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His Majesty

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ozziestone
End part of stairway to heaven ( when he winds on down the road) is similar to all along the watchtower (dylan version)-same chord sequence. gimme shelter is similar to Hendrix version of watchtower-same chord sequence.

Age old chord progression, Under My Thumb uses it, but Gimme Shelter is different in that it uses all major chords.

And that sequence along with the turn around at the end of each A-chord could very well be inspired by I don't know why (Wonder). That song has the same chord progression in major and a similar but longer "turn around".

Jimmy Page Addresses ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Lawsuit: ‘This is Ridiculous’

> Ridiculous
May 29, 2014 11:13 AM

By Brian Ives

Jimmy Page has finally commented on last week’s news that Led Zeppelin is being sued by a trust representing the late Spirit frontman Randy California, claiming that Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” copied elements of Spirit’s “Taurus.”

And in typical Page fashion, he was short, sweet and to the point, certainly not masking his disinterest in the subject.

“This is ridiculous,” he told the French publication Liberation (with thanks to Google Translate). “I have no further comment on the subject.”


Whether or not a judge and jury finds similarities between the two songs, one thing that may work in Page’s favor, oddly enough, is the lawyer leading the plagiarism case: Francis Alexander Malofiy.

Malofiy recently lost a high-profile case for a client who was suing Usher for copyright infringement. More significant than the loss, though, was the sanctions memorandum that Judge Paul Diamond wrote about Malofiy following the suit (read the entire thing here: Malofiy). In it, Diamond wrote, “It is difficult to imagine more vexatious or unreasonable behavior,” and said Malofiy’s actions in regards to the case were “the paradigm of bad faith and intentional misconduct.”

He concluded by saying “Whether Malofiy should be removed from practice is a question properly answered in another forum.”

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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e concluded by saying “Whether Malofiy should be removed from practice is a question properly answered in another forum.”

Okay, this forum would be a good place to properly answer.

The most likley source for Stairway inspiration...

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His Majesty
The most likley source for Stairway inspiration...

Fabulous.

Indeed.

Davy Graham's arrangement of CMAR does not sound like the original Julie London version at all.

Instead it sounds a lot like this 1956 French song...







Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-08 16:58 by dcba.

Actually the Stones have stolen ton's of stuff over the years. The line " she covered me in roses" is from an old english poem and alot of their riffs and melodies are awfully close to other peoples. That's just music though and like Chuck Berry said there is nothing new under the sun.

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rob51
Actually the Stones have stolen ton's of stuff over the years. The line " she covered me in roses" is from an old english poem and alot of their riffs and melodies are awfully close to other peoples. That's just music though and like Chuck Berry said there is nothing new under the sun.

I hear this old argument all the time. Of course you cant help but borrow and use already done ideas. There after all is nothing new under the sun. But the stones and other greats didnt take a whole song and then claim it as their own. It boils down to this: In 1968 Jeff Beck released "Truth" with the song "you shook me" and credited willie dixon. One year later, zep released the same song and credited it to themselves.

Yeah and "Monkey Man" was the name of a 1968/69 song by Toots And The Maytals.

It charted in the UK so Mick & Keef probably heard it or read about it in some papers.
Is that plagiarism? No...

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dcba
Yeah and "Monkey Man" was the name of a 1968/69 song by Toots And The Maytals.

It charted in the UK so Mick & Keef probably heard it or read about it in some papers.
Is that plagiarism? No...

Of course not. But writing a song that has the same name as a previously released song does not mean it's copying the idea or stealing the title. Aside from the fact that they are completely different.

Taj Mahal, on the other hand...

A nice read courtesy of Steve Hoffmann's great forum :
[forums.stevehoffman.tv]

"Holmes opened for the Yardbirds in New York (67/68?) and did "I'm Confused" in his set. Either Dreja or McCartey liked it so much they went out the next day and bought the Lp it was on. And then started to cover it in their shows from then on"

Same pattern as STH/Spirit song Xeroxing : if you opened for Page you were ripe for musical thieving...

The Yardbirds with I believe Jimmy Page opened in a little town in the Southwest USA (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado) I know about in the late '60s; before Styx made it big, they were on that same circuit. It's amazing that some "big" band played those smaller venues.

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His Majesty
The most likley source for Stairway inspiration...

The folk classic 'Anji' never gets old.

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jackflash1129

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rob51
Actually the Stones have stolen ton's of stuff over the years. The line " she covered me in roses" is from an old english poem and alot of their riffs and melodies are awfully close to other peoples. That's just music though and like Chuck Berry said there is nothing new under the sun.

I hear this old argument all the time. Of course you cant help but borrow and use already done ideas. There after all is nothing new under the sun. But the stones and other greats didnt take a whole song and then claim it as their own. It boils down to this: In 1968 Jeff Beck released "Truth" with the song "you shook me" and credited willie dixon. One year later, zep released the same song and credited it to themselves.

that was pretty shameless

"Led Zeppelin Stumbles in ‘Stairway’ Lawsuit"
[www.yahoo.com]

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dcba
"Led Zeppelin Stumbles in ‘Stairway’ Lawsuit"
[www.yahoo.com]

He said...
she said

But then again someone points out...
" Randy California never sued Led Zeppelin over the song. All of the issues arose many years after his death by people that had nothing to do with the song. If the writer of Taurus had no issue with Stairway sounding like his song, why would any court support a lawsuit now? "

That is a good question...
...and the answer is $$$$$$$$$greed and money$$$$$$$$$$

<But the stones and other greats didnt take a whole song and then claim it as their own>

Of course they did. Listen to The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man and Fannie Mae. Little By Little is also a complete knock off. Melody is also practically a copy of Preston's tune.

"Page stated in the declaration: "Prior to hearing a recording of 'Taurus' in 2014 in connection with this matter, I have never heard 'Taurus' or even heard of it. I am very good at remembering music and am absolutely certain that I never heard 'Taurus' until 2014."

Page also admitted to discovering a copy of SPIRIT's first album in his record collection but claimed he did "not know how or when it got there," suggesting it "may well have been left by a guest. I doubt it was there for long, since I never noticed it before. But, again, I know I did not hear 'Taurus' until 2014."
[www.blabbermouth.net]

This defense system is absolute rubbish. Page shoud fire his mafia lawyer. ><

"very good at remembering music" : sure he was, especially with old blues by Chicago artists...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-29 14:38 by dcba.

It might get loud (in the courtroom).
Maybe we'll finally be able to see Jimmy Page play guitar again?



Mon Apr 11, 2016 | 7:58 PM EDT
Led Zeppelin's Plant, Page to face 'Stairway to Heaven' trial
By Jonathan Stempel

Stairway to Trial

(Reuters) - Led Zeppelin's lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page must face a U.S. jury trial over whether they stole opening chords for their 1971 classic "Stairway to Heaven."

In a decision on Friday, U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner in Los Angeles said "Stairway" and the 1967 instrumental "Taurus" by the band Spirit were similar enough to let a jury decide whether Plant and Page were liable for copyright infringement.

A trial is scheduled for May 10.

The lawsuit was brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Randy Wolfe, also known as Randy California, who was Spirit's guitarist and the composer of "Taurus."

Skidmore said Page may have been inspired to write "Stairway" for Led Zeppelin after hearing Spirit perform "Taurus" while the bands toured together in 1968 and 1969, but that Wolfe never got credit.

The defendants said Wolfe was a songwriter-for-hire who had no copyright claim, and that the chord progressions were so clichéd that they did not deserve copyright protection.

But the judge said a jury could find "substantial" similarity between the first two minutes of "Stairway" and "Taurus," which he called "arguably the most recognizable and important segments" of the songs.


"While it is true that a descending chromatic four-chord progression is a common convention that abounds in the music industry, the similarities here transcend this core structure," Klausner wrote. "What remains is a subjective assessment of the 'concept and feel' of two works ... a task no more suitable for a judge than for a jury."

Klausner dismissed claims against Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Warner Music Group Corp.

He also said the trustee can get only 50 percent of any damages awarded, citing a 1967 contract that Wolfe signed.

"This case, from our perspective, has always been about giving credit where credit was due, and now we get to right that wrong," Francis Malofiy, a lawyer for Skidmore, said by phone.

A lawyer for the defendants did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment.

According to the complaint, Wolfe complained about the similarities of the songs in an interview shortly before he drowned in 1997 in the Pacific Ocean while attempting to rescue his son.

"Stairway to Heaven" is a track on Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth studio album, often referred to as "Led Zeppelin IV."

The case is Skidmore v Led Zeppelin et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 15-03462.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

"Well that escalated quickly..."

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-04-12 14:40 by dcba.

Intro to Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven vs. McCartneys Blackbird

Blackbird by miles

2 1 2 0

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Come On
Intro to Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven vs. McCartneys Blackbird

Blackbird by miles

Huh? What does that have to do with anything?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-04-12 14:53 by More Hot Rocks.

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More Hot Rocks

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Come On
Intro to Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven vs. McCartneys Blackbird

Blackbird by miles

Huh? What does that have to do with anything?

Eeehhh taste in Music or something...

2 1 2 0

Just my 2 cents but I think the Stairway thing is BS. You could claim this on any song. Zep though have left themselves vulnerable to this type of thing by clearly not giving writing credits where credits were due in the past.

Without a doubt Jimmy Page copied several old blues songs and never bothered to give credits where credits were due. I think he was probably at the time - given some pretty bad advice in regard to that. It is so obvious and clear that those around Page at the time had to know as well.

I also read in an interview there Plant said they though by playing and singing lyrics from other blues songs it was a tribute and they didn't understand music publishing...

The court case is ridiculous, but Page is a dafty saying he never heard Taurus until 2014. LZ used a riff from Fresh Garbage from same album in their spring 1969 live sets.

That he hadn't heard Taurus until 2014 seems very unlikely to me.

Still, as the Davey Graham clip I posted shows, the essentials of the Stairway intro, ie chords and the more notable little licks, were already available to borrow before Taurus was even recorded.