The Bassist Who Almost Made It Into Led Zeppelin Before John Paul Jones Still Played a Critical Role in Band’s Debut Album

No matter how perfect a musical collaboration may seem on paper, sometimes, two players become ships passing in the night, unable to synchronize their schedules and endeavors, despite their best efforts. Such was the case for Chris Dreja, the rock-solid rhythm guitarist-turned-bassist who could have had a shot at being in one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time, Led Zeppelin.

Videos by American Songwriter

Dreja had an easy “in” to the band, having played with Led Zeppelin founding member Jimmy Page already in The Yardbirds. In fact, although The Yardbirds are often tied to the careers of Page, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck, Dreja predated all three as an original member of the group. One iteration of the band saw Dreja on rhythm, Jimmy Page on bass, and Jeff Beck on lead guitar. After an illness hospitalized Beck in the mid-1960s, Page took over lead guitar, and Dreja picked up the bass.

Being a part of the rhythm section was always Dreja’s bread and butter. Speaking to Gary James of ClassicBands.com, Dreja said of his rhythm playing, “The personalities of [rhythm guitarists and bassists] are very much that we can work between everybody in the band. We’re not up front. We don’t appear into the black, but we kind of keep it all sticking together.”

Chris Dreja Had the Chance to “Keep It All Sticking Together” for Led Zeppelin, Too

By the late 1960s, The Yardbirds were beginning to fracture. As each member became increasingly interested in artistic endeavors outside of the band’s scope, their momentum sputtered out until, finally, the band broke up in the summer of 1968. Several bands formed from the dissolution, including Led Zeppelin, which was established by Jimmy Page. The guitarist extended an invitation to his Yardbirds bandmate, Chris Dreja, to play bass. But Dreja had his own creative goals to pursue, and joining a heavy rock band wasn’t at the top of his list.

Instead, Dreja wished to dive into his love of photography. And in the end, that would provide him an opportunity to work with Led Zeppelin, even if he wasn’t the bassist. Speaking to New Musical Express in 2015, Dreja recalled how he landed the gig as the photographer for Led Zeppelin’s debut album’s back cover.

“I saw Led Zeppelin playing Madison Square Garden [in 1970] and realized how big they’d become and how quickly,” Dreja said. “They asked me to do [the album] shoot after that show.”

While a back album cover might seem unimportant when compared to, say, the actual music on the record, the fact that Dreja worked on Led Zeppelin’s debut is rather touching, if you think about it. Starting out as a new band can be somewhat awkward, especially when it comes to non-musical things, like photoshoots. Using Dreja as their debut album photographer allowed the musicians to be as comfortable as possible in front of the camera.

Moreover, it was a way for Page and Dreja to remain connected in the years that followed their tenure as fellow Yardbirds. John Paul Jones, meanwhile, certainly held his own as Led Zeppelin’s rightful bassist.

(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)