Led Zeppelin were once threatened with legal action by Eva von Zeppelin, a descendant of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who designed the airship from which they took their name. Eva said the band were "shrieking monkeys" who were not entitled to "use a privileged family name without permission".
Top Of The Pops
Led Zeppelin refused ever to appear on Top Of The Pops, despite all their hits and pleas from the BBC. This was hugely ironic as from 1968 to 1981 and 1998 to 2003 a souped-up version of the band's song, Whole Lotta Love, by CCS was the show's theme tune, so the Beeb kind of got their way in the end.
Guitarist Jimmy Page was so obsessed by occultist Aleister Crowley that he scratched his aphorism "Do what thou wilt" into the run-out groove of Led Zeppelin III. He also bought Crowley's former home, Boleskine House, on the shores of Loch Ness.
Exhausted by years on the road, Led Zeppelin bassist John-Paul Jones once had to be talked out of quitting the band to take up the position of choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral.
