Yes, you read that headline right. The five corn-fed, church-going superstar brothers, who, along with the Jackson 5, made the 1970s infinitely more enjoyable for teenage girls across the planet, appear to have snuck a Led Zeppelin platter into the family’s Utah homestead.
As pointed out by the sharp cookies over at Ultimate Classic Rock - albeit 40 years after the fact - the surprisingly rocking album track “Hold Her Tight” from the Osmond Brothers’ 1972 album Crazy Horses sounds eerily similar to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” released in 1970. Check them both out below.
True to the era, the Osmond song features that trademark thwackety, thwackety guitar sound, with brother Merrill Osmond spitting out the lyrics with an anguished howl destined to make nubile teenage knees go all wobbly.
As All Music Guide notes of the Crazy Horses album,"the Osmonds attempted to roughen up their clean-cut musical image with some hard rock and psychedelia -- Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' riff is used for bottom-heavy effect on 'Hold Me Tight,' while Sgt. Pepper's-era Beatles and Paul McCartney are the inspiration for 'What Could It Be' and 'We All Fall Down.'"
Ha ha. Well, there you have it and it's pretty amusing. If ever there was a compelling reason to go up to the attic to dust off the old parental vinyl collection for hidden treasures, this is it. Enjoy!
wow never heard the osmonds before,thought i knew music,as to the songs being similer,beats the same,other then that two very different songs,dont know where there is any really comparison,led zeppelin,world wide international famous heavy metal band,osmonds local american good ole boys actually surprised they did rock,thought they sang barry manilo esque tunes,actually even more surprised that osmond song hold her tight is a pritty good rocking tune,makes u wonder about why bands keep using the same beats in songs over and over,even today everybodys retreading classic tunes,conspiracy theorists of the world unite,lol
I hear the similarity. We should also keep in mind that Led Zeppelin themselves are guilty of much musical plagiarism. Just google "Led Zeppelin plagiarism" and you'll soon learn that the mighty Zep (and countless other musicians) stole other people's work. Some Led Zeppelin suits and settlements below:
On Led Zeppelin's album Led Zeppelin II (1969), parts of the song "Bring It On Home" were copied from Sonny Boy Williamson's 1963 recording of "Bring It On Home", written by Willie Dixon. On the same album, "The Lemon Song" included an adaptation of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor". In 1972, Arc Music, the publishing arm of Chess Records, brought a lawsuit against Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement over "Bring It On Home" and "The Lemon Song"; the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Led Zeppelin's song "Whole Lotta Love" contained lyrics that were derivative of Willie Dixon's 1962 song "You Need Love." In 1985, Dixon filed a copyright infringement suit, resulting in an out-of-court settlement. Later pressings of Led Zeppelin II credit Dixon as co-writer.
Led Zeppelin also paid a settlement to the publisher of Ritchie Valens' song "Ooh! My Head" over "Boogie with Stu" (from their album Physical Graffiti) which borrowed heavily from Valens' song.
Yeah, that riff was definitely ripped off from Zeppelin. Not just the riff. Does anyone else think the guy on the leftmost side of the picture look like Jimmie Page?
It does not sound plagiarized at all.
Songs are only about 4 minutes long and they all share common chords and beats, so naturally a lot of songs will sound similar.
I'm sure some songwriters have invented a melody in their own head that ended up sounding the same as someone else's. It must be hard being a songwriter these days, trying to be original.
the first musical phrase in Immigrant Song is a note for note rip-off of Richard Rogers' Bali Ha'i from the Broadway Musical South Pacific, perhaps one of the most recognisable four notes in all of Broadway.
Never heard of it? I didn't think so.
The two songs are not sounding at all familiar to me. Better get your ears checked lol.
Posted by: LB | 05/29/2012 at 07:47 AM
That album caused all kinds of controversy in it's day. Crazy Horse was also slang for heroin - not exactly the clean cut image they were known for.
Posted by: S | 05/29/2012 at 08:18 AM
Dang! Now every time I hear Zep`s immigrant song it'll sound fruity.
Posted by: S. Maloney | 05/29/2012 at 09:04 AM
@LB, listen to the instrumental opening of both songs that is where the familiarity is. That beat is then carried through the whole song.
Posted by: S | 05/29/2012 at 09:08 AM
wow never heard the osmonds before,thought i knew music,as to the songs being similer,beats the same,other then that two very different songs,dont know where there is any really comparison,led zeppelin,world wide international famous heavy metal band,osmonds local american good ole boys actually surprised they did rock,thought they sang barry manilo esque tunes,actually even more surprised that osmond song hold her tight is a pritty good rocking tune,makes u wonder about why bands keep using the same beats in songs over and over,even today everybodys retreading classic tunes,conspiracy theorists of the world unite,lol
Posted by: mike | 05/29/2012 at 09:46 AM
I hear the similarity. We should also keep in mind that Led Zeppelin themselves are guilty of much musical plagiarism. Just google "Led Zeppelin plagiarism" and you'll soon learn that the mighty Zep (and countless other musicians) stole other people's work. Some Led Zeppelin suits and settlements below:
On Led Zeppelin's album Led Zeppelin II (1969), parts of the song "Bring It On Home" were copied from Sonny Boy Williamson's 1963 recording of "Bring It On Home", written by Willie Dixon. On the same album, "The Lemon Song" included an adaptation of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor". In 1972, Arc Music, the publishing arm of Chess Records, brought a lawsuit against Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement over "Bring It On Home" and "The Lemon Song"; the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Led Zeppelin's song "Whole Lotta Love" contained lyrics that were derivative of Willie Dixon's 1962 song "You Need Love." In 1985, Dixon filed a copyright infringement suit, resulting in an out-of-court settlement. Later pressings of Led Zeppelin II credit Dixon as co-writer.
Led Zeppelin also paid a settlement to the publisher of Ritchie Valens' song "Ooh! My Head" over "Boogie with Stu" (from their album Physical Graffiti) which borrowed heavily from Valens' song.
Posted by: fraz | 05/29/2012 at 10:09 AM
ditto fraz!! I was going to say much the same thing.
Posted by: marie | 05/29/2012 at 11:06 AM
Yeah, that riff was definitely ripped off from Zeppelin. Not just the riff. Does anyone else think the guy on the leftmost side of the picture look like Jimmie Page?
Posted by: Randy | 05/29/2012 at 11:35 AM
Has anyone heard the new Aerosmith song "Legendary Child?" That opening guitar riff is a total rip off of Led Zeppelin's "Wonton Song."
Posted by: PopKing | 05/29/2012 at 12:42 PM
nothing alike at all
Posted by: purplestar59 | 05/29/2012 at 01:27 PM
It does not sound plagiarized at all.
Songs are only about 4 minutes long and they all share common chords and beats, so naturally a lot of songs will sound similar.
I'm sure some songwriters have invented a melody in their own head that ended up sounding the same as someone else's. It must be hard being a songwriter these days, trying to be original.
Posted by: Ken | 05/29/2012 at 01:31 PM
the first musical phrase in Immigrant Song is a note for note rip-off of Richard Rogers' Bali Ha'i from the Broadway Musical South Pacific, perhaps one of the most recognisable four notes in all of Broadway.
Never heard of it? I didn't think so.
Posted by: jack ellis | 05/29/2012 at 04:16 PM
Sounds more like Thundermug's Africa to me.
Posted by: Phil | 05/29/2012 at 04:20 PM
Oh, hell no.
That would mean actually listening to an Osmond Brothers song to make the distinction.
Posted by: The Space Lord | 05/30/2012 at 04:26 AM
Bah..no not even close...
Posted by: holly | 06/02/2012 at 08:07 AM
Led Zeppelin ripped off tons of stuff, so who gives a crap
Posted by: mark macdonald | 06/03/2012 at 09:17 PM