Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has told a court that the chords in Stairway To Heaven are similar to Chim Chim Cher-ee from the Disney film Mary Poppins as he faced more questions about the origins of the band's famous hit.

Jimmy Page.

The Dick Van Dyke song was played to the federal court in Los Angeles where Page is facing claims he copied the opening guitar riff on Stairway To Heaven from a track called Taurus by the American group Spirit.

A lawsuit has been filed by Michael Skidmore, the trustee of Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe - known as Randy California - who drowned in 1997 having never taken legal action over the song.

Mr Skidmore's lawyer Francis Malofiy asked Page whether he had previously said Chim Chim Cher-ee had "inspired" him to write Stairway To Heaven.
Page replied: "I didn't say that.

"I think I may have said the chord sequence is very similar because the chord sequence has been around forever."

Asked whether there were similarities between the two songs, Page replied: "Yes, a sequence."

Page, 72, has previously told the court he had not heard Taurus until his son-in-law showed him a comparison with Stairway To Heaven on the internet a few years ago.

Giving evidence on the third day of the trial, the musician said he had "no recollection" of meeting Wolfe or of "interacting with him".

He told the court he wrote the introduction of Stairway To Heaven on his own before his bandmate Robert Plant added lyrics at Headley Grange in Hampshire.

A previous interview Page gave in the 1970s, in which he said the wrote the song's intro in Bron Yr Aur in Wales was "incorrect", he told the court.

The jury heard Led Zeppelin received 60 million dollars (about £42 million) after signing a publishing deal in 2008 and 10 million dollars (about £7 million) as part of a record deal with Rhino Entertainment in 2012.

Page, dressed in a dark three-piece suit, with his grey hair tied back in a ponytail, was joined in court by singer Plant as both men face a copyright infringement trial.

Plant and his bandmate John Paul Jones are expected to give evidence in the trial.

Mr Skidmore told the court he had been a fan of Spirit since the 1960s and he wanted to continue Wolfe's "legacy".

The music journalist from London said he had interviewed the band in a number of countries and became friends with members of the group and their families.

Mr Skidmore said that after Wolfe's death in 1997, he wrote his friend's obituary and stayed in touch with Wolfe's mother to help her publish her son's unreleased music.

He told the court: "I took on that, basically, as a labour of love to continue his legacy. I've spent 15 years doing it."

Mr Skidmore's legal team called two expert witnesses to give evidence about similarities between Stairway To Heaven and Taurus.

Musicologist Alexander Stewart said the rhythm, chords and harmonies of Taurus and the introduction to Stairway To Heaven were "virtually identical".

Kevin Hanson, a university professor and guitarist who has performed with Jay Z, Beyonce and Pharrell, said the songs had a "striking similarity".

Mr Malofiy asked him: "Do you agree the chord progression for the first five chords is virtually identical for Taurus and Stairway To Heaven?"

Mr Hanson replied: "Yes I do. To my ear they have a strikingly similarity."
Mr Malofiy said: "Do you believe Chim Chim Cher-ee is closer to Stairway To
Heaven than Taurus?"

Mr Hanson responded: "No."

The trial was adjourned until Friday.