My wife was just released from jury duty in a case involving Led Zeppelin.

[PufPuf23]

14. Taurus - Spirit / Stairway to Heaven

I was a huge fan of Spirit in high school and saw them 3X, twice at Fillmore West and once at Winterland, in San Francisco 1968 to 1970. The concert at Winterland was Halloween 1970 and Spirit was 2nd billed to Ike and Tina Turner Review. I have not seen live rock and roll since late Summer 1994 when I saw Spirit in a bar in Eureka, CA; the only two original members were Randy California and Ed Cassidy, the drummer and California's step father.

Spirit and Led Zeppelin toured together on LZ's first tour of the USA in 1969 several years prior to recording Stairway to Heaven. Spirit had already released Taurus on their first album. I can see how Taurus may have influenced Stairway to Heaven but think the argument for plagiarism is weak and way too late and there are only so many combinations of notes in blues-derived rock and roll.

Prior to forming Spirit, Randy California had played rhythm guitar in Jimi Hendrix's band prior to the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix tagged Randy Wolfe with Randy "California" as there were two Randy's in the band. Cassidy was an experienced jazz drummer who had also been in a prior band with Taj Mahal and Randy California's biological father owned a music venue in Los Angeles so he had experienced music all his life.

Taurus was on Spirit's first album entitled "Spirit" that was released in January 1968.

Stariway to Heaven was on Led Zeppelin's fourth album intitled "Led Zeppelin IV" released November 1971.

The first half of the following clip is Spirit's Taurus; the second half is Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven.