Countless people would sell their souls to the devil for a chance to front such an iconic rock band as Led Zeppelin. The legendary hard rock outfit formed in the late 1960s and quickly became one of the biggest names in rock music. With Robert Plant and Jimmy Page at the helm, it is difficult to imagine those songs being performed by anybody else, yet it turns out that Plant was not the first choice when it came to Zeppelin’s vocalist.
In the late 1960s, Jimmy Page and Chris Dreja were looking to form a new group after the demise of their previous outfit, The Yardbirds. In terms of rock history, The Yardbirds are notable in their own right for launching the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, but by the time the group disbanded, Page was looking for something fresh. The guitarist knew the group would need a powerful lead singer and frontman to get across the hard rock that they wanted to produce, so he set his sights on Terry Reid.
Reid had been writing his own material from a very young age, and he gained notoriety in 1965 as the guitarist for Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, whom he joined at the age of only 15. The Jaywalkers became known through their support slots for the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds. Although the Jaywalkers never made a huge impact on the music scene, Reid had started to make a name for himself and, by 1968, had started recording his own solo material.
The guitarist quickly became known for his powerful singing style, earning him the nickname ‘Superlungs’ and his impressive songwriting ability. The track ‘Without Expression’ from his first solo record was later re-recorded by The Hollies, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and REO Speedwagon. Reid’s early solo career had clearly made an impact, as he was invited to support both The Rolling Stones and Cream on their 1968 tours. Such was the legend of Terry Reid that queen of soul Aretha Franklin was once quoted as saying, “There are only three things happening in England: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Terry Reid.”
Sadly, the success of his solo work also became the reason Reid turned down working with Page on what would become Led Zeppelin. Page wanted to form the group as soon as possible, but the formation clashed with Reid’s plans to go out to America to open for The Rolling Stones and Cream. Unable to wait, Reid remembers being told by Jimmy Page, “You’ve got to do it now. This week, or forget it”.
Despite Page’s offer to compensate Reid for his losses if he cancelled the support tour, Superlungs turned down the offer. Not only that, but he also suggested Page ask a young Birmingham-based vocalist, Robert Plant, for the role. The rest is history; the final lineup of Led Zeppelin became one of the most recognisable rock bands of all time. Meanwhile, Reid continued to support huge groups like Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull. Nevertheless, his vocal style remained a significant influence for Plant and the rest of Led Zeppelin in those early days; it is likely that the signature sound of the band would have been wildly different without Reid, even though he never even joined the group.
Reportedly, the vocalist also refused an offer to join Deep Purple after Rod Evans left in 1969, preferring to focus on his solo performing career. Retiring from his solo career in 1981, Reid spent the rest of his musical career as a session musician. Occasionally performing with short-lived groups or at music festivals as a solo act, Superlungs is most remembered for his songwriting credits; his work has been recorded by a diverse group of iconic artists ranging from Marianne Faithful to Jack White.
