Led Zep Getting Sued Re: "Stairway"

[Hamerhack]

Some of you may remember Spirit's "Taurus"

"Stairway" lawsuit

[atquinn]

Given the amount of money likely to be extracted from LZ, I'm not sure why this took so long?

-

Austin

[RichRS6]

Tosh.

Page/Randy ripped it off Mary Poppins from 1964.

Slow it down a bit put it in C and Chimm chimminy chimm chimminy chim chim cheroo..........etc.................

If Randy had thought Page had ripped it off or had a problem with it I'm sure he would have sued years ago, this is Randy's family trying to rake some more money in by scoring a songwriting credit to Stairway.

[murkat]

I don't hear it...

[Steve Haynie]

A lawyer has gone fishing. 40+ years after the fact is too long to be taken seriously.

[greenfreak]

Not a lawyer, thank goodness (sorry if I have offended you guitar-fledging attorneys) but I would think there would have to be some time/statue of limitations regarding this type of intellectual property...................

Probably would get thrown out of the court system.

[velorush]

Gee, I suppose it's not too late for this lawyer to open up most all of rock for payments to the Willie Dixon estate...

How about this blockbuster? Perhaps the estate could sue for wigs?

Do we really want to open this can-o-worms? Dvorak owes families of former slaves for the Largo movement of his 9th symphony? All the subsequent jazz based on those harmonies, as well?

[jwhitcomb3]

Sounds like they are pushing their luck. The Taurus line resolves differently from the opening run of Stairway. Also, the Stairway run has a counterpoint where the high A walks up while the low A walks down. Taurus just walks down the root. Besides, Stairway has several motifs, and none of the others conceivably draw on Taurus.

[Pieman]

42 years later they make a claim?

"loan me a dime" by Boz Scaggs is also reminiscent. to me, at least sometimes. or maybe not

[JohnnyB]

Shouldn't all the writers of 12-bar I-IV-I-IV-I-V-IV-I blues songs sue each other?

[Crimsontider]

I don't hear it...

Start at 1:05

Then at 1:41

[Crimsontider]

I don't hear it...

Start at 1:05

Then at 1:41

But is the sequence so old it's in the public domain. Would like to see if it is older than Spirit. With it and the Dolly song, just that one segment was used by Zep.

Zep does not have a good track record using older themes, especially with blues, but these melodies were probably copied from the ones who inspired them.

[sixesandsevens]

Shouldn't all the writers of 12-bar I-IV-I-IV-I-V-IV-I blues songs sue each other?

Why do you think they have the blues? All their royalties are going to pay each others' lawyers...

[it's me HHB]

Same figure is in

My Funny Valentine

The " I dont want to leave her now" part in Something

the tune from Mary Poppins

This list could continue. Plus you cant copywrite harmonic movement or arrangements , only lyrics and melody

[LordsoftheJungle]

That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Oddly enough, that first part sounds like a Zeppelin song too,,,

[Steve Haynie]

Gee, I suppose it's not too late for this lawyer to open up most all of rock for payments to the Willie Dixon estate...

How about this blockbuster? Perhaps the estate could sue for wigs?

That Dolly Parton song sounds like a cross between Stairway To Heaven and House Of The Rising Sun, IF you try to think of what other songs sound similar. The song stands on its own.

[maxschrek]

Sounds more like "Time In A Bottle" to me, maybe they should sue Jim Croce's estate instead.

[aknapp]

Sounds like they are pushing their luck. The Taurus line resolves differently from the opening run of Stairway. Also, the Stairway run has a counterpoint where the high A walks up while the low A walks down. Taurus just walks down the root. Besides, Stairway has several motifs, and none of the others conceivably draw on Taurus.

+1

[Hamerhack]

So, how much does it cost them to go on a fishing expedition like this?

[Willie G. Moseley]

+ 1 on the statute of limitations probably gonna be invoked.

Unfortunately, what's often overlooked---by musicians, at least---is what a dynamic effort Spirit's first album was. Certainly blew me away when I first heard it right after it was released.

Randy C. was 17 when he recorded the album, and got his iconic oozing/snarling sound from a Danelectro/Silvertone guitar with a piece of thick guitar string across the wood part of the bridge, a DeArmond amp with a 12" speaker, and a Bosstone fuzztone (that plugged into the guitar).

"Mechanical World" was the first song I ever heard and it was mind-boggling with its loping and, er, mechanical time signature, and California's harmony guitar leads, which included bends. This was pre-Allmans and pre-Wishbone Ash, and Randy credited Barry Hansen (Dr. Demento) for the idea.

As it turned out, he didn't like the first album on accounta "the drums were buried in the mix", to quote him. The drummer was his step-father, BTW.

Spirit first came to prominence during the most creative half-dozen years in popular music history ('67-'73). They sounded totally unique back then, and they still do.

[Hamerhack]

+ 1 on the statute of limitations probably gonna be invoked.

Unfortunately, what's often overlooked---by musicians, at least---is what a dynamic effort Spirit's first album was. Certainly blew me away when I first heard it right after it was released.

Randy C. was 17 when he recorded the album, and got his iconic oozing/snarling sound from a Danelectro/Silvertone guitar with a piece of thick guitar string across the wood part of the bridge, a DeArmond amp with a 12" speaker, and a Bosstone fuzztone (that plugged into the guitar).

"Mechanical World" was the first song I ever heard and it was mind-boggling with its loping and, er, mechanical time signature, and California's harmony guitar leads, which included bends. This was pre-Allmans and pre-Wishbone Ash, and Randy credited Barry Hansen (Dr. Demento) for the idea.

As it turned out, he didn't like the first album on accounta "the drums were buried in the mix", to quote him. The drummer was his step-father, BTW.

Spirit first came to prominence during the most creative half-dozen years in popular music history ('67-'73). They sounded totally unique back then, and they still do.

I suppose this will get them some publicity!

Gonna go home and blast "Mr. Skin"!

[tbabinec]

In spring-summer 1966, Randy Wolfe played in the band Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. The band leader, who began spelling his name Jimi Hendrix, christened Wolfe "Randy California" since the band had two musicians named Randy. The other Randy became "Randy Texas."

[Caddie]

Maurice Ravel wrote Bolero in 1928. Alice Cooper wrote "School's Out" in 1972. It ends with Bolero riffs. So does the studio version of Freebird.

Stairway was written in 1970, 44 years ago. To the attorneys out there in HFC Land, is there a statute of limitations on this stuff?

Can Maurice Ravel's family sue Alice Cooper for infringement/plagiarism/unpaid royalties?

I don't know but I'd get Don Felder's attorney on retainer, pronto!

Cheers

caddie

[Cary]

Sounds like they are pushing their luck. The Taurus line resolves differently from the opening run of Stairway. Also, the Stairway run has a counterpoint where the high A walks up while the low A walks down. Taurus just walks down the root. Besides, Stairway has several motifs, and none of the others conceivably draw on Taurus.

What Jonathan said. There's a slight resemblance for a few notes, and a small part of Stairway might have been inspired by Taurus, but to say LZ ripped it off is quite a stretch. Ridiculous.

[duncans]

Sounds more like Porgie & Bess "Summertime" to me.