Following the
XYZ project, Page was asked by his
London neighbour, movie director
Michael Winner, to record a soundtrack for the film
Death Wish II in late August 1981. Page was given a deadline of a few weeks to write and record the album at his personal studio
The Sol and to travel on location to
Los Angeles with Winner for songwriting themes. Winner later explained:
Death Wish II starred
Charles Bronson, and was set around Los Angeles, which inspired Page to write a blues-flavoured soundtrack. The soundtrack features Dave Mattacks from
Fairport Convention, former
The Pretty Things keyboards player Gordon Edwards, and veteran singer
Chris Farlowe, who also later appeared on Page's 1988 solo album
Outrider. Page used a Roland guitar synthesizer on a number of the tracks. Tracks from this album were later reused by Winner for
Death Wish III. Page was later asked by Winner to compose the soundtrack for
Scream for Help (1985), but he declined and suggested
John Paul Jones to the director instead. This album is Page's only solo material to appear on Led Zeppelin's record label
Swan Song Records. His two later albums with
The Firm were released on
Atlantic and
Outrider was on
Geffen Records. Swan Song ceased operations in 1983. In Japan a vinyl LP was released that featured rare outtakes from the Sol sessions.
Death Wish II was released in CD format in 1999, but all CD versions of the album are now out of print. Today used copies are highly collectible, and can sell for over a hundred dollars. Even though the track "Prelude" is credited solely to Page himself, it is based on "
Prelude No. 4 in E minor (Op. 28)" by
Frédéric Chopin. The album was re-released by Jimmy Page exclusively through JimmyPage.com on 1 December 2011, in a "heavyweight vinyl package [that] includes previously unreleased material, all-new 2011 sleeve notes and updated artwork." Only 1000 copies were released. Numbers 1–109 have been signed by Jimmy Page, while numbers 110–1000 are available unsigned. == Track listing ==