Kory Grow of Rolling Stone reports:
As Led Zeppelin promote the extravagant reissues of their first three albums for an early June release, a lawyer representing deceased Spirit guitarist Randy California is claiming the hard-rock legends stole the intro for their 1971 single Stairway to Heaven from Spirit’s 1968 song Taurus. Attorney Francis Alexander Molofiy wants to prevent the release of the Led Zeppelin IV reissue when the time comes, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. “The idea behind this is to make sure that Randy California is given a writing credit on Stairway to Heaven,” Malofiy said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Led Zeppelin and Spirit, who had a hit with I Got a Line on You, played four shows together in 1968 and 1969, shows at which Businessweek claims Spirit played Taurus. It also alleges that Led Zeppelin played a medley of songs that included Spirit’s Fresh-Garbage – a song that appeared on the same LP side as Taurus – on their first U.S. tour.
In an interview with Listener magazine published the year of his death, California said he felt Stairway to Heaven was a “rip-off.” “The guys made millions of bucks on it and never said ‘Thank you,’ never said, ‘Can we pay you some money for it?'” he said. “It’s kind of a sore point with me. Maybe someday their conscience will make them do something about it.”
Spirit and California’s family have waited until now to challenge the song’s authorship because they did not have the means to pay attorneys. At the end of California’s life, he would play sitar at an Indian restaurant in exchange for food.
A rep for Led Zeppelin declined to comment for Businessweek‘s story, but Page discussed the band’s history with crediting songwriters after the fact in a recent interview with The New York Times. When asked why the group waited to credit Willie Dixon for bits of lyrics and melody that made their way into Whole Lotta Love, he acknowledged, “Within the lyrics of it, there’s [Dixons’s] You Need Love, and there are similarities within the lyrics. Now I’m not pointing a finger at anybody, but I’m just saying that’s what happened, and Willie Dixon got credit. Fair enough.”
Reissues of Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III are due in stores on June 3rd. Each is available in a deluxe edition that contains a full disc of never-before-released studio takes and live tracks.
source: rollingstone.com
42 Responses
I guess Aldo Nova owes Jimmy Page (and, by extension, Jake Holmes) some moolah.
“Fantasy” = “Dazed and Confused”
I always thought “Fantasy” was a rip-off of “Jane” by Jefferson Starship. Play ’em back-to-back and you’ll hear it, trust me.
I agree those two are alike at the songs’ centers, but if you listen to that initial lick on “Fantasy” (and try to block out the tempo), its the same as “D& C”.
Not a slam, just an observation, by the way
Jimmy Page didn’t write ‘Dazed and Confused’. He swiped it.
Dazed & Confused was a rip-off of “Dazed & Confused” by Jake Holmes, who once opened for the Yardbirds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsvs-pAGDc
Clearly Zeppelin’s version is way better. Seems like they took ideas and elaborated on them. If the originals were better, they probably would have been hits. If Zeppelin stole my song, I’d be flattered. Not getting credit, however, would probably drive you crazy, as you’re trying to convince all your friends that it’s your song.
Boy you sure are stupid. It seems like someone stole your brain you flipping idiot. You are the stupidest idiot on here. I hope you know that. Wow, it takes a lot to show support for Stairway to Heaven. Do you like the Yankees and the Pittsburgh Steelers? All you are is a frontrunner. They should pay Spirit and they should pay handsomely. Stairway to Heaven is out and out plagiarism. Taurus is a way better song and you don’t have to listen to Plant’s annoying voice.
FLASHROCKINIDIOT
Milkmoney, the link is up there, and you can decide for yourself. I don’t think Randy’s suit has merit. That riff has been around for centuries! As for Page’s other liberal uses of other people’s ideas: that is not what’s on the table here. You have a chip on your shoulder, that has nothing to do with this case, obviously.
Stairway is this epic piece of music..you are flipping your wig over one riff! It’s similar, but it certainly isn’t plagiarism. Page did change it around.
If you only knew how common this is, you couldn’t handle it. War Pigs : 6 was 9, Ritchie completely stole that riff to Smoke on the Water…that’s not the point of what makes those songs great.
What the F is your problem milk money? You must get off by hiding behind your computer and insulting people. I never said they shouldn’t pay, and I never defended Stairway to Heaven.
Willie Dixon got horsed on his settlement, so did Mrs. Valenzuela (Valen’s madre) on her check. California’s estate isn’t coming out of this (no pun intended) with a 1/2 bottle of K-Y next to the Superhype-Warner Music Publishing check signed by Page/Plant. Bo Diddly got creamed fer a few million on his Bo Diddly beat.
Didnt they also steal “dazed and confused”?
How many people have taken the John Lee Hooker Boogie Chillin Intro. La Grange by ZZ Top Spirit in the Sky by Lee Michaels and many others. Did Deep Purple give credit for the intro riff to Black Night. Ritchie openly admits to stealing in his own words many ideas. Bottom line there is nothing new under the sun. Bo Diddley should be a billionaire !
In the very least hopefully people will acknowledge TAURUS as it is a cool instrumental. No doubt STAIRWAY borrows but that doesn’t make it less brilliant. Let’s see, KINGDOM COME, mid 80s WHITESNAKE, GREAT WHITE and how many others returned the favor by copying ZEPPLIN. Did you ever hear JUDGEMENT DAY by WHITESNAKE? It is a ridiculous copy of KASHMIR. When lawyers get involved, art suffers.