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Led Zeppelin = ripoffs? (On Howard Stern)

NickyNoochNickyNooch Posts: 629
edited November 2007 in Other Music
Anyone listen to Howard Stern this morning? They had a guy come in from http://www.classicrockcentral.com/ and the guy proved convincingly that Led Zeppelin ripped off their entire 1st album off other artists.

WOW. I am a Zeppelin fan, so I understand the rebuttals I'll get, but after listening to the proof (they played clips from the other bands where lyrics were BLATANTLY ripped off) I'm convinced... Zeppelin ripped off a LOT of people.

There is no way this is accidental either. Kinda sad that one of the greatest rock bands on the planet just stole other peoples material in a Puff Daddy fashion. No wonder that Godzilla song came out with Page and Puffy haha. They have a lot in common.

Anyways, I hope someone else listened to this. I know people who didn't listen to Stern this morning are gonna come back at me on this, but anyone who DID listen to Stern will find it hard to have Zeppelin's back on this one.

9/17/95-New Orleans,LA 8/14/00-New Orleans,LA 4/8/03-New Orleans,LA 4/13/03-Tampa,FL 10/8/04-Kissimmee,FL 8/5/07-Chicago,IL 6/16/08-Columbia,SC 6/23/09-(EV Solo)Atlanta,GA 5/1/10-New Orleans,LA 9/21/12-Pensacola,FL 11/1/13-New Orleans,LA 4/11/16-Tampa,FL  4/23/16-New Orleans,LA


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Comments

  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    "When I hear a group like Led Zeppelin - without being derogatory about them - I'm not hearing any new riffs coming out of that style of band which I didn't hear put down four years ago."


    - Mitch Mitchell, 1971
  • NickyNoochNickyNooch Posts: 629
    I should also add if anyone has a link if someone converted todays show to mp3 I'd love to hear it again... it really blew my mind how obvious it was.

    9/17/95-New Orleans,LA 8/14/00-New Orleans,LA 4/8/03-New Orleans,LA 4/13/03-Tampa,FL 10/8/04-Kissimmee,FL 8/5/07-Chicago,IL 6/16/08-Columbia,SC 6/23/09-(EV Solo)Atlanta,GA 5/1/10-New Orleans,LA 9/21/12-Pensacola,FL 11/1/13-New Orleans,LA 4/11/16-Tampa,FL  4/23/16-New Orleans,LA


  • holtzholtz Posts: 509
    It's pretty common knowledge that Zep blatantly stole from old bluesmen
  • jdub3001jdub3001 Posts: 194
    I heard it. Wasn't surprised at all that they covered so many songs, but I was very surprised that they took credit for all of them. I still think they are a great band, but apparently they just couldn't write their own stuff in the early days.
  • jdub3001jdub3001 Posts: 194
    NickyNooch wrote:
    I should also add if anyone has a link if someone converted todays show to mp3 I'd love to hear it again... it really blew my mind how obvious it was.

    I'm listening to Howard 100 right now, and I think the Zep segment is going to be replayed here in a few - Sal is blowing up right now over his wife, and I think the segment in question is right after this one...
  • NickyNoochNickyNooch Posts: 629
    jdub3001 wrote:
    I'm listening to Howard 100 right now, and I think the Zep segment is going to be replayed here in a few - Sal is blowing up right now over his wife, and I think the segment in question is right after this one...

    Yeah Sal is definately gonna get a divorce over the emotional friend haha. The bit should be up next. Yet I'm at work argh!

    9/17/95-New Orleans,LA 8/14/00-New Orleans,LA 4/8/03-New Orleans,LA 4/13/03-Tampa,FL 10/8/04-Kissimmee,FL 8/5/07-Chicago,IL 6/16/08-Columbia,SC 6/23/09-(EV Solo)Atlanta,GA 5/1/10-New Orleans,LA 9/21/12-Pensacola,FL 11/1/13-New Orleans,LA 4/11/16-Tampa,FL  4/23/16-New Orleans,LA


  • lksammktlksammkt Posts: 127
    I know!!! What I thought was really weird was yesterday's show Howard was promoting the 4th of July Music special with all these Led Zeppelin covers from Incubus & STP. Than today - having Led Zeppelin ripoffs segment.
    I just keep moving on....
  • funkymonkfunkymonk Posts: 279
    That shouldn't come as much of a surprise as most of the early blue rock acts from the 60s-70s (Cream, Stones, Hendrix, etc...) borrowed heavily from the old bluesman. Then later on, you see newer bands (GNR, Black Crowes, Wolfmother) borrowing heavily from the previously mentioned groups. Very little music out there is completely original. Some acts are just better at disguising it than others.
  • VrJxSVrJxS Posts: 115
    That segment was great.

    Wasn't it Page and/or Plant who bitched about GTF ripping of Going to California???

    Talk about the pot and the kettle.
  • VrJxSVrJxS Posts: 115
    funkymonk wrote:
    That shouldn't come as much of a surprise as most of the early blue rock acts from the 60s-70s (Cream, Stones, Hendrix, etc...) borrowed heavily from the old bluesman. Then later on, you see newer bands (GNR, Black Crowes, Wolfmother) borrowing heavily from the previously mentioned groups. Very little music out there is completely original. Some acts are just better at disguising it than others.


    Wasn't merely "borrowed"

    A lot of it was note for note, same melody and all. They never gave anyone else any credit either.
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    Yeah, this isn't new. It was a controversy when those albums first came out. In fact surviving members of Willie Dixon's estate (I believe) sued Zeppelin just a couple of years ago. When asked about it both Page and Plant are pretty upfront about it, its not like they are hiding anything, but they should have been more generous with crediting on those albums in my opinion.
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
  • NOCODE#1NOCODE#1 Posts: 1,477
    NickyNooch wrote:
    Anyone listen to Howard Stern this morning? They had a guy come in from http://www.classicrockcentral.com/ and the guy proved convincingly that Led Zeppelin ripped off their entire 1st album off other artists.

    WOW. I am a Zeppelin fan, so I understand the rebuttals I'll get, but after listening to the proof (they played clips from the other bands where lyrics were BLATANTLY ripped off) I'm convinced... Zeppelin ripped off a LOT of people.

    There is no way this is accidental either. Kinda sad that one of the greatest rock bands on the planet just stole other peoples material in a Puff Daddy fashion. No wonder that Godzilla song came out with Page and Puffy haha. They have a lot in common.

    Anyways, I hope someone else listened to this. I know people who didn't listen to Stern this morning are gonna come back at me on this, but anyone who DID listen to Stern will find it hard to have Zeppelin's back on this one.
    everyone steals from everyone, only one player could play like bonham and that was buddy rich (maybe neil piert)
    Let's not be negative now. Thumper has spoken
  • NOCODE#1NOCODE#1 Posts: 1,477
    Sathogwa wrote:
    but they should have been more generous with crediting on those albums in my opinion.
    nah

    its music
    Let's not be negative now. Thumper has spoken
  • dont_go_on_medont_go_on_me Posts: 877
    VrJxS wrote:
    That segment was great.

    Wasn't it Page and/or Plant who bitched about GTF ripping of Going to California???

    Talk about the pot and the kettle.
    they never got pissed or complained about it, merely made a few jokes in jist...see HOB Chicago with Plant as an example.
    "I'll do whatever the song dictates - if it doesn't need a real lead, then I won't do one. But if it does, then I'll fuckin' go off." - Mike

    "Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone

    "I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
  • SathogwaSathogwa Posts: 227
    NOCODE#1 wrote:
    nah

    its music

    Not to the starving blues artist who isn't getting paid for what they created, while someone else is making millions off the exact same thing.
    Sleep on horseback
    Far moon in a continuing dream
    Steam of roasting tea

    --Basho
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    NOCODE#1 wrote:
    everyone steals from everyone, only one player could play like bonham and that was buddy rich (maybe neil piert)


    Ever see/hear Dannie Richmond, Charles Mingus's drummer, take the piss, savagely, cruelly, out of Bonham, in a mock-rock drum solo?

    Richmond could stop in the middle of a drum solo, stay perfectly still for ages, and come back in on anywhere he liked - and I mean anywhere - and it would be near-on perfect.
  • SongburstSongburst Posts: 1,195
    don't_go_on_me wrote:
    they never got pissed or complained about it, merely made a few jokes in jist...see HOB Chicago with Plant as an example.

    I thought that they did get pissed and threatened legal action resulting in Pearl Jam donating all of the proceeds from the sale of the Given to Fly single to a charity of Page and/or Plants choice. I could be wrong though.
    1/12/1879, 4/8/1156, 2/6/1977, who gives a shit, ...
  • glasshouseglasshouse Posts: 1,762
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    Ever see/hear Dannie Richmond, Charles Mingus's drummer, take the piss, savagely, cruelly, out of Bonham, in a mock-rock drum solo?

    Richmond could stop in the middle of a drum solo, stay perfectly still for ages, and come back in on anywhere he liked - and I mean anywhere - and it would be near-on perfect.

    are you suggesting that bonham was not a super-fantastic-superior drummer? if so, you are an idiot. i had to say that, cause sometimes the truth hurts my brother
    Athens, Greece: 2006/09/30

    "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
  • Blind MelonBlind Melon Posts: 911
    Haha, I'm just surprised they actually played the Incubus cover... that one's a bit hard to come by, and at that, it sucks... well it's not that bad, just shite recording.
    If I could, think I would give in.
  • glasshouseglasshouse Posts: 1,762
    99.9999% of all artists will take existing ideas/music/art, take little pieces from different places and mold it into something new. basically what i'm saying is most artists are "rip-offs" in some way or form.

    getting back to led zep - even if they blatantly ripped off other artists, it doesn't really matter in the slightest as far as i'm concerned because i have still not had the honour of seeing any band rock and roll so fuckin outright and pure as the mighty led zeppelin.

    go listen to communication breakdown and be moved my brothers
    Athens, Greece: 2006/09/30

    "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
  • DeetroitBaasketballDeetroitBaasketball Posts: 379
    Sathogwa wrote:
    Not to the starving blues artist who isn't getting paid for what they created, while someone else is making millions off the exact same thing.

    People did sue and they paid up.
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    glasshouse wrote:
    are you suggesting that bonham was not a super-fantastic-superior drummer? if so, you are an idiot. i had to say that, cause sometimes the truth hurts my brother


    I beg your pardon? It would be grossly idiotic, musicologically illiterate and downright risible to assume John Bonham was anything but grossly inferior to many, many jazz drummers of his period.
  • lalalalaaaaaaaalalalalaaaaaaaa Posts: 2,445
    Artistic expression and guitar riffs don't have much to do with eachother.

    I don't love bands based on how unique their riffs are.
  • LostDawgPoundLostDawgPound Posts: 52
    Wow, I listened to this, and it truly is shocking at how bad they ripped others off. They didn't credit anyone but themselves on the LPs. I think it's also important to mention that despite "borrowing" both lyrics and music from other musicians, they have written some really amazing records that were not rip offs. Also thought it was interesting that perhaps it wasn't their fault, but their manager’s fault. On the Stern show I guess they had a manager that was a complete a-hole.
  • ArctangentArctangent Posts: 614
    why would it be their manager's fault? he didn't write (or rip off) the songs!

    most of the ripped off stuff was pretty early in their careers, before they had developed their own writing and arranging skills.
  • MLC2006MLC2006 Posts: 861
    they only did songs off the first album? a month or 2 ago, that same guy was on Stern and showed that 'Stairway to Heaven' (that was on the 4th album, right?) is a blatant ripoff of a song from a band that opened for Led Zep a few years earlier. they played the songs back to back and it was very blatant. Led Zep is a great band of great musicians and I won't take anything away from them on that. and yeah, all artists rip people off. but they seemed to do it a lot. and yeah, there's been a lot of bluesmen who died or are dying basically penniless while Zep got rich off their music.

    as for GTF and Going to California, I don't think Plant/Page ever got mad about that. if they did, I never heard about it. that was pretty blatant, but it was NOT the music, it was the way in which Vedder sang the lyrics. I don't know if that's as bad as actually copying somebody's riffs.

    Mike has said that the Alive solo was ripped from Kiss and the Yellow Ledbetter solo was ripped from Little Wing. I personally don't see the comparisons in those 2. though Kenny Wayne Sheppard DID rip off the entire Yellow Ledbetter song, I think it was called "while we cry" or something like that. it and "Stairway to Heaven" are the 2 most in your face ripoffs I've ever seen.


    also, for blues fans, Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride and Joy" was an almost note for note ripoff of a Tbone Walker song.
  • ArctangentArctangent Posts: 614
    MLC2006 wrote:
    they only did songs off the first album? a month or 2 ago, that same guy was on Stern and showed that 'Stairway to Heaven' (that was on the 4th album, right?) is a blatant ripoff of a song from a band that opened for Led Zep a few years earlier. they played the songs back to back and it was very blatant. Led Zep is a great band of great musicians and I won't take anything away from them on that. and yeah, all artists rip people off. but they seemed to do it a lot. and yeah, there's been a lot of bluesmen who died or are dying basically penniless while Zep got rich off their music.

    i did say MOST!
  • LostDawgPoundLostDawgPound Posts: 52
    Arctangent wrote:
    why would it be their manager's fault? he didn't write (or rip off) the songs!

    most of the ripped off stuff was pretty early in their careers, before they had developed their own writing and arranging skills.

    I'm not sure of the exact quote, but they talked about it for a second on Stern... Basically, it is a possibility that it could have been someone close to the band who told them to say they wrote all that stuff and let the people come after them if they want song credits... Apparently it wasn't until Led Zeppelin made it big before these artists started to realize they were ripped off...

    Of course, I do not know if this true, as no one does. Hell, it could have been the band that made the decision to credit themselves as the songwriters. I doubt anyone will ever find out.

    :O)
  • ArctangentArctangent Posts: 614
    i doubt very much it would have been peter grant. doesn't sound like the kind of thing he would have told them to do as he let them get on with the music side of things and just handled the business side of things.
  • PJ-SinPJ-Sin Posts: 348
    "Ok artists copy. Great artists steal."

    I thought of this quote while reading this thread.
    I think it was from Steve Jobs talking about computers, but I think it still applies.
    http://www.byproductmusic.com
    http://www.myspace.com/byproduct
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