Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven copyright battle is finally over

[snoop1130]

Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven copyright battle is finally over

 

Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Jimmy Page gave evidence at a 2016 trial / GETTY IMAGES

 

The final possible legal challenge to Led Zeppelin's ownership of Stairway To Heaven has been defeated.

 

The band were sued for copyright in 2014 over claims they had stolen the song's opening riff from Taurus, by a US band called Spirit.

 

Led Zeppelin won the case in 2016, but it was revived on appeal in 2018.

 

A court of appeals upheld the original verdict earlier this year. Now, the US Supreme Court has declined to hear the case, definitively ending it.

 

Full Story: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54423922

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2020-10-06

 

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[Matzzon]

Stupid try to defame one of the world most classic and iconic songs.

[Kerryd]

Just listened to the Spirit song (Taurus) and there's a couple very short spots where it sounds just like Stairway to Heaven and just when you think you know what the next notes will be, it's something different. 

Kind of like if you wrote:
Roses are red, 

You'd be expecting "Violets are blue" to follow that but instead you hear/see "Violets are....nice flowers too !"

That's how it felt to me listening to the Taurus song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFHLO_2_THg).

Not sure how many notes have to be exactly the same in order for it to be a copyright infringement. I know that there is a law that states how long a song can be "sampled" before any credit has to be given (or royalties paid). I think it's the same thing in movies. 

Note: Taurus was a short, instrumental piece written in 1967 and released in 1968. Stairway to Heaven was released in 1971. Both bands apparently toured together in the late 60s as well.
However, some guitarists have noted that, musically, there are many differences that the average listener (like me) might not pick up on (switching to different chords and back again, different background/accompaniment and so on).

Seems there's a Dolly Parton song called "We used to" that is eerily similar to Stairway (or Taurus) in some places as well, especially at the beginning where it sounds like they play the same notes but using a piano instead of a guitar.

Click "play" then close your eyes and listen to the start of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z7UTvE0-zU

[pacovl46]

Maybe they won this one, but they’re notorious for ripping of other artists without giving them credit! 

[Card]

2 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

Maybe they won this one, but they’re notorious for ripping of other artists without giving them credit! 

So was John Lennon ripping off Chuck Berry:

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

There are only so many musical notes, so it's not surprising that sometimes similar or identical parts are in songs from different groups. The Eagles have an intro identical to a different song not by The Eagles, but no one has sued each other, to my knowledge.

[Ganesh108]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There are only so many musical notes, so it's not surprising that sometimes similar or identical parts are in songs from different groups. The Eagles have an intro identical to a different song not by The Eagles, but no one has sued each other, to my knowledge.

LZ ripped off several blues artists' songs, even down to the lyrics, and settled in or out of court respectively. But then LZ took the songs to another level - such as Whole Lotta Love, which is based on a Willie Dixon song but is 10 times better or more powerful than the original (OK, personal opinion).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DaLa]

I agree with the statement above regarding only a certain number of notes, however the main factor was the added chemicals LZ applied to Stairway.

 

What is really sad about this case is that the copyright battle wasn’t even being fought by the members of Spirit, but by the family members of some of the band. In my view that’s even more morally wrong than being influenced by other bands during a creative period. I accept some will disagree.

 

Now, this leads me onto a great youtube video entitled:

 

‘What if EVH (RIP) or Eric Johnson played the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ solo.

 

Catch it here if you have a few minutes.

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1cOosnkWj2g

[7by7]

On 10/7/2020 at 2:37 AM, pacovl46 said:

Maybe they won this one, but they’re notorious for ripping of other artists without giving them credit! 

Indeed; perhaps the most well known one being Dazed and Confused.

 

Original, folk rock version written by Jake Holmes

 

In 1967 the Yardbirds headlined a concert with Holmes on the bill, and their drummer, Jim McCarty, heard his set. The next day bought his album and played the song to the rest of the band.

 

Jimmy Page arranged the tune into a heavier sound, and whilst they at first used Holmes' lyrics, over time Keith Relf changed them around and added new ones.

 

 

When the Yardbirds disbanded and Page formed Led Zeppelin they recorded their version with new lyrics written by Robert Plant. Although due to Plant's contractual commitments elsewhere at the time, only Page was credited as the writer.

 

 

After failed attempts by Holmes to get Page to acknowledge the origin of the tune, he eventually went to court in 2010. The case was settled out of court in 2012 for an undisclosed sum, and ever since on Led Zep releases and reissues the song has been credited as "By Page – Inspired by Jake Holmes."

[Ganesh108]

2 hours ago, 7by7 said:

Indeed; perhaps the most well known one being Dazed and Confused.

Original, folk rock version written by Jake Holmes

 

In 1967 the Yardbirds headlined a concert with Holmes on the bill, and their drummer, Jim McCarty, heard his set. The next day bought his album and played the song to the rest of the band.

 

Jimmy Page arranged the tune into a heavier sound, and whilst they at first used Holmes' lyrics, over time Keith Relf changed them around and added new ones.

 

 

When the Yardbirds disbanded and Page formed Led Zeppelin they recorded their version with new lyrics written by Robert Plant. Although due to Plant's contractual commitments elsewhere at the time, only Page was credited as the writer.

 

 

After failed attempts by Holmes to get Page to acknowledge the origin of the tune, he eventually went to court in 2010. The case was settled out of court in 2012 for an undisclosed sum, and ever since on Led Zep releases and reissues the song has been credited as "By Page – Inspired by Jake Holmes."

Wow, I didn't even know about this original. 

 

The most incredible Stairway version to me is this one (Edit: This is a slightly abridged version, there's also a longer one on YT).

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Ganesh108

[bendejo]

On 10/6/2020 at 8:54 PM, Card said:

So was John Lennon ripping off Chuck Berry:

If you mean the 'flat top" reference story had it Chuck was flattered by Lennon picking it up.  Lennon said in an interview that if someone did not come up with the term "rock and roll" this kind of music would have been called 'Chuck Berry.'

I wonder if Lennon even knew what the lyric referred to, probably thought it was the hair style.

 

If possible try to get your hands on the extended DVD version of "Hail Hail Rock n Roll," the stuff about what went on behind the scenes will knock you on your _ss.