A lawsuit over the classic rock staple “Stairway to Heaven” has two rock bands on opposite sides of a court case, with Led Zeppelin accused of stealing the song from Spirit.
“On Thursday, Led Zeppelin guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page gave a remarkable declaration in court where he admits to discovering a copy of Spirit’s first album in his record collection. He’s currently fending off a lawsuit brought by the heirs of Spirit’s own guitarist, Randy Craig Wolfe, who contend that the famous song ‘Stairway to Heaven’ derived from a 2-minute, 37-second instrumental titled ‘Taurus’ from Spirit’s 1968 album,” The Hollywood Reporter notes in its analysis of the case.
Page says in the declaration: “I had not previously seen it in my collection and do not know how or when it got there. It may well have been left by a guest. I doubt it was there for long, since I never noticed it before. But, again, I know I did not hear ‘Taurus’ until 2014.”
Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant also made a declaration in the case, which, THR reports “alleges a ‘falsification of Rock N’ Roll history,’ specifically that ‘any reasonable observer, when comparing “Taurus” and “Stairway to Heaven,” must conclude that — at the very least — significant portions of the songs are nearly identical.'”
Please click on the link near the top of this story to read THR’s analysis.
Below is an audio version of “Taurus” …
Why did the original members of Spirit never raise this issue? After 45 years their heirs are now claiming this?
I’ll admit, there is “SOME” similarity. But this is a stretch no matter what. Guilty Cleric: Maybe the original members of “Spirit” did raise the issue earlier, but nothing came of it.