Page denies stealing ‘Stairway to Heaven’
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has denied copying the band’s iconic song “Stairway to Heaven” at their ongoing copyright trialin Los Angeles.
Both Page, now 72, and frontman Robert Plant are accused of stealing key notes from a instrumental track called “Taurus” by Spirit. US District Judge Gary Klausner ruled in April that “Stairway to Heaven” bore “substantial” similarities with “Taurus” after Michael Skidmore, a trustee for Spirit guitarist and composer Randy California, real name Wolfe, filed a lawsuit alleging that Page had been inspired to write his hit after touring with Spirit in the late Sixties.
Page, however, told the court on Wednesday that he first heard “Taurus” two years ago when his son-inlaw alerted him to the comparisons with “Stairway to Heaven” that were emerging online. “Taurus”It was released in 1967, four years before “Stairway to Heaven”. “Something like that would stick in my mind. It was totally alien to me,” he said, adding that although he “rather enjoyed Spirit”, he could not remember ever seeing them play live and owned just five vinyls by the band in his collection of more than 10,000.
Page acknowledged that Led Zeppelin used to play a riff from Spirit’s song “Fresh Garbage” as part of a medley during their early late Sixties shows. “We didn’t have a lot of material in those days,” he said in written evidence read out in court, admitting that the band would “wink to music that was hot at the time”. Laughs were heard when the plaintiff’s lawyer Francis Malofiy asked Page, dressed smartly in a black three-piece suit with his grey hair tied up in a ponytail. THE INDEPENDENT A state-backed Chinese group wants to acquire the Reds for £700 million ways, airports, seaports and Dartford, Kent, in 2021. It is power stations across China also involved in the proposed and the Middle East. Crossrail 2 rail line running
In March SinoFortone through London into Hertagreed a green energy and fordshire as well as the buildaffordable housing scheme ing of new metro systems in investment with the Scottish Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. government. SNP leader Liverpool is thought to be Nicola Sturgeon signed off an attractive proposition the contract, which might to SinoFortone, not least eventually be worth £10bn. because of the club's hisShe was later accused by tory and reasonable current opposition parties of misstanding, but also because leading Scots over the sethe city is home to Europe's crecy around the agreement, oldest Chinese community. which also involved the ChiIn April, work on the na Railway Group. £ 200m New Chinatown
Last year, during Chinese project began less than a President Xi Jinping's visit mile away from Liverpool's to Britain, SinoFortone comcity centre. The development mitted £ 2bn towards two will include 850 new houses, eco-parks in north and south 150,000 square feet of comwest Wales, which will see mercial and retail space, and two biomass power stations a new hotel. built in Anglesey and Port Though SinoFortone are Talbot. not behind this project, its
SinoFortone has earplans were presented to marked a substantial sum President Xi's delegation towards the London Paraduring his visit to Manchesmount Entertainment Reter last October. sort, which is due to open in THE INDEPENDENT Pr i n t e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d by P r essReader P r e s s R e a d e r . c o m + 1 6 0 4 2 7 8 4 6 0 4 • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • ORIGINAL COPY • COPYR I G H T A N D P R OT E C T E D B Y A P P L I C A B L E L AW An investment group supported by the Chinese state government is attempting to purchase Liverpool for £700 million, The Independent can reveal.
It has emerged that Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group have been aware of the proposal from SinoFortone since March.
SinoFortone, who are fronted by managing director Peter Zhang, has committed £5.2billion towards new projects in the UK over the last 12 months.
They have already explored the potential of building a new stadium in the dockland area of Liverpool, appreciating that Anfield's new main stand will be completed in September.
Their plans also involve the redevelopment of the club's training ground at Melwood and the installation of a se- TThe UnivUniiveerstysity OxfoOxfordford receceieceiveeivesve itsit charchartearter.ter. BenaBenazinazrBhziBhutBhuttoutto,to PPakistkisstanian PPrPrimeMiimMMinniistersterandernd fifirstfifirfifififirfififirfirsst womomanoman llead Mususliuslimli sstateat boroorn. MMark Davavidavid Chahapmhappman plelleadsad gguiltyilty killkillliining JohnJohn Lenennoennon.nonn. Anfield, the home of Liverpool F.C. ries of football academies across China.
It is believed that Fenway, who are led by John W. Henry, are reluctant to sell Liverpool at this moment and have been unreceptive to the approach.
While the Premier League's new television rights deal potentially increases the value of all English top flight clubs to unprecedented levels, there is a confidence within FSG that Jürgen Klopp will lead Liverpool into a new era of sporting prosperity, an era, indeed, the current owners would like to be around for.
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The bidder specialises in large-scale infrastructure projects, building roads, rail-