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Kory Grow, Rolling Stone—As Led Zeppelin promote the extravagant reissues of their first three albums for an early June release, a lawyer representing deceased Spirit guitarist Randy California is claiming the hard-rock legends stole the intro for their 1971 single "Stairway to Heaven" from Spirit's 1968 song "Taurus." Attorney Francis Alexander Molofiy wants to prevent the release of the Led Zeppelin IV reissue when the time comes, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. "The idea behind this is to make sure that Randy California is given a writing credit on 'Stairway to Heaven,'" Malofiy said. "It's been a long time coming."
Led Zeppelin and Spirit, who had a hit with "I Got a Line on You," played four gigs together in 1968 and 1969 (shows at which Businessweek claims Spirit played "Taurus"). Led Zeppelin also reportedly played a medley of songs that included Spirit's "Fresh-Garbage" – a song that appeared on the same LP side as "Taurus" – on their first U.S. tour.
In an interview with Listener magazine published the year of his death, California said he felt "Stairway to Heaven" was a "rip-off." "The guys made millions of bucks on it and never said 'Thank you,' never said, 'Can we pay you some money for it?'" he said. "It's kind of a sore point with me. Maybe someday their conscience will make them do something about it."
Spirit and California's family have waited until now to challenge the song's authorship because they did not have the means to pay attorneys. At the end of California's life, he would play sitar at an Indian restaurant in exchange for food.
A rep for Led Zeppelin declined to comment for Businessweek's story, but Page discussed the band's history with crediting songwriters after the fact in a recent interview with The New York Times. When asked why the group waited to credit Willie Dixon for bits of lyrics and melody that made their way into "Whole Lotta Love," he acknowledged, "Within the lyrics of it, there's [Dixons's] "You Need Love," and there are similarities within the lyrics. Now I'm not pointing a finger at anybody, but I'm just saying that's what happened, and Willie Dixon got credit. Fair enough."
Reissues of Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III are due in stores on June 3rd. Each is available in a deluxe edition that contains a full disc of never-before-released studio takes and live tracks.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
Umm, yeah it does matter.
I guess you didn't read that Zep and Spirit played a few shows together back in '69.
Clearly, Randy California and Spirit have a claim here.
We do, after all, live in Obama's America.
(I'll let you figure out what that means.)
Kory Grow, Rolling StoneAs Led Zeppelin promote the extravagant reissues of their first three albums for an early June release, a lawyer representing deceased Spirit guitarist Randy California is claiming the hard-rock legends stole the intro for their 1971 single "Stairway to Heaven" from Spirit's 1968 song "Taurus." Attorney Francis Alexander Molofiy wants to prevent the release of the Led Zeppelin IV reissue when the time comes, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. "The idea behind this is to make sure that Randy California is given a writing credit on 'Stairway to Heaven,'" Malofiy said. "It's been a long time coming."
Led Zeppelin and Spirit, who had a hit with "I Got a Line on You," played four gigs together in 1968 and 1969 (shows at which Businessweek claims Spirit played "Taurus"). Led Zeppelin also reportedly played a medley of songs that included Spirit's "Fresh-Garbage" a song that appeared on the same LP side as "Taurus" on their first U.S. tour.
In an interview with Listener magazine published the year of his death, California said he felt "Stairway to Heaven" was a "rip-off." "The guys made millions of bucks on it and never said 'Thank you,' never said, 'Can we pay you some money for it?'" he said. "It's kind of a sore point with me. Maybe someday their conscience will make them do something about it."
Spirit and California's family have waited until now to challenge the song's authorship because they did not have the means to pay attorneys. At the end of California's life, he would play sitar at an Indian restaurant in exchange for food.
A rep for Led Zeppelin declined to comment for Businessweek's story, but Page discussed the band's history with crediting songwriters after the fact in a recent interview with The New York Times. When asked why the group waited to credit Willie Dixon for bits of lyrics and melody that made their way into "Whole Lotta Love," he acknowledged, "Within the lyrics of it, there's [Dixons's] "You Need Love," and there are similarities within the lyrics. Now I'm not pointing a finger at anybody, but I'm just saying that's what happened, and Willie Dixon got credit. Fair enough."
Reissues of Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III are due in stores on June 3rd. Each is available in a deluxe edition that contains a full disc of never-before-released studio takes and live tracks.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8AVbwB_6E]Spirit, Taurus[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcL---4xQYA]Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven[/ame]
https://music.yahoo.com/news/led-ze...geted-plagiarism-181041510-rolling-stone.html
Umm, yeah it does matter.
I guess you didn't read that Zep and Spirit played a few shows together back in '69.
Clearly, Randy California and Spirit have a claim here.
We do, after all, live in Obama's America.
(I'll let you figure out what that means.)
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
"Genius" in a thread about Led Zeppelin? Really?
Hate to admit it, because Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant have been the worst nickers in the business, but Taurus to Stairway is a stretch. A minor chord with descending bass, big whoop. Far less egregious than the rest of the shit they really did steal.
This is only "part 1" (of four):
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M[/ame]
Wow, been many years since I heard about this, completely forgot about it.
Definitely a lot of similiarities, and always wondered why this wasn't pursued.
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Not only have the famous riffs come under fire, but so have the lyrics. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court very discretely. In the case of Whole Lotta Love, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used lyrics from his song You Need Love. Look at the credits on Babe Im Gonna Leave You, and youll notice folk singer Anne Bredon right next to Page. Shes been receiving royalties (back payments included) since 1990.
The examples go on and on. Some are blatant copies, some dont hold ground. The similarities are just as many as the differences, so the arguments could go on for days. The truth is, Zeppelins music is a collection of parts, some original, some borrowed. Trying to conclude whether or not they are rip-offs is left to the listener.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
"Genius" in a thread about Led Zeppelin? Really?
Hate to admit it, because Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant have been the worst nickers in the business, but Taurus to Stairway is a stretch. A minor chord with descending bass, big whoop. Far less egregious than the rest of the shit they really did steal.
This is only "part 1" (of four):
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M[/ame]
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
"Genius" in a thread about Led Zeppelin? Really?
Hate to admit it, because Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant have been the worst nickers in the business, but Taurus to Stairway is a stretch. A minor chord with descending bass, big whoop. Far less egregious than the rest of the shit they really did steal.
This is only "part 1" (of four):
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M[/ame]
Everybody plagiarizes from everybody else in entertainment. Even the "greatest of them all"
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvZGl1NqBRc]Bob Fosse Michael Jackson Pas de Deux - YouTube[/ame]
Their entire first album was "semi-plagiarized" -- it wasn't until more recent printings of LZ 1 that they gave credit to the musicians who inspired/authored those riffs. Page changed the riffs, made them his own, but they do sound similar.
Re: Stairway to Heaven -
Note for note, it's not the same riff -- similar, but not the same. Stairway to Heaven is more than just one riff. It's a rock masterpiece.
Remember the scene in the film Amadeus when Motzart recomposed one of Salieri's pieces on the fly -- turing a boring little piece in something of value. That's what genius does.
"Genius" in a thread about Led Zeppelin? Really?
Hate to admit it, because Jimmy Plagiarist and Robber Plant have been the worst nickers in the business, but Taurus to Stairway is a stretch. A minor chord with descending bass, big whoop. Far less egregious than the rest of the shit they really did steal.
This is only "part 1" (of four):
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M[/ame]
Just curious...Googling "Led Zeppelin Plagerism" doesn't produce much; any sites on this issue?
