...because a lawyer for a deceased member of the band "Spirit" has failed a lawsuit saying they did.

 

Plagiarism Controversy Behind Led Zeppelin's "Stairway" Resurfaces :: Paste

 

"...Bloomberg Businessweek reported last week that legal action has been taken to block the release of the band’s Led Zeppelin IV reissue because of a plagiarism conflict with the song’s famous intro, which can be heard at any time by stepping into a Guitar Center of your choice nationwide. Attorney Francis Alexander Molofiy is representing deceased guitarist Randy California, who played with the band Spirit) and claimed before his death in 1997 that the beginning of 'Stairway to Heaven' was lifted from his band’s 1968 song 'Taurus.' "

There is a lot of "ripping off" in the music industry.

Decide for yourself.

 

Here is Spirit's song 'Taurus' that the lawsuit claims was had it's riff lifted by Led Zeppelin for 'Stairway To Heaven'. Skip to minute mark 1:37 to hear the specific segment:

 

[video=youtube_share;xd8AVbwB_6E]

And here's 'Stairway To Heaven'.

 

[video=youtube;BcL---4xQYA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcL---4xQYA

Sounds very similar to me, but if Vanilla Ice got away with it Led Zeppelin probably will too.

There are only 8 notes. At some point it is pretty hard to avoid parts of one song sounding like parts of another. However, I haven't heard the specific "original" tune either.

What took them so long to complain? And to do it now when the guy is dead? :idunno:

I'm going with no. Jimmy Page isn't exactly incapable of coming up with his own material. Could Page have heard this song and part of stuck in his head and later came out in a similar riff? Sure, but I seriously doubt it was intentionally ripped off. Sounds like someone just wants some money.

Probably. But, eh. I still crank it up.

Nope

I've heard this rumor before, but a few more things I've learned now that are relevant. Taurus and Led Zeppelin used to tour together in the late 60s, so they obviously were familiar with each others' work. Apparently the statute of limitations on copyright is three years (someone can confirm?), but since LZ plans to release their remastered albums it gives Taurus another three years to file a claim. LZ also covered/ripped-off a handful of blues tunes without giving proper credit, so, I don't know, it would seem to not be an outlier if they did it here. I really have no idea what it takes to make a copyright claim in music anyway. Is it the exact notes copied? Is it the sound or essence? Similarities that are too close to be random?

Didn't the two bands tour together a few years before Stairway was released? if so, makes it hard to argue for Led. Wonder if there is a statute of limitations for these types of things.

 

Nothing better than the video of Vanilla Ice trying to explain the differences in the two songs...

There is a lot of "ripping off" in the music industry.

 

Absolutely true. However, Led Zeppelin has a track record of ripping off music without any acknowledgment of the original version.

 

"The Lemon Song", released by Zeppelin in 1969 on their second album. The band later settled out of court with Howlin' Wolf for deriving their song from his 1964 song, "

".

 

Zeppelin also released "

" in '69 on their second album. Blues songwriter Willie Dixon successfully sued them for ripping off his 1963 song "You Need Love", written for Muddy Waters to perform.

 

Originally listing the song as a 'traditional', arranged by Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin released "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" on their first album. They settled out of courts again for lifting the song from Anne Bredon, a member of the band The Plebs who had released "

" in 1964, 5 years before Zeppelin released their version.

Sounds very similar for sure. Having toured together before Stairway came out makes it even stickier for Led I would think, but who knows.

The Beatles were successfully sued in 1973 by Chuck Berry’s for stealing (and slowing down) the beat from his 1956 song "You Can't Catch Me" with their song “Come Together”, as well as their use of the lyrics “Here come ol’ flattop, he come groovin’ up slowly”, lifted from Berry’s “Here come a flattop, he was movin’ up with me” from the same song.