In an extract from his new memoir, the writer and film-maker Cameron Crowe reflects on how, as a teenager, he managed to bag the exclusive of a lifetime by touring with Led Zeppelin. Crowe, who was writing for Rolling Stone at the time, recounts the band's mystique and their famous hatred of the magazine, which had given their first album a poor review.
Crowe's key to getting Zeppelin on the cover was Jimmy Page. He planned to interview the other members first, and if Page still refused, Robert Plant would appear alone. This strategy, he hoped, would lure Page into a group shot. Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres approved the idea and encouraged Crowe with daily phone calls.
During the tour, Crowe found himself in unusual situations, such as visiting gay bars with the band to avoid fans. He made notes in bathrooms, often amid cocaine-sniffing patrons. Despite initial friendliness, Page began to ignore Crowe as the tour progressed, aware that everyone else had spoken to him for the potential article.
With time running out, Crowe approached Page directly on the band's plane. Page questioned why he should cooperate given the magazine's past treatment. Crowe insisted he was not Jann Wenner and promised to tell the story for the fans. Page eventually agreed, and the interview became a landmark piece for Rolling Stone.
