(Alleged) plagiarism

[karohemd]

On University Challenge last night, one of the music rounds was about songs that had plagiarism lawsuits attached at one point or another (Huey Lewis' I Want a new Drug and the Ghostbusters song, for example). Just like the Down Under debacle this year, I found the similarities extremely tenuous.

I also believe that it's quite likely that two people come up with the same melody/phrase/riff/bit of music completely independently, not least because I witnessed it myself. Back sometime in the early 90s, I was at my mate Stefan's flat chatting and he went, "Hey, I wrote a new song", grabbed his guitar and played the opening chords to Steve Earle's Devil's Right Hand. I asked him if that had been deliberate and he didn't even know the song. I then played it to him and he almost fell off his chair. ;o)

Comments

[pmoodie.livejournal.com]

I suppose there are only so many melodies out there, and it's inevitable that people will come up with similar tunes.

Having said that, I'm sure some people do consciously "borrow" melodies they hear, and I can appreciate that musicians want to protect themselves from that sort of thing.

[mr-malk.livejournal.com]

I did read an article a year or two back, that was saying that the copyright holders of the "Banana Splits" theme song were considering suing Bob Marley's estate for a sequence in Buffalo Soldier that had more or less the same melody as the "Tra-la-la, tra-la-la-laaa..." bit of their song.

I don't know what happened, but although the passages were undeniably similar, I hope it was thrown so far out of court that it achieved orbit.

In case you were not subjected to the Banana Splits as a young'un, the theme tune in question can be found here, but I advise you only to do so if you really haven't the faintest idea what I'm talking about and would like context!

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I might dare have a look when I get home tonight (no youtube at work), thanks.

[trizia.livejournal.com]

Oh great, now I have that as an earworm! :-(

[mr-malk.livejournal.com]

I sympathise. I've had it as an ear worm since I was about 7 (off and on)!

In University Challenge once, Paxman asked what the names were of the four members of the Banana Splits (Bingo, Beagle, Drooper and Snork). Upon receiving a correct answer, he pulled a face and said "What a ghastly thing to have to admit knowing!"

[trizia.livejournal.com]

I used to adore the Banana Splits, and I knew the song backwards :-)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I think I'm glad I wasn't subjected to the Banana Splits in my childhood...

[devalmont.livejournal.com]

The Huey Lewis one was a special case, however. They'd been asked to provide a song for the film but they had declined, and so the studio approached Ray Parker Jr. and asked him to record something 'similar to 'Like a New Drug'. He did indeed record something VERY similar indeed. Cue the lawyers. :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting bit of trivia, thanks!

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

There was a study done years ago that showed the most popular tunes shared very similar patterns of ups and downs. Throw in rhythm, and it becomes much messier, however.

[professoryaffle.livejournal.com]

Another youtube video I am afraid but this demostrates how similar most pop music is

Axis of Awesome, Four Cords

Like with books there will always be overlap with music I guess the key is differentiating between actually copying and inadvertent similarities

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I guess the key is differentiating between actually copying and inadvertent similarities
And that's the problem, finding that line is very subjective.

[professoryaffle.livejournal.com]

indeed which of course is why authors like Pratchett refuse to read fan fiction as although they don't object to it they also don't want to be accused at a later date of stealing an idea

[slev.livejournal.com]

I remember Biomechanical playing Existenz live for the first time. I realised John had written a song that was 90% the same as the first version of Enter the Looking Glass that Children of the Sorrow Killer had written a month earlier.

After the gig, I told him to stop psychically stealing my ideas before I had them.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Hehe.