My rephrase was too subtle I guess. I used capital letters for both words...

Let me rephrase that: there is no Good or Evil.

There is no good or evil.

The neighbor's lawnmower

I would surmise that the gang unilaterally decided what would be Valens' part in the song without consulting the interested party. A failure to resolve the situation amicably would result in a lawsuit...

I find it interesting that the interviewer was able to get as much info. When GW asks a blatant question, JP closes the discussion but when GW throws oblique comments, JP opens up.

Who would want to do that?

As I wrote, it all depends on dates and procedures. If Jansch published his arrangement at the time the song was recorded, then he has a legitimate claim against Page. If it was done years afterwards, then he can only facepalm. In any cases, no matter in what year he decided to have his arrangement published, the arrangement is protected as would be an original song (not the recording, which is another kind of right entirely, but the arrangement) against all claims by anyone. My feeling is that Page's "arrangement" is in a gray area, a period within which Jansch failed to have his arrangement published.

Just a point for anyone to think about: if, as a composer, you make an arrangement of a public domain song, most countries' legislations will recognize the arrangement as an original work if you declare it as such, something Bert Jansch obviously did: http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=121852&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID The proper way (keep in mind there are no legal obligations) to credit such an arrangement would be: Black Water Side Trad. arrangement: Bert Jansch Copyright 1966 (or whichever year) David Platz Music Inc. The fact that no lawsuit has been brought to bear on Jimmy Page might be because Jansch's arrangement may not have been properly registered in the 60s, just having been credited to "Trad.". That arrangement would then have been fair game for others to use. The fact that the song is now published indicates that, at some point, Jansch saw the light of day. All the rest hinges on dates, proper procedures and local legislation.

What bugs me in this thread and others like it is the constant use of the word "theft". Even the word "borrowing" doesn't find grace to my eyes. Nobody is totally original. Page is just one among an immemorial line of rearrangers of musical motifs. A mighty rearranger :-)

Beautifully explained. I'm sure similar explanations could clear away so-called borrowings of the blues répertoire

Interesting

Coverdale>Plant

Coverdale-Page > Presence

Excellent choice!

I'm surprised no one posted that one yet...

Maybe he was in the grip of an addiction himself?

I like it, so case closed.

What happened to the whip? Seriously: Can you give a detailed account of the guitar and/or theory lessons you received from John Mclaughlin?

I love Cadillac. It's so in your face and dirty... Fortune Hunter as well, especially the smooth interlude in the middle...