Testimony begins in Led Zeppelin ‘Stairway’ suit

The stage was a federal courtroom.

Neither witness could definitively say if “Taurus” was performed during the events or if Led Zeppelin band members saw the performance.

The lawsuit was brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Randy Wolfe, also known as Randy California, who was Spirit’s guitarist and the composer of “Taurus”. Skidmore’s attorney, Francis Malofiy, had requested that musicologist Lawrence Ferrera be dismissed because Ferrara has previously been hired by Zeppelin’s publisher to evaluate similarities between “Stairway To Heaven” and “Taurus”.

Led Zeppelin’s epic “Stairway to Heaven” has always been considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time, in fact placing at No. 31 on Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Songs of All Time” list.

But Page said he only discovered he had Spirit’s first album, which contained “Taurus”, a few years ago after his son-in-law told him that comparisons with “Stairway” were cropping up online.

Page and Plant, who have given filmed depositions, have said they never had substantive interaction with Spirit or listened to the band’s music.

According to a new report by The Hollywood Reporter, the “Stairway to Heaven” case against Led Zeppelin may lead to a mistrial.

U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled in April that the jury trial would last less than a week and attorneys would have no more than 10 hours per side to present evidence.

He said in his opening statement that the descending chromatic scale Led Zeppelin are accused of having stolen from Wolfe’s composition was not unique.

“It’s a well-used musical device”, said Bennett. She told the jury her brother wrote “Taurus” for the woman who was the love his life and who he would later marry.

Anderson said the chord progression dates back to the 1600s, and played both songs for the jury. He played a piano interpretation of “Taurus” that had only a vague similarity.

Earlier in the day, former Spirit member Mark Andes testified that riffs from both songs, played by an acoustic guitarist on a video aired in court, were the same. When played simultaneously, similarities and differences were audible and could be seen in the finger work. Malofiy argues that Led Zeppelin “lifted” portions of the guitar section from “Taurus” and willingly inserted them into “Stairway To Heaven”.

He said Led Zeppelin began its career by covering songs and would later change them stylistically in an effort to make them their own.

“Sometimes they crossed that bar, sometimes they didn’t”, he said.

He also laid out several defenses he intends to use including unclean hands, alleging the trust receives Wolfe’s royalties because they were surreptitiously denied to his son.

“When you hear those first iconic notes of ‘Stairway to Heaven, ‘ it’s instantly recognisable”, said Mr Malofiy.

FILE – In this July 13, 1985 file photo, singer Robert Plant, left, and guitarist Jimmy Page of the British rock band Led Zeppelin perform at the Live Aid concert at Philadelphia’s J.F.K. Stadium. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.