Band Of Joy

West Midlands band that has become a kind of Holy Grail for fans of Led Zeppelin due to the inclusion in their ranks of pre-Zeppelin Robert Plant and John Bonham. Band Of Joy's history weaves a complex web as it appears there were different versions of the band operating at the same time.Band of Joy was originally founded in 1966 with Plant on vocals and Pete Robinson on drums.Plant had at this stage, despite being still in his teens, issued one single with his former band Listen and two solo singles for CBS Records. However, he was fired from Band Of Joy shortly the following year as the band's manager at the time believed he could not sing! Undaunted Plant founded his own version of the band. Plant's Band Of Joy was quick to falter though and he subsequently rejoined the original incarnation.

During 1967 Band Of Joy comprised of Robert Plant, former Crawling Kingsnakes members guitarist Kevyn Gammond and drummer John Bonham, bassist Paul Lockey and keyboard player Chris Brown. This line up cut a number of demos intended for a single release at Regent Studios in London in early 1968. Of the tracks recorded, including a take on Buffalo Springfield's 'For What It's Worth' and Jimi Hendrixs 'Hey Joe', one surfaced officially 'Adriatic Sea' on the American compilation 'Turds On A Bum Ride Volume 5' whilst volume 6 of the same series has "Hey Joe' and 'For What It's Worth' from the same sessions.

Band Of Joy folded in May 1968, when a recording contract failed to materialise, though Ritchie York, in his book Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography, claims that Band Of Joy released three singles. Robinson and Gammond forged Country Rock act Bronco with guitarist Robbie Blunt. Plant joined Hobbstweedle but not until after being offered the vocalist position in Slade! Noddy Holder had been a roadie for Band Of Joy at the time.

A re-formed Band Of Joy released a self-titled album in 1978 and made another unreleased album a little later. Gammond would later join Robert Plant in the Priory Of Brion from 1999 to 2001.