SKF NOTE: In 1988 I interviewed Jason for a profile in the July/August Drums & Drumming magazine.

This interview, a year later, was meant for publication in a new project writer Chip Stern was launching; a combination percussion magazine and audio cassette.

Unfortunately, Stern’s project never got off the ground. Jason’s interview tape sat in a box for 34 years until I digitized, and a friend did a great job in ridding the original audio file of background noise, and in making Jason’s voice and mine audible.

This interview with drummer Jason Bonham happened on September 1, 1989. Our key topic was Jason’s new band, self-titled Bonham, and release of Bonham’s first album, The Disregard of Timekeeping.

I hadn’t heard the full album at the time of this interview. As I mention to Jason in this interview, Epic Records sent me partial album tracks. Jason explains here that was because a leaked version of the album was getting airplay two weeks before the album’s release. To clamp down on that, Bonham’s record label stopped distributing the full album.

Bonham fans who liked The Disregard of Timekeeping, which I did, should enjoy this discussion on the formation of the band, the song writing, the album recording, and Jason’s unique approach to drumming on The Disregard.

There are also some insightful stories about Jason’s dad, John Bonham, and the members of Led Zeppelin.