Originally Posted by Marc Barnette

My favorite statement from the trial was when Page said something to the effect as 'I don't remember the SIXTIES. If you think I remember some obscure riff, your daft."

MAB


If I was Page's attorney, I would not have been happy when he said that. It opens the door to an assessment of him as living in a drug addled stupor incapable of legal considerations. "You're daft" adds an arrogant and entitled dimension to Page.

"Obscure rift?"

Here is how I think that it happened...

Page toured with Spirit and was possibly stoned every night. The opening bars (riff) was an ear bug that got in his head. He started messing with it and following where it took him. Being a very talented songwriter, it took him through several movements which include, what I think, is the most emotionally concise and expressive guitar solo in rock music. When he finished it up he decided that a few bars at the beginning of a long song did not merit acknowledgement.

Possibly he did not think about that at all. Stoned rock gods who tear up hotel rooms and are rumored to keep underage girls locked away in their house do whatever they want...after all.

And all these years later someone is trying to decide if a few bars does merit an acknowledgement. It's interesting to me.

ps...Which melody from the 1500's? (did Page's attorney dig up?)