In the beginning, John Paul Jones didn’t think much of Led Zeppelin, believing the band would last only for a few years. He even had a plan ready as he wanted to be a film musician. Although Led Zeppelin didn’t fail, Jones’s wish to contribute to a movie musically somewhat came true as the band’s songs have been used in many blockbuster movies, if not overused. So, while chatting with Vulture, Robert Plant shared that the decision-making process about the use of their songs is not a solitary job and disclosed the dynamics between his bandmates.
“I’m not responsible for all the decision-making when it comes to where we allow our music,” noted Plant while addressing how Led Zeppelin made decisions while deciding which films could use their music. “It’s group decisions. There are two Capricorns and one Leo. We have to go through the whole thing together.”
He continued, “Not to generalize, but quite often, we’re presented with a scene that’s in the script or cuts of a film. When there’s something uncomfortable, unpleasant, or overtly just not the right place for our music to be, we say no. The music is dynamic. There it is, sitting there and happily waiting for romance or nuance or drive that should link to a film with substance.”
However, the band hasn’t allowed every movie to use the band’s music, and Plant discussed that there have to be certain qualities. Robert said, “A film with substance is hard to come by. It’s not easy to find that. A lot of stuff is completely tasteless. It just goes straight for violence and dynamics, So when good ones come, it’s a different story. You can’t put it in the wrong hands. We’ve already done too much of that.”
So, when it came to decision-making, the remaining members of the band, Plant, Page, and Jones, would make joint decisions and wouldn’t let whoever paid the right amount of money go on and use a track from the beloved catalog of Led Zeppelin. The band also wished to see some quality in the script and, only then, gave their blessings for the films to use their music.
