Plagiarism At The Highest Level In The Music Biz - Post Your Evidence

by Steven Wagenheim

Posted: 14 years ago 12 replies

OFF TOPIC

Tell me that this...

YouTube - Foo Fighters - Wheels

Isn't a blatant ripoff of this...

YouTube - Learning to Fly - Tom Petty

I love the Foo Fighters but the obvious "inspiration" is too blatant to
pass by.

I have a point to this but I want to hear other opinions of this and other
songs that may sound so much like other songs.

Feel free to post your comparisons.

Note - George Harrison was actually sued over My Sweet Lord (sounded
like He's So Fine) and lost.

But many have gotten away with it.

Is this one of them or do you hear enough of a difference?

Killer Joe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Note - George Harrison was actually sued over My Sweet Lord (sounded like He's So Fine) and lost.

Is this one of them or do you hear enough of a difference?

LOL, I can sure see why you think there is a resemblance...

I Googled to see if I could find out whether TP is credited with the tune in anyway, and no luck.

But I sure came across a lot of links saying them thing that you are. One of them said they should call the new CD "Dave Petty and the Foobreakers". :p

BTW, GH ended up buying the record label that was suing him. Appearently that had something to do with the reason the lawsuit ever saw the light of day. They just wanted to cash out...so they did.

Strange bedfellows those music moguls.

KJ

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Steven Wagenheim

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

Bill, this is just a microcosm of what I have seen in the music biz since
I've been listening to the radio.

My question is...how do they get away with it?

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Steven Wagenheim 14 years ago

You know what really gets me?

Read some of the comments on YouTube about the song. Forget that it
sounds like Tom Petty.

Some people love it. Some people think it's the worst thing Foo Fighters
ever did.

Just goes to show you, taste in music is very subjective even at the
professional level.

I personally like it. Don't love it, but like it.

I just can't believe how much it sounds like Tom Petty, whose song by the
way I think is the better of the two.
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Killer Joe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

My question is...how do they get away with it?

Steven, it's not unusual for artists to license there works for dirivitives to be created. I think it's called a "derivative works license", or something like that.

Example: You have a tune that has made the rounds and now only gets played on the oldies stations, et al. So you want to generate more income from the tune by licensing the tune so others can add lyrics and make a song of their own.

There are only 8 notes anyway, so there has to be some repetition along the way.

Now I know saying "there are only 8 notes anyway" is not correct, what I'm referring to is that songs of the same genre have similer beats and timing and cord progressions. But lyrics are virtually unlimited.

So rather than getting in legal battles over who wrote what, sometimes paying an artist to use a part of their work makes sense.

KJ

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Steven Wagenheim

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Killer Joe

Makes sense IF that's what's happened here.

Wonder if we'll ever find out.

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Kurt

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Feel free to post your comparisons.

Led Zepllin was sued by Willie Dixon for 6 songs where Plant/Page took credit. Dixon won.

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Steven Wagenheim

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Kurt

Led Zepllin was sued by Willie Dixon for 6 songs where Plant/Page took credit. Dixon won.

Wow...that is just too scary. Led Zep of all bands.

Almost makes you feel like they killed Santa and the tooth fairy all in one
shot.

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Frank Donovan

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Wow...that is just too scary. Led Zep of all bands.
Almost makes you feel like they killed Santa and the tooth fairy all in one
shot.

Steven, I'm sorry to pile on the agony, but you should listen to Willie Dixon's "You Need Love"

YouTube - Willie Dixon -- You need love

But Led Zep were also known to have er.. borrowed ideas from many other sources. It's often been pointed out that Stairway To Heaven had its roots in "Taurus" by Spirit:

YouTube - Spirit - Taurus - 1968 - (slideshow)

And, of course, Jake Holmes wrote and recorded the original "Dazed And Confused"

YouTube - Jake Holmes - Dazed and Confused

RIP Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

Frank

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Steven Wagenheim

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Frank Donovan

Steven, I'm sorry to pile on the agony, but you should listen to Willie Dixon's "You Need Love"

YouTube - Willie Dixon -- You need love

But Led Zep were also known to have er.. borrowed ideas from many other sources. It's often been pointed out that Stairway To Heaven had its roots in "Taurus" by Spirit:

YouTube - Spirit - Taurus - 1968 - (slideshow)

And, of course, Jake Holmes wrote and recorded the original "Dazed And Confused"

YouTube - Jake Holmes - Dazed and Confused

RIP Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

Frank

Okay, now you're just pissing me off.