‘A triumph…Terry Reid’s voice has the power to provoke an intense reaction…’ – 4 Stars -The Times

‘…Astonishing by any standards: spine tingles, hair prickles on back of the neck…’ – The Independent

Terry Reid interview with Elliot Cohen

“I expect better things of you than to ask me a question like that. That’s wicked, man,” fumes Terry Reid, when asked if after all these years he ever lies in bed wondering what would have happened if he had accepted Jimmy Page’s offer to join a new band he was putting together… one that turned into one of the biggest in rock history.

“I don’t sit around going over old coals, ‘Oh, if only I’d have joined Led Zeppelin.’ I have a career. I can’t put up with bullshit.”

However, in the 50 years since, Reid has been asked the Zeppelin question many times, as well as being quizzed on why he turned down the chance to front Deep Purple. His frustration is understandable – after all, Terry Reid is regarded as one of the finest vocalists Britain has ever produced, and he’s got the all-star endorsement to back it up.

Just ask Aretha Franklin, who said this after seeing an 18-year-old Reid perform in 1968: “There are only three things happening in England. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Terry Reid.” Or ask his many rockstar fans, who include Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Graham Nash and Jack White, whose group The Raconteurs covered Rich Kid Blues.

Alongside his singing, we should also mention his formidable songwriting talent that has produced such highly esteemed albums as Seed Of Memory, Rogue Waves and The Driver – plus his fine guitar abilities, which have seen him do session work for the likes of Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne.