Obs-Tweedle

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Obs-Tweedle was a Walsall-based 1960s rock band notable for singer Robert Plant's appearance prior to joining Led Zeppelin. The band also featured Bill Bonham, a cousin of future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, on keyboards and bass guitar.

Overview[edit]

Contrary to popular myth, the band name was never titled Hobbstweedle or connected with J. R. R. Tolkien literature, despite Plant's interest in that author's work. The name Obs-Tweedle originated from Bill Bonham's father and band manager, William Bonham, Sr., who allegedly selected the words from a dictionary when they couldn't agree on any names. Obs is an abbreviation for 'obscure', and Tweedle means 'sound'^[1]; which may have reflected the band's offbeat repertoire at the time.

Advertisement in the Wednesday 13 March 1968 edition of the West Midlands newspaper Express & Star, for Obs-Tweedle's first ever concert, at the Three Men in a Boat pub.

The band were formerly known as the Answer, a group which had toured Europe, and renamed themselves after ex-Band of Joy singer Robert Plant joined their line-up. Plant and his future wife Maureen Wilson were in the audience at one gig at Dudley Zoo to see the Answer perform, when Plant was invited to join the band after their singer Tommy Burton experienced a bout of food poisoning.^[2] Both Bill Bonham and Plant lived in upstairs rooms at the Three Men in a Boat (public house)|Three Men in a Boat public house in Bloxwich, a venue which the band also used for rehearsals. Their first ever performance was held there on Wednesday 13 March 1968. The Three Men in a Boat pub was owned by Bill Bonham's father, and would also be the future destination in which manager Peter Grant would send the telegram to confirm Plant was in Led Zeppelin, and later dozens of telegrams to get local John Bonham to sign-up with the band.^[3]

Other members which passed through the Obs-Tweedle line-up included Richard Brown on guitar, Mac Bailey on drums, and Barry Sargeant on drums.^[4] Their music was influenced by the West Coast sounds of America, in particular Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield, of which Plant was a fan. Plant later admitted 'the band overplayed and there was a lot of hubbub and flash but no real content'.^[5] The band recorded a number of songs for a demo on 15 May 1968, but these tracks have never surfaced since with their current status unknown.^[6] Songs recorded included covers of 'Mr. Soul', and 'Rock and Roll Woman', with local producer and engineer Terry Rowley (from the Montanas and Trapeze).

The New Yardbirds[edit]

For more information, see: Led Zeppelin.

It was whilst performing with this band at the West Midlands College of Education in Gorway on Saturday 20 July 1968, that Yardbirds Jimmy Page, Chris Dreja, and manager Peter Grant first saw Plant.^[7] Page had been recommended Plant by Terry Reid, who had been Page's first choice vocalist for what would become Led Zeppelin.^[8] As Grant recalled later:

Plant later explained:

After hearing him sing, Plant was subsequently invited to Page's home in Pangbourne, Berkshire to discuss musical ideas, and play records including Muddy Waters' 'You Shook Me', Joan Baez's version of 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You', Fairport Convention's 'If I Had a Ribbon Bow', Larry Williams' 'She Said Yeah', and 'Justine' by Don & Dewey.^[11] Within days Plant was offered the job of vocalist, at the end of July 1968. Obs-Tweedle briefly continued for a fortnight after Plant left, and finally folded when Bill Bonham was invited to join Terry Reid's backing group on keyboards and bass guitar, via recommendation by Plant. Bailey joined First Chapter.

References[edit]