“Bonzo’s birthday cake was a wedding cake and George Harrison lifted the top layer straight into Bonzo’s face. Bonzo picked Harrison up and launched him into the swimming pool”: When Led Zeppelin broke a Beatles record and celebrated in style

5 May 1973 was a landmark date for Led Zeppelin – when they broke a record previously held by The Beatles for the biggest concert attendance for a single act.

Back in 1965, at the height of Beatlemania, an audience of 55,600 had seen The Beatles perform at Shea Stadium in New York City.

Eight years later, and three years after The Beatles had disbanded, Led Zeppelin played to 56,800 fans at Tampa Stadium in Florida.

As Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page recalled: “At Tampa we broke The Beatles’ Shea Stadium record, which was a big deal at the time.”

The band's North American tour of 1973 climaxed with a three-night stand at Madison Square Garden in New York – recorded for the concert movie and soundtrack album The Song Remains The Same.

Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away (Live at Madison Square Garden 1973) [HD] - YouTube

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The hysteria around Led Zeppelin in this period is remembered in the cover story of the new issue of Classic Rock.

Among the many anecdotes told by members of the band and their inner circle is the story of drummer John Bonham’s 25th birthday party on 31 May 1973 – less than four weeks after that record-breaking show in Tampa.

This story also involves ex-Beatle George Harrison, his then wife Pattie Boyd and Zeppelin’s tour manager Richard Cole, aka ‘Colesy’.

The story is recounted in the words of Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and the band’s manager, the late Peter Grant.

Referring to Bonham by his nickname, Grant said: “For Bonzo’s birthday party we hired a programme director’s house in the Hollywood hills. We ended up putting in new carpets for him.”

Robert Plant recalled: “Lots of luminaries arrived at this house after we’d played the LA Forum – George Harrison, Roy Harper, Keith Moon…”

“Bonzo’s birthday cake was a wedding cake,” said Peter Grant, “and George Harrison lifted the top layer straight into Bonzo’s face, with all this hard icing. There was no lateral thinking with Bonzo. He picked Harrison up and launched him into the swimming pool.

“Pattie Boyd came out screaming, so Colesy threw her in the pool. George said, ‘This is the greatest night of my life!’ And Atlantic [Records] made a poster of the bill for all the damages.”

According to Plant, this was also the night on which he uttered a phrase that would become legendary.

“I stood in the boughs of a tree and declared I was a golden god!” Plant said. “Cameron Crowe was at the party and used the line in his movie Almost Famous. I suppose it sounds a bit sad now.”