More than four decades later, Jimmy Page is looking back at one of the most unexpected collaborations to emerge from the years following Led Zeppelin.

On October 1, 1984, The Honeydrippers released their version of “Sea of Love,” a recording led by Robert Plant that brought Page back into the studio alongside his former Led Zeppelin bandmate. Page recently revisited the story on his official website, explaining that he had been invited to contribute guitar solos to Plant’s project while he was simultaneously working with Paul Rodgers and The Firm.

From Led Zeppelin to The Honeydrippers

The Honeydrippers were formed by Robert Plant in 1981 with a focus on the rhythm and blues music that had influenced him. The project was revived in the early 1980s with an impressive group of musicians, including Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers, Paul Shaffer and drummer Dave Weckl. 

Rather than pursuing the heavy rock sound associated with Led Zeppelin, Plant used The Honeydrippers to explore older R&B material. Their five-song The Honeydrippers: Volume One arrived in 1984 and featured interpretations of songs originally recorded by artists including Phil Phillips, Ray Charles and Roy Brown. 

“Sea of Love” was originally written by Phil Phillips and George Khoury and recorded by Phillips in 1959. His version became a major hit, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Page’s Guitar Came After Plant’s New York Sessions

According to Page, Plant had already recorded a series of tracks in New York under the musical direction of Paul Shaffer, who was also serving as bandleader and keyboard player on Late Night with David Letterman.

Page was subsequently brought in to add guitar work. He said he overdubbed and performed solos on the recordings in the UK, contributing to “Sea of Love” as well as “I Get a Thrill.” 

The reunion was particularly notable because Page and Plant were working together only a few years after Led Zeppelin had ended following the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980.

The Song Became a Major Hit

The Honeydrippers’ “Sea of Love” eventually became much more than a side project. The single reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1985 and topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached No. 1 in Canada.

The recording gave Page and Plant another major chart success outside Led Zeppelin, while introducing their audience to a much softer, R&B influenced side of their musical interests.

The Honeydrippers themselves were short lived, but The Honeydrippers: Volume One remains a notable chapter in the post Led Zeppelin careers of Plant and Page. The project also brought together several major musicians from different corners of rock and popular music, making the story behind “Sea of Love” almost as memorable as the recording itself. 

Source: Compiled from various sources.