There has always been a connection between music and cars. Between rock stars and fast cars, and between famous guys with lots of money and big speed. John Bonham was one of the most famous guys in the world in the middle 1970s. As the drummer for Led Zeppelin the guy was a rock God and he was also a gearhead. While the people close to him knew this, the world got a full fledged taste in the 1976 film “The Song Remains The Same”. Shot in 1973, it was a concert film that had other interesting elements to it. Among those elements were various fantasy sequences where the guys in the band got to “live out” whatever fantasy they could think up.

While most of the guys did stuff like pretending to be knights, hitmen, and other stuff, Bonham’s deal was straight forward and cool. It showed him with his family, riding his motorcycle, and ultimately ripping down the road in his blown C-cab truck hot rod and ending up at Santa Pod Raceway with Clive Skilton’s top fuel dragster. While the video is shot to make it appear as those Bonham drove the car, he did not. Skilton made the run in the car. It is kind of impressive to think that Skilton would have had his rear engine car in 1973 when this video was shot. Yes, it as clear that front engine dragsters were doomed by the middle of 1971 but the rush of orders for new rear engine cars and the fact that Clive was in England would seem to have been roadblocks to getting new pipe but he had his. Ultimately Skilton would move to the USA and march race, hitting the few NHRA national events that there were in his era. He was never a pushover!

The other thing that needs to be noted here is that while we do not see it, the film claimed the car went 260mph. Absolutely zero percent chance of that happening. Bonham did suit up and sit in the car. There are a couple of stories that conflict regarding whether or not Bonham was ever in the car when it was running but either way we think it is pretty cool that his fantasy involved a top fuel dragster.

Sadly, John Bonham would be dead just a couple of years later. He was a very heavy drinker and while the band was preparing for a North American tour, Bonham consumed the equivalent of 40 shots of vodka over the course of a day and choked to death on his own vomit after rehearsals. A sad end for sure.

Press play below to see this cool clip from The Song Remains The Same –