On the morning of March 14, 1990, Robert Plant visited the BBC in London and took part in a live radio phone-in interview with the Australian radio show Rocksat to promote his upcoming album Manic Nirvana.

During the interview, Plant discussed the meaning of the object on the cover of Presence, said he “wasn’t really saying anything” in his lyrics until he wrote “Stairway To Heaven”, admitted to being a “media slut” and said speculation about him recording again with Jimmy Page was becoming “tedious”.

This hour-long radio show from more than 30 years ago has been unavailable for fans to listen to for decades until LedZepNews purchased a casette that contained a recording of the show made by a fan in Australia.

We’ve now digitised the show and published it on YouTube (with the songs played cut for copyright reasons) for fans to enjoy this snapshot of Plant dealing with live radio callers in 1990:

Highlights of the interview include Plant admitting to being responsible for what he calls “really awful AOR rock where everybody’s strutting around, posing and perting their breasts and they’re men, you know?”

“Some of it is very, very funny,” Plant says during the show. “And I know that I’m kind of responsible in a way for some of it, or at least I still do it. But it’s maybe it becomes more graceful as you get a little older. And you can also wink your eye a bit.”

Elsewhere, Plant explains that the object on the front cover of Presence is “exuding a power force, a positivity, regeneration of positivity for mind and body. And it’s also used as a doorstop.”

During the show, Plant interjects while the show’s host is carrying out a competition for a caller to win a trip to the US, suggesting the caller visits the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood which was a regular haunt for Led Zeppelin during the 1970s.

You can read our full transcript of the interview below:

Kevin Hillier: Yes, good evening Australia. I’m Kevin Hillier and welcome to DEET Rocksat, have we got a ripper for you tonight. Robert Plant is in the BBC studios in London. Hiya Robert.

Robert Plant: Good morning. Good morning. What the hell am I doing here at this time of the morning?

KH: Yes, you had a fairly trying night from what you’re telling us just before the show started.

RP: Yeah, yeah, but I’m alright now, it’s fine. It’s just the rum, there’s nothing wrong with it. Once you’ve opened a flip-top pack of rum, you’ve got to keep going.

KH: Yeah, alright. Well it is a very special episode of DEET Rocksat. Tonight we have the exclusive world preview of Robert’s brand new album, Manic Nirvana, that’s not going to be released anywhere in the world for about another month.

The single has been released in America, but you’re going to hear it first in Australia, right here tonight on DEET Rocksat. Tell us a little about the album, for a start, the title, Robert?

RP: Well, first of all, it’s coming out a lot sooner than you think. In fact, I think I’ve got a copy here in my hand, can you see the beautiful cover?

KH: Ah, right, nice shot of you.

RP: See those, that sort of, these very strange colours. Manic Nirvana is the title that’s been affectionately given to me by my manager, who hasn’t managed me since the beginning of time, and has only recently taken on this cause, and he says I move so fast to try and get things done, like at a kind of crazy pace to try and complete the projects and stuff, that I’ve really got very little patience and I’m crazy.

But at the same time, I’m always optimistic and I’m going for heaven every time, so it’s like fast heaven, you know?

KH: Right, right, gotcha. Alright, if you’d like to talk to Robert tonight, it’s simple, pick up that telephone, the toll-free number right around the country for DEET Rocksat is 008 033 300.

Robert is waiting to take your calls right now, and also tonight, we’ll be giving another three people the chance to win a 14-day Contiki Western USA holiday for two, but now for the first time.

RP: With Katrina.

KH: With anybody you want to take, really. Let’s have a listen to the brand new single for Robert Plant from Manic Nirvana. This is called ‘Hurting Kind (I’ve Got My Eyes On You)’ on DEET Rocksat.

[“Hurting Kind (I’ve Got My Eyes On You)” plays]

KH: From the brand new Robert Plant album, that’s ‘Hurting Kind (I’ve Got My Eyes On You)’, exclusively tonight on DEET Rocksat, and Robert’s our very special guest, live from the BBC studios in London. Let’s talk to Caroline, listening to Triple M in Melbourne, go ahead.

Caroline: Hi, I was just wondering if your music is a true reflection of you as a person?

RP: Yeah, I think it is. I don’t know about … the lyrics on ‘Hurting Kind’ are a bit flippant, but throughout this new record, there’s quite a bit of, I don’t know why I’d bother to do it at all, really, I can make it up as I go along, but there’s a track called ‘Anniversary’, which is, has been, well, the sort of whole vibe has been very present in the last few months, and a track called ‘She Said’, ‘Tie Dye on the Highway’, there’s a lot of songs that are, if you like, sincere ramblings from a minimally eloquent man.

‘Hurting Kind’ really is a bit more of a kind of an attempt to go back to straight, simple Gene Vincent-type rock and roll. I’ve always got my eyes on somebody.

KH: Thanks for your call, Caroline.

Caroline: Okay.

KH: And we got to Andy now, listening to 3TR in Sale. Andy, what’s your question for Robert?

Andy: Robert, do you have plans of joining another group in years to come?

RP: Plans of joining another one? I’ve only got this one together just in the last two years.

No, this is fine. The relationship I got with these guys is, it’s developing all the time. They’re very funny, very amusing.

They’re quite a bit younger than me, so they tease me and they kind of, it’s a very healthy situation that I wouldn’t imagine would be that easy to recreate. I can’t see any point in it. And I certainly ain’t going backwards.

KH: Right. Do they, because they are younger and obviously have that enthusiasm, they tend to bring the best out of you?

RP: Yeah. Well, you know, you see things, some of the situations through their eyes. When you’re playing to 25,000 people in America and the whole kind of adrenaline factor is washing across my chums, it’s like I see and feel the excitement that they feel, even though I’ve kind of been there before.

KH: Yeah.

RP: So it’s very gratifying, really, to have had the success with Now And Zen that we actually had and to have actually experienced them going into brand new situations. It’s been very funny.

KH: Thanks for the call, Andy.

Andy: Thank you.

KH: And we’ve got Elizabeth now listening to Triple M in Brisbane with a question for you, Robert.

Elizabeth: Good evening, Robert.

RP: Hi, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Hi. I’d like to know if you’re coming out to Australia and when?

RP: Well, I’d like very much to. My manager, who called me Manic Nirvana, guides my career very fastidiously, and he’s still in bed. So I don’t know the answers to all those things.

Without being stupid, I’m intending on probably by about November coming right the way around through from Hawaii and Japan.

Really, it does depend on how successful the record is because the production that I’ll take into certain areas, I’d have to sort of ditch and leave as flotsam in some dressing room somewhere if the thing wasn’t happening that big.

I’d end up playing in a bar instead of… you know, the calculations of it are governed by, in a way, how successful the record is. It’s the wrong way around, I admit, but you lose fortunes otherwise.

You know, you end up trawling about 10,000 aging Genesis road crew halfway around the globe and find the time you get there, nobody’s there to listen. But I want to come there because there’s a lot of smiling faces, I remember, and a lot of them weren’t working with me. It’s nice.

KH: All right. Thanks for your call, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Thank you.

KH: And of course, our very special guest tonight on DEET Rocksat, it’s Robert Plant.

[“Big Log” begins playing]

RP: Not this song, not this song! Oh no!

KH: Yes, this song.

RP: Argh!

KH: ‘Big Log’.

RP: Thank you so much.

[“Big Log” plays]

KH: I’m Kevin Hillier and via satellite across the country, this is DEET Rocksat. Coming up, we’ve got more from our world exclusive premiere of Robert Plant’s brand new album, our special guest tonight. The album, of course, is Manic Nirvana.

And if you’d like to go into the draw for a Contiki Western USA holiday, give me a call right now on our special holiday hotline. You’ll find that on page 15 of the Edge magazine.

[Adverts play]

KH: And Robert Plant’s our very special guest tonight, live from the BBC studios in London. And Phil, listening to 4RR in Townsville, has a question for you, Robert. Go on, Phil.

Phil: G’day, Robert. What attracted you in the early good old days, what attracted you to The Yardbirds?

RP: What attracted me to what?

Phil: To the Yardbirds.

RP: Ah, well, first of all, these are the good old days. Those were the good young days.

I think ‘Train Kept a Rollin” was probably my favourite track, which The Yardbirds used to do. It was, in fact, originally by Johnny Burnette and his Rock ‘n Roll Trio.

And, um, Pagey still does it. I saw him do it on stage last time I saw him live.

Phil: All right, yeah.

KH: All right, thanks for your call, Phil.

Phil: Thanks.

KH: And Lindsay now, listening to SAFM in Adelaide, with a question.

Lindsay: Hi. What do you think about music today?

RP: Ah, that’s a pretty deep and meaningful question. Well, I’m stuck firmly in the middle of it all, in a coracle with a single paddle. I mean, music today is anything you want. It’s just a matter of taste.

I like lots and lots of different kinds of music, contemporary and 30 or 40 years old. I think in some areas, music has lost its way a little bit in the production and the actual sonic quality. But in other areas, it’s doing real fine and it’s alive and well in The Cure and Sisters of Mercy occasionally. Yeah, and there’s even a sense of humor here and there.

KH: What do you find yourself listening to at home though, Robert? I mean, older stuff or current stuff?

RP: Um, well, anything. I mean, I don’t say, oh, no, I must listen to this or that. I like the first Faith No More album. And I like a band called Big Black. I don’t know whether, have they been out in Australia?

KH: Not that I’m aware of, no.

RP: No? Oh, that’s very strange. Well, they’re like beyond hardcore. They’re like Black Flag, past Back Black Flag, beyond Hüsker Dü. Yeah, does that … have you heard of them?

KH: What language is this man speaking?

RP: You’ve heard, of course, of Andy Williams and Frank Sinatra. What sort of program is this?!

KH: We had Wayne Newton on last week.

RP: You must have college radio somewhere. There’s some very vital, strong music which doesn’t play into the sort of corporate codpiece, you know?

KH: Yeah, yeah, I get you.

RP: You know what I mean? All that sort of really awful AOR rock where everybody’s strutting around, posing and perting their breasts and they’re men, you know?

Some of it is very, very funny. And I know that I’m kind of responsible in a way for some of it, or at least I still do it. But it’s maybe it becomes more graceful as you get a little older. And you can also wink your eye a bit.

But yeah, anything. Anything at all, really, that’s good. I like a lot of dub reggae. And we’ve all heard of reggae, thank God. It’s a family show. It’s played by, you know, West Indians. That’s about it, really. Anything.

KH: All right. Thanks for your call, Lindsay.

Lindsay: Thank you.

RP: Oh, bye-bye, Lindsay. Forgot she was there, darling.

KH: Still hanging on.

[Holiday competition caller]

KH: We’re going to play another track off the new album, Robert, Manic Nirvana.

RP: Yeah, I’m still here.

KH: The world exclusive we have now, ‘Your Ma Said You Cried’. Now, there’s a few interesting little things you’ve done with this in terms of the sound of the record.

RP: Yeah. Uh-huh. There are a few interesting things. That’s the thing about the whole record. It’s sonic sense of humour.

This record was, the original song came out about 1963 or two. And I got it on my jukebox at home. And when we were starting to write tunes for this record, I used to play this a lot in the morning, a little bit later than we are now.

And everybody said, that’s great. And it’s so scratched and crazy.

So what we did was we took Chris, the drummer, and Charlie, the bass player, took it away and lifted the bass drum off the original record and used the bass drum and played the bass part with the bass drum so that it actually changes pitch.

And you got all the scratching and stuff from the original record. It’s crazy when you think that we recorded 48-track digital in the most advanced technical sort of splendour. And then we ended up using the original scratched old record.

KH: Right.

RP: What a joke.

KH: Let’s have a listen to it on DEET Rocksat. Robert Plant, from his brand new album.

[“Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night” plays]

KH: DEET Rocksat. I’m Kevin Hillier. Robert Plant is a very special guest tonight live from the BBC studios in London. And of course, so tonight, the world exclusive is his brand new album, Manic Nirvana. In that little set you heard, ‘Your Mama Said You Cried’ from the new album and ‘Tall Cool One’.

Let’s talk to Debbie now, listening to SAFM in Adelaide. Hi, Deb.

Debbie: Hi, how are you?

KH: I’m fine. Ask Robert a question.

Debbie: Okay. Hello, Robert.

RP: Hello, Debbie. How are you?

Debbie: I’m very well, thanks. Are the musicians …

RP: Oh, god. You haven’t got a pillow, have you? It’s so early here, it’s unbelievable.

Debbie: Oh.

RP: But I am a media slut, so here I am.

Debbie: Oh, okay. Well, do you want to answer my question now?

RP: If you’re ready for me, and I’m ready for you, I think…

Debbie: Oh, I’m sure I am. Robert, are the musicians on the new album the same as the ones that played on your Now and Zen album?

RP: Yeah, except for Phil Scrag, the bass player, didn’t come on tour with us. And Charlie Jones joined us from a band called Violent Blue, and he’s with us on the record now.

Debbie: Oh right. And any guest spots by Jimmy Page again?

RP: No, not really. I thought… It’s kind of fun to have everybody speculating, but it’s getting a little tedious now, so… Anyway, there’s no need.

KH: Thanks for your call, Debbie.

Debbie: Thank you.

KH: And we go to Aaron now, listening to 96FM in Perth. Go ahead.

Aaron: Robert, I was just wondering whether you still kept in contact with the other members of Led Zeppelin?

RP: Well, I saw Jimmy, yeah, a while back. Yeah, I guess so. It’s pretty casual, you know. But I’m quite busy, so I tend to work a lot, and I tend to socialise around my work. So I don’t go down to Devon to look for Jonesy. But we do see each other now and again.

KH: All right. Thanks for your call, Aaron.

Aaron: Yes, thanks.

KH: All right.

[Adverts play]

KH: 008033300 is the number to toll-free dial the stars every Wednesday night.

Anthony listening to Triple M in Sydney has done just that. Here’s your chance to talk to Robert Plant.

Anthony: Robert, how are you?

RP: I’m fine, how are you?

Anthony: Not too bad, mate, not too bad. Listen, being a fan from way back, having quite a few of the albums, a lot of us at the time were very interested to sort of suss what the object on the album cover Presence was, in fact, doing.

RP: Mm-hmm. It’s a blind cobbler’s thumb. No, that can’t be right, can it? What is it doing? It’s exuding a power force, a positivity, regeneration of positivity for mind and body. And it’s also used as a doorstop.

KH: There you go, Anthony, couldn’t get a better answer than that one. Thanks for your call on Rocksat.

Anthony: Very interesting. Thank you.

KH: We’ve got Jennifer now listening to 96FM in Perth. Go ahead, Jennifer.

Jennifer: Do you plan any Honeydrippers tours or albums in the future?

RP: No, not really. Not until I get a little bit older, like about another 60 years.

I think as much as I liked to play the stuff way back, it just got a bit too sugary. And my love of rockabilly and wild early rock and roll, and my one, I just wanted to record like that. And I ended up making a very schmaltzy record, which I liked, you know, but I think I got a little bit too far away from the original sound I was going for.

So I don’t think so. Not now. Anyway, this new record and project is so good. I don’t want to leave it.

KH: And we’ve got more of that coming up a little later on. Thanks for your call, Jennifer.

Jennifer: Thank you.

KH: On the Contiki holiday hotline, it’s Steve listening to 4RO in Rockhampton. Hiya, Steve.

Steve: G’day, how you going?

KH: Oh, look, I’m good. Have a look at your Contiki itinerary in the Edge magazine. Now, if you happen to be the lucky, lucky winner of this trip, tell me what days you’ll travel to San Diego from Los Angeles.

Steve: One and two.

KH: Yeah, exactly. So you’re in the running.

[Robert Plant yawns]

KH: Now, at the end of the month, you could be off to the… What are you doing, Robert? You could be off to the USA.

RP: I’m just trying to wake up a bit.

KH: Good on you, Steve.

RP: Oh, yeah. Go there. It’s nice there.

KH: Thanks for your call, Steve.

RP: Rainbow Bar and Grill. That’s the place to go.

KH: All right. There you go.

Steve: I’ll remember it.

KH: Even been given a special itinerary from Robert Plant. We just mentioned the Honeydrippers. You’re probably going to hate us for this. We’re going to play it now.

RP: No, this is a good track you’re playing.

KH: Yeah.

RP: This is right.

KH: Let’s whoop it up a little.

RP: Jeff Beck’s guitar playing. Great Beck.

KH: All right. ‘Rockin’ At Midnight’.

[“Rockin’ At Midnight” plays]

KH: The Honeydrippers featuring tonight’s special Rocksat guest, Robert Plant, who is coming to us tonight live from the BBC studios in London.

Peter, live and listening to 1521 QNN Daniloquin. What’s your question for Robert?

Peter: Well, Robert, first of all, I’d like to tell you that you’ve given a lot of people thousands of hours of enjoyment over your career, and I really thank you for that.

It’s been a source of mystery to me why you’ve only, after recording about 100 tracks, why you’ve only printed about five sets of lyrics.

RP: Yeah, I take your point. Thanks for the compliment. It’s nice to hear it now and again. Try telling my girlfriend that. Try finding her!

Though, I don’t know. I just figured that until ‘Stairway to Heaven’, I wasn’t really saying anything anyway. I was just conforming to the old sort of rock and roll singer, ‘I love my baby’ and ‘squeeze my lemon’ and so on.

But beyond, there have been times when I should have done maybe and just got a little bit more self-indulgent perhaps. And also with this new record, occasionally I do actually get to where I want it to go lyrically.

But I think there’s nothing worse than opening up an album and finding that you’ve got to go and get the magnifying glass and see what Neil’s been talking about or whatever it is.

It’s nice to try and find your way through the sort of layers of music and to see what on earth this man’s on about. I quite like that.

Peter: Right.

RP: I like it to be a little more mysterious so that everything is not so plainly obvious.

KH: Thanks for your call, Peter.

Peter: Good one, thank you.

[Tape cuts out as the taper changes side]

KH: All right, well, let’s unveil a mystery now. It’s one of the tracks off the brand new album, Manic Nirvana, which we have a world exclusive of here on Rocksat tonight.

So let’s get stuck into this track, a mystery no more. It’s called ‘Big Love’.

[“Big Love” plays]

KH: A world exclusive tonight previewing the brand new Robert Plant album, Manic Nirvana, and from it, that is ‘Big Love’.

[Adverts play]

KH: Robert, thank you very much for your time tonight.

RP: It’s been a pleasure. I’m looking forward to having some breakfast soon.

KH: Good luck with the album.

RP: Thanks a lot.

KH: Not that I think you’ll need it, judging by what we heard tonight. The single’s already out in America. Is it doing good business for you over there?

RP: Well, I’m trying to keep up with things. It seems to be running away itself, and so do I. It looks like it’s really going marvellously. Maybe one day I can be Bobby Vee at last.

KH: Listen, we hopefully will get to see you out here in Australia, maybe towards the end of this year or next year.

RP: Undoubtedly. Sure. Undefinitely. Before the end of this year.

KH: Fantastic. We look forward to it.

RP: Thanks a lot.

KH: And good luck with this album that you heard exclusively here tonight, Manic Nirvana. Let’s finish off, though, with a track from Now and Zen. Here’s Robert Plant, ‘Heaven Knows’.

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