Being a Copy Cat still Helps Selling Your Songs

timmerman

timmerman

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Are we not all copy cats?

Perhaps some are more that others, perhaps some may even earn a bit more with it than others :eek: :D

Last night I just heard two examples which made me feel like "Hell yes, that is the way to do it, but then why do you make it so obvious............."

Well is is obvious? To me it is but you may not know any of those songs.

So which songs am I talking about here?

Oasis' "Layla" and I feel it has the sound and feel of "Street Fighting Man" of the Stones.

The next one is a little section in a song which sounds so similar to another section of a well known song:

Coldplay's "Speed of Sound"..........thinking of the part which starts with ALL THOSE.................. and then they repeat that phrase about three more times. Well this sections sounds so much like Kate Bush's song "Running up the Hill" or perhaps that is the chorus part of that song as I am not sure about it's real title.

Do you think Coldplay could be sued for this? Would they have asked permission? Has anyone else noticed this? Do we no longer care about these things?

Eddie
 
I think people still care about rip offs. I don't really know the songs you are talking about, but I know what you mean. It's a fine line sometimes between direct copy, homage and borrowing.
 
At it's genesis, creativity is always just copying something you like. Sure, we try to disguise it in flowery terms like "inspired by", "influenced by", "drew upon", or whatever, but those are all just code-words for "copied". Of course from there the point is to leave some kind of unique finger print on your version. You can't simply copy someone else's work.

We also can't forget the fact that there are so many artists our there creating (and copying each other) that there are bound to be coincedental similarities.

A
 
Yeah, there's nothing new under the sun. But there are endless variations. If someone just takes from someone else and doesn't do anything with it, then that's just rehashing.
 
Yes, there are intentional usage of another's song. But don't you think a lot of times it is the sub-conscience coming through. How can ANYONE possibly listen or play music year after year, and not be influenced? And I must add, some of these"copycat" sounds are legit. I have written a song thinking wow! that verse rocks...Then,a few months later I hear it almost to the tee in a song on the radio! Well, they sure didn't steal it from me...nor did I steal it from them. I mean, is there really any words unwritten or sounds not played before? The song remains the same,only the structure,style,lyrics give it a chameleon skin.....Just my brain on G.A.S......... :eek:
 
You Are All Right..............

In the case of the Coldplay song I cannot believe that they do not know the Kate Bush song.

Nearly anyone among us here is a walking dictionary of popular music, sure we all copy, play parts which may end up sounding similar to someone's music you appreciate, but having a huge hit which does contain a part which sound so similar like....................THAT cannot be a coincidence. Just think how long it takes to record a song: You go over each part again and again in a studio, especially these bands as they are not like: "We are just having one take because that is where all the spontanity comes from". No no, make no mistake, this is a case people planning their next step very carefully so..............

Well probably they have been granted permission in some kind of way.

Is it hard to make your music to sound unique? No it is not, but I think it may be harder to market it, as it may sound to unusual.

We all speak in our own ways, people comment me on my phrasing, and I tell them "Yep English is not my native language, but really in my native language I have a similar kind of phrasing, it is just how I express myself. Same goes for how we play music, or how we post our messages here. All the same kind of thing, as it is all about "How do you express yourself".

Perhaps we should leave this discussion, as too many things have already been said about this......................I'd rather play around and have some fun.

Okay? I will still be here if you need me,

cheers

Eddie
 
Hrmmm... kind of brings to mind something I remember from high school... a class we took in science about "entropy" -- The scientific fact that in nature, all systems are breaking down.

Any system will only work so long as there is a means to support it... music has been around since the first cave man grunted in rhythm... so would it not stand to reason that eventually, some time, some how, EVERY possible musical combination will have "been done"? Leaving us poor musicians little choice but to mimic something that's already out there?

Wow... I think it's worse than I first thought... Hollywood's making nothing but "remakes" of old 70's shows lately... OMG!!!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!

ENTROPY --- EVERYWHERE!!!


AAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!H!!!!!!

- Tanlith -
 
Yes it certainly is happening and retro is getting better and better..........

We are straying a little of topic now but ................

Have you heard this band recently? They are called "The Ravonnettes" and they have a song out which is called "Ode To LA", well with this song we enter a new battlefield: The revival of the Motown all Female bands.

This trend may be a good one, really any trend is good, 'cause it means something is going on, just gotta keep moving

Eddie
 
tanlith said:
...so would it not stand to reason that eventually, some time, some how, EVERY possible musical combination will have "been done"? Leaving us poor musicians little choice but to mimic something that's already out there?

- Tanlith -
Click to expand...

On the side of the Benaroya Hall (a large opera house) here in Seattle is engraved this quote:

As long as humanity thrives on this planet, music will accompany it in some living form, to sustain it and give it expressive meaning. - Aaron Copland.

Technology and time march on, but the human experience has changed very little in the last 5000 years: We are born, we live, we love, we suffer, we have pain, we have joy, we die. And every 100 years there is a completely new group of people on the planet to experience it all again as if it were the first time.

And so goes music.

A
 
Well put... though my post was definitely tongue in cheek. :) :)

I like that quote though... very inspiring.

- Tanlith -
 
i stuggle to find some originality. sometimes i'll just sit down and play some completely random line of notes and work from there. i can worry about making it catchy later. right now it needs to be different.
 
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