I like messing around with my 'Thursdays and Covers' formula sometimes. There have been days of just Elliott and days of special covers. However, today I shall focus on ripoffs. What are ripoffs? Why, I'm sure you've heard a popular song on the radio and thought, "Wow, that sounds an awful lot like (insert band/song here)!!" Well, today I am going to present you with a few of the bands that have taken musical manipulation and coyly hidden amongst their catalogue. Sometimes it's accidental and sometimes it's intentional... you be the judge.
Ripoff: [MP3] Vanilla Ice - Ice, Ice Baby
Original: [MP3] Queen - Under Pressure
"In a subsequent party involving extensive drug use Van Winkle was overheard telling members from the band Sugar Ray that he did, in fact, steal this beat in an extraordinarily lucky attempt at gaining enough money to sustain his drug habit for the rest of his projected lifetime." If the 1990's MTV interview wasn't convincing enough, there is always the case of getting drunk and saying things you've been keeping secret. That and the obvious similarities in sound..
Ripoff: [MP3] Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Original: [MP3] Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Last Dance With Mary Jane
Taking a page from Van Winkle, the Chili Pepper's had different goals in mind other than sustaining drug habits for a lifetime. Everyone caught on to the (distinct) similarities in chord progression, even Petty himself. Hey, it's all good! Petty is a pretty mellow guy - he didn't see any malicious intent from the similarities so he let it slide.
Ripoff: [MP3] The Flaming Lips - Fight Test
Original: [MP3] Cat Stevens - Father and Son
This is a copy cat that doesn't seem intentional. Perhaps I am just biased in favor the Lips' creativity, but the similarities are pretty hard to deny. So hard to deny that Lips conceded to Stevens in a minor agreement that gave Stevens part of the royalties from the song. Fair enough, I suppose.
Then there are always those who aren't content with ripping off one song - but a whole band (in some opinions).
Chevelle ripoff Tool
She Wants Revenge ripoff Interpol
Creed ripoff Bon Jovi (Because they're both so good!!)
Milli Vanilli ripoff uhhm..?
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Thursdays and Covers Ripoffs
Tags:
Covers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
25 comments:
green day - "warning"
sound a lot like
the kinks - "picture book"
-bob
elliott smith sounds alot like god
That James Blunt character totally rips off Elton John's Tiny Dancer.
Sorry to mention his name.
Oh and Greenday songs sound like... every other Greenday song.
what about the "babe im gonna leave ya", "25 or 6 to 4", and "brain stew" riff? i actually dont know if its brain stew, or some other green day song.
isn't smoke on the water the same riff too?
don't forget about the white stripes' "dead leaves and the dirty ground" -- sounds a helluva lot like green day's "brain stew"
Going a little back in time, here is R.E.M.'s 'Hope' (1998), which shares some similarities with 'Suzanne' by Leonard Cohen (1968). In a booklet note, Stipe and friends ended up crediting Cohen on their song.
Have you heard these songs that are sometimes referred to as -- oh dear. What's the word...? Oh... ummm... hmmm... Ah - ahem - yes: it's called "rap", in modern parlance. I have heard that in these "rap songs" they often use the music of others -- a practice which some anthropologists refer to as "sampling". Usually, these "rap men," if you will (since usually they are male, not female), are of the Nergo persuasion. You were correct in not designating Vanilla Ice as a "rap man" or his track as a "rap song", since -- you may well be surpsised to hear -- he is a Cracker, not a Negro; therefore you are also correct in asserting that his usage of Mercury, et al's music is a "ripoff," and not a "sample".
Interpol sound alot like Joy Division.
Fucks.
Lest we not forget the most blatant rip off of all time...Elastica's 'Line Up & Die' 100% stolen from Wire's 'I am the Fly'
Original: Wilco - "She's A Jar"
Rip-off: Pete Yorn - "Crystal Village"
Perhaps the grandfather of all ripoff songs unfortunately came fom one of my idols: George Harrison. "My Sweet Lord" mistakingly lifted its melody line from "He's So Fine". But hey, at least he had a boatload of other original GREAT songs both with and without the boys from Liverpool.
With the exception of outright sampling, there really ought to be a certain minimum amount of complexity in a song to officially be a "ripoff." Take the "Last Dance w/ Mary Jane" and "Dani California" example: certain chords happen to string together nicely. Is it really so surprising that two artists would run across the same progression at some point? That having been said....they're still a bit too similar.
Pearl Jam - Given to Fly
Led Zepplin - Going to California
Original: Give It Away (RHCP)
Rip Off: Warning Shots (Thievery Corporation)
Original: The Fly (U2)
Rip Off: Black Tamborine (Beck)
Come as you are and that Killing Joke song.
And, of course, The Decemberists sound like Neutr.... ah never mind.
What do you mean "Bon Jovi (cause they are both so good)"? You Twat. When I first meet you, you were singing "It's My Life" like it was your job bitch.
Oh, and nice save Cliff.
Modest Mouse (Blame it in the Tetons) - Sonic Youth (Unwind)
Mostly just the intro and I think Modest Mouse does it better, so... completely forgiveable.
"does he love you"- rilo kiley= "father and son" too
australian band end of fashion completely rip off the pixies 'where is my mind' in their song 'oh yeah'
so much so that end of fashion have buckled under the criticism and now play the 'actual' pixies outro in their live set
of course, interpol rips off joy division totally (just doesn't do it very well).
The Raconteurs' "Steady as she Goes" rips off Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out with Him". Bass line is almost note for note.
Cocker's Black Magic is Crimson & Clover, but that's no secret.
the warlocks "come save us" -ripoff of "dark center of the universe" by modest mouse
i like them both but dark center of the universe is better
Replica Handbags
Fake Handbags
Knockoff Handbags
Replica Louis Vuitton Handbags
Replica Gucci Handbags
Replica Chanel Handbags
Prada Handbags
Replica Fendi Handbags
Replica Dolce Gabbana Handbags
Replica Chloe Handbags
Replica Jimmy Choo Handbags
Replica Thomas Wylde Handbags
Replica MiuMiu Handbags
Replica Balenciaga Handbags
Replica Coach Handbags
Replica Lancel Handbags
Replica Hermes Handbags
Replica Marc Jacobs Handbags
Replica Anya Hindmarch Handbags
Replica YSL Handbags
Replica Mulberry Handbags
Replica Givenchy Handbags
Replica Valentino Handbags
Replica Versace Handbags
Replica Cartier Handbags
Replica Marni Handbags
Replica Bottega Veneta Handbags
Replica Loewe Handbags
Replica Kooba Handbags
Replica Bally Handbags
Replica Burberry Handbags
Replica Christian Dior Handbags
Replica Juicy Couture Handbags
Replica Ferragamo Handbags
Replica Celine Handbags
Post a Comment