There’s not a whole lotta love lost between the surviving members of Led Zeppelin and their former label, Atlantic Records. Last week, vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones filed suit against the company, claiming they have only been paid one-quarter of the royalties owed to them for 42 of their most famous tracks, including “Whole Lotta Love” and “Stairway to Heaven,” the London Observer reported. Jones’ manager confirmed the suit, but couldn’t provide further details, and Page’s and Plant’s management refused to comment.
On Tuesday a spokesperson for Atlantic said simply, “We’re in the process of working this out.”
Led Zeppelin released eight studio albums and one live record between 1969 and 1979. On September 25, 1980, drummer John Bonham was found dead after choking on his vomit following a heavy night of drinking. That December the band decided to break up. In 1982, the posthumous B-sides record Coda was released.
The suit Zeppelin have filed against Atlantic doesn’t specify damages, according to the Observer, but if the company is found to owe the band three-quarters of its royalty payments it will unquestionably cost the label millions of dollars.
