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John Paul Jones (musician)

John Baldwin (born 3 January 1946),[1] better known by his stage name John Paul Jones, is an English musician, songwriter, and record producer who was the bassist and keyboardist for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Prior to forming the band with Jimmy Page in 1968, he was a session musician and arranger. After the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, Led Zeppelin disbanded, and Jones developed a solo career. He has collaborated with musicians across a variety of genres,[2] including the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and Alain Johannes. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 as a member of Led Zeppelin.

John Paul Jones

John Baldwin

(1946-01-03) 3 January 1946
Sidcup, Kent, England

  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • arranger

  • Bass guitar
  • keyboards
  • lap steel guitar
  • mandolin

1961–present

Biography[edit]

Early years[edit]

John Baldwin was born in Sidcup, Kent, on 3 January 1946.[1] He started playing piano when he was six, learning from his father, Joe Baldwin, a pianist and arranger for big bands in the 1940s and 1950s, notably with Ambrose and his Orchestra. His mother was also in the music business which allowed the family to often perform together touring around England as a vaudeville comedy act.[3] His influences ranged from the blues of Big Bill Broonzy, the jazz of Charles Mingus, to the classical piano of Sergei Rachmaninoff.[4]


Because his parents often toured, Baldwin was sent to boarding school at a young age.[5] He was a student at Christ's College, Blackheath, London where he studied music formally. At the age of 14, Baldwin became choirmaster and organist at a local church and during that year, he also bought his first bass guitar, a Dallas Tuxedo solid body electric followed by multiple basses which he part exchanged until he finally bought his 1962 Fender Jazz Bass which he used until 1976. The fluid playing of Chicago musician Phil Upchurch on his You Can't Sit Down LP, which includes a memorable bass solo, is cited by Jones as being his inspiration to take up the instrument.[6]

Session work[edit]

Baldwin joined his first band, The Deltas, at the age of 15. He then played bass for jazz-rock London group, Jett Blacks, a collective that included guitarist John McLaughlin.[7] His big break came in 1962, when he was hired by Jet Harris and Tony Meehan of the successful British group the Shadows for a two-year stint. Shortly before hiring Baldwin, Harris and Meehan had just had a number 1 hit with "Diamonds" (a track on which Jones' bandmate-to-be Jimmy Page had played). Baldwin's collaboration with the Shadows nearly prevented the future formation of Led Zeppelin, when the parties engaged in talks about the possibility of Baldwin replacing their bassist Brian Locking, who left the band in October 1963, but John Rostill was ultimately chosen to fill the position.


In 1964, on the recommendation of Meehan, Baldwin began studio session work with Decca Records. From then until 1968, he played on hundreds of recording sessions.[8] He soon expanded his studio work by playing keyboards, arranging and undertaking general studio direction, resulting in his services coming under much demand. He worked with numerous artists including the Rolling Stones on Their Satanic Majesties Request (Jones' string arrangement is heard on "She's a Rainbow");[9] Herman's Hermits; Donovan (on "Sunshine Superman", "Hurdy Gurdy Man", and "Mellow Yellow"); Jeff Beck; Françoise Hardy; Cat Stevens; Rod Stewart; Shirley Bassey; Lulu; and numerous others. As well as recording sessions with Dusty Springfield, Jones also played bass for her Talk of the Town series of performances. His arranging and playing on Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" resulted in producer Mickie Most using his services as choice arranger for many of his own projects, with Tom Jones, Nico, Wayne Fontana, the Walker Brothers, and many others. In 1967, Most, as music supervisor, also tasked Jones with arranging the music for Herman's Hermits' theatrical film Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter,[10] released in January 1968. Such was the extent of Jones' studio work – amounting to hundreds of sessions – that he said years later that "I can't remember three-quarters of the sessions I was on."[11]


It was during his time as a session player that Baldwin adopted the stage name John Paul Jones. This name was suggested to him by a friend, Andrew Loog Oldham, who had seen a poster for the 1959 film John Paul Jones in France.[12] He released his first solo recording as John Paul Jones, "Baja" (written by Lee Hazlewood and produced by Oldham) / "A Foggy Day in Vietnam", as a single on Pye Records in April 1964.[13]


Jones has stated that, as a session musician, he was completing two or three sessions a day, working six or seven days a week.[14] However, by 1968 he was feeling burned out by the heavy workload: "I was arranging 50 or 60 things a month and it was starting to kill me."[15]

Legacy[edit]

Jones is widely considered to be one of the most highly influential and important bassists, keyboard players and arrangers in the history of rock music.[2][50][51][52] Many notable rock bassists have been influenced by Jones, including John Deacon of Queen,[53] Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith,[54] Geddy Lee of Rush,[55] Steve Harris of Iron Maiden,[56] Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers,[57] Gene Simmons of Kiss,[58] and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana.[59] Chris Dreja, the rhythm guitarist and bassist of The Yardbirds, has described him as "the best bass player in Europe".[60] Music publications and magazines have ranked Jones among the best rock bassists of all time. He was named the best bassist on Creem Magazine's 1977 Reader Poll.[61] In 2000, Guitar magazine ranked him third in the "Bassist of the Millennium" readers' poll.[62] Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 14 on its list of the "50 Greatest Bassists of All Time" in 2020.[63]


In October 2010, Jones was awarded a "Gold Badge Award" by The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for his outstanding contribution to Britain's music and entertainment industry.[64][65] On 10 November 2010, he was honoured with the "Outstanding Contribution Award" at the Marshall Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.[66][67] In 2014, Jones ranked first on Paste magazine's list of "20 Most Underrated Bassists."[68]

Personal life[edit]

Jones married Maureen Hegarty in 1967; they reside in West London.[69] They have three daughters.[70] According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2009, Jones's net worth was £40 million.[71]

(1994) with Diamanda Galás

The Sporting Life

(1999)

Zooma

(2001)

The Thunderthief

(1966)

Mellow Yellow

(1968) – music arranger: songs

Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter

(1976)

The Song Remains the Same

(1984)

Give My Regards to Broad Street

(1984) – composer

Scream for Help

(1993) – composer

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb

Risk (1994) – composer

(2012)

Celebration Day

John Paul Jones' Official Website

Led Zeppelin Official Site