Thursday, June 23, 2016

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!!!!

BREAKING: Stairway To Heaven found not to have infringed! Verdict is in!!! Unanimous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"I survived the Led Zeppelin trial"

Journalist Pamela Chelin attended the trial and provided timely updates. After the verdict someone at the courthouse handed her this "I survived the Led Zeppelin trial" pass (right). 


Chelin reported:  While the jury found that Jimmy Page & Robert Plant had access to Taurus before writing Stairway To Heaven, they found that the songs were not substantially similar.

Plaintiff Michael Skidmore's attorney, Francis Malofiy, said "We are sad and disappointed but obviously we have to respect the jury's decision." Malofiy told Chelin, "There are many appealable issues. Obviously I will have to discuss them with my client." 

Malofiy seemed frustrated by the decision.  He said that while the jury found that Page & Plant had access to Taurus, only the sheet music and not the audio of the song was admissible at the trial.

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant post-trial statement:
"We are grateful for the jury's conscientious service and are pleased that it has ruled in our favor, putting to rest questions about the origins of Stairway to Heaven and confirming what we have known for 45 years.  We appreciate our fans' support, and look forward to putting this legal matter behind us."

Warner Music Group post-trial statement:
At Warner Music Group, supporting our artists and protecting their creative freedom is paramount.  We are pleased that the jury found in favor of Led Zeppelin, reaffirming the true origins of Stairway to Heaven.  Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands in historyt, and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are peerless songwriters who created many of rock's most influential and enduring songs."

More at The Wrap

Friday, June 17, 2016

Stairway to Heaven trial

The trial we've all been waiting for and dreading at the same time. I'm posting running updates over on Facebook, which also show up on Twitter. Judge Gary Klausner has banned electronic devices in the courtroom, so there are no as-it-happens reports and no photos. Spectators - including reporters - cannot reserve seating. Meaning if they leave their seats for any reason, the next person in the long line to get into the courtroom can take any seat that a butt has risen from for any reason except standing when the judge enters the courtroom.

A tough way to get timely info on this trial that we all are intensely interested in.

Jimmy Page has provided his testimony.  It is said - but not yet confirmed - that Robert Plant (who is attending the trial) and John Paul Jones (who has not been seen there) may yet take the hot seat on the witness stand.

It is also speculated that there are grounds for a mistrial. Makes you wonder.

I am prejudiced as you know, but I don't care what the jury's decision ends up being. A loss for Led Zeppelin would be a hit on their bank accounts but it would not impact my feelings about Stairway To Heaven. Even a win wouldn't matter much to me. I already know that the Led Zeppelin song is fully theirs, always and forever.

Jimmy Page on the stand being grilled by Spirit attorney Francis Malofiy
Mona Shafer Edwards sketch
Sketch artist Mona Shafer Edwards has been working hard at capturing images from the trial - many of them are posted on the Mage Music Facebook page. Los Angeles based journalist Pamela Chelin (@PamelaChelin) has been providing updates as she can Twitter. Pamela writes for  LA Weekly, LA Times, Spin, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Forbes, TheWrap, and more. Many thanks for her dedication.  Hollywood Reporter's Ashley Cullins (@AshleyCullins) has also provided great observations that I've reposted on Facebook.


♪ Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin, Sunset Sound Mix/Remaster 2014) YouTube

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

One last test

Final test post for today.  Jimmy Page instrumentals from Outrider as a reward for your patience.




e♪  Writes of Winter (Outrider, 1988) YouTube
♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube
♪ Page & Plant playlist at YouTube


On This Day 08 June

This is actually just a test to see if I can get Facebook to display the images from this blog correctly.  The actual 08 June On This Day post is HERE.

http://jimmypagemusic.blogspot.com/2016/06/on-this-day-08-june.html
1977 08 June Led Zeppelin at MSG

Hot out there

It's hot out there.  Hot in here, too.


Portrait of Jimmy Page based on a Ross Halfin photo
Mage Music artwork based on a Ross Halfin photo

Saturday, June 4, 2016

On This Day INDEX for June

Index of Jimmy Page's On This Day posts for June archived here at Mage Music.  Note that most of the On This Days were archived in 2015.  Mage Music will attempt to share anything new on Jimmy Page's website.  If you see something Mage Music hasn't caught, please comment so we can fix it!







♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube
♪ Page & Plant playlist at YouTube

Friday, June 3, 2016

On This Day 03 June

The rewards of a session man
2011 03 June On This Day Jimmy Page – Royal Albert Hall with Donovan

  • 1973 Led Zeppelin - Inglewood,CA at The Forum
  • 1977 Led Zeppelin - Tampa,FL at Tampa Stadium 
  • 2011 03 June On This Day Jimmy Page – Royal Albert Hall with Donovan
  • 2014 - Remastered Vinyl/CD I,II,III released (US)

During Donovan's introduction of Jimmy Page at the Royal Albert Hall concert, Donovan reminded everyone that back in 1966 Jimmy Page been paid 13 Pounds as a session player for playing Sunshine Superman. Presumably Mr. Page was paid an additional amount for our favorite guitarist's other work on the Sunshine Superman album. Listen for his distinctive sound on Season of the Witch


1973 Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin at L.A. Forum - Rain Song

2011 Donovan and Jimmy Page at Music Bank Studios

2011 Donovan and Jimmy Page - Photo Virgilio Fino

2011 Donovan and Jimmy Page respond to ovation at Royal Albert Hall - Photo Virgilio Fino

2011 Jimmy Page & Donovan at Gore Hotel celebration after the Royal Albert Hall concert
♪  Sick Again (Led Zeppelin - Tampa 1977) YouTube
♪  Sunshine Superman (Donovan feat. Jimmy Page 1966) YouTube
♪  Sunshine Superman (Jimmy Page and Donovan, Royal Albert Hall 2011) YouTube
♪  Season of the Witch (Donovan, from Sunshine Superman album 1966) YouTube

Thursday, June 2, 2016

On This Day 02 June

Kezar!
1998 On This Day Page & Plant - Nashville TN at Nashville Arena
2014 On This Day First of the Led Zeppelin remasters released


Remasters promo graffiti
  • 1973 Led Zeppelin - San Francisco, CA at Kezar Stadium 
  • 1998 On This Day Page & Plant - Nashville TN at Nashville Arena
  • 2014 On This Day First of the Led Zeppelin remasters released
Kezar:  Not only a great show, but some great photographers were there to capture the moments.  There were mixed reviews, with Rolling Stone continuing its vendetta against the band, stating "Led Zeppelin - a limp blimp" and wasting too much good paper and ink reporting on the volume of the music and the amount of money taken in rather than the concert itself.  On the other hand, Charles Shaar Murray of New Musical Express (NME) said "...one of the finest musical events I've ever had the privilege to attend."

You had to be there.

1973 Led Zeppelin - San Francisco, CA at Kezar Stadium 

1973 Jimmy Page- San Francisco, CA at Kezar Stadium 

Led Zeppelin. They really were quite extraordinary, weren't they? 
Wait wait - were??? They still are!




♪ Kezar 2 minutes of 8MM footage (Led Zeppelin 1973) YouTube
♪ Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin, San Francisco 1973) YouTube
♪ The Ocean (Led Zeppelin, San Francisco 1973) YouTube

♪ Mage Music 1 playlist at YouTube
♪ Mage Music 2 playlist at YouTube
♪ Page & Plant playlist at YouTube

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

On This Day 01 June

The last Yardbird show in LA but not the last time Jimmy Page played music in L.A., that's for sure.
1968 The Yardbirds - Los Angeles, CA at Shrine Auditorium
  • 1967 The Yardbirds - Canterbury, Kent, England at University of Kent
  • 1968 The Yardbirds - Los Angeles, CA at Shrine Auditorium
  • 1998 Page & Plant - Birmingham, AL at Civic Center
1968 The Yardbirds
It might appear that Jimmy Page wasn't doing all that much on this day over the years but that wouldn't be true. There's more to a rock star's life than standing on a stage and weaving musical magic.
2014 remasters graffiti
In early June of various years there was down time for Jimmy Page of course, but often the time was spent preparing stage sets for various tours, attending promo events, rehearsing, or traveling to shows. Plus the business of being in the music business had to be dealt with. And in recent years, the remasters. So yeah, it's not just fun and games in front of an audience. Speaking of which: I've gathered a number of photos of Jimmy Page and put them together at The Sporting Life (just for fun).

Oh, and meanwhile, here are links to Sporting Life, an album by Diamanda Galas and John Paul Jones:
♪ The Sporting Life (Track 7 from the album of the same name) YouTube [Warning - language]
♫ Sporting Life (Diamanda Galas & John Paul Jones, 1994)) Amazon