Spirit claims Led Zeppelin stole Stairway to Heaven from them!

[smorris]

I've also heard some people say that stairway was lifted from Terry Reid. Not sure I agree but check it out if you want.

[h=1]Terry Reid - To Be Treated Rite
http://youtu.be/A3Q5qkPlr5I[/h]

[Banafrith]

If this is possible then shouldn't every rap and pop artist today sue all of the other ones for all sounding similar...?

Things like this bother me. Just about every artist now and for a long time have influences. I mean, you have to. Otherwise you've never heard music before, and people just don't pull music out of thin air. I think big suing controversies like this discourage artists from paying homage to the groups and musicians that influenced them. Of course I believe that everyone should try to create as unique of music as possible but music can be a very reactive thing as well.

[SteveO]

Nice one Banafrith...no argument from me !!!! mile: Welcome aboard MD, is the "frith" in some way a reference to guitar virtuoso Fred Frith ?

[Banafrith]

Actually I recently decided to start releasing music under an alias, and looked around and found the Egyptian name Banafrit (beautiful soul). I just pulled an Opeth and added an h because it sounds cool haha. I hadn't heard of Fred Frith until your question, but after viewing some solos I'm definitely impressed. I guess my alias has more meaning than I thought.

[jazzboCR]

If this is possible then shouldn't every rap and pop artist today sue all of the other ones for all sounding similar...?

Things like this bother me. Just about every artist now and for a long time have influences. I mean, you have to. Otherwise you've never heard music before, and people just don't pull music out of thin air. I think big suing controversies like this discourage artists from paying homage to the groups and musicians that influenced them. Of course I believe that everyone should try to create as unique of music as possible but music can be a very reactive thing as well.

I agree with 99.9% of your thesis. However in the case of that musical serial rapist, Jimmy Page, he should be nailed to the wall. Upside down.

[Banafrith]

Why is that?

[jazzboCR]

Why is that?

Well, lets see: he has a wide-spread rep as a thug and a bully who refuses to give honest explanations for his actions. He's also anti-consumer: "Stairway..." wasn't released as a single, forcing consumers to buy the whole album to get one cut. He's made something like >$550 million from it and refuses to give even a small slice to Mr. California's estate (he wouldn't have to admit theft or any guilt to do so--there's mechanisms to do this). Need more?
http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/guitar...rth-161369 << This calculates the numbers

[Banafrith]

If I felt like my song belonged to an album I probably wouldn't want to release it as a single either. I'd want people to hear it with the other songs. Another thing, he never forced anyone to buy anything. People were clearly willing to pay for the album to get that one song if those numbers were right, and they learned in the process that Stairway isn't their only good song. I think not releasing Stairway as a single was actually a smart move for the band in general. Just think of how many people only know that song by them as it is. Imagine how overshadowed the rest of their music would be if Stairway was much more easily accessed than the others from the get-go? As for the thug and bully part, I don't really know anything about it. Then again I don't really do a lot of research on musicians themselves as much as I do the music they make.

[jazzboCR]

If I felt like my song belonged to an album I probably wouldn't want to release it as a single either. I'd want people to hear it with the other songs.
You are very high-minded and well-principled; JP , not so much. He included it on 4 diff albums, and collected massive royalties every time, at the rate he set.
Then again I don't really do a lot of research on musicians themselves as much as I do the music they make.

So blatant theft doesn't bother you nor muscling tour organizers half-way through a tour to reverse the bill and set you as headliner, and pay you significantly better? Are you a working songwriter/working musician? Would you like this happening to you? We are are years and miles from this controversy, with no vested interest...but it still rankles. Upside down.

[jazzboCR]

I've also heard some people say that stairway was lifted from Terry Reid. Not sure I agree but check it out if you want.

Terry Reid - To Be Treated Rite
http://youtu.be/A3Q5qkPlr5I

Well, you made the effort to link...Here's a live link, album version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C959v_3SSKo << later in life--paunchy, balding, sloppy but "The Song Remains the Same". Certainly, strong elements were, er, "abstracted" but if JP had strengths, knowing which elements to, er, "abstract" was certainly top of the list. He's anathema personally.