The band has been sued a number of times over attribution, some cases having concluded with others being awarded writing credit for the song in question, some not.
[1] Music critic Andy Hermann researched and rejected the common accusation that Page copied the guitar riff from either Chicago or George Harrison.
[2] The basis of the intro riff may have also been inspired by “Hampstead Incident” by Donovan, which was featured on an album Page and John Paul Jones were both involved with on certain tracks.
[3]Major differences between both versions include the prominence afforded Nicky Hopkins's keyboard playing in the Mickie Most mix, and that Rod Stewart sings only two verses in the Jeff Beck recording.
[10] Ultimately, no legal action was taken against Led Zeppelin, because it could not be proven that the recording in itself constituted Jansch's own copyright, as the basic melody was traditional.
"[8] This song was published by Willie Dixon only three years earlier, and correctly attributed when Led Zeppelin covered it on their debut album.
Other lyrics, notably "squeeze (my lemon) till the juice runs down my leg," can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues".
Though the amount was not disclosed, Howlin' Wolf received a check for US$45,123 from Arc Music immediately following the suit, and subsequent releases included a co-songwriter credit for him.
[17][18] The intro and outro were "inspired by" the Bobby Parker song Watch Your Step, the rest of the track being a long drum solo.
[19] The intro and outro were deliberate homages to the Sonny Boy Williamson II song, whereas the rest of the track was original.
Page credits the Fred Gerlach version as his inspiration, though the song has a much older history as "The Maid Freed from the Gallows".
Jansch's album Jack Orion contained two tracks whose components later appeared in Page songs without writing credit.
In the liner notes to the 1996 reissue of Spirit's debut album, songwriter Randy California writes: People always ask me why "Stairway to Heaven" sounds exactly like "Taurus", which was released two years earlier.
Memphis Minnie biographers have suggested she may have been the main lyricist, especially considering that she and her family were victims of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 described in the song, whereas McCoy lived in Tennessee at that time.
[27] The lyrics sung during the fadeout appear to be borrowed from "Goin' to Chicago Blues" by Joe Williams, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
[1] First recorded in 1928 by Blind Willie Johnson as "Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed", the lyrics appeared in earlier spirituals and hymns.
[30] As Page explained: What we tried to do was give Ritchie's mother credit, because we heard she never received any royalties from any of her son's hits, and Robert did lean on that lyric a bit.
The first known recording of this song was by American gospel blues musician Blind Willie Johnson in 1927, titled "It's Nobody's Fault but Mine".
In an interview, Jimmy Page explained: Robert [Plant] came in one day and suggested that we cover it, but the arrangement I came up with was nothing to do with the [Blind Willie Johnson] original.
[32]Led Zeppelin biographer George Case adds "Page was likely more mindful of John Renbourn's 1966 acoustic take (credited to [trad.
[33] The lyrics in the first verse are an adaptation of the 1929 blues recording "The Girl I Love She Got Long Curley Hair" by Sleepy John Estes.
[citation needed] In the 2003 release of "How the West Was Won" abbreviated versions of this song and the original by Ricky Nelson are covered in the "Whole Lotta Love (Live)" track.