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Yes, it does. Especially when the band being ripped off, Spirit, was a much more creative and talented group of musicians than Led Zeplin ever was.
"Led Zeppelin were sued by Michael Skidmore, administrator of the trust of the late Randy Wolfe (a.k.a. Randy California), who wrote a ghostly instrumental track called "Taurus" in 1968 for his band Spirit. Wolfe died in 1997. The instrumental cut he wrote, Skidmore claimed, is the original Medieval-sounding ascending scale heard in "Stairway," which Led Zeppelin released on its untitled 1971 record.
I used to be a snob who thought that music was somehow 'better' when performed by the writer(s). Happily, I have grown up and disabused myself of such puerile nonsense. The enjoyment of music is unrelated to who wrote it, or whether or not they have the legal rights to perform it.
Not that I ever listen to Stairway to Heaven (or anything else by Led Zeppelin). But the point holds.
No. Ive been listening to music since the early 70s. Most songs remind me in some way of another song, and many have very similar if not almost identical riffs.
No. Ive been listening to music since the early 70s. Most songs remind me in some way of another song, and many have very similar if not almost identical riffs.
Yes... there are some "standard" riffs in blues and country music that are reworked, over and over again, by successive generations of musicians. No one can even recall who originally created the riffs.
The difference nowadays is that recordings can be compared, and if there's enough evidence of a rip-off, someone might be owed a huge amount of back-royalties. Cha-ching.
Yes, it does. Especially when the band being ripped off, Spirit, was a much more creative and talented group of musicians than Led Zeplin ever was.
"Led Zeppelin were sued by Michael Skidmore, administrator of the trust of the late Randy Wolfe (a.k.a. Randy California), who wrote a ghostly instrumental track called "Taurus" in 1968 for his band Spirit. Wolfe died in 1997. The instrumental cut he wrote, Skidmore claimed, is the original Medieval-sounding ascending scale heard in "Stairway," which Led Zeppelin released on its untitled 1971 record.
Considering they ripped off "Dazed & Confused" whole hog, not even bothering to retitle it, & Albert King's "The Hunter" & "Black Mountain Side" & god only knows how many others, they have 1: a pattern 2: an obligation to acknowledge.
To have opened for Spirit on many gigs, & even to have performed another one of Spirit's songs in concerts, which is a hell of a compliment from LZ, & now claim that they didn't listen to Spirit's first album until just recently is just laughable... plus they are multimillionaires & Spirit's survivors are just plugging along.
I am a fan of both groups & saw both the same amount of times late 60s - early 70s.
Last edited by Hefe; 06-18-2016 at 10:46 AM..
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