so what is one old song worth?

[sniper]

http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/arts/2008/06/16/Stairway-to-Heavens-Revenues

about 572 Million?

[gweimer]

I recall reading that the guy who wrote "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" did pretty well financially with it. 

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

We're in the right business!!! 

[uwe]

I never liked that song, honestly. First time I heard it I found it a curiously flat performance on Led Zep IV which is otherwise a good album (for Zep standards - I was never in awe of them, I can't relate with Plant's lyrics and aloof/sissy front man role and always found Page's playing slipshod with short spurts of brilliance, John Paul Jones' bass playing is too laid back and unassuming for me and Bonham's incessant "dragging behind the beat" drives me mad - sorry, all you Zeppies out there!). I found it - musically and lyrically (still don't know what the song is really about) - mindlessly ambling when I first heard it and still do. The flute part is twee and the chords to the solo ...  Zep have written good stuff, but this isn't among it.

Of course the world has proven me wrong!

[Dave W]

At least it wasn't stolen from Willie Dixon like most of their earlier stuff.

Here's my favorite version. 

[uwe]

I like this version best



(weird, this link says the video is no longer available, but if you go to youtube  http://www.youtube.com/ and enter Dolly Parton - Stairway to Heaven it works just fine)



and not as a novelty thing either, I think Ms Parton's version brings out the celtic influence nicely and adds the bluegrass thing only to end as a spiritual. Like the way her voice plays off the monotonous male backing voice and how she adds melodic twists in places. Not quite unlike how Plant and Alison Krauss would probably do this today. And the arrangement reminds me of some of Bernie Leadon's great work in the Eagles.

And this version here drew a smile from my face (brilliant what they do around 1.55 in the song(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WfoccRna6I&feature=related

[gweimer]

I've always liked the Roger and the Goosebumps version.  I still have to hear the Frank Zappa version.  I hear it's really good with the full horn section.

[Dave W]

(weird, this link says the video is no longer available, but if you go to youtube  http://www.youtube.com/ and enter Dolly Parton - Stairway to Heaven it works just fine)

That's because embedding is "disabled by request" on this one, but our embedding plugin makes it appear. Just one of those cosmic collisions.