BAD COMPANY special guests Jimmy Page & Robert Plant / Barry Goldslein Masler Series (2CD)

In 1976, Led Zeppelin had suspended their touring activities for various reasons, but a major factor was the leg injury Robert Plant had suffered in Greece the previous summer. On May 16, 1976, when Bad Company performed at The Forum in Los Angeles, Page and Plant were in Los Angeles. Bad Company, their Swan Song Records counterparts, invited the two bosses onto the stage for an encore. Thus, the two made their first public appearance in America in about a year. They performed only one song, a cover of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You," but it proved to be a crucial moment in Plant's recovery. Page told Los Angeles Times reporter Dennis Hunt: "You can't imagine how important that short time at the Forum was. It was a turning point for us. For Robert, it was an emotional release that words can't describe. Even though it was only 10 minutes, he proved that he could still perform on stage. Some singers can stand still and sing on stage, but Robert can't. He can't sing on one leg either. He has to move around on stage. That's essential to his performance. He was tormented by the anxiety that he could no longer perform effectively in front of an audience, whether he had to sing on one leg or stand still. Having worn a cast for so long created a psychological barrier that he had to overcome. When his performance at the Forum was over, he felt like he was flying."