In their career, the British rock band Led Zeppelin recorded many songs that consisted, in whole or part, of pre-existing songs, melodies, or lyrics. They sometimes credited those sources; sometimes not. The band has been sued a number of times over attribution, some cases having concluded with others being awarded writing credit for the song in question, some not.
Al Stewart learned Bert Jansch's version of the traditional song "Down by Blackwaterside". However, he mistook Jansch's 'drop-D' tuning for DADGAD. At the time, Stewart was recording his own debut record and had engaged Jimmy Page as a session musician. According to Stewart's account, it was he (Stewart) who taught Page 'Blackwaterside' (the DADGAD version) during a tea-break.[7] In spite of this difference, Jansch's record company sought legal advice following the release of Led Zeppelin.[8] Early in 1965, Anne Briggs and Jansch were performing regularly together in folk clubs[9] and spent most of the daytime at a friend's flat, collaborating on new songs and the development of complex guitar accompaniments for traditional songs.[10]
Nevertheless, Jansch said that Page "ripped me off, didn't he? Or let's just say he learned from me."[8]This is one of two songs where Page may have "learned" from Jansch, the other being "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", listed below.
Led Zeppelin performed "Killing Floor" live in 1968 and 1969,[14] and it became the basis for "The Lemon Song", from 1969's Led Zeppelin II. In some early performances Robert Plant introduced the song as "Killing Floor"; an early UK pressing of Led Zeppelin II showed the title as "Killing Floor" and was credited to Chester Burnett (Howlin' Wolf's legal name). The song evolved into "The Lemon Song", with Plant often improvising lyrics onstage (the opening lyrics to both songs are identical).
Other lyrics, notably "squeeze (my lemon) till the juice runs down my leg," can be traced to Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues". It is likely that Johnson borrowed this himself, from a song recorded earlier in the same year (1937) called "She Squeezed My Lemon" (by Arthur McKay).[15] The song also references Albert King's "Cross-Cut Saw"[16]In December 1972, Arc Music, owner of the publishing rights to Howlin' Wolf's songs, sued Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement on "The Lemon Song".[17] The parties settled out of court. Though the amount was not disclosed, Howlin' Wolf received a check for US$45,123 from Arc Music immediately following the suit, and subsequent releases included a co-songwriter credit for him.[17][18]
Jimmy Page repeatedly mentioned Bert Jansch as an influence in interviews. Jansch's album Jack Orion contained two tracks whose components later appeared in Page songs without writing credit. Jansch bandmate Jacqui McShee later said:
The song is a medley of fragments of blues songs and lyrics, including "Shake 'Em On Down" by Bukka White.[1] Therefore, the song is both a tribute to contemporary folk singer Roy Harper and the influential American blues singer who recorded from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Zeppelin opened for Spirit in an early American tour, and even covered Spirit songs in early shows, leaving little doubt that Led Zeppelin had heard the Spirit song "Taurus" before "Stairway to Heaven" was written. In the liner notes to the 1996 reissue of Spirit's debut album, songwriter Randy California writes:
The lyrics to the riff-heavy song pay homage to the blues songs of the Robert Johnson era; specifically "Drop Down Mama" by Sleepy John Estes, "Shake 'Em On Down" by Bukka White, and "I Want Some of Your Pie" by Blind Boy Fuller.[1]
Organised under the banner of Cafelytics, a music lounge and coffee shop in Dhanmondi, the qawwals kept the audience hooked throughout the show rendering renowned qawwali songs, including Damadam Mast Qalandar, Kali Kali Zulfon Ke Phande Na, Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai, Mere Rashke Qamar, Kun Faya Kun, Lambi Judai and Mera Dil Ye Pukare Aja.
"The Almighty Allah has prohibited the manufacturing of all such things that are exclusively used in haram ways; and things that only create evil such as the pipe, flute, chess and all types of instruments of gambling, images and statues. The manufacturing of all such articles is haram."
Muaddal Ibn Ziyad says: "I was in the company of Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq when a person said, "When I go to the toilet, I can hear the singing girls of my neighbor. Sometimes, I remain (in the toilet) a bit longer so that I may listen to more of it." Imam replied: "Desist from listening to music and songs attentively." Then this man further said, "Master, I do not go to music gatherings! I only hear the sounds!" The Sixth Imam said, "Have you not read the Quranic verse: "Surely, the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these shall be questioned about that?" (Surah Bani Isra'il 17:36)
The Arabic word Zur (false, vain words) has several meanings some of which include falsehood and the musical expressions. According to Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq "pollution of the idols" means chess; and "vain words" means music. In this verse we see how Allah compares refraining from "idols", with staying away from "vain words" or music!
It has been narrated from Abi 'Abdillah that he said regarding the words of Allah, the Glorious and Great, '.and stay away from the filth of the idols and stay away from the vain talk.' That he said, "The filth of the idols is chess and the vain talk is ghina." (Tafsir Nur ath- Thaqalain, Volume 3, Page 496)
You may have certain Muslim "performers" (for lack of a better word), who recite beautiful songs in praise of Allah, the Prophet, or on moral issues. They have only used "halal" instruments, and there is nothing in their vocals that one could raise objection to. We have some examples such as Yusuf Islam, Dawud Wharnsby 'Ali (from Canada), and others.
Question: In auspicious occasions, is it permissible to recite songs, poetry, various supplications or poems in praise of the Sinless Imams (peace be upon all of them) which contain a virtuous message with a good voice?
Alliance Française de Dhaka organised a film screening, book launch and qawwali music night to pay tribute to the late eminent ghazal singer of the Indian subcontinent Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on its premises in Dhanmondi on Saturday.
Ekushey Padak and National Film Award-winning singer Farida Parveen talked about Lalon and Sufism and entertained the audience singing different songs. Besides, Sagor Dewan accompanied by his troupe sang qawwali songs at the venue.
Hello Ravi, I just heard your recommended version and enjoyed it very much. Shujaat Khan has a unique thing with his sitar + voice performances, no? This is such a peaceful rendition, quite a contrast to the ecstatic way the song is presented in qawwalis! Quite a contrast!
Cheers. Suja
By the turn of the present century, ethnic musical ensembles had both consolidated and professionalized their activities. Most ensembles no longer serve a specific parish but rather represent the ethnic group as a whole in Chicago. The Polish Lira Ensemble actively promotes Polish song and dance with performances in both Polish and non-Polish venues, especially in ethnic festivals. TheJewishHalevi Choir draws upon several Jewish vocal traditions, ranging from asacredtradition connected to the synagogue to a secular repertory combining Eastern European Yiddish songs and Mediterranean Sephardic songs. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the ethnic musical ensemble, thanks to its professionalization and the availability of public arts funding, commissions new compositions, therefore providing the basis for a modern and American ethnic musical tradition.
Islam in Chicago provides one of the most complex sites for interethnic musics. The ethnic histories included by Islam range from Balkan communities (historically, the firstMuslimcommunity in nineteenth-century Chicago wasBosnian), to the new presence of South Asians fromPakistanand North India, to the growing numbers of Black Muslims. Within Islam there are canonic sacred vocal practices that unite all Muslims, notably the recitation of theQur'anand theadhan,or call to prayer. Islam, however, tolerates extensive local differentiation, which means that local musics in ChicagoAlbaniancommunities may have little to do with those of ChicagoLebaneseorPakistanicommunities. With the growth and diversification of Muslim communities in Chicago, shared musical and sacred practices yield new forms of interethnic musics, such as those connected with the ecstatic form of Islam known as Sufism, especially those that attract Black Muslims and Southeast Asian Muslims to South Asian musical genres, such asqawwali.
In Chicago's South Asian communities,Indianfilm music,filmi sangit,functions as an ethnic popular music that crosses linguistic borders and is widely available in Indian and Pakistani video and grocery stores. Film music, however, has historically been imported, and its functions depended largely on mediated consumption. In the 1990s a new South Asian popular music became popular in Chicago,bhangra,a hybrid style that mixed elements from Indian film and classical music,Hindu(bhajan) and Muslim (qawwali) religious genres,rock 'n' roll, andAfrican Americanpopular music, especially hip-hop and funk.Bhangra,though performed primarily by a generation of South Asian Americans born in the United States, has widespread appeal, proffering a cultural, class, and religious unity in the ethnic community that had been impossible in India and Pakistan.
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The ballad hunter--part 1 : Cheyene, songs from the range and the hillcountry and part II : blues and hollers, "being lonesome" songs.Library of Congress, Music Division. Recording Laboratory. AFS L 49.
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Lomax, Alan, 1915- , ed. Anglo-American shanties, lyric songs, dancetunes and spirituals. Edited by Alan Lomax. Library of Congress,Division of Music, Recording Laboratory AFS L 2. [1956]