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

g under p
g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,249
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
*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)


Post edited by g under p on
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Comments

  • AceCool
    AceCool Texas Posts: 455
    I think it's going to be a pretty expensive check to write if it goes against them.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,778
    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.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • g under p
    g under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,249
    ^^^^^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)


  • DarthMaeglin
    DarthMaeglin Toronto Posts: 3,033
    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."

    10-30-1991 Toronto, Toronto 1 & 2 2016, Toronto 2022
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,910
    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 Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields 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."
  • SmallestOceans
    SmallestOceans Posts: 13,542
    They didn't steal, they just borrowed without asking :lol:
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  • DarthMaeglin
    DarthMaeglin Toronto Posts: 3,033
    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."

    10-30-1991 Toronto, Toronto 1 & 2 2016, Toronto 2022
  • my2hands
    my2hands Posts: 17,117
    LZ can just turn around and sue PJ for Given To Fly... and Jimi's family can sue for Yellow Ledbetter...
  • my2hands
    my2hands Posts: 17,117
    and that French dude can sue eddie for Guaranteed
  • Who Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields 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.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841
    They don't call him Jimmy Plage for nothing.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,462
    Still like the original version of When The Levee Breaks.
    www.cluthelee.com
  • SmallestOceans
    SmallestOceans Posts: 13,542
    dankind said:

    They don't call him Jimmy Plage for nothing.

    Haha
    Worcester1 13, Worcester2 13, Hartford 13, San Diego 13, Los Angeles1 13, Los Angeles2 13
    Trieste 14, Vienna 14, Gdynia 14, Leeds 14, Milton Keynes 14, Denver 14
    Central Park 15
    Fort Lauderdale 16, Miami 16, Tampa 16, Jacksonville 16, Greenville 16, Hampton 16, Columbia 16, Lexington 16, Philly1 16, Philly2 16, NYC1 16, NYC2 16, Quebec City 16, Ottawa 16, Toronto1 16, Toronto2 16, Fenway1 16, Fenway2 16, Wrigley1 16, Wrigley2 16


  • Who Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields 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-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,462
    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
    www.cluthelee.com
  • tempo_n_groove
    tempo_n_groove Posts: 41,864
    If Robin Thicke got nailed this won't end well. The Stones will be on trial next...
  • Who Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields 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."
  • cutz
    cutz Posts: 12,326
    Talk about reaching for $$$$$

    How come they didn't sue 45 YEARS AGO?
  • Who Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields 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."

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