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Monday, September 3, 2007

Plant on Fats Domino tribute CD

There's a two-disc set coming out on Sept. 25 called Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. Of immediate interest to Led Zeppelin fans are the two cover songs recorded by Robert Plant with a couple different groups. One of his songs can be heard online in MP3 format along with two other tracks from the double album:

1. Robert Plant & Soweto Gospel Choir - Valley of Tears: http://six-by-nine.org/muruch/robertplant-valleyoftears.mp3
2. Dr. John - Don't Leave Me This Way: http://six-by-nine.org/muruch/drjohn-dontleavemethisway1.mp3
3. Randy Newman - Blue Monday: http://six-by-nine.org/muruch/randynewman-bluemonday.mp3

Plant's track above was recorded with the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. His other addition to the album, "It Keeps Rainin'," was recorded with the Lil' Band O' Gold, from Lafayette, Louisiana. After they recorded their song, Plant ended up playing with them at Tipitina's in New Orleans. Their 30-minute set, detailed in full both by a New Orleans Times-Picayune blog and Lafayette's hometown Independent Weekly, included both Fats Domino covers Plant had recorded for the album and a few Elvis Presley songs and snippets of Led Zeppelin songs alongside the blues song "Hoochie Coochie Man" made famous by Muddy Waters.

The album also includes the late John Lennon's classic cover of Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" and new recordings from a bunch of the same artists who frequently show up on compilations like the Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute and the Sun Records tribute: Bonnie Raitt (SRV), Eric Clapton (SRV & Sun), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (Sun), B.B. King (SRV), Sir Elton John (Sun), Sir Paul McCartney (Sun) and Dr. John (SRV). Plant was also on the Sun Records tribute album.

Proceeds from sales of the Fats Domino tribute album will benefit the Tipitina's Foundation, whose goal is "to preserve and restore New Orleans' music culture in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina." A press release says the album "will help raise desperately needed funds specifically earmarked for instruments to be donated to New Orleans' public school children. Monies raised from the sales of Goin' Home will also go toward the rebuilding of Fats Domino's home and to create a community center in the Crescent City's still ravaged Lower 9th Ward."

About the author

Steve "The Lemon" Sauer is a writer and musician based in Boca Raton, Fla., who has dedicated a portion of his life researching the history of rock group Led Zeppelin and monitoring the ongoing careers of the band's surviving members. Although he was barely a year old when Led Zeppelin broke up and it took him until his teen years to appreciate the music, it didn't take long to make up for it.

Steve is currently a contributing writer and consultant for Get the Led Out, a weekly syndicated radio program hosted by Carol Miller and syndicated in 100 U.S. markets including New York and Los Angeles. He also provides content for a Web site associated with the radio show, www.LedZepOnline.com.

In 2007, Steve launched Lemon Squeezings: Led Zeppelin News to cover the lead-up to the band's reunion concert at the end of that year. Since then, he has closely examined every rumor of a followup tour since then, often dispelling or clarifying misinformation perpetrated by the mainstream media. Using his journalistic training, Steve has also uncovered some facts and accounts previously unreported elsewhere.

At age 18, he began publishing On This Day In Led Zeppelin History, a daily newsletter detailing the interactions of members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and their manager, Peter Grant. The newsletter is located at www.OnThisDayInLedZeppelinHistory.com.

He enjoys uncovering stories and has employed various methods to communicate those stories to Led Zeppelin's vast fan base, utilizing terrestrial radio and the many facets of the Internet: from Usenet newsgroups to plain e-mail and now Facebook and Twitter. Steve also connects with live audiences when performing as a backup vocalist and keyboard player with various bands, including past onstage appearances with three cover or tribute acts performing the music of Led Zeppelin.

Do you have a news tip to share with Steve? Do you have something you would like him to write about? Would you like to book him for a speaking engagement? He can be contacted by e-mail at Steve at LedZeppelinNews.com.

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