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[Mad Season]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8AVbwB_6E

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q7Vr3yQYWQ

BLOOMBERG -- The judge presiding over a lawsuit challenging the authenticity of Led Zeppelin's signature song Stairway to Heaven rejected a bid to delay the case, setting the stage for a May trial -- if it doesn't get settled or dismissed before then.

A lawyer who contends that the British band stole portions of an obscure composition by the band Spirit for use in the ballad had asked the Los Angeles court to grant extra time, in part to gather more information about Stairway's earnings. By one estimate, the 1971 song has made more than half a billion dollars.

Surviving Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Robert Plant objected to a proposed postponement to July, which would have conflicted with Plant's European summer tour.

The case stems from what, to some ears, is a similarity between Stairway and Taurus, an instrumental piece released on Spirit’s debut album in 1968. The musicians deny the infringement allegations and say Plant and Page alone wrote the song. Spirit guitarist Randy California, who composed Taurus, died in 1997. The trustee who handles his royalties sued in May 2014, claiming "falsification of rock 'n' roll history."

The dispute may soon come to a head. The court has scheduled a settlement conference next month for the opposing parties to try to resolve the dispute. But Led Zeppelin also says they plan to file a motion for summary judgment to end the case.

In his latest action, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner turned down the proposed extension with a red "DENIED" stamp across the top -- calling to mind this backhanded homage to Stairway to Heaven from the film Wayne's World.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-08/stairway-to-heaven-author-fight-set-for-may

 

[Robot Pants]

There's a quick couple of seconds where they are similar but overall no way. That spirit song is pretty cool though

 

[eot]

This is probably not plagiarism, but I do think LZ slipped into that territory a few times and they kinda deserve to get take to task for that, even if this isn't the example that demonstrates it the best. There are so many people they should've credited but didn't.

 

[demon]

Is it because of that acoustic guitar part a minute or so in?

Sorry, but nope. It's not exactly the most unique of chord progressions.

 

[213372bu]

Ahahahahahahaha

 

[DiscoJer]

To me, the Spirit song sounds more like Babe I'm Going to Leave than Stairway to Heaven

 

[excelsiorlef]

Is there not some limitations on when you can sue. I mean 43 years to file suit?

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Has this been brought up before or is this just being noticed now in 2014 after the dude who wrote Spirits song died and his trustee is now handling his royalties?

 

[Randam]

Isn't it known since forever, that page stole the rif/melody?

 

[213372bu]

I mean, it's literally just a basic descending guitar riff sprinkled with some acoustic guitar.

 

[SmackDaddy]

Yeaah I don't think so personally

 

[30yearsofhurt]

Then Taurus have stolen from a half dozen composers from the baroque through to modern times.

 

[MilkBeard]

Nice little tune, that taurus.

On multiple listens, the chord progression and even the timing sound really similar. I think if they don't get it thrown out, then it could mean trouble. It's only a few second long riff, but it is something that is played repeatedly in both songs.

Not sure if Led Zep actually stole it or if it was an accident. But if they lose the case it could mean huge damages. It is a common chord progression but it's not like other times people have been awarded with something like this.

 

[JTripper]

Every song is stolen. Who cares.

 

[Liamario]

I hear the similarities, but it's only a for a couple of notes. I think they're clutching at straws.

 

[MilkBeard]

Every song is stolen. Who cares.

Honestly I feel that even if a band did 'lift' a riff from someone, it's incredibly petty to sue because they got famous. People just wanting that piece of the pie.

 

[ZeroTheShadow]

Did Randy California himself ever claim this? The man has been dead for nearly 20 years.

 

[JTripper]

There's a part of Taurus that reminds me of the "How I Met Your Mother" theme more than the part that sort of sounds like Stairway for 5 seconds.

 

[Eyemus Lutt]

Yeah that sounds stolen to me.

it sounds way more similar than the lawsuit for Blurred lines.

 

[Dmax3901]

I don't think this particular case holds up.

But watch this video, it's pretty heinous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiiY4ciKFQA

EDIT: I love Led Zeppelin btw.

 

[tanooki27]

I don't think this particular case holds up.

But watch this video, it's pretty heinous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiiY4ciKFQA

EDIT: I love Led Zeppelin btw.

it's not remotely heinous. it is well within the tradition of blues music to snatch and adapt. Zeppelin were adept at adapting these old tunes

 

[kmag]

People have to realise that Zeppelin opened for Spirit who performed Taurus at least 4 times on the shared bill the winter before Page 'wrote' Stairway at Bron-Yr-Aur in 1970.

 

[bender]

I found the videos below interesting and agree with his assessment considering the bands toured together and Taurus was on Spirit's set list during that period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCEg9gMJakU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLY51XI0lB4

 

[wanderingprostheyltite]

How'd that Blurred Lines case end up? Remember reading some Clinton deposition tier responses from Thicke.

 

[kmag]

Did Randy California himself ever claim this? The man has been dead for nearly 20 years.

From the 1996 reissue liner notes written by Randy California.

People always ask me why "Stairway to Heaven" sounds exactly like "Taurus", which was released two years earlier. I know Led Zeppelin also played "Fresh Garbage" in their live set. They opened up for us on their first American tour.

 

[Branduil]

Doesn't sound like Stairway to Heaven to me.

Copyright law is really bad at handling music anyway, where literally all music ever written is based on previous music.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

People have to realise that Zeppelin opened for Spirit who performed Taurus at least 4 times on the shared bill the winter before Page 'wrote' Stairway at Bron-Yr-Aur in 1970.

From the 1996 reissue liner notes written by Randy California.

Yeesh

 

[kruis]

This video explains it well. All the songs have in common are 4 descending notes. The Spirit song only uses one chord, the Zeppelin has multiple chords and is far more complex. Plus the Zeppelin song uses those four notes in a very complex song lasting 7 minutes, while the Spirit song is nothing more than 2 minutes of aimless instrumental noodling..

 

[NoRéN]

Is it because of that acoustic guitar part a minute or so in?

Sorry, but nope. It's not exactly the most unique of chord progressions.

Fuck it, let's play defense. Link some examples of this not so unique chord progression.

 

[Dmax3901]

it's not remotely heinous. it is well within the tradition of blues music to snatch and adapt. Zeppelin were adept at adapting these old tunes

Old? Some of them would've been less than 10 years old when they did them. Second, they didn't credit anyone.

 

[DiscoJer]

This video explains it well. All the songs have in common are 4 descending notes. The Spirit song only uses one chord, the Zeppelin has multiple chords and is far more complex. Plus the Zeppelin song uses those four notes in a very complex song lasting 7 minutes, while the Spirit song is nothing more than 2 minutes of aimless instrumental noodling..

That's a very good video (and brings up Babe I'm Going to Leave as well)

 

[GorillaJu]

Far too similar to be a coincidence, but not similar enough to win a lawsuit. Well, as far as I'm concerned anyway.

 

[Makai]

Sounds really close to me!

 

[kmag]

That's a very good video (and brings up Babe I'm Going to Leave as well)

You mean Babe I'm Going to Leave you which they originally didn't credit to the writer, Anne Bredon? And basically just changed the key from B minor to A minor still enough to get a credit for Page and Plant. You've got to wonder if you can copy someone elses song and just move it up a key and riff on the lyrics including taking the entire first verse and most of the chorus how much else the pilfered.

Anne Bredon's Babe, I'm gonna leave you

Babe, I'm gonna leave you
Tell you when I'm gonna leave you
Leave you when ol'summer time,
Summer comes a-rolling
Leave you when ol'summer comes along
Babe, the highway is a-callin'
The old highway's a-callin'
Callin'me to travel on, travel on out the Westward
Callin'me to travel on alone
Babe,I'd like to stay here
You know I'd really like to stay here
My feet start goin'down,goin'down the highway
My feet start goin'down, goin'down alone
Babe,I got to ramble
You know I got to ramble
My feet start goin'down and I got to follow
My feet start goin'down, and I got to go

"Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm going to leave you (written by Page, Plant and later after a court case Bredon)

Babe, baby, baby, I'm Gonna Leave You.
I said baby, you know I'm gonna leave you.
I'll leave you in the summertime,
Leave you when the summer comes a-rollin'
Leave you when the summer comes along.

Babe, babe, babe, babe, babe, babe,
Baby, baby, I wanna leave you.
I ain't jokin' woman, I got to ramble.
Oh, yeah, baby, baby, I believin',
We really got to ramble.
I can hear it callin' me the way it used to do,
I can hear it callin' me back home!

Babe, oh, babe... I'm gonna leave you
Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you
Oh, I can hear it callin 'me
I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do? Ooooh

I know, I know, I know I never, never, never, never, never gonna leave you, babe
But I got to go away from this place,
I've got to quit you, yeah
Ooh, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, ooh, don't you hear it callin' me?
Oh, woman, woman, I know, I know
It feels good to have you back again
And I know that one day, baby, it's gonna really grow, yes it is.
We gonna go walkin' through the park every day.
Come what may, every day, ooh

My my my my my, my babe.
I'm gonna leave you, go away...
... Oh I miss you, baby

It was really, really good.
You made me happy every single day.
But now... I've got to go away! Oh, oh, oh.

Baby, baby, baby
That's when it's callin' me
I said that's when it's callin' me back home...

My issue with Page isn't that he pilfered, it's that it takes a legal crowbar to get him to accept the fact regardless of how fucking blatent it is. The Stones did a lot of covers with different arrangements early on but had the good grace to give the original author credit. Page didn't.

 

[NoRéN]

Far too similar to be a coincidence, but not similar enough to win a lawsuit. Well, as far as I'm concerned anyway.

And you're an attorney?

 

[Xun]

Page was a little naughty at times (Dazed and Black Mountain Side spring to mind), but this wasn't one of those times in my opinion.

The main root of the Zeppelin allegations come from Plant taking lyrics from other songs, although he certainly wasn't the only one to do it. Aside from the original blues legends, a lot of bands during the 60's/70's took lyrics from music and didn't credit the original artist.

You mean Babe I'm Going to Leave you which they originally didn't credit to the writer, Anne Bredon? And basically just changed the key from B minor to A minor still enough to get a credit for Page and Plant. You've got to wonder if you can copy someone elses song and just move it up a key and riff on the lyrics including taking the entire first verse and most of the chorus how much else the pilfered.

Anne Bredon's Babe, I'm gonna leave you

"Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm going to leave you (written by Page, Plant and later after a court case Bredon)

My issue with Page isn't that he pilfered, it's that it takes a legal crowbar to get him to accept the fact regardless of how fucking blatent it is. The Stones did a lot of covers with different arrangements early on but had the good grace to give the original author credit. Page didn't.

Page/Plant didn't know who originally wrote the song, hence why it was initially credited as "Trad. arr. Page":

The band covered Baez's version; both guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant were fans of Baez. Baez's album had originally indicated no writing credit, and Led Zeppelin credited the song as "Trad. arr. Page". In the 1980s Bredon was made aware of Led Zeppelin's version of the song, and since 1990 the Led Zeppelin version has been credited to Anne Bredon/Jimmy Page & Robert Plant: Bredon received a substantial back-payment of royalties.

 

[kmag]

Page was a little naughty at times (Dazed and Black Mountain Side spring to mind), but this wasn't one of those times in my opinion.

The main root of the Zeppelin allegations come from Plant taking lyrics from other songs, although he certainly wasn't the only one to do it. Aside from the original blues legends, a lot of bands during the 60's/70's took lyrics from music and didn't credit the original artist.

Page/Plant didn't know who originally wrote the song, hence why it was initially credited as "Trad. arr. Page":

It required a court case for her to get the credit. It wasn't a case of Page and Plant discovering she wrote it and giving her credit she had to pursue legal action and as always Page and Plant fought it until the case was given the go ahead for trial at which point they settled. Magically giving Page and Plant a credit for a song they transposed in key and which Plant skatted a couple of extra verses riffing on Bredon's original lyrics.

He said, 'Mom, I didn't know you did Led Zeppelin tunes,'" Smith says. "He said, 'There's this one called "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You",' and I said, 'You know, John, just think how many people have written a song called "I Love You" and they copyright it, right, and there's 519 versions.' But then I thought maybe I better listen to it, and it was in fact Anne's song."

It was listed in the credits of Led Zeppelin's debut album as "Traditional, Arranged by Jimmy Page," so Smith helped Bredon pursue legal action, eventually winning an out-of-court settlement.

 

[Lebron]

Led Zepp been stealing shit for years. I thought it was already common knowledge they stole Stairway to Heaven? But I guess they never got taken to court for this one yet.

 

[teruterubozu]

Imagine if Led Zeppelin sued all the bands that sounded like Led Zeppelin. There must be hundreds of songs that sound like Kashmir.

 

[tr00per]

Not that it's really an excuse(and plant did take, it too far sometimes) but as was pointed out, blues musicians, particularly in that time, often riff on other blues music. It's just kind of the way it's done


And also
The pretender - foo fighters
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

The thing with Zep is that people say they stole songs, and one of my favorite examples is You Shook Me. People say they stole it, and yeah, the lyrics are about verbatim, but they're so COMPLETELY different songs and Zep put on their own spin. The original You Shook Me is really, really short. Zep's is a behemoth with far more complex instrumentation and really, really long.

I'm so conflicted because I love Zep. But on the other hand, if they took lyrics and some riffs, who's to say they didn't take the other stuff too? The added portion to You Shook Me, who's to say they didn't take that as well?

It makes it hard for me to enjoy them anymore despite loving them.

 

[Ricker]

The thing with Zep is that people say they stole songs, and one of my favorite examples is You Shook Me. People say they stole it, and yeah, the lyrics are about verbatim, but they're so COMPLETELY different songs and Zep put on their own spin. The original You Shook Me is really, really short. Zep's is a behemoth with far more complex instrumentation and really, really long.

I'm so conflicted because I love Zep. But on the other hand, if they took lyrics and some riffs, who's to say they didn't take the other stuff too? The added portion to You Shook Me, who's to say they didn't take that as well?

It makes it hard for me to enjoy them anymore despite loving them.

Doesn't You shook me say written by Willie Dixon though...? its a remake,they never said they wrote it I think...

Stairway to Heaven says written by Page/Plant...thats different.

 

[Fersis]

It's an A Major Arpeggio
Next thing you know someone is gonna sue for the use of the C Major Scale.

 

[Netherscourge]

It's an A Major Arpeggio
Next thing you know someone is gonna sue for the use of the C Major Scale.

lol

So two twists of a Guitar key and it's a new song?

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Yeah the Spirit song sounds like the intro to Stairway.

But Stairway is like 8 minutes longer and none of the rest of the 8 minutes of Stairway sound like the Spirit song.

 

[Sky Saw]

Of course they ripped it off, LZ are the masters of plagiarism. Doesn't change how good their music is though.

 

[Playsage]

Imagine if Led Zeppelin sued all the bands that sounded like Led Zeppelin. There must be hundreds of songs that sound like Kashmir.

This.

Seriously though, if there's something Led Zeppelin did was ripping off blues and folk classic, but this is not the case. The only matching progression is the bass note (still not 100% accurate) and Stairway's arpeggios is way more complex.
If this is considered stealing, McCartney could sue (and get sued by) millions of artists for the goddamn Let It Be progression lol

If you guys are interested there is this little game here that tells what is reallt similiar in the opening
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/article...eal-the-greatest-song-opening-in-rock-history

 

[silenttype01]

And also
The pretender - foo fifhters
25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago

If you are saying that those two songs sound alike, then I can say that I don't hear it. How are they similar?

 

[Dishwalla]

If you are saying that those two songs sound alike, then I can say that I don't hear it. How are they similar?

I can hear it, the main riff to The Pretender sounds similar, kind of goes in a different direction though. One that's closer to 25 or 6 to 4 is Green Day's "Brain Stew".

 

[80s Bad Guy]

Maybe? But it's too late to go back and take away all of the cocaine and ass it brought them.

John Bonham!