A new edition of The Intellectual Devotional, this time with a focus on Modern Culture, will be available in stores on October 14. (Click here to pre-order your copy.) As well as continuing to expand on posts from the General Edition, “The Devoted Intellect” blog will introduce and expand on material from the Modern Culture devotional. Today’s entry on Led Zeppelin is from the “Music” section.

The iconic cover of Led Zeppelin’s eponymous debut album (1970), which features a black and white illustration of the Hindenburg airship engulfed in flames, is a reference to the origin of the band’s name itself. Legend has it that when Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and The Who’s Keith Moon and John Entwistle were discussing the idea of forming a band, Moon joked, “It would probably go over like a lead balloon”. To which Entwistle allegedly quipped, “…a Lead Zeppelin!”

The band unexpectedly met with controversy (and received invaluable media exposure) while they were touring in support of their album in Europe. They had unwitting provoked the ire of the Danish aristocrat Frau Eva von Zeppelin, a direct descendant of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, (dubiously credited with creating the doomed Hindenburg airship), for their use of the ‘Zeppelin’ name. The ensuing hullabaloo began brewing in October of 1969, when Frau von Zeppelin unsuccessfully attempted to get a televised concert featuring the band pulled off the air during an early show in Copenhagen. Her anger finally escalated into full-blown rage when she saw the cover of the album, which she felt was a grievous insult to her family. In a quote widely disseminated throughout the world, she famously said of the band, “[T]hey may be world famous, but four shrieking monkeys are not going to use a privileged family name without permission.”

Frau von Zeppelin’s hostility towards the band continued unabated, finally erupting shortly before their next tour of Denmark in early 1970, when she threatened to sue them unless they agreed to refrain from performing under the name Led Zeppelin while working in the country. While Peter Grant (the band’s manager) initially balked at her demands, the band decided it was in their best interest to prevent further legal wrangling with the fiery aristocrat. As such, Led Zeppelin agreed to play their opening Copenhagen gig under a different name-for one night only.

This savvy decision prompted breathless media speculation about what name they would use for the show. The band thoroughly enjoyed being the subject of this guessing game, especially relishing the widely disseminated theory that they would perform under the name “Ned Zeppelin.” After some discussion, Grant and Page elected to bill themselves The Nobs for their February 28, 1970 Copenhagen concert, a playful pun on the name of their European promoter, Claude Nobs.

Ironically, the controversy with Frau von Zeppelin proved to be a blessing in disguise for the then-fledgling band. The widespread media coverage of the brouhaha attracted legions of new fans with what was widely perceived as an expression of the band’s likability and wit. Moreover, their skilled maneuvering made Frau von Zeppelin’s behavior appear absurd, and she was subsequently roasted by the press for her perceived elitism and bullying behavior towards the band.

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