in blood, and the rest is rock and roll history.
And now, Satan and I stood face to face once again.
“Jimmy! Long time no see. You look great. What’s it been? Fifty years? Sixty? Mind if I sit?”
