associated_acts years_active label article_title past_members background genre origin name
led beck group page and plant the stray cats the brian zeppelin setzer orchestra chic the yardbirds the firm the jeff 1981 -- 1985 es paranza/atlantic records the honeydrippers
 robert hickman keith evans wayne terry robbie blunt jimmy page jeff plant beck paul shaffer nile rodgers wayne pedziwiatr dave weckl brian andy setzer keith `` bev '' smith silvester kevin o'neill ricky cool jim group_or_band rock blues & roll , jump blues , rhythm & england the honeydrippers
the honeydrippers

the honeydrippers were a rock and roll band of the 1980s , deriving their name from roosevelt sykes , an american blues singer also known as `` honeydripper '' .
former led zeppelin lead singer robert plant formed the group in 1981 to satisfy his long-time goal in having a rock band with a heavy rhythm and blues basis .
formed originally in worcestershire , the band went on to record an ep in the us .
in addition to plant , the band was composed of fellow former led zeppelin member jimmy page ; jeff beck -lrb- a former yardbirds member like page -rrb- ; and other friends and well-known studio musicians .
they performed in a concert at keele university in 1981 .
the band released only one recording , an ep titled '' '' , on 12 november 1984 .
the honeydrippers peaked at # 3 in early 1985 on the `` billboard '' hot 100 with a remake of the phil phillips ' tune `` sea of love '' , and hit the top 30 with `` rockin ' at midnight '' , originally a roy brown recording and a rewrite of `` good rockin ' tonight . ''
with the ep 's success , plant stated that a full album would be recorded , but it never was .
the band appeared on `` saturday night live '' on 15 december 1984 , performing `` rockin ' at midnight '' and `` santa claus is back in town . ''
the band featured brian setzer on guitar , tom barney on bass , paul shaffer on piano , buddy williams on drums , michael brecker , lou marini , and ronnie cuber on saxophones , jon faddis on trumpet and tom malone on trombone .
on 23 december 2006 , plant performed a charity show at kidderminster town hall under the title ` the return of the honeydrippers ' to raise money for his neighbour jackie jennings , who was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor .
