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Did Led Zeppelin Steal The Opening Notes To Stairway To Heaven.....?

g under pg under p Posts: 18,196
edited June 2016 in Other Music
http://youtu.be/JT64JH-Vh98

http://www.mercurynews.com/celebrities/ci_30013860/led-zeppelins-stairway-heaven-case-goes-trial-tuesday

The trial begins today......what do you think?

Peace
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*MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

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Post edited by g under p on
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Comments

  • AceCoolAceCool Posts: 455
    I think it's going to be a pretty expensive check to write if it goes against them.
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,052
    Couldn't get the video in the article to come up but here's one that's demonstrates the two riffs:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7hCIWwhGE

    Similar riff? Yes.
    Stolen riff? no.
    Bottom feeding lawyers stealing? Yes.
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  • g under pg under p Posts: 18,196
    ^^^^^Thats unfortunate Brian because goes into depth for 13 minutes comparing the e two songs. In part it's discussed by the lead guitarist from the Canadian band Triumph.....try to watch from YouTube if you can.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • DarthMaeglinDarthMaeglin Posts: 2,606
    g under p said:

    ^^^^^Thats unfortunate Brian because goes into depth for 13 minutes comparing the e two songs. In part it's discussed by the lead guitarist from the Canadian band Triumph.....try to watch from YouTube if you can.

    Peace

    I caught the national piece as well, and it was fairly good. Rik Emmett (I think?) did a good job of showing why the case shouldn't have merit.

    It also sounded less like greedy lawyers as it may be a greedy estate. It was said on the National that the Taurus songwriter had no problem with the similarities in life (sorry, forget his name, need more coffee, lol), and it was only years after his death that his estate brought this forward.

    If this is true, then virtually every blues song ever will be up for lawsuits, lol.
    "The world is full of idiots and I am but one of them."

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  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    Yeah, I think they probably did. LZ is one of my favorite bands, but I can still face reality: no matter how great they were in their own right, Led Zeppelin indubitably liked to steal stuff from other musicians, lol.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    DarthMaeglin said:

    It also sounded less like greedy lawyers as it may be a greedy estate. It was said on the National that the Taurus songwriter had no problem with the similarities in life (sorry, forget his name, need more coffee, lol), and it was only years after his death that his estate brought this forward.

    If this is true, then virtually every blues song ever will be up for lawsuits, lol.

    Randy Wolfe, who went by Randy California. (Music trivia: Jimi Hendrix gave him the nickname.) He drowned several years ago.

    LZ did their share of ripping off songs. Whether or not this case has any merit, beats me. It's not as obvious as Jake Holmes and Dazed and Confused. I just recently learned that When the Levee Breaks was written in the 1920s. Zep albums now credit the band and the original authors.

    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • SmallestOceansSmallestOceans Posts: 13,542
    They didn't steal, they just borrowed without asking :lol:
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  • DarthMaeglinDarthMaeglin Posts: 2,606
    Who Princess said:

    DarthMaeglin said:

    It also sounded less like greedy lawyers as it may be a greedy estate. It was said on the National that the Taurus songwriter had no problem with the similarities in life (sorry, forget his name, need more coffee, lol), and it was only years after his death that his estate brought this forward.

    If this is true, then virtually every blues song ever will be up for lawsuits, lol.

    Randy Wolfe, who went by Randy California. (Music trivia: Jimi Hendrix gave him the nickname.) He drowned several years ago.

    LZ did their share of ripping off songs. Whether or not this case has any merit, beats me. It's not as obvious as Jake Holmes and Dazed and Confused. I just recently learned that When the Levee Breaks was written in the 1920s. Zep albums now credit the band and the original authors.

    Thanks for supplying Wolfe's name, didn't know Hendrix gave him the nickname. I agree that Zeppelin doesn't have a good track record for proper attribution, but after the piece on the National last night, I don't think that's the case here.

    It was mentioned up-thread that the video didn't work, maybe this one will, from Rik Emmett's website:

    http://www.rikemmett.com/tune-in-rik-comments-on-copyright-infringement-lawsuit/
    "The world is full of idiots and I am but one of them."

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  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    LZ can just turn around and sue PJ for Given To Fly... and Jimi's family can sue for Yellow Ledbetter...
  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    and that French dude can sue eddie for Guaranteed
  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    DarthMaeglin said:

    Thanks for supplying Wolfe's name, didn't know Hendrix gave him the nickname. I agree that Zeppelin doesn't have a good track record for proper attribution, but after the piece on the National last night, I don't think that's the case here.

    He was a teenager and his family lived in the same apartment building as Hendrix, before Hendrix made it big. There were 2 Randy's in the building and Hendrix called them Randy Texas and Randy California. At the age of 15, Randy California was in Hendrix's band for a few months before he went to England and formed the Experience. He was a great guitar player in his own right.

    As you can probably tell, I'm a Spirit fan and saw them live way back when. They were very popular so I have no idea why you never hear their music anymore. But there are a lot of bands like that. So-called "classic rock" radio seems to have decided that certain artists (and a certain number of their songs) qualify and the others can be left by the wayside.
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  • dankinddankind Posts: 20,839
    They don't call him Jimmy Plage for nothing.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance Posts: 23,308
    Still like the original version of When The Levee Breaks.
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  • SmallestOceansSmallestOceans Posts: 13,542
    dankind said:

    They don't call him Jimmy Plage for nothing.

    Haha
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  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    2-feign-reluctance said:

    Still like the original version of When The Levee Breaks.

    The blues one or Zep's version? I'm not much of a LZ fan but that's probably my favorite song of theirs.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance Posts: 23,308
    Who Princess said:

    2-feign-reluctance said:

    Still like the original version of When The Levee Breaks.

    The blues one or Zep's version? I'm not much of a LZ fan but that's probably my favorite song of theirs.
    Robert Johnson's if memory serves
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  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,356
    If Robin Thicke got nailed this won't end well. The Stones will be on trial next...
  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    2-feign-reluctance said:

    Who Princess said:

    2-feign-reluctance said:

    Still like the original version of When The Levee Breaks.

    The blues one or Zep's version? I'm not much of a LZ fan but that's probably my favorite song of theirs.
    Robert Johnson's if memory serves
    It was written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie:

    https://youtu.be/swhEa8vuP6U

    I like this version too. It's almost as if they're 2 different songs.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • cutzcutz Posts: 11,842
    Talk about reaching for $$$$$

    How come they didn't sue 45 YEARS AGO?
  • Who PrincessWho Princess Posts: 7,305
    Who knows? Jake Holmes only sued over Dazed and Confused about 5 years ago and that was probably the most obvious rip off Zep ever did.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • KatKat Posts: 4,872
    Came across this update.

    'Stairway to Heaven’ trial jury mulling verdict after impassioned closing arguments
    Plaintiffs are seeking millions in damages from Led Zeppelin
    by Will Robinson • @Will_Robinson_
    Posted June 22 2016 — 4:47 PM EDT

    Jury deliberations have begun in the “Stairway to Heaven” copyright infringement trial after both sides made their closing arguments in a Los Angeles federal courtroom Wednesday.

    Led Zeppelin is accused of lifting parts of the iconic rock song’s introduction from the song “Taurus” by a band called Spirit. After six days of trial, the jury is expected to deliver a verdict by Thursday.

    more at: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/22/stairway-heaven-trial-closing-arguments
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  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    edited June 2016
    :worried: Not looking too good if Page was caught in a lie while under oath, as the article says.
    Where do professional musicians stand on this issue btw???
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • pjsteelerfanpjsteelerfan Posts: 9,897
    jury did not think so

    cnbc.com/2016/06/23/jury-finds-led-zeppelin-did-not-steal-intro-to-stairway-to-heaven.html
    ...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    Huh. I actually don't agree with the jury's verdict. I love LZ, but I do believe that they stole that riff. But hey, congrats LZ, all that money bought you some mighty fine lawyers!
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • KatKat Posts: 4,872
    More info.
    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/led-zeppelin-prevail-in-stairway-to-heaven-lawsuit-20160623?page=2
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  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    Lol, I didn't know that the plaintiff's lawyer was a moron.
    I also didn't realize that the jury wasn't even allowed to hear the actual songs in question!
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,882
    PJ_Soul said:

    Lol, I didn't know that the plaintiff's lawyer was a moron.
    I also didn't realize that the jury wasn't even allowed to hear the actual songs in question!

    Which might be the single strangest thing I've ever heard.

    Well chalk up Stairway To Heaven as a plagiarism suit win for Zep!

    And count Whole Lotta Love, Dazed And Confused, When The Levee Breaks, Boogie With Stu, The Lemon Song, and Bring It On Home as plagiarism suit losses for Zep.

    And Black Mountain Slide, White Summer, and In My Time Of Dying as uncontestable because when you pass off a traditional song as your own, there's no one to sue you!

    Frankly, the Stairway riff is a rip...but compared to Dazed and Confused and The Lemon Song, it's not all that bad. THOSE are just shameful.
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  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    edited June 2016
    Ledbetterman10 said:

    PJ_Soul said:

    Lol, I didn't know that the plaintiff's lawyer was a moron.
    I also didn't realize that the jury wasn't even allowed to hear the actual songs in question!

    Which might be the single strangest thing I've ever heard.

    Well chalk up Stairway To Heaven as a plagiarism suit win for Zep!

    And count Whole Lotta Love, Dazed And Confused, When The Levee Breaks, Boogie With Stu, The Lemon Song, and Bring It On Home as plagiarism suit losses for Zep.

    And Black Mountain Slide, White Summer, and In My Time Of Dying as uncontestable because when you pass off a traditional song as your own, there's no one to sue you!

    Frankly, the Stairway riff is a rip...but compared to Dazed and Confused and The Lemon Song, it's not all that bad. THOSE are just shameful.
    Totally true. Especially Lemon Song. You're right, for Led Zeppelin, the theft of the Stairway to Heaven riff is child's play, lol.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • KatKat Posts: 4,872
    sigh. :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDo4CA13LbY
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  • bluegracebluegrace Posts: 2,357
    I don't really care if they stole it to be honest, music history is full of steals and loans.
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