Jimmy Page Closes Olympics with Whole Lotta Love
by Frank Jovine on 08/24/2008 in Music, Sports
After choosing the song for the closing ceremony on Sunday they decided that some of the lyrics would have to be omitted or re-written amid concerns that they could be offensive, go figure.
The song was chosen as the centerpiece of an eight-minute segment at the event in Beijing at which the Olympic flag will be officially passed to the London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Organizers of the London 2012 Games commissioned the band’s guitarist Jimmy Page to record a new version of the song to be performed on top of a special red double-decker bus accompanied by Leona Lewis, winner of the ITV reality television show The X Factor, with David Beckham looking on.
But, according to London 2012 officials, Lewis – who grew up in east London close to the Olympic site – requested a change to the song’s second verse because she was worried they would not make sense for a female singer.
In the original, recorded in 1969, frontman Robert Plant sings, “I’m gonna give you every inch of my love”.
But in the version that will be sung tomorrow, however, Lewis changes the words to “every bit” of my love.
The band also agreed to a request from organizers to drop the third verse, which includes similar sexual innuendoes, to fit in to the eight-minute performance.
Fool
Aug 24th, 2008
Take a perfectly good song and destroy it?
Frank J
Aug 24th, 2008
Just a minor change to avoid offending anyone.
Susie
Aug 24th, 2008
Page still has it! Even though it had to be changed up..the only constant in life is change..
Fool
Aug 25th, 2008
I wish I would have seen it, I bet music sounded a lot different that what I remember, (who am I kidding? Remember?) we all know what era that was! LOL.
dustybear
Aug 25th, 2008
jimmy page should be offended…led zeppelin should be offended take possibly their greatest song ever and change it…LAME
Frank J
Aug 25th, 2008
No so as some of the lyrics are not appropriate, but they could have picked another song instead of editing WLL.
Poot
Aug 25th, 2008
Well, seeing as Page wrote it, he can edit it without anyone here’s permission, believe it or not.
Frank J
Aug 25th, 2008
Poot,
You’re right, he writes the song he can do whatever he likes.
Andrew
Aug 25th, 2008
Whole lotta love wasn’t led zeps greatest song! you forget the legend that is stairway to heaven!
Frank J
Aug 25th, 2008
I didn’t say it was. My favorite songs are – Since I Been Loving You and No Quarter.
debbie
Aug 25th, 2008
I thought Jimmy Page was HOT!!!!!!!! Leona Lewis sucked big ones,………she killed a perfectly great song…………..it was very fake and overdone, just like her FACE!
Frank J
Aug 25th, 2008
I agree she did botch it up pretty bad, but Jimmy shined!
dustybear
Sep 1st, 2008
i cant believe soeone said..the awesomness that is stairway to heavan..that guy is like the guys who say theyre devoted christians but just say it for the glory..that guy is a bad excuse for a led zeppelin fan..get to knoww greats such as babe im gonna leave you and when the levee breaks..then you can be a true fan..and people shouldnt be so f***ing sensitive..they try to hide themselves and say ooh there’s no sex so god forbid someone should use them in their lyrics?? but all this said jimmy page is a true hero and deserves every bit of glory..none of this leona lewis singing one of his greats shit..
Frank J
Sep 1st, 2008
Dusty,
I agree with you 100%. A true fan has a much better choice of Zep songs.
rach
Sep 2nd, 2008
I agree with you all – expecially you DustyBear. OMG thank gawd someone else thought Jimmy was like froth material. Haha have fun Zeppelin fans
Leona Lewis Music
Sep 14th, 2008
Hello webmaster , I agree with this article, just sometimes I read so fast everything and I miss things that after read them again, I can understand it better..
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