BOOK ‘EM: You thought that Stephen Davis’...

BOOK ‘EM: You thought that Stephen Davis’ 1985 book “Hammer of the Gods” told the whole sordid story of Led Zeppelin? Wait until you see “Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored,” written by the band’s longtime road manager Richard Cole. In fact, the book, set to be published Aug. 3, seems to completely concentrate on the sordid aspects, with few of those silly business and music elements to clutter up the good stuff.

There’s even a handy index, so Zep gossip connoisseurs can turn straight to the juicy bits. For a hint, check out the entries under girls : “In Bangkok . . . In Copenhagen . . . Great Dane incident . . . Shark incident. . . .” You get the idea.

But the book also provides a good chance to compare notes on one of the most notorious Zep incidents, the 1977 battle between the band’s manager Peter Grant and the late rock promoter Bill Graham, centering on Grant’s pummeling of a Graham employee backstage at an Oakland concert. The incident is also prominently featured in Graham’s much-anticipated autobiography, which will be published in October near the first anniversary of Graham’s death in a helicopter crash.

“Bill Graham Presents” combines Graham’s legendary, colorful storytelling with anecdotes collected from musicians and others in a comprehensive look at a life that went from escaping from Nazi forces in World War II Europe to ranking as the most respected rock concert promoter in the business.

Here’s a quote from Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Airplane about Graham’s early days managing the band in the late ‘60s, when Graham wasn’t quite as hip as he became: “He didn’t understand us. . . . He liked salsa music better. And he would say things like, ‘Can’t you play quiet? I can’t hear the words.’ Or, ‘Can you play a song I can hum?’ ”