source file: m1415.txt
Date: Fri, 15 May 98 01:08:45 -0000

Subject: Page&Plant:From the horse'smouth

From: Drew Skyfyre <steele@bom2.vsnl.net.in>

Yup,it's official.Page & Plant's new album has genuine and intentional 
microtonal content.

In an interview I just saw on TV,in which they discussed briefly,their 
middle eastern/oriental explorations,Jimmy Page said of their new 
album,Walking into Clarksdale,(I quote from memory)
"The Oriental stuff was done by a guy called Tim from Transglobal 
Underground (a British dance music outfit) who plays an Oriental keyboard 
that plays microtones."

Could this be one of those General Music "Arabian" keyboards ?

I also find that Robert Plant's vocal intonation is constantly veering 
off into non-12TET land
and it seems to be an integral part of his approach.He did mention that 
he and Jimmy were fans of
Eygptian singer Umm Kalthum (1904-75) of whom the Rough Guide to World 
Music  says "indisputably the Arab world's greatest singer" 

BTW that Rough Guide is one heck of a quick fix for gaining a wide 
general knowledge of  regional/ethnic music.

Later,
Drew