The most obvious question is, why the hell did Holmes wait so long? As the Guardian reports, Holmes long suffered the ignominy of a highly popular rock band reaping massive acclaim and royalties from their uncredited rip-off of his otherwise obscure composition. After decades of Led Zeppelin hagiography blatantly acknowledging this fact, Holmes decides to sue the band, his possible rewards limited to only the last few years of monies made due to the statute of limitations applicable.
Jimmy Page, the band’s chief and top thief, was ‘inspired’ after hearing Jake Holmes perform the song in a New York club in 1967, and promptly lifted the omnious descending-into-doom riff for Led Zeppelin’s debut album two years later. While the old chestnut that ‘Zeppelin was nothing if not a great cover band’ rears its head once more, the other chestnut, that Led Zeppelin mapped part of the genome of rock music, usually prevails. For every song ripped off, another 5 brilliant originals were penned (don’t quote me on the math). That’s kinda hard to argue with.
Tags: dazed and confused, jake holmes, lawsuit, Led Zeppelin
July 10, 2010 at 3:48 pm |
No idea at all why he waited this long. This has been well known forever and I had always just figured he didn’t care or had tried before and lost or something. Weird. I hope he gets some dough.