Paul Stanley And Joe Walsh Share Thoughts On “Stairway To Heaven” Case
bbc.co.uk
The Rock World Reacts
It was a pretty thrilling week for members of Led Zeppelin and their fans especially with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones taking the witness stand. From Page’s air drumming and spontaneous boogie move to Plant’s denial of ever hanging out with the band Spirit, the trial was intense to say the least. Of course, the entire rock world tuned in and when Led Zeppelin emerged victorious from the copyright infringement case, fellow rock stars shared their reaction via social media.
KISS’ Paul Stanley posted this photo of him and page with the caption: YES! Not Guilty! Congrats to a TRUE icon and my friend @JimmyPage. The Song Remains The Same! @RollingStone
YES! Not Guilty! Congrats to a TRUE icon and my friend @JimmyPage. The Song Remains The Same! @RollingStone pic.twitter.com/2w2IYt5wDB
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) June 24, 2016
Joe Walsh also gave his commentary in a note to Bob Lefsetz saying:
“The ‘Stairway’ claim was based on the four chord descending progression at the beginning of the song, which is similar to the Spirit one (and maybe 30 other songs — one of which Randy California came across and used for the Spirit piece — he didn’t write it. He used it),” wrote Walsh. “The grandfather of these progressions is: C, A minor, F and G. Starting with the early 1950s, there are probably 500 of these songs, all with those four chords — but each with different melodies and words. THAT should be the criteria for claims. C, A minor, F and G wasn’t stolen — it’s a standard single song form. Nobody owns these.”
“Robert Plant’s vocal melody and haunting lyrics make ‘Stairway’ uniquely different from anything else which might have occasional similar chords,” continued Walsh. “It’s called ‘intellectual property’ and the internet ate it. One more thing: NOBODY in a music business legal procedure is telling the truth.”
In an email to the Rolling Stone magazine, plaintiff lawyer Francis Malofiy wrote:
“Justice is sweet and musical; but injustice is harsh and discordant. Here, there was injustice.”
What are your thoughts on these?
