In Music Today

I think Zep better get out their checkbook.
 
Was there ever a lawsuit brought up by the guy, or other members, from Spirit when he was alive or is it a case of his money-hungry family looking to cash in?

The songs are similar in style to realize that these guys may have been close with one another, even toured together. It was probably a case of Zep digging the tune and wanting to do something of a similar vein.
 
dlb2 said:
Was there ever a lawsuit brought up by the guy, or other members, from Spirit when he was alive or is it a case of his money-hungry family looking to cash in?

The songs are similar in style to realize that these guys may have been close with one another, even toured together. It was probably a case of Zep digging the tune and wanting to do something of a similar vein.
Click to expand...

Listen to the Spirit song and it's plain (at least to me) that at a minimum, Zep ripped off the opening riff for Stairway to Heaven from Spirit.
 
I agree that there are similarities, but it's not like having Eminem rapping over a Billy Squire song playing in the background. Don't ask me how I know that! :P

I think it was a sort of healthy competition back then when a band would come up with a good song and their buddies who were in another band would try to one-up them. I wonder, years from now will the great-great grandchildren of the then-current Campbell's CEO sue the Andy Warhol foundation for making prints of their soup cans?
 
I think anyone with a set of ears is going to hear what is obvious. Sometimes sleeping dogs lie for many years and then they wake up and demand attention. Just ask Bill Cosby.
 
Maybe if either of the two surviving band members brought about the suit it would have more weight to me. Apparently they don't have a problem with the closeness of the two songs. Sounds to me like some family member heard the two songs and though about the possibility of not having to work for the rest of his/her life.
 
dlb2 said:
Maybe if either of the two surviving band members brought about the suit it would have more weight to me. Apparently they don't have a problem with the closeness of the two songs. Sounds to me like some family member heard the two songs and though about the possibility of not having to work for the rest of his/her life.
Click to expand...

It's either plagiarism or it's not. Who brings the lawsuit and what their motivations are doesn't matter to me. The royalties that have been paid out over the years for playing Stairway to Heaven have to be off the charts. Spirit never received a dime from those proceeds. Do they deserve to have credit and some cash? Let the courts decide.

And one thing to remember, whenever someone says "It's not the money, it's the principle" you know they are lying through their teeth because it's always about the money. Nothing wrong with that, but we just need to be honest.
 
I totally see your point of view. I just don't subscribe to it.

The original band members never brought forth a lawsuit. That makes me believe that they didn't think it was plagiarism.

Here I fixed this for you: :)

"And one thing to remember, whenever someone says "It's not the money, it's the principle" you know they are lying through their teeth because in this day and age it's always about the money. Nothing wrong with that, but we just need to be honest."
 
dlb2 said:
I totally see your point of view. I just don't subscribe to it.

The original band members never brought forth a lawsuit. That makes me believe that they didn't think it was plagiarism.
Click to expand...

Or they didn't have the stomach and/or the money for a lawsuit. David taking on Goliath type of thing. They might have even thought it could possibly hurt their record sales if they pissed off Zep fans. Who knows? Somebody from the original Spirit band must be sanctioning this lawsuit. It can't just be the third aunt twice removed from the first cousin.
 
The idea that STH came about after the two bands toured and the music was "lifted" is not new. It was obvious to me the first time I heard Taurus decades ago. It was a matter of Randy C. feeling that going against such a huge band and the resources they could bring would not be affordable. Even Randy's mother knew that he had been ripped off as stated in interviews from back in the day. If anybody is wrong or greedy it surely is Led Zeppelin as they made millions off of this song without sharing rightful songwriting credit.
 
Asamel said:
The idea that STH came about after the two bands toured and the music was "lifted" is not new. It was obvious to me the first time I heard Taurus decades ago. It was a matter of Randy C. feeling that going against such a huge band and the resources they could bring would not be affordable. Even Randy's mother knew that he had been ripped off as stated in interviews from back in the day. If anybody is wrong or greedy it surely is Led Zeppelin as they made millions off of this song without sharing rightful songwriting credit.
Click to expand...

Amen brother! You are singing my song! Hey, wait a minute, is that plagiarism? :hmmm:
 
The thing is that all music draws on previous music. The same charges were leveled many years ago against Bob Dylan in the beginning of his career (eg. how much he "stole" from people like Woody Guthrie). As some musicologists have pointed out, each generation of folk singers takes from the previous and then adds their signature to the music.

And of course now, we have sampling.
 
"Draw" is one thing. This case goes well beyond that. IMHO. Let's also not forget the history of Jimmy Page when it comes to this issue.

I will state here, for the record, that I have always been a much bigger Spirit fan that a LZ fan.
 
there are so many songs that sound just like another anymore. Lack of creativity is to blame and the fact that there are only so many different notes to play with.

I have been trying to figure out whether it was U2 or Pearl Jam that totally ripped off Jimi Hendrix for one of their songs. Not much mention of that one tho.
 
Shadowfax said:
there are so many songs that sound just like another anymore. Lack of creativity is to blame and the fact that there are only so many different notes to play with.

I have been trying to figure out whether it was U2 or Pearl Jam that totally ripped off Jimi Hendrix for one of their songs. Not much mention of that one tho.
Click to expand...

And Bill Joel IIRC ripped off a Bach piece for one of his songs. Do we see Bach suing Billy Joel? :)
 
Myles B. Astor said:
The thing is that all music draws on previous music. The same charges were leveled many years ago against Bob Dylan in the beginning of his career (eg. how much he "stole" from people like Woody Guthrie). As some musicologists have pointed out, each generation of folk singers takes from the previous and then adds their signature to the music.

And of course now, we have sampling.
Click to expand...

Myles-You have a point-up to a point. Yes, everyone was influenced by someone, but being influenced vs. blatant theft of material are two different things. As for today's pop/rap/crap pile of garbage music, I can't listen to any of it. It all sounds the same with people who can't play or sing and everyone singing through autotune devices. I know there has to be some real talent out there, but it isn't showing up on the top 40 charts.
 
Shadowfax said:
Yeah, but he must have a relative looking for an easy payoff :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, but that would be similar to claiming you are 1/64 Native American Indian in order to cash in on some type of benefit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top