"Led Zeppelin's Shadow Song: The True Story of Dazed and Confused
The Not Old - Better Show
Paul Vogelzang
4.7 • 106 Ratings
🗓️ 14 October 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"Led Zeppelin's Shadow Song: The True Story of Dazed and Confused"
The Not Old Better Show, Music Today Interview Series
🎸 Who really wrote "Dazed and Confused"?
For decades, Led Zeppelin's moody, blues-driven classic has been tied to Jimmy Page. But music historian and author Scott G. Shea joins The Not Old Better Show – to unpack a deeper truth that most fans never heard. And it starts with a lesser-known singer-songwriter named Jake Holmes. Today's episode is brought to you by Acorns. Acorns. Acorns makes it easy for everyone to start saving and investing
🎤 In 1967, Holmes released a haunting track on his debut album that sounded strikingly familiar to anyone who later heard Led Zeppelin's version. While the lyrics were different, the descending bass line, tone, and feel of the song carried over — without credit. Holmes never made a legal fuss back then, but years later, things changed. Page eventually settled out of court, quietly, and many fans were left asking: Why wasn't Holmes acknowledged from the start?
📚 Scott Shea has researched this story thoroughly, and in our conversation, he lays out the timeline, the context of the music industry at the time, and what this case tells us about artistic ownership. Shea is no stranger to deep music history — his best-selling book All the Leaves Are Brown offers similar insight into The Mamas & the Papas — and he brings the same care and clarity here.
🧠 For many of us who grew up listening to Zeppelin, this episode is eye-opening. It doesn't aim to tear down the music we love, but rather to give credit where it's due and remind us that behind every song is a story — sometimes more complicated than we realize.
🎧 If you've ever tapped your foot to "Dazed and Confused" or wondered how songwriting credits really work, this episode is a must. You'll leave with a deeper appreciation for the music, the people behind it, and how the truth finally came to light.
👉 Listen now on The Not Old Better Show:
https://notold-better.com
Today's episode is brought to you by Acorns. Acorns. Acorns makes it easy for everyone to start saving and investing
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Not Old Better Show. |
| 0:11.2 | The show for all of us who aren't old or better. |
| 0:14.4 | Each week we'll interview superstars, experts, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things, |
| 0:20.4 | all related to this wonderful experience of getting better, not just older. |
| 0:25.7 | Now, here's your host, the award-winning Paul Vogelzang. |
| 0:30.1 | Welcome to the Not Old Better Show's Music Today interview series on radio and podcast. |
| 0:35.0 | Today's episode is brought to you by Acorns. Acorns. Acorns makes it easy for everyone to start saving and investing. I'm Paul Vogelsing and today we're taking a closer look at a song that defined an era and the songwriter who didn't get his due. Our guest is a returning fan favorite Scott Shea, a respected music historian and |
| 0:56.4 | author of the bestselling book All the Leaves Are Brown, How the Mamas and Pappas came together and broke apart. |
| 1:02.9 | Scott Shea has written a fascinating new piece for Strange Brew Magazine on the real story behind |
| 1:09.1 | dazed and confused, a song many of us know from Led Zeppelin, |
| 1:13.4 | but one that began with a little-known singer-songwriter named Jay Holmes. |
| 1:17.9 | With background music that will instantly be familiar to longtime Zeppelin fans, |
| 1:22.6 | we're going to talk about how the song changed hands, |
| 1:25.9 | why it took decades for credit to catch up with the truth, |
| 1:29.4 | and what this all says about the music industry back then. |
| 1:33.2 | This is a story about memory, music, and fairness. |
| 1:37.0 | And it's one you won't want to miss. |
| 1:39.2 | Let's welcome returning guest, author, music historian, Scott Shea right here on the Nottle Better Show's music today. Returning guest, music historian, Scott Shea, right here on the Not Old Better Show's |
| 1:45.1 | music today. |
| 1:46.5 | Returning guest, music historian, good friend thou. |
| 1:49.8 | Scott Shea, thank you. |
| 1:51.4 | Good to see you. |
... |
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