Led Zeppelin to face retrial over 'Stairway' theft claims

San Francisco, California  (September 28, 2018) WHR — A U.S. appeals court on Friday ordered a new trial in a lawsuit accusing Led Zeppelin of copying an obscure 1960s instrumental for the intro to its classic 1971 rock anthem "Stairway to Heaven."

A federal court jury in Los Angeles two years ago found Led Zeppelin did not copy the famous riff from the song "Taurus" by the band Spirit. But the three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the lower court judge provided erroneous jury instructions. It sent the case back to the court for another trial.

Led Zeppelin aboard the Starship 2 in 1975

Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the estate of late Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe, filed the law suit against Led Zeppelin in 2015.

Jurors returned their verdict for Led Zeppelin after a five-day trial at which band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant testified. Page and Plant, who wrote the "Stairway" lyrics, said their creation was an original.

The jury found "Stairway to Heaven" and "Taurus" were not substantially similar, according the 9th Circuit ruling.

But U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner failed to advise jurors that while individual elements of a song such as its notes or scale may not qualify for copyright protection, a combination of those elements may if it is sufficiently original, 9th Circuit Judge Richard Paez said.

Led Zeppelin performing 'Stairway to Heaven' live in 1975

Klausner also wrongly told jurors that copyright does not protect chromatic scales, arpeggios or short sequences of three notes, the 9th Circuit panel found.

"This error was not harmless as it undercut testimony by Skidmore's expert that Led Zeppelin copied a chromatic scale that had been used in an original manner," Paez said.

The panel also found another jury instruction misleading.

The trial took jurors and lucky observers who managed to pack into the courtroom on a musical journey through the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Spirit, a California psychedelic group that blended jazz and rock was achieving stardom as the hard-rocking British band was being founded.

SOURCE: Wild Hog Radio

Led Zeppelin On Stage

Led Zeppelin Releases Final Three Reissues

 Led Zeppelin to Release Final Three Deluxe Reissues

Led Zeppelin have been on a reissue tear for about a year now, starting with Jimmy Page-produced remasters of their first three albums: Led Zeppelin (1969), Led Zeppelin II (1969), and Led Zeppelin III (1970). Later, the rock legends reissued another three: Led Zeppelin IV (1971), Houses of the Holy (1973), and Physical Graffiti (1975).
Now, the campaign comes to a close with the re-release of 1976’s Presence, 1979’s In Through the Out Door, and 1982’s Coda. Rolling Stone reports that remastered editions will hit shelves on July 31 and contain features such as a rare ’68 recording of “Sugar Mama,” songs with the Bombay Orchestra, and alternate mixes of every track on In Through the Out Door, plus myriad other goodies. Check out the full track list(s) for the bonus material below:
Presence (Companion Audio):
1. “Two Ones Are Won” (“Achilles Last Stand” – Reference Mix)
2. “For Your Life” (Reference Mix)
3. “10 Ribs & All/Carrot Pod Pod (Pod)” (Reference Mix)
4. “Royal Orleans” (Reference Mix)
5. “Hots On for Nowhere” (Reference Mix)
In Through the Out Door (Companion Audio):
1. “In the Evening” (Rough Mix)
2. “Southbound Piano” (“South Bound Saurez” – Rough Mix)
3. “Fool in the Rain” (Rough Mix)
4. “Hot Dog” (Rough Mix)
5. “The Epic” (“Carouselambra” – Rough Mix)
6. “The Hook” (“All My Love” – Rough Mix)
7. “Blot” (“I’m Gonna Crawl” – Rough Mix)
Coda (Companion Audio):
Disc One
1. “We’re Gonna Groove” (Alternate Mix)
2. “If It Keeps On Raining” (“When the Levee Breaks” – Rough Mix)
3. “Bonzo’s Montreux” (Mix Construction In Progress)
4. “Baby Come On Home”
5. “Sugar Mama” (Mix)
6. “Poor Tom” (Instrumental Mix)
7. “Travelling Riverside Blues” (BBC Session)
8. “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”
Disc Two
1. “Four Hands” (“Four Sticks” – Bombay Orchestra)
2. “Friends” (Bombay Orchestra)
3. “St. Tristan’s Sword” (Rough Mix)
4. “Desire” (The Wanton Song – Rough Mix)
5. “Bring It on Home” (Rough Mix)
6. “Walter’s Walk” (Rough Mix)
7. “Everybody Makes It Through” (“In the Light” – Rough Mix)

(Source - Rolling Stone Magazine |  Spin Magazine )

Jimmy Page

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day rehearsals-2007