Led Zeppelin Sued Over Stairway To Heaven Riff

[Jazzy]

Led Zeppelin have been accused of using another band's music when it composed and recorded its 1971 hit Stairway To Heaven.

Members of the Los Angeles psychedelic band Spirit allege the band lifted the opening riffs of the classic from their 1968 instrumental called Taurus.

Lawyer Francis Alexander Malofiy confirmed a report in Bloomberg Businessweek saying a copyright lawsuit is in the works, but declined to give details.

The complainants include Spirit's founding bassist, Mark Andes, and the trust that manages royalties for the band's guitarist, Randy California, who died in 1997.

Spirit and Led Zeppelin shared the stage during a US tour in 1969.

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is said to have started writing Stairway To Heaven in 1970, in a remote cottage in Wales. Released the following year, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock tunes of all time.

Bloomberg Businessweek said the eight-minute song had earned $562m (£333m) as of 2008.

Earlier this month Led Zeppelin unveiled two previously unheard recordings ahead of the re-issue in June of its first three albums. Page, now 70, has dismissed rumours of a reunion concert.

Source

One has to wonder why now.

Your thoughts?

 

[Ashley]

OK, I don't know anything about this kind of thing, but you would think, that if a lawsuit were to ever happen, it would've happened the year the song was released to radio and as a single, not Lord knows how many years later? This just left me confused, really.

 

[JetWing34]

Oh no! Now I have to listen to Spirit and Led Zeppelin to try to compare the guitar riffs!

I was sure LZ had the best riff of all time.

 

[Flurry]

Sounds like someone's wanting to make some money.