Jimmy Page: We Didn't Steal Whole Lotta Love Riff
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When we reported on a claim that guitarist Jimmy Page lifted the opening notes of 1971′s Stairway to Heaven from a song by the obscure band Spirit in the latest issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, the band, via Warner Music, declined to comment. Now, with the pending rerelease of the band’s full discography, the questions about the band’s originality are mounting.
In an interview with Page in the New York Times, Larry Rohter asked about criticism that Page used material from blues musicians such as Willie Dixon without acknowledging their authorship. (Dixon eventually reached a settlement that included a credit on Whole Lotta Love, which shares elements with his You Need Love, such as the words “you need coolin’.”)