T1B

Led Zeppelin is Officially Getting Sued Over ‘Stairway to Heaven’

Stairway to Heaven” has been a staple of rock radio for decades, and still gets regular airplay here at WZLX and all over the world. It’s arguably the biggest rock song in history. But now, just before ‘Stairway’ gets a fresh reissue, the band that for decades has accused Led Zeppelin of stealing a guitar riff from them is finally lawyering up.

A detailed new report from Businessweek says the now-defunct band Spirit is working with a team of lawyers to build a case against Led Zeppelin and take them to court over ‘Stairway’, saying it ripped its iconic opening riff from a song they wrote back in 1968 called “Taurus”...

http://wzlx.cbslocal.com/2014/05/16/led ... to-heaven/



Listen, starting at :44

poptart wrote:Led Zeppelin is Officially Getting Sued Over ‘Stairway to Heaven’

My Sweet Lord, what will Wags do?

Is this When The Levee Breaks?

I don't know.
I'm sure Wagon is dazed and confused, but I do hope he finds a way to ramble on.

Could be a shakedown cruise?

Wolfman wrote:Could be a shakedown cruise?

I remember when that song was on the air. They made the Village People look straight.

As far as Zeppelin is concerned, there is no question the riff was taken from Taurus and then VERY slightly modified. The other six minutes or so? No comparison at all. They should probably be entitled to 5% of royalties which, considering the song, should amount to a substantial retirement fund.

Staple of rock stations?

I think there was a communication breakdown between the author of this article and every classic rock station on the planet.

It was THE staple for 20-25 years before it became the poster child for over-played rock anthems. Not that I don't hear it from time to time, but the rest of LZ's work is played much more today.

Stairway isn't even in LZ's top 10, far as I'm concerned. I've never understood how it got so much love.

Whatever, still the greatest band in rock history, a fact that's not up for debate.

Stairway is a great song. What separates it from many LZ songs is that it had tremendous run in the pop world.

Trying to make an LZ top 10 list is impossible. They have way too many great songs and how the fukk exactly do you rank them.

No argument on who the greatest band ever is though.

Jimmy undoubtedly copied the beginning of the riff. But, he changes the end, making it about a million times better. This can be said about plenty of other riffs.

Should there be a payout or credit? I don't think so as this would open a big can of words. Should Jimmy and Bob maybe throw a few bucks to the dudes heirs? Yeah, probably.

How can a bunch of unoriginal ripoff artists be considered the "greatest" rock band of all time?

Oh, because they're good at playing their instruments?

Fuck off.

Would not being good at playing their instruments be better?

smackaholic wrote:Should there be a payout or credit? I don't think so as this would open a big can of words.

Scott Stapp wrote:Robert Plant is a shrieking mancunt.

BSmack wrote:Would not being good at playing their instruments be better?

Shouldn't "greatest ever" be reserved for original songwriters who could also play their instruments? Or is that asking too much?

Goober McTuber wrote:

smackaholic wrote:Should there be a payout or credit? I don't think so as this would open a big can of words.

Scott Stapp wrote:Robert Plant is a shrieking mancunt.

Bwahahaha.

smackaholic wrote: the poster child for over-played rock anthems.

Hey, dudes!

--Freebird

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

BSmack wrote:Would not being good at playing their instruments be better?

Shouldn't "greatest ever" be reserved for original songwriters who could also play their instruments? Or is that asking too much?

Asking too much.

Sincerely,

Elvis ball-lickers.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

BSmack wrote:Would not being good at playing their instruments be better?

Shouldn't "greatest ever" be reserved for original songwriters who could also play their instruments? Or is that asking too much?

Page/Plant wrote a fair number of originals later in their career. And even the songs they covered/stole were drastically different in presentation and style from the source material with the exception of most of Led Zeppelin I.

BSmack wrote:Page/Plant wrote a fair number of originals later in their career.

You managed to make the case for them sound worse. :?

Goober McTuber wrote:

smackaholic wrote:Should there be a payout or credit? I don't think so as this would open a big can of words.

Scott Stapp wrote:Robert Plant is a shrieking mancunt.

uhhhh, it was a typo. i mean d is only about 5 letters away from m.

that shrieking mancunt blast was pretty good.

maybe moving stale needs an updated title.

Smackie Chan wrote:

poptart wrote:Led Zeppelin is Officially Getting Sued Over ‘Stairway to Heaven’

My Sweet Lord, what will Wags do?

Just letting you know -- at least one person got it.

They will not win because it's a long stretch that it was stolen.

trev wrote:They will not win because it's a long stretch that it was stolen.

The will absolutely win. Far surpasses the standard of "stealing."

What is this "stealing music" thing you speak of?

Sin,
Coldplay

Dinsdale wrote:

Smackie Chan wrote:

poptart wrote:Led Zeppelin is Officially Getting Sued Over ‘Stairway to Heaven’

My Sweet Lord, what will Wags do?

Just letting you know -- at least one person got it.

Make that two.

Full credit to Smackie though...because he's so fine.

smackaholic wrote:Trying to make an LZ top 10 list is impossible. They have way too many great songs and how the fukk exactly do you rank them.

I suppose one could try to make such a list, it would just have to be revised every time you looked at it. Just off the top of my head and in no certain order:

Dazed and Confused
Heartbreaker
Babe I'm Gonna' Leave You
Since I've Been Loving You
Over the Hills and Far Away
Houses of the Holy
Ten Years Gone
Achilles Last Stand
Misty Mountain Hop
Fool in the Rain

2 hours from now I could come up with an entirely different list.

trev wrote:They will not win because it's a long stretch that it was stolen.

Absolutely!!!

Sincerely
Gary Brooker

One thing that hasn't been brought up and should be, the decision to not credit Willie Dixon on Zep I and II was as much Peter Grant's as any member of Zeppelin. More money in the pockets of Zeppelin meant more money in the pockets of a certain former professional wrestler turned manager/coke addict.

Too many variables involved in determining “world’s greatest band.” A band plays music together. They don’t necessarily have to write all their songs or even the majority of them, but I’d have a hard time considering a cover band as the greatest. Cream (Pete Brown), The Grateful Dead (Robert Hunter), and Phish (Tom Marshall) all collaborated with non-member writers for many of their songs. The songs are original (not covers), but aren’t entirely the products of the band members themselves. In other cases, one of the band members writes all or nearly all the band’s original songs. Many of the Motown groups didn’t write at all (and may not even qualify for this discussion since many were simply vocal groups rather than bands) – they were given songs written by professional songwriters. So the songwriting aspect isn’t primary, in my opinion, to what makes a band great. It’s how the songs are played, but that also lends itself to debate. Some bands are shit-hot in the studio, but suck onstage, and vice versa. Some bands are comprised of virtuoso musicians but play music that has no soul (’sup, Aristocrats?) while other bands are comprised of members whose musicianship may not be much above “average” (however that’s defined), but their combined output is greater than the sum of its parts.

So let’s see how all this relates to Zeppelin. In my opinion and that of many others, they possessed all or most of the ingredients that would define a great band. They wrote great songs, and made those they covered their own (to a larger extent than they should’ve by not giving proper credit); i.e., they didn’t just try to duplicate how the original or some other version of a song was done – they put their own imprint on it, thereby making something new out of something old. Their “downfall” was in not crediting those who should’ve received it, but that should not detract from the criteria that define greatness. They were all excellent musicians individually (the opinion of Plant being a “shrieking mancunt” notwithstanding), their work as a band was better than any of their solo efforts or outside collaborations, and Jimmy Page was a great producer. They produced phenomenal studio records, and were outstanding in concert. Sure, they were derivative, but very little, if any, music isn’t, and the originality they brought to their work far outweighed what they took from those who influenced them.

In the end, “world’s greatest band” is largely subjective based on individual taste. But if the determination can be made based on objective criteria, I won’t go to the extent Wags or ‘holic does by saying it’s not up for debate, but they’re certainly on the VERY short list of those in consideration.

That smackie chan fella has one impressive can of words.

well said, dude, per usualm.

War Wagon wrote:
Dazed and Confused
Babe I'm Gonna' Leave You
Since I've Been Loving You

Would DEFINITELY be in my top 10.

Screwey's Top 5:

1. When The Mop Handle Breaks

2. Jizzed And Confused

3. No Quarter...for the washing machine

4. Bring It On Home...to DC...you know, DC? The nation's capitol? Perhaps you've heard of it?

5. Goober's Pole



the last entry should need no explanation

rack comrade marty!!

Shlomart Ben Yisrael wrote:Screwey's Top 5:

1. When The Mop Handle Breaks

2. Jizzed And Confused

3. No Quarter...for the washing machine

4. Bring It On Home...to DC...you know, DC? The nation's capitol? Perhaps you've heard of it?

5. Goober's Pole



the last entry should need no explanation

LOL, very close comrade. You forgot:

The Ocean (of Jizz)

The Jizz Remains the Same

Trampled Under Mop

haha @ Marty

Smackie Chan wrote:

Jsc810 wrote:Greatest band = Rush

Those two posts back to back were better than the sum of their parts.

'tart, of all things that might make me sad, this news doesn't make the grade. Zeps' legacy is secure and I count myself fortunate to have had (and still do) the sheer pleasure of listening to their virtuosity.

Such power, beauty and grace. Their catalog runs the gamut. I'm starting my 2nd list of LZ Top 10's and this song belongs. I dedicate this masterpiece to that grouch Mgo.

Flee from me, keepers of the gloom.