Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones has paid tribute to his former bandmate, John Bonham.

Bonham, who died in 1980 aged 32, would have celebrated his 62nd birthday on Monday (May 31).

In an interview on BBC 6 Music, Jones recalled the moment the band first played with the drummer, and said they spotted his talent after just 30 seconds.

“The first thing we ever played together, the first time we met was in a rehearsal studio in Lyle street in London and we played a thing called ‘A Train Kept a Rolling’, which was a Yardbirds song and as soon as we started, by about the fourth bar I realised this is going to be great, this is a great drummer,” he said.

Jones comment was broadcast during 6 Music’s The John Bonham Story, which debuted on the digital radio station yesterday.

The documentary, presented by Foo Fighters star Dave Grohl, also included interviews with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.

(by Jason Gregory)