Hi-ee everyone,
I came across this article one day and it really cleared up some things for me about Jimmy Page, the guitarist for the once mighty Led Zeppelin.
I've only heard bits and pieces of all this in the past, and i sort of wanted to disbelieve the rumours as i was a huge Zep fan for a while.
But now, i read the words for myself in this article, which explains how most of Zep's earliest, biggest selling and ground breaking songs which thrusted them into fame and fortune, were actually ripoffs.
I am not sure how many of you are guitarists, or how many of you like reading about the history of some famous rock bands, but this article is a must read. Turns out Jimmy Page was one of rock's biggest SHILLS, and one of the biggest thieves to plug in a guitar.
I've always wondered why Jimmy Page's name is never really listed in guitar magazines as a blues innovator. He never gets his name printed alongside the blues/rock guitar greats, such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman or Johnny Winter to name only a few. Every wonder why?
Hmm! Well let's find out, shall we?!
In many passed articles/interviews of/with Jimmy, he always claimed how he never liked how people would refer to him and Zep as one of heavy metal's founders, always preferring to be considered by others as a blues guitarist and a blues band.
Oddly enough, he's never listed as a blues man. Reading this very informative article might help to clear this up for many who still worship the thieving magpie.
Of course we all know about his being sued for not giving any credit to such blues icons, as Willie Dixon, whose songs he basically stole, as well as, from many others. But the list gets even longer, including songs such as, Communication Breakdown, Tangerine, Black Mountainside and even the biggest selling and most requested song in history, Stairway To Heaven. THAT, too? My Gawd!!
I used to really like the guitar solo in the song, "How Many More Times" (which is another shameless ripoff of a another great blues icon) from Zep's
1st album, but to actually steal the guitar solo for that song, "note for note" only played much slower, from his long time buddy, Jeff Beck from the Yardbyrds' song, Shapes Of Things is just visciously cruel, totally beyond comprehension. Even going as far as stealing other solos from Jeff Beck, and others.
There are many notable Jimmy Page ripoffs explained in this eye opening article. Just goes to show you, just how viscious "the rock and roll game" can really be.
Read the article, well, http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/yardbirds2.html before arguing that Jimmy is a great songwriter. Granted, he does play a mean guitar, a rather sloppy one while playing live, to say the least. Granted also, he has made some major innovations in the recording studio as far as recording techniques go. I won't take that away from him seeing as he was one of England's most sought out session guitarists in the 60's, playing on everyone's songs including, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, The Kinks, The Who and Donovan as well as countless others.
He was there, for sure, but only as a session guitarist. Having had spent that much time in recording studios, he was bound to learn a few innovative tricks along the way.
But Songwriting? HIM, a songwriter? Well, maybe once he figured out how to actually write his own songs, and only much later in his career, maybe we can say that he can write a song or two. But you know?...they never really seemed to break any ground, did they? He seems to really need Robert Plant's voice to get a gig or sell any records these days if only to relive all of the passed..."glory".
Shame on you, Jimmy Page. Shame! Shame! Shame on you!
Not cool!
I came across this article one day and it really cleared up some things for me about Jimmy Page, the guitarist for the once mighty Led Zeppelin.
I've only heard bits and pieces of all this in the past, and i sort of wanted to disbelieve the rumours as i was a huge Zep fan for a while.
But now, i read the words for myself in this article, which explains how most of Zep's earliest, biggest selling and ground breaking songs which thrusted them into fame and fortune, were actually ripoffs.
I am not sure how many of you are guitarists, or how many of you like reading about the history of some famous rock bands, but this article is a must read. Turns out Jimmy Page was one of rock's biggest SHILLS, and one of the biggest thieves to plug in a guitar.
I've always wondered why Jimmy Page's name is never really listed in guitar magazines as a blues innovator. He never gets his name printed alongside the blues/rock guitar greats, such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman or Johnny Winter to name only a few. Every wonder why?
Hmm! Well let's find out, shall we?!
In many passed articles/interviews of/with Jimmy, he always claimed how he never liked how people would refer to him and Zep as one of heavy metal's founders, always preferring to be considered by others as a blues guitarist and a blues band.
Oddly enough, he's never listed as a blues man. Reading this very informative article might help to clear this up for many who still worship the thieving magpie.
Of course we all know about his being sued for not giving any credit to such blues icons, as Willie Dixon, whose songs he basically stole, as well as, from many others. But the list gets even longer, including songs such as, Communication Breakdown, Tangerine, Black Mountainside and even the biggest selling and most requested song in history, Stairway To Heaven. THAT, too? My Gawd!!
I used to really like the guitar solo in the song, "How Many More Times" (which is another shameless ripoff of a another great blues icon) from Zep's
1st album, but to actually steal the guitar solo for that song, "note for note" only played much slower, from his long time buddy, Jeff Beck from the Yardbyrds' song, Shapes Of Things is just visciously cruel, totally beyond comprehension. Even going as far as stealing other solos from Jeff Beck, and others.
There are many notable Jimmy Page ripoffs explained in this eye opening article. Just goes to show you, just how viscious "the rock and roll game" can really be.
Read the article, well, http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/yardbirds2.html before arguing that Jimmy is a great songwriter. Granted, he does play a mean guitar, a rather sloppy one while playing live, to say the least. Granted also, he has made some major innovations in the recording studio as far as recording techniques go. I won't take that away from him seeing as he was one of England's most sought out session guitarists in the 60's, playing on everyone's songs including, Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, The Kinks, The Who and Donovan as well as countless others.
He was there, for sure, but only as a session guitarist. Having had spent that much time in recording studios, he was bound to learn a few innovative tricks along the way.
But Songwriting? HIM, a songwriter? Well, maybe once he figured out how to actually write his own songs, and only much later in his career, maybe we can say that he can write a song or two. But you know?...they never really seemed to break any ground, did they? He seems to really need Robert Plant's voice to get a gig or sell any records these days if only to relive all of the passed..."glory".
Shame on you, Jimmy Page. Shame! Shame! Shame on you!
Not cool!
