During a recent interview with Total Guitar, Led Zeppelin’s founder and guitarist Jimmy Page talked about the time he played the guitar with The Rolling Stones and shared his views on Keith Richards‘ guitar playing skills.

Jimmy Page’s music career started in 1957 and has enjoyed increasing popularity ever since. His career reached its peak with Led Zeppelin, the legendary band Page founded in 1968. However, Jimmy Page is best known for his quirky stories, funny memories, and kind attitude.

In his recent interview with Total Guitar, Page had a new interesting story to share with his fans and readers. It turns out that Jimmy Page did not lead a ‘faithful‘ music life as he played his guitar for other bands while he was Led Zeppelin’s guitarist.

As you know, The Rolling Stones released a deluxe version of their 1973 ‘Goats Head Soup‘ album which was released on September 4. The re-issued album, which included three unheard tracks, ranked 1st on the UK charts. ‘Scarlet‘ featuring Jimmy Page is one of three unheard tracks featured on their new/old album.

In the ’70s Jimmy Page was friends with Ronnie Wood, the guitarist of The Rolling Stones, who had a studio at his house in Richmond. One day, Ronnie invited Jimmy Page to his house-studio saying that they are going to have a studio session with Keith Richards.

Here’s how Page described Ronnie’s invitation:

“Ronnie Wood had a house called the Wick, in Richmond. Pete Townshend lives there now. But it had a studio in the basement when Ronnie was there, a proper full studio, with a playing room and control room where you’re looking through the window into the playing area. I was asked over there by Ronnie, who said there was going to be a session with Keith.”

After that recording session at Ronnie’s house, they were planning to have a follow-up one the next day at Island Studio which Jimmy Page decided to join so that he could put the solos on the track. He said that he didn’t practice the solos more than twice but that it turned out great.

As Mick Jagger was also in the studio that day working on the track’s vocals, Jimmy Page left after he finished his dip. Even though Page did it for fun and did not expect it to be released, it made him really happy to see that the track is loved by so many.

Here’s what Jimmy said about the recording process:

“So, Keith ran through this song with Rick Grech on bass and a guy called Bruce Rowland on drums, who I’d never come across before, but the bass parts and the drumming on that song are just terrific. Keith routined the song to me, and I just came up with a guitar part as I would if I was playing with my own band. Keith was playing the main riff and I was coming up with things to complement it. I was playing around with what he was doing.

So that was done in one evening, and then they were going to carry on with it the following day at Island Studio, Island No. 2, and I said, ‘Well, I’ll come along and put the solos on it.’ I got there quite early on in the evening, had a couple of passes at the solo, and that was it.

Mick was doing his stuff the day after that, so I left after I did my bit. It was fun, but I never thought it would come out. I was knocked out that they put it out because even though it was done back in the ’70s, everyone’s going full steam on it.”

Finally, Jimmy Page shared his views on Keith’s guitar playing as he was the one who routined the song to Page. Seeing him both perform and direct the other musicians really gave Page the chance to assess him as a musician.

Jimmy Page said that Keith’s playing was great that day just like it always was, which made Jimmy really happy to be playing the guitar alongside Keith. Also, Keith’s guitar playing seems to have encouraged Jimmy to play in full acceleration as he said that he rarely did it outside of Led Zeppelin.

“Keith’s playing great, he always did, and I’m happy with the guitar playing on it, I thought that was cool, so it’s nice to have that rather than a Led Zeppelin thing, you know? It’s unusual to hear me playing at full acceleration, if you like, outside of Led Zeppelin.”

Click here for the source and you can listen to ‘Scarlet’ mentioned by Jimmy Page below.