Led Zeppelin can exit 'Stairway to Heaven' suit for $US1, provided they give Randy California credit

[webfact]

Led Zeppelin can exit 'Stairway to Heaven' suit for $US1, provided they give Randy California credit
Vernon Silver

- Led Zeppelin stars to face trial over stealing 'Stairway to Heaven'
- Zeppelin musicians lose bid to dodge 'Stairway' trial

Lawyers suing members of rock supergroup Led Zeppelin say their client is willing to settle a lawsuit over the band's most famous song - a claim potentially worth millions of dollars - for just $US1 ($1.29). The catch is that band members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page would have to give the late musician Randy California a writing credit on the iconic 1971 rock ballad Stairway to Heaven. And that's probably worth a lot more than a buck.

Such an agreement by Page and Plant, the band's guitarist and singer, respectively, would head off a much anticipated copyright infringement trial scheduled for May 10 in Los Angeles federal court.

"It's always been about credit where credit is due," said attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy, who brought the suit on behalf of Michael Skidmore, administrator of the trust of the late Randy Wolfe, known as Randy California.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/led-zeppelin-can-exit-stairway-to-heaven-suit-for-us1-provided-they-give-randy-california-credit-20160427-gofrxw.html

-- The Age 2016-04-27

[daveAustin]

Led Zeppelin stars to face trial over stealing 'Stairway to Heaven"

That's a tad sensationalist. At the most they mimicked part of the intro chord progression from the vastly inferior Taurus. However, probably just as well take the offer as the legal system in the US will likely see them get shafted.

[kinmaew]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

[Chicog]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

It's a straight rip off without a doubt.

If they choose to reject this offer, one hopes they get it right in the rectum.

[Skeptic7]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

I'm a huge Zeppelin fan, but as SpokaneAl pointed out in a previous thread when this story first broke...LZ has a history of plagiarism.

http://www.musictimes.com/articles/6250/20140520/7-songs-other-than-stairway-to-heaven-that-led-zeppelin-stole.htm

http://www.showbiz411.com/2013/10/10/led-zeppelin-greatest-song-thieves-in-rock-history-nominated-for-songwriters-hall-of-fame

[khunPer]

[freedom4life]

Guys stop living in denial here...just because you like dread stepson...all these pop-culture freaks ripped-off from each other and the like and threw drugs in the mix...they are certainly not iconic-geniuses as you purport them to be...musical talent/genius was something reminiscent of the Renaissance period and onwards before the end of the 19th century...even dread stepson's lawyers admit to it..inadvertently:

"Lawyers for Led Zeppelin argue that any similarity between the songs was limited to a musical structure that has existed for centuries, and is too commonplace to be entitled to copyright protection."

Edited April 27, 2016 by freedom4life

[Andaman Al]

This will test how heavy their mettle is. I'll get my coat!

[BusyB]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

I gave you a like 'cos they don't make 'em like Led Zep any more. Noone plays guitar like Page and Jones, noone drums like Bonham, and certainly noone sings like Plant did back then.

But that doesn't mean they couldn't be "influenced" by tunes they'd heard. Apparently there were a whole lotta jives with other artists in much of their music. But even so they made something quite incredible out of it all that is unbeaten to this day.

[Norvid]

https://youtu.be/uWSNbGmxeZA

[Norvid]

[stevenl]

https://youtu.be/uWSNbGmxeZA

Lovely song, but not suitable for an orchestra alone.

[William C F Pierce]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

" why the hell would you copy anyone elses?" You could say the same thing about the Beatles Lennon and McCartney. The middle 8 note for note of "A hard days night" taken from Dick Dale's "Surfing Drums" and played slower, or a large amount of both the words and music on "Free as a bird" lifted from Tommy Cannon's "Remember (walking in the sand}" written for the Shangrilas. George Harrison was found guilty of lifting the tune of "My sweet Lord" from a Chiffons well known hit.

If a song written down is the same as someone else's song written down in music notation it is plagiarism!

[boomerangutang]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

I love the Zeps and have seen 'em 3 times live when they were first starting out (the best time to any great band). Even so, Page and Plant have a history of lifting pieces of songs from others. they mostly did it with blues riffs and lyrics. I don't put it down, tho if it had been me, I would have put the added names on the credits. Both Page and Plant are very rich. They can eat a bit of crow pie and put California's name on the song. Page and Plant make more money in an hour from royalties than a regular working stiff makes in a lifetime.

[willyumiii]

there are only variations of a limited number if rifs in all music.

any song can be related to a previous song if you try hard enough to find it.

there are no new songs...

just variations of older songs

but we also have lawyers, the scum of the earth who make a fortune of of the misfortune of others.

therein lies the real problem.

Edited April 28, 2016 by willyumiii

[Rayk]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

It's a straight rip off without a doubt.

If they choose to reject this offer, one hopes they get it right in the rectum.

And your qualifications in the field of music would be?

[jerico2017]

there are only variations of a limited number if rifs in all music.

any song can be related to a previous song if you try hard enough to find it.

there are no new songs...

just variations of older songs

but we also have lawyers, the scum of the earth who make a fortune of of the misfortune of others.

therein lies the real problem.

Mostly from West Coast (California, Hawaii, Florida too)

[Chicog]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

It's a straight rip off without a doubt.

If they choose to reject this offer, one hopes they get it right in the rectum.

And your qualifications in the field of music would be?

Classically trained musician, Grade 8 on two instruments and O-Level theory.

.

You?

Edited April 28, 2016 by Chicog

[vaultdweller0013]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

It's a straight rip off without a doubt.

If they choose to reject this offer, one hopes they get it right in the rectum.

And your qualifications in the field of music would be?

Classically trained musician, Grade 8 on two instruments and O-Level theory.

.

You?

In which case, you could post the sheet music for the relevant 4-bar sections of both songs and point out exactly how they are the same, despite sounding completely different outside of 1) having the same first three notes and 2) following the same descending progression on the first beat of each measure.

[Andaman Al]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

It's a straight rip off without a doubt.

If they choose to reject this offer, one hopes they get it right in the rectum.

And your qualifications in the field of music would be?

Classically trained musician, Grade 8 on two instruments and O-Level theory.

.

You?

A grade 8 on triangle and tambourine won't cut it Chicog and it is hardly a 'straight rip off without a doubt', considering it has taken decades to get this far and the case really isn't over till the fat lady sings (Credit and thanks to the Valkyrie Brunnhilde).

[Koosdedooes]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

Stairway was most certainly influenced by Taurus, does that constitute copyright infringment ? The arpeggio is very similar, but given music and "new" music is influenced to large degree by what went before as musicans take their influence from existing music

..very difficult to suggest a complete rip off...was Jimmy Page aware of the Taurus track...almost certainly, did it fit and influence the compostion Stairway to heaven probably

Paul McCartney asked Noel Galleger of Oasis when he was going to stop ripping off Beatles riffs amongst others, such as T-rex....fact is if one looks hard enough one will find the track Taurus was "ripped" from somewhere..to me its a money grubbing excercise

As gifted a musician as Jimmy Page is, how do you think he learned guitar, as all of us did, copying other guitarists and songs...so your comments are a tad naive

Is Robert Johnsons estate, if it exists going to sue Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and yes Jimmy Page ? As they ripped off Robert Johnson licks and riffs and have admitted it ?

Edited April 30, 2016 by Koosdedooes

[Chicog]

I don't think they stole it. Page is so talented and wrote all those other songs why the hell would he copy someone elses? I listened to it and its no different to many other songs that sound some bits similar.

Cant stop listening to the live "Song Remains the Same" double live record 1976 - Page is a genius guitar master way ahead of his time, they don't make bands like Led Zep anymore.

It's a straight rip off without a doubt.

If they choose to reject this offer, one hopes they get it right in the rectum.

And your qualifications in the field of music would be?

Classically trained musician, Grade 8 on two instruments and O-Level theory.

.
You?

A grade 8 on triangle and tambourine won't cut it Chicog and it is hardly a 'straight rip off without a doubt', considering it has taken decades to get this far and the case really isn't over till the fat lady sings (Credit and thanks to the Valkyrie Brunnhilde).

That sequence, and even the production, is near identical.

[JHolmesJr]

A writing credit? Its not like Randy wrote a word of those GREAT lyrics.

Some similar chords at the beginning, perhaps.

Ive heard songs that seems similar too, but obviously Randys greedy family will do anything to make a quick buck.

[DDbkh]

It seems an easy solution but by recognizing this claim they will have to pay over £40 million in royalties - which is why they are refusing the deal.

[Grouse]

It's on my special (shagging CD) do I have to acknowledge the provenance every time?

Edited May 1, 2016 by Grouse

[Ulysses G.]

A writing credit? Its not like Randy wrote a word of those GREAT lyrics.

Some similar chords at the beginning, perhaps.

Ive heard songs that seems similar too, but obviously Randys greedy family will do anything to make a quick buck.

At MOST, $100,000. and NO writing credit for being inspired by a few notes in Taurus.

[Chicog]

I would expect a quick settlement TBH.