Led Zeppelin = ripoffs? (On Howard Stern)

Intothewild · November 2007

Totally shocked. No one can deny it really especially when you hear how similar the Joan Baez song and some of the others. This is hardly just elaborating on the Blues as their defenders would say. They are flat out rip off artists. Interesting that they sold their catalogue of music isn't it? Perhaps they wanted to pass on the copywrite infringment to someone else.

Intothewild · November 2007

You guys dont get it. They didnt steal classic blues riffs. Everyone has done that. They stole full songs from total unknowns and got caught red handed. Listen to the Stern interview. I would hardly call stealing from Joan Baez poaching the blues. Far from it. They even stole Stariway To Heaven. It wasn't even close. Further proof was given that on the otiginal album they credited themselves with the tracks and later, when those same tracks went onto the greatest hits albums, they had to change the credits. If anyone still has a vinyl collection check it out. Even worse, they sold their entire catalogue back to Atlantic Records. Or more accurately they sold them their lawsuits. Interesting, isn't it, that the Zepplin catalogue STILL can't be found on ITUNES? One word - LITIGATION.

Intothewild · November 2007

http://www.dogmaticblog.com/2007/06/28/howard-stern-exposes-led-zeppelin-as-a-farce/

soulsinging · November 2007

how come led zeppelin can outright rip people off for their entire first album, try to hide it from everyone, and people have a mountain of excuses for them; but kings of leon had somebody co-writing their first album, openly gave credit for it, and they can never be forgiven for "not writing their own songs."

Intothewild · November 2007

soulsinging wrote:

how come led zeppelin can outright rip people off for their entire first album, try to hide it from everyone, and people have a mountain of excuses for them; but kings of leon had somebody co-writing their first album, openly gave credit for it, and they can never be forgiven for "not writing their own songs."

Well if you listen to the Stern interview Zep got caught red handed.

Intothewild · November 2007

Allegations of plagiarism
When Led Zeppelin's debut album was released, it received generally positive reviews. However, John Mendelsohn of Rolling Stone magazine, criticized the band for stealing music, notably "Black Mountain Side" from Bert Jansch's "Black Water Side" and the riff from "Your Time Is Gonna Come" from Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy". He also accused the band of mimicking black artists, and showing off. This marked the beginning of a long rift between the band and the magazine, with Led Zeppelin rejecting later requests for interviews and cover stories as their level of success escalated.[33]

One song from the album, "Dazed and Confused", was a song originally written by Jake Holmes on his album "The Above Ground Sound" of Jake Holmes. The Yardbirds, Jimmy Page's old band, had made a version called "I'm Confused", and Page reworked the song again for Led Zeppelin's debut recording, with Holmes having never received any royalty payments for their recording.[77] Holmes did not file suit over the song, although he did send the band a letter stating "I understand it's a collaborative effort, but I think you should give me some credit at least and some remunity." His letter was never replied to and he did not follow up on it.[77] Holmes is however also reported to have said "what the hell, let him [Page] have it [Dazed and Confused]".[16]

Led Zeppelin II's credits have also been the subject of debate since the album's release. The prelude to "Bring It on Home" is a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bring it on Home" and drew comparisons with Willie Dixon's "Bring It on Back". "Whole Lotta Love" (sample (info)) shared some lyrics and an overall pattern with Dixon's "You Need Love/Woman You Need Love". In the 1970s, Arc Music, the publishing arm of Chess Records, brought a lawsuit against Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement over "Bring It on Home" and won an out-of-court settlement.[78] Dixon himself did not benefit until he sued Arc Music to recover his royalties and copyrights. Years later, Dixon filed suit against Led Zeppelin over "Whole Lotta Love" and an out-of-court settlement was reached. Later pressings of Led Zeppelin II credit Dixon. Similarily, the "Lemon Song", from the same album, was a cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor". The band was successfully sued for copyright and forced to give credit to the original author of the song

Evacuation Rules · November 2007

They didn't only steal from old bluesmen. They stole from other bands as well. The lyrics of "Since I've Been Loving You" are taken directly from a Moby Grape song. And you guessed it, the credits say (Page/Plant).

Intothewild · November 2007

JWBusher wrote:

They didn't only steal from old bluesmen. They stole from other bands as well. The lyrics of "Since I've Been Loving You" are taken directly from a Moby Grape song. And you guessed it, the credits say (Page/Plant).

You are correct.

Joe2TheRevenge · November 2007

Note to everyone:

Even Flow was a total ripoff of a Jimi Hendrix song.

Is PJ's entire career a fake as a result? NOPE.

Who cares. Music in general, especially in the 50s, was nothing but a bunch of white guys stealing the songs of a bunch of black guys to make names for themselves. and it didn't stop for a very very long time.

It's fine. Just acknowledge history and move the fuck on. Being angry that some dude with a guitar heard another dude with a guitar is totally ridiculous.

soulsinging · November 2007

Joe2TheRevenge wrote:

Note to everyone:

Even Flow was a total ripoff of a Jimi Hendrix song.

Is PJ's entire career a fake as a result? NOPE.

Who cares. Music in general, especially in the 50s, was nothing but a bunch of white guys stealing the songs of a bunch of black guys to make names for themselves. and it didn't stop for a very very long time.

It's fine. Just acknowledge history and move the fuck on. Being angry that some dude with a guitar heard another dude with a guitar is totally ridiculous.

im only pissed at the double standard. see the kol v. ben harper thread. people raise a shitstorm becos kol producer got co-writing credit for their debut. or aic... jrry writes 90% of aic's songs and they're suddenly a "fake" band becos they hire a new singer after the first od'd on heroin. ditto for blind melon... the band wrote those songs, but becos they hired someone else to sing for them again, it's a ripoff band milking shannon's success/memory. but led zep can steal songs outright and yet they do no wrong.

yosi1 · November 2007

Joe2TheRevenge wrote:

Note to everyone:

Even Flow was a total ripoff of a Jimi Hendrix song.

Is PJ's entire career a fake as a result? NOPE.

Who cares. Music in general, especially in the 50s, was nothing but a bunch of white guys stealing the songs of a bunch of black guys to make names for themselves. and it didn't stop for a very very long time.

It's fine. Just acknowledge history and move the fuck on. Being angry that some dude with a guitar heard another dude with a guitar is totally ridiculous.

Not just Evenflow. Yellow Ledbetter too. Its a total ripoff of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing.

But, its cool with me. I see it as more of an homage to the others bands.

Joe2TheRevenge · November 2007

Let's all just agree that Creed sucks and be appreciative that whatever other music that came along made it into our hands one way or another. haha

soulsinging · November 2007

yosi wrote:

Not just Evenflow. Yellow Ledbetter too. Its a total ripoff of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing.

But, its cool with me. I see it as more of an homage to the others bands.

what song is even flow a rip off of? i'd like to hear that one.

yellow ledbetter is a rip off of little wing, which i suspect is a pretty basic blues riff. it's also been in songs by kenny wayne shepered and even kid rock.