Led Zeppelin: Not the only "borrowers" of songs

[rudedude]

Some folks here bitch about Led Zeppelin playing fast and loose with old songs that they transform into their own. (We know who you are! Lol). Well here is direct evidence that Pink Floyd is in the same boat: Wish You Were Here, 1975. We'll listen to this Van Morrison song: Almost Independence Day from 1972 and tell me that it was not "borrowed" by Floyd! Happens all the time.

 

[kgilbert78]

I suspect it's unavoidable--given that there are just so many notes and not all combinations of these notes are pleasing.

A good take on that issue is Spider Robinson's short story Melacholy Elephants.

Link

BTW, the link is a legal one from the publisher. They have placed some of their material (with approval from the author) on their "Baen Free Library" site. As is appropriate for this story given the subject matter and conclusion.

 

[Lionguy32]

Years ago, Tom Petty was asked if he was going to sue the Red Hot Chili Peppers because "Dani California" sounds so similar to "Last Dance with Mary Jane". He didn't and said that everybody pretty much borrows from everybody else.

 

[Grant Green]

Years ago, Tom Petty was asked if he was going to sue the Red Hot Chili Peppers because "Dani California" sounds so similar to "Last Dance with Mary Jane". He didn't and said that everybody pretty much borrows from everybody else.

He did more or less the same with Sam Smith. Smith agreed to give co-writing credit to Petty for Stay with Me. I guess that means Petty get some royalties out of it, so maybe not a completely noble gesture. I would do the same though.

On the other hand, Dylan sued Hootie years ago, but Hootie straight up plagiarized lyrics.

 

[dawgduice]

No one "borrows" like Pharell Williams. Amazing to me that he is viewed as a "song writer". My goodness standards have fallen. Then again I'm from the late 60s in the 70s, so there is that

 

[Obliviax]

I wrote a song once. It was called "Shmoopy in the Sky with Diamonds". Nobody seemed to care. I am writing another one, actually its part of an LP I am working on named "Mud on the Tracks". I am hoping for more success with this one. The anchor song is named "Born in the UAE" about a friend born in the United Arab Emirates and had to do some government duty there that didn't work out so hot.

Wish me luck.

 

[Nitt1300]

It often happens accidentally. Led Zep did it too often for it to be accidental

 

[Lion Lineage]

Some folks here bitch about Led Zeppelin playing fast and loose with old songs that they transform into their own. (We know who you are! Lol). Well here is direct evidence that Pink Floyd is in the same boat: Wish You Were Here, 1975. We'll listen to this Van Morrison song: Almost Independence Day from 1972 and tell me that it was not "borrowed" by Floyd! Happens all the time.

View embedded media

Wow. Damn near identical.

 

[91Joe95]

Copyright laws have become ridiculous. It used to be they expired after a period of time and the music became public domain. Enter the paid off politicians who somehow decided not only should rights go into near perpetuity, but then they retroactively applied it. Best money musicians and music executives ever spent.

 

[kgilbert78]

Copyright laws have become ridiculous. It used to be they expired after a period of time and the music became public domain. Enter the paid off politicians who somehow decided not only should rights go into near perpetuity, but then they retroactively applied it. Best money musicians and music executives ever spent.

If you read the story I linked to, you'll see that playing out...

 

[21Guns]

The following example, is THE MOST BLATANT FORM OF PLAGIARISM I HAVE EVER HEARD::

FIRST, THIS SONG

 

[21Guns]

NOW, THIS SONG

 

[21Guns]

They not only stole the entire chord progression, verse, solo, b section, and chorus, but they stole the damn song title. Hilarious.

The Def Leppard song came out in 83, the Krokus cover song, in 88, lmao.

 

[demlion]

I wrote a song once. It was called "Shmoopy in the Sky with Diamonds". Nobody seemed to care. I am writing another one, actually its part of an LP I am working on named "Mud on the Tracks". I am hoping for more success with this one. The anchor song is named "Born in the UAE" about a friend born in the United Arab Emirates and had to do some government duty there that didn't work out so hot.

Wish me luck.

Not gonna be a problem unless by some stroke of luck your songs are actually good. If they suck, and never make it out of your basement studio of the neighborhood bars of Cleveland, no sweat.

Read a story once about how John Lennon lifted some of the lyrics for Come Together from a Chuck Berry song. Of course by the time Lennon wrote Come Together Berry had long since sold the rights to Morris Levy, who sued Lennon. They tussled a while then John Lennon did an album of Check Berry covers, and Levy got all the money. Its actually a lot more complex than that. What a clustef*ck. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_'n'_Roll_(John_Lennon_album)

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

No one "borrows" like Pharell Williams. Amazing to me that he is viewed as a "song writer". My goodness standards have fallen. Then again I'm from the late 60s in the 70s, so there is that

You are corre. Pharell benefits from having support of people with some mad tech skills who are able to scrub history. "Happy" is a song from decades ago, and there is no record of it. However, he has not been able to evade notice of some of his other thefts.

 

[gamblepsu]

Where's the creator of 'if you're happy and you know it'

 

[interrobang]

Everyone was borrowing from everyone back then, heck, even the 100 years before that.

 

[Nit Nolte]

Blues musicians popularized sampling. They borrowed freely from each other and it was seen as a compliment to the sampled artist. It became a problem when big money entered the music scene.

Robert Plant grew up listening to American Blues and is a walking encyclopedia of blues history. That influenced his borrowing from Willie Dixon, Memphis Minnie, who eventually got a song writing credit for When the Levee Breaks, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson and who knows who else.

 

[dawgduice]

You are corre. Pharell benefits from having support of people with some mad tech skills who are able to scrub history. "Happy" is a song from decades ago, and there is no record of it. However, he has not been able to evade notice of some of his other thefts.

I do know that he and Thick lost in court to "Marven Gaye" (well his rights). I believe it was the largest court ordered fine ever. It has been kept somewhat quiet since the settlement was so massive. Actually, that is why I just do not get the Phrelle thing. After the decision Pharelle said "everyone" does it. Without doing it there would be no "music" according to him ??

 

[dwiz]

I do know that he and Thick lost in court to "Marven Gaye" (well his rights). I believe it was the largest court ordered fine ever. It has been kept somewhat quiet since the settlement was so massive. Actually, that is why I just do not get the Phrelle thing. After the decision Pharelle said "everyone" does it. Without doing it there would be no "music" according to him ??

I didn't think it was that quiet. I didn't really even follow the case and the number 7.3 million settlement is what I believe it was.