The Yardbirds’ recordings spark a fresh legal feud.
The decades-long dispute over Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” has reignited, with songwriter Jake Holmes filing a new lawsuit against Jimmy Page over early Yardbirds recordings of the track.
Holmes, who wrote and released the original in 1967, claims Page never properly credited or compensated him for the Yardbirds’ live renditions—including one featured in the 2021 documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin.
Despite a 2010 settlement that amended Led Zeppelin’s credits to “inspired by Jake Holmes,” Holmes alleges recent Yardbirds reissues and the film falsely attribute the song solely to Page, depriving him of royalties.
The legal clash traces back to 1967, when Holmes opened for the Yardbirds in New York.
Page later reworked the song, keeping its iconic riff but changing lyrics for Zeppelin’s version. Holmes initially shrugged it off but now seeks restitution for what he calls “willful infringement.”
With archival releases breathing new life into the Yardbirds’ takes, this rock ’n’ roll courtroom drama is far from over.
