How the Beatles Stole From Other Artists - The Uncensored Facts
White Shadow
first things we did when we became serious about collecting was to
seek out the original versions of songs the Beatles covered -- or at
least the versions that prompted the Beatles to include the songs in
their stage act. They weren't always one and the same, you know.
If you've ever heard the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout"
or Chuck Berry's recording of "Roll Over Beethoven" or the Larry
Williams' single of "Slow Down," it's easy to understand the Beatles'
affection for '50's R&B. Over the years, Lennon and Harrison in
particular have paid homage in interviews to these early pioneers of
rock music. McCartney, on the other hand, like Yoko Ono, is not
really the type of person who pays homage to other artists.
The genius of the Beatles, of course, is that they were able to take
songs by other artists and essentially make them their own. Examples
that immediately come to mind are "Please Mr. Postman", "Money" and
"Long Tall Sally".....all of which blow away the originals.
But what about the more subtle instances in which the Beatles
"covered" other artists? I refer here to those Lennon & McCartney and
Harrison compositions which frankly owe their genesis to other
artists....some of whom aren't nearly as well-remembered or revered as
Chuck Berry or a Little Richard.
Yes, the Beatles did indeed steal ideas from other artists. And
before ya'all start with the flame throwing, keep in mind that Lennon
himself admitted as much in his later interviews, although he always
used the word "pinched," which is the British slang equivalent of
"stole".
Probably the first time the Beatles "stole" from other artists was
when Lennon and Harrison composed "Cry for a Shadow". If you've ever
heard the Shadows in their pre-Cliff Richard recordings, then it
should be obvious this instrumental recorded in 1961 would never have
seen the light of day but for the Shadows themselves. True, "Cry for
a Shadow" is a send-up and a rather amusing one at that, but the fact
remains the basic chords were "pinched." Period.
Some of you probably know that "Do You Want to Know a Secret" was a
direct rip-off of a song sung by Snow White in the Disney movie. And
that "Run for Your Life" owes its origin to Elvis' recording of "Baby,
Let's Play House." But there's much more. George's ethereal guitar
riff in "If I Needed Someone" was taken directly from the Byrds'
"Bells of Rhymney." At least George admitted as much at the time.
.
And then there's Lennon's million-selling single "I Feel Fine" which
at the time -- despite the amazingly trite, throwback lyrics a la
"Love Me Do" --.boasted one of the most imaginative and innovative
guitar riffs up to that time.
Or so we thought.
Wrong. John sheepishly admitted in an interview in 1974 that
this "innovative" guitar riff was a direct rip-off of the riff in
Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step". If you've ever heard Parker's
recording, you can't help wondering how John escaped a lawsuit. I
suppose the explanation is that Bobby Parker was -- at that time -- a
fairly obscure R&B artist, so that no one even realized it.
Of course, the Beatles didn't always manage to escape lawsuits.
Lennon's "Come Together" crossed that fine line between "borrowing"
and "plagiarizing" -- in this case from Chuck Berry's "You Can't
Catch Me". At the time he "wrote" the song, Lennon was reportedly
hooked on heroin and had a seemingly difficult time coming up with
decent, new material -- witness crap like "I Dig a Pony" and
minimalist nonsense like "I Want You (She's So Heavy).
Same with Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" which upset to no end the
publishers of the Chiffons' "He's So Fine". What's both interesting
and sad is that throughout the remainder of their lives neither Lennon
nor Harrison ever admitted they had stolen from those songs.
The Lovin' Spoonful -- whose lead singer John Sebastian wrote some of
the most memorable hits of the mid-'60's -- has the sole distinction
of being stolen from TWICE by the Beatles. "Good Day Sunshine" was
clearly a remake of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream". And "Good
Morning, Good Morning" may not have been a direct remake but was
clearly inspired and "helped along" by the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer
in the City" which was a number one hit in Britain just a few months
before Lennon wrote "Good Morning". Lennon's song has the exact same
verse structure that reeks of alienation and boredom....followed by a
chorus about how "life begins" in the evening, plus a break in the
song that showcases ambient sounds of the outdoors. In the case of
GMGM, it's sounds of a foxhunt and dogs, cats, birds. In SITC, it's
car horns and a jackhammer.
Lennon always insisted that GMGM was solely inspired by a Kellogg's
Corn Flakes commercial that contained repetitions of the two words
"Good Morning". Well, perhaps the title of the song was thus
inspired, but he was clearly being disingenuous about the true origin
of his song. And it should also be obvious that "Summer in the City"
is a far better song....a classic, even. "Good Morning, Good Morning"
never even made it to a "best of" collection.
Interesting how neither McCartney or Lennon ever acknowledged the
influence of the Lovin' Spoonful on these two songs. I believe that's
because they were embarrassed that "Good Day Sunshine" and "Good
Morning Good Morning" didn't come close to matching the quality of the
songs from which they were derived.
Then there's the memorable opening chord of "Oh Darling" which was
lifted directly from a song entitled "Florence" by the Paragons, a
1950's doo-wop group. McCartney may have escaped plagiarism lawsuits
so far, but he's never been shy about stealing from other artists. In
fact, in his post-Beatles career, his most infamous rip-off to date is
the bridge from "Venus and Mars" which was lifted directly from Dan
Fogelberg's "Part of the Plan". Likewise, Lennon's "Happy Xmas" was
dangerously close to a rip-off of Peter Paul and Mary's "Stewball".
They themselves have complained about it over the years in interviews.
But then let's not forget those artists who stole from the Beatles.
Eric Clapton did it best in his 1966 cover of Ray Charles' "What'd I
Say" in which he copied the opening guitar riff of "Day Tripper"
virtually chord for chord.
C' est la vie.
fatt...@yahoo.com
The Beatles were inspired and influenced by other artists . . . .
however I think "stole" is much too harsh a word here.
Rock and roll is rock and roll . . . . There are a limited number of
guitar riffs, a limited number of common expressions, etc. There are
certain melodies and chord progressions that are very common in r and
b or rock and roll. I think John did make a mistake with Come
Together, but over all, the Beatles were very original.
White Shadow
>> Then there's the memorable opening chord of "Oh Darling" which was
>> lifted directly from a song entitled "Florence" by the Paragons, a
>> 1950's doo-wop group.
>cCartney may have escaped plagiarism lawsuits
>> so far, but he's never been shy about stealing from other artists. n
>> fact, in his post-Beatles career, his most infamous rip-off to date is
>> the bridge from "Venus and Mars" which was lifted directly from Dan
>> Fogelberg's "Part of the Plan". ikewise, Lennon's "Happy Xmas" was
>> dangerously close to a rip-off of Peter Paul and Mary's "Stewball".
>> They themselves have complained about it over the years in interviews.
>>
>> But then let's not forget those artists who stole from the Beatles.
>> Eric Clapton did it best in his 1966 cover of Ray Charles' "What'd I
>> Say" in which he copied the opening guitar riff of "Day Tripper"
>> virtually chord for chord.
>>
>> C' est la vie.
>
>
>The Beatles were inspired and influenced by other artists . . . .
>however I think "stole" is much too harsh a word here.
All right. Let's agree to use Lennon's word for it -- PINCHED. He
ought to know whether the Beatles stole from other artists, if anyone
does. Fair enough?
>Rock and roll is rock and roll . . . . There are a limited number of
>guitar riffs, a limited number of common expressions, etc. There are
>certain melodies and chord progressions that are very common in r and
>b or rock and roll. I think John did make a mistake with Come
>Together, but over all, the Beatles were very original.
Who on earth told you there are a "limited number of guitar
riffs"...or melodies?
Bullsh*t.
fatt...@yahoo.com
No one told me there are a limited number of riffs . . . .I'm going by
my unprofessional ears. It seems to me that rock and roll does
involve certain classic chord progressions. That's what makes it rock
and roll.
I can't recall the quote, but I would agree John probably said that he
or others "pinched" certain things . . . however I take that remark
with a "pinch" of salt. John tended to be self depreciating. I think
he sometimes refused to give himself credit where credit was due.
I do agree that parts of Come Together were pinched, but the great
majority of the Beatles work was very original.
Slip Kid
<oops!>
> C' est la vie.
Non.
Pas vraiment.
C'était un type de connerie.
Sans valeur, aussi bien?
Michael
copper...@hotmail.com
Yeah, and Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Elvis all
"pinched" their stuff from blues, gospel, country, and jazz artists
who preceded them. And those artists "pinched" their stuff from
someone who came before them. NOTHING is entirely original. So
what? Taking one bit of a tune and turning it into something else is
still making an original.
Your argument is like saying that Matisse stole from Renoir because
they both made paintings using oils and had the same colors.
fatt...@yahoo.com
> Yeah, and Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Elvis all
> "pinched" their stuff from blues, gospel, country, and jazz artists
> who preceded them. And those artists "pinched" their stuff from
> someone who came before them. NOTHING is entirely original. So
> what? Taking one bit of a tune and turning it into something else is
> still making an original.
Yes, that is what I was trying to say. You articulated it better.
mesca...@aol.com
write a song.
me
fatt...@yahoo.com
LOL!
Jimbace
<mesca...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1170438669.2...@k78g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Let's face it, everybody plagurized Ugh, Ugh was the first caveman to
> write a song.
>
gentleman, in an uncivilized way of course.
>
DTSmith
years (not constantly, mind you) and I've NEVER noticed a similarity
between the two songs, other than perhaps the subject matter. What am
I missing?
abby now
"Jimbace" <mondoo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:IYKwh.30320$AK1....@newsfe11.phx...
The Geico guy should ask for reparations...
Slip Kid
Yes, we should be careful how and what we declare to be original.
But one should not be so cautions so as to conclude "their thought don't
stand a chance of having some value."
As Robert Frost said:
"An idea comes as close to something for nothing as you can get."
And some notions end up being worth more than others.
But not thinking and not acting has no pay-off.
Michael
White Shadow
Oui, Oui, monsieur.
White Shadow
Jimbace
Pinnochio Mojo
> Taking one bit of a tune and turning it into something else is
> still making an original.
>
> Your argument is like saying that Matisse stole from Renoir because
> they both made paintings using oils and had the same colors.
Good analogy.
Pinnochio Mojo
Nothing that i can detect.
Danny Caccavo
Most of these claims are "reaches."
*Especially* saying "Good Morning Good Morning" was "pinched" from
"Summer in the City." Please. Not even close.
"Good Day Sunshine" isn't stolen either - "inspired" certainly by
"Daydream" in terms of style - but so was "Sunny Afternoon" by The
Kinks, for that matter. (McCartney *did* acknowledge the influence,
btw).
"One Way Out" by The Allman Bros. sounds closer to "Watch Your Step"
than "I Feel Fine" does, but clearly Lennon nicked the first 5 notes and
the synchopated feel from the original. However - I would not call it
"plagarism." John really did embellish it - turned it from a straight
blues lick into something far more interesting.
"Do You Want To Know A Secret" certainly takes the first two lines from
Snow White, but the song is not stolen.
"Run For Your Life" takes two lines of lyrics, but the song is not
stolen.
(Clapton copying the "Day Tripper" riff on the Blues Breakers "What I'd
Say?" The piano note makes one think of the Day Tripper riff, but it's
not stolen.
"Come Together?" Sure. Very close to "You Can't Catch Me" certainly.
But old news.
"My Sweet Lord?" Sure. Total rip. Old news.
If you want to look for serious rip-offs, look under "Led Zeppelin." <g>
dc
Manco
> If you want to look for serious rip-offs, look under "Led Zeppelin."
> <g>
>
> dc
What will especially get zep-heads goat is the fact that Stairway to
Heaven's intro is a literal plagiriasm on Randy California's "Spirit".
White Shadow
<dcaccav...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Is this supposed to be some investigative journalism expose or something?
>
>
>Most of these claims are "reaches."
>
>*Especially* saying "Good Morning Good Morning" was "pinched" from
>"Summer in the City." Please. Not even close.
>
>"Good Day Sunshine" isn't stolen either - "inspired" certainly by
>"Daydream" in terms of style - but so was "Sunny Afternoon" by The
>Kinks, for that matter. (McCartney *did* acknowledge the influence,
>btw).
>
>"One Way Out" by The Allman Bros. sounds closer to "Watch Your Step"
>than "I Feel Fine" does, but clearly Lennon nicked the first 5 notes and
>the synchopated feel from the original. However - I would not call it
>"plagarism."
YOU wouldn't, but Lennon did. He literally said he pinched it from
Bobby Parker. But then, you know more about Lennon's songwriting than
he did....right?
Old news.
ontherocks
"White Shadow"
> YOU wouldn't, but Lennon did. He literally said he pinched it from
> Bobby Parker. But then, you know more about Lennon's songwriting than
> he did....right?
>
> Old news.
If the word pinched means stole .....
Well- it doesn't!
It means inspired.
And that happens all the time everywhere in the world.
John was inspired by Bobby Parker and made something new out of it.
It's old news!
You haven't discovered a sensation her.
We have known this for years.
You make it look like we've been ignorant to this.
It's a common fact.
The Beatles didn't make their music out of thin air.
(BIG SENSATION!!!)
But you're trying to say that Beatles were thieves....
And that where you've gone wrong.
ontherocks
"White Shadow" Over the years, Lennon and Harrison in
> particular have paid homage in interviews to these early pioneers of
> rock music. McCartney, on the other hand, like Yoko Ono, is not
> really the type of person who pays homage to other artists.
You're wrong here.
McCartney has praised his idols in many interviews.
(you probably haven't read them)
He has made 3 albums with old classics as a tribute to his roots.
He owns the Buddy Holly songs and points to him in many interviews.
He's always doing those songs in studio between recordings and on stage.
Question:
Are you going to make a book out of this.
Part of the all american conspiracy syndrome?
White Shadow
wrote:
Well, let's put it this way. I have MANY more examples of Beatles
songs that were pinched from other artists.
ontherocks
"White Shadow">
> Well, let's put it this way. I have MANY more examples of Beatles
> songs that were pinched from other artists.
I guess you have...........
Danny Caccavo
White Shadow <wam...@maximus.com> wrote:
This conversation is all about what consitutes plagarism and what
doesn't.
Just listen to the lick. Yep, you can tell Lennon got the idea from
that, but he then turned it into something else.
If it was plagarism, it would have gone to court years ago, as "My Sweet
Lord" did.
dc
Danny Caccavo
"Manco" <manco_...@net2blah.com> wrote:
Certainly! (look for "Taurus" by Spirit on iTunes). But it was amazing
how brazen Zep was about stealing almost complete songs. I often wonder
if Peter Grant simply told Page, "oh, just claim authorship, chances are
you won't get sued."
Besides the obvious "How Many More Times" and "Lemon Song" thefts, the
"Dazed and Confuzed" one is really striking. The original author, Jake
Holmes (unlike the blues cats they stole from) was wealthy enough from
his jingle career that he never bothered to sue Zeppelin.
Yet despite the thefts, Zep was still an original band that changed the
face of music - not because of, but despite the stealing.
http://www.furious.com/perfect/jimmypage.html
http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/jakeholmes.html
dc
JR
"Danny Caccavo" <dcaccav...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:dcaccavonojunk-121...@comcast.dca.giganews.com...
Oh, I'd say the Stones should enter into the discussion right about now as
well.
JR
Joe
>
> Interesting how neither McCartney or Lennon ever acknowledged the
> influence of the Lovin' Spoonful on these two songs. I believe that's
> because they were embarrassed that "Good Day Sunshine" and "Good
> Morning Good Morning" didn't come close to matching the quality of the
> songs from which they were derived.
>
PLAYBOY: "'Good Day Sunshine.'"
PAUL: "Wrote that out at John's one day... the sun was shining.
Influenced by the Lovin' Spoonful."
Some Other Guy
>If you've ever heard the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout"
>or Chuck Berry's recording of "Roll Over Beethoven" or the Larry
>Williams' single of "Slow Down," it's easy to understand the Beatles'
>affection for '50's R&B. Over the years, Lennon and Harrison in
>particular have paid homage in interviews to these early pioneers of
>rock music. McCartney, on the other hand, like Yoko Ono, is not
>really the type of person who pays homage to other artists.
>
Are you kiddingg? He worshiped Elvis (as he says in the Anthogy video-the messiah has arrived) and
he worships Brian Wilson. I'm sure there are others.
Irrelevant
> For those of us who are true students of the Beatles music, one of the
Let me tell you first that you seem to be just another wacko TRUE
believer preaching his/hers gospel.
What you bring forth here as "stealing" is actually something that
composers have done for ages, long before pop music. It's the nature and
essence of evolutionary progress in music. Coming up with completely
original ideas in music is something that happens about once in a
century or once in a lifetime from a composer's point of view. Music
influences music that comes after it. Plagiarism is something completely
different. If Lennon & McCartney had copied something in the way as
plagiarism is defined, we surely would have become aware of it by 1970s
and there would have been related court cases.
Analysis: Your rant is just about creating confusion and originating
from your desire to assert youself.
> C' est la vie.
I agree.
White Shadow
>White Shadow wrote:
>> For those of us who are true students of the Beatles music, one of the
>
>Let me tell you first that you seem to be just another wacko TRUE
>believer preaching his/hers gospel.
>
>What you bring forth here as "stealing" is actually something that
>composers have done for ages, long before pop music. It's the nature and
>essence of evolutionary progress in music. Coming up with completely
>original ideas in music is something that happens about once in a
>century or once in a lifetime from a composer's point of view. Music
>influences music that comes after it. Plagiarism is something completely
>different. If Lennon & McCartney had copied something in the way as
>plagiarism is defined, we surely would have become aware of it by 1970s
>and there would have been related court cases.
Are you really as stupid as you appear, to be unaware of the court
cases involving "My Sweet Lord" and "Come Together"????
Irrelevant
I am aware, believe it or not. I omitted the obvious that every Beatle
fan knows.
"My Sweet Lord" - Nothing to do with Lennon & McCartney. George actually
wrote it with Billy Preston.
http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/law/library/cases/case_brightharrisongs.html
"Come Together" - The suit was settled out of court. Plagiarism was
never confirmed. John Lennon said, 'I left the line in "Here come old
flat-top". It is nothing like the Chuck Berry song, but they took me to
court because I admitted the influence once years ago.' A settlement was
reached in which John agreed to do two Chuck Berry songs on an album,
which were 'You Can't Catch Me' & "Sweet Little Sixteen' on John's 1975
album 'Rock 'n' Roll'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_Together
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can't_Catch_Me
http://www.strawberrywalrus.com/cometogether.html
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=191
The rest of your "uncensored facts" trying to prove that the Beatles
allegedly "stole" their musical ideas from other artists are pure
fantasy and unnecessary speculation inteneded to confuse occasional
readers of this newsgroup. Pseudo analytical rantings of yours and some
other people exist here only to boost your egos. Do you really think
that you can come up with something that has not yet been discovered in
rec.music.beatles during the last 25 years? You're entitled to your
opinions, but please, don't present them as facts, especially when this
newsgroup has never been censored.
http://www.recmusicbeatles.com/public/rmb.html
Hey stupid, can I call you stupid now? :-)
Manfred Noland
as inspiration for " Good Day Sunshine ".
as for " Goood Morning, Good Morning " ripping off " Summer In The
City " i think you are tripping or something. I just don't hear it.
Jeff
> For those of us who are true students of the Beatles music, one of the
> seek out the original versions of songs the Beatles covered -- or at
> least the versions that prompted the Beatles to include the songs in
> their stage act. They weren't always one and the same, you know.
>
> If you've ever heard the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout"
> or Chuck Berry's recording of "Roll Over Beethoven" or the Larry
> Williams' single of "Slow Down," it's easy to understand the Beatles'
> affection for '50's R&B. Over the years, Lennon and Harrison in
> particular have paid homage in interviews to these early pioneers of
> rock music. McCartney, on the other hand, like Yoko Ono, is not
> really the type of person who pays homage to other artists.
>
> songs by other artists and essentially make them their own. Examples
> that immediately come to mind are "Please Mr. Postman", "Money" and
> "Long Tall Sally".....all of which blow away the originals.
>
> But what about the more subtle instances in which the Beatles
> "covered" other artists? I refer here to those Lennon & McCartney and
> Harrison compositions which frankly owe their genesis to other
> artists....some of whom aren't nearly as well-remembered or revered as
> Chuck Berry or a Little Richard.
>
> Yes, the Beatles did indeed steal ideas from other artists. And
> before ya'all start with the flame throwing, keep in mind that Lennon
> himself admitted as much in his later interviews, although he always
> used the word "pinched," which is the British slang equivalent of
> "stole".
>
> Probably the first time the Beatles "stole" from other artists was
> when Lennon and Harrison composed "Cry for a Shadow". If you've ever
> heard the Shadows in their pre-Cliff Richard recordings, then it
> should be obvious this instrumental recorded in 1961 would never have
> seen the light of day but for the Shadows themselves. True, "Cry for
> a Shadow" is a send-up and a rather amusing one at that, but the fact
> remains the basic chords were "pinched." Period.
>
> Some of you probably know that "Do You Want to Know a Secret" was a
> direct rip-off of a song sung by Snow White in the Disney movie. And
> that "Run for Your Life" owes its origin to Elvis' recording of "Baby,
> Let's Play House." But there's much more. George's ethereal guitar
> riff in "If I Needed Someone" was taken directly from the Byrds'
> "Bells of Rhymney." At least George admitted as much at the time.
> .
> And then there's Lennon's million-selling single "I Feel Fine" which
> at the time -- despite the amazingly trite, throwback lyrics a la
> "Love Me Do" --.boasted one of the most imaginative and innovative
> guitar riffs up to that time.
>
> Or so we thought.
>
> Wrong. John sheepishly admitted in an interview in 1974 that
> this "innovative" guitar riff was a direct rip-off of the riff in
> Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step". If you've ever heard Parker's
> recording, you can't help wondering how John escaped a lawsuit. I
> suppose the explanation is that Bobby Parker was -- at that time -- a
> fairly obscure R&B artist, so that no one even realized it.
>
> Of course, the Beatles didn't always manage to escape lawsuits.
> Lennon's "Come Together" crossed that fine line between "borrowing"
> and "plagiarizing" -- in this case from Chuck Berry's "You Can't
> Catch Me". At the time he "wrote" the song, Lennon was reportedly
> hooked on heroin and had a seemingly difficult time coming up with
> decent, new material -- witness crap like "I Dig a Pony" and
> minimalist nonsense like "I Want You (She's So Heavy).
>
> Same with Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" which upset to no end the
> publishers of the Chiffons' "He's So Fine". What's both interesting
> and sad is that throughout the remainder of their lives neither Lennon
> nor Harrison ever admitted they had stolen from those songs.
>
> The Lovin' Spoonful -- whose lead singer John Sebastian wrote some of
> the most memorable hits of the mid-'60's -- has the sole distinction
> of being stolen from TWICE by the Beatles. "Good Day Sunshine" was
> clearly a remake of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream". And "Good
> Morning, Good Morning" may not have been a direct remake but was
> clearly inspired and "helped along" by the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer
> in the City" which was a number one hit in Britain just a few months
> before Lennon wrote "Good Morning". Lennon's song has the exact same
> verse structure that reeks of alienation and boredom....followed by a
> chorus about how "life begins" in the evening, plus a break in the
> song that showcases ambient sounds of the outdoors. In the case of
> GMGM, it's sounds of a foxhunt and dogs, cats, birds. In SITC, it's
> car horns and a jackhammer.
>
> Lennon always insisted that GMGM was solely inspired by a Kellogg's
> Corn Flakes commercial that contained repetitions of the two words
> "Good Morning". Well, perhaps the title of the song was thus
> inspired, but he was clearly being disingenuous about the true origin
> of his song. And it should also be obvious that "Summer in the City"
> is a far better song....a classic, even. "Good Morning, Good Morning"
> never even made it to a "best of" collection.
>
> Interesting how neither McCartney or Lennon ever acknowledged the
> influence of the Lovin' Spoonful on these two songs. I believe that's
> because they were embarrassed that "Good Day Sunshine" and "Good
> Morning Good Morning" didn't come close to matching the quality of the
> songs from which they were derived.
>
> lifted directly from a song entitled "Florence" by the Paragons, a
> 1950's doo-wop group. McCartney may have escaped plagiarism lawsuits
> so far, but he's never been shy about stealing from other artists. In
> fact, in his post-Beatles career, his most infamous rip-off to date is
> the bridge from "Venus and Mars" which was lifted directly from Dan
> Fogelberg's "Part of the Plan". Likewise, Lennon's "Happy Xmas" was
> dangerously close to a rip-off of Peter Paul and Mary's "Stewball".
> They themselves have complained about it over the years in interviews.
>
> But then let's not forget those artists who stole from the Beatles.
> Eric Clapton did it best in his 1966 cover of Ray Charles' "What'd I
> Say" in which he copied the opening guitar riff of "Day Tripper"
> virtually chord for chord.
>
> C' est la vie.
Who cares? The Beatles stole from other artists...the same as other
artists steal from other artists today. It's nothing new. About the
only
guitarist I can think of..who sounds totally original..is Alan or
Allen Holdsworth...if you would like to call that music. Some of it
is..and some of it isn't, IMO.
Jeff
> On Sat, 3 Feb 2007 12:01:06 +0100, "ontherocks" <o...@rocks.com>
Well, you and the rest of us grew up with what our parents said..and
how they spoke. And.. we all pinched some ideas from them. Maybe
it should be a crime to use our parents words..thoughts and ideas too.
Perhaps, the whole world should be in prison for that, and for
artists borrowing ideas from other artists. Maybe it should be a crime
that you were born with 2 arms, 2 legs beneith your head?
Maybe your eye balls should be in the center of your chest...so you
could be totally original yourself. LOL
Please explain something that you have done, that is totally original.
I would like to hear about it. Maybe you chew food with your feet or
something. Hahahaha. I can just imagine teeth in your toes..chomping
away.
BlackMonk
"Jeff" <yourimag...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:1170711472.1...@k78g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Who cares? The Beatles stole from other artists...the same as other
> artists steal from other artists today. It's nothing new. About the
> only
> guitarist I can think of..who sounds totally original..is Alan or
> Allen Holdsworth
Never heard Ollie Halsall?
Sean Carroll
> White Shadow wrote:
>> C' est la vie.
> Non.
> Pas vraiment.
> C'était un type de connerie.
> Sans valeur, aussi bien?
Je suis un croissant. Mange moi.
--
--Sean
http://spclsd223.livejournal.com/
'Just answer the question. It's not gonna change my opinion of myself.
It might change my opinion of *you*, but that shouldn't change your
opinion of yourself. ... Now I'm getting confused.' --Dr Gregory House
Sean Carroll
> <mesca...@aol.com> wrote
>>Let's face it, everybody plagurized Ugh, Ugh was the first caveman to
>>write a song.
> And I've yet to hear about Ugh Ugh ever suing for back royalties. A real
> gentleman, in an uncivilized way of course.
Well, he's been tied up for a while with his suit against Geico.
Sean Carroll
> "Jimbace" <mondoo...@aol.com> wrote
>>And I've yet to hear about Ugh Ugh ever suing for back royalties. A real
>>gentleman, in an uncivilized way of course.
> The Geico guy should ask for reparations...
Rat bastard. Steal my joke again and I'll cut you!
Sean Carroll
> If the word pinched means stole .....
> Well- it doesn't!
> It means inspired.
Okay. In that case, I would really like it if Emily Deschanel inspired
my butt.
White Shadow
<sean...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>ontherocks wrote:
>
>> If the word pinched means stole .....
>> Well- it doesn't!
>> It means inspired.
>
>Okay. In that case, I would really like it if Emily Deschanel inspired
>my butt.
If she's that friggin' nice looking, wouldn't you want to inspire HER
butt?
Sean Carroll
>>>If the word pinched means stole .....
>>>Well- it doesn't!
>>>It means inspired.
>>Okay. In that case, I would really like it if Emily Deschanel inspired
>>my butt.
> If she's that friggin' nice looking, wouldn't you want to inspire HER
> butt?
I like it when the woman is aggressive. And I'm not really much of a
butt man. I'm a foot lover.
abby now
news:gR_xh.288586$fh6.1...@newsfe13.lga...
> abby now wrote:
>> "Jimbace" <mondoo...@aol.com> wrote
>
>>>And I've yet to hear about Ugh Ugh ever suing for back royalties. A real
>>>gentleman, in an uncivilized way of course.
>
>> The Geico guy should ask for reparations...
>
> Rat bastard. Steal my joke again and I'll cut you!
Don't worry, I have a strange sense of humor.
BTW, you should plan to come to Raleigh sometime to hear a guy I know who
plays a lot of Beatles songs. He was recently in one of the Harris Tetter
commercials for their jingle contest.
abby
hammerin...@gmail.com
>
> Yes, the Beatles did indeed steal ideas from other artists. And
> before ya'all start with the flame throwing, keep in mind that Lennon
> himself admitted as much in his later interviews, although he always
> used the word "pinched," which is the British slang equivalent of
> "stole".
And what, pray-tell is the point of your posting? Old news to true
Beatles fan, and name an artist that hasn't been influenced by another
artist? I need to tweak my troll-filter it appears.
Hank
White Shadow
By all means do. If we're lucky, you'll filter your own posts out of
this newsgroup.
Sean Carroll
> Don't worry, I have a strange sense of humor.
Good, then you should appreciate this.
> BTW, you should plan to come to Raleigh sometime to hear a guy I know who
> plays a lot of Beatles songs. He was recently in one of the Harris Tetter
> commercials for their jingle contest.
You know what I call Harris Teeter? 'Hairless Tweeter'. And I picture it
as a small bald bird.
Eric Ramon
>
> I like it when the woman is aggressive. And I'm not really much of a
> butt man. I'm a foot lover.
>
you can't judge a foot by looking at the boot, whoa now.
abby now
> abby now wrote:
>
>> Don't worry, I have a strange sense of humor.
>
> Good, then you should appreciate this.
>
>> BTW, you should plan to come to Raleigh sometime to hear a guy I know who
>> plays a lot of Beatles songs. He was recently in one of the Harris
>> Tetter commercials for their jingle contest.
>
> You know what I call Harris Teeter? 'Hairless Tweeter'. And I picture it
> as a small bald bird.
Okay, now that's all I'll think of when I head out there at lunchtime. ;)
I hear "Harry Teat" or "Harry Peter". People can be so juvenile...
Sean Carroll
I'm well aware of that. However, the advantage of the boot is that you
can freely imagine that even an ugly foot is hot underneath.
abby now
> Eric Ramon wrote:
>> Sean Carroll <seanc...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>I like it when the woman is aggressive. And I'm not really much of a
>>>butt man. I'm a foot lover.
>
>> you can't judge a foot by looking at the boot, whoa now.
>
> I'm well aware of that. However, the advantage of the boot is that you can
> freely imagine that even an ugly foot is hot underneath.
Trust me: after wearing boots all day, the foot is hot.
Slip Kid
> Eric Ramon wrote:
>> Sean Carroll <seanc...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>> I like it when the woman is aggressive. And I'm not really much of a
>>> butt man. I'm a foot lover.
>
>> you can't judge a foot by looking at the boot, whoa now.
>
> I'm well aware of that. However, the advantage of the boot is that you
> can freely imagine that even an ugly foot is hot underneath.
"In the dark
Where all the fevers grow
Under the water
(water)
Where the shark bubbles blow
In the mornin’
(mornin’)
By yer radio
(radio!)
Do the walls close in t’suffocate ya
You ain’t got no friends . . .
An’ all the others: they hate ya
Does the life you been leadin’ gotta go?
Well, let me straighten you out
About a little russian restaurant I know . . .
(get yer shoes ’n socks on people, it’s right aroun’ the corner!)
Out through the night
An’ the whisperin’ breezes
To the place where they keep
The imaginary diseases
Out through the night
An’ the whisperin’ breezes
To the place where they keep
The imaginary diseases . . .
Now scientists call this disease bromidrosis
(that’s right!)
And well they should
Even napoleon knows that
But us regular folks
Who might wear a tennis shoe
Or an occasional python boot
Know this exquisite little inconvenience by the name of:
Stink foot
Y’know, my python boot is too tight
I couldn’t get it off last night
A week went by, an’ now it’s july
I finally got it off
An’ my girl-friend cry
"you got stink foot! stink foot, darlin’
Your stink foot puts a hurt on my nose!
Stink foot! stink foot! I ain’t lyin’,
Can you rinse it off, d’you suppose? "
Here fido . . . fido . . .
Here fido . . . bring the slippers little puppy
Yes, that’s a good dog! yes!
"arf, arf, arf!"
[crash-crumble-bump-bump-bump]
Sick . . .
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
We have a song for you about flying saucers
This song is going to be sung for you by george
And the name of the song is inca roads" [1]
Michael
[1] 'Stinkfoot' FZ
Sean Carroll
> You know what I call Harris Teeter? 'Hairless Tweeter'. And I picture it
> as a small bald bird.
Also, there is a bank in this area called Wachovia. I pronounce it as
'whack off ya'.
--
--Sean
http://spclsd223.livejournal.com/
'Catfight and cataplexy on the catwalk. Cool.' --Dr Gregory House
abby now
> Sean Carroll wrote:
>
>> You know what I call Harris Teeter? 'Hairless Tweeter'. And I picture it
>> as a small bald bird.
>
> Also, there is a bank in this area called Wachovia. I pronounce it as
> 'whack off ya'.
Yet again, that's what I'll be thinking everytime I see one now... thanks...
The people that work there call it "walk all over ya".
Sean Carroll
> "Sean Carroll" <sean...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>Also, there is a bank in this area called Wachovia. I pronounce it as
>>'whack off ya'.
> Yet again, that's what I'll be thinking everytime I see one now... thanks...
Any time. I live to serve.
abe slaney
Sean Carroll wrote:
> Sean Carroll wrote:
>
> > You know what I call Harris Teeter? 'Hairless Tweeter'. And I picture it
> > as a small bald bird.
>
> Also, there is a bank in this area called Wachovia. I pronounce it as
> 'whack off ya'.
Yeah, they took over my student loan a long time ago - years before
I'd ever heard the name pronounced - so I naturally thought they felt
it was their job to "watch ova me". I still think they intentionally
mangled the pronunciation in order to obfuscate their true purpose.
dana.ac...@gmail.com
Tim
> then
"Then" these 15 or so former RMB posters from 2007 disappeared off of the face of Usenet. Done deal. Next ...
Phil A. Scheo
> Examples that immediately come to mind are "Please Mr. Postman", "Money" and "Long Tall Sally".....all of which blow away the originals.
gj
I correct that they never recorded another cover after Help (the
album)?
(a few minutes of research...)
Appears so, with the exception apparently being Maggie May, originally
done by The Vipers Skiffle Group. I had no idea.
-GJ 2.0
Tim
hislop
Tim
Tim
hislop
act like he does? He seems to resent the British usurping the Americans
in the early 60s.
Marcus
> On 4/07/2015 3:50 AM, Tim wrote:
> > On Friday, July 3, 2015 at 9:37:07 AM UTC-7, hislop wrote:
> >>> then
> >>>
> >>
> >> Is Uni posting on here now?
> >
> > No way, he lacks the nerve.
> >
>
hislop
Marcus
Those individuals consider folks like Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Bob Seeger, Mitch Ryder to be more legitimate Rockers than The Beatles and others that the Fabs influenced. Apparently, those types of rockers are more genuine, in their eyes, because they are American.
Personally, I like the music of the artists mentioned above, but I don't consider them more legitimate than other rockers regardless of their country of origin.
And it is true that The Beatles and their music did make it harder for some American rockers to have continued success. Many pre-Beatles artists have been griping about that for years. But, I'm hard-pressed to understand what they could have done about it, except to adapt.
Eric Ramon
hislop
The wheels had fallen off American rock and roll and pop by the early
60s, everyone knows that.
A group like The Bobby Fuller Four to me has a kind of connection to
what created Buddy Holly, for one stand out.
Maybe a bias, I'm not sure, but Lewisohn makes clear that in Liverpool
they hung onto rock and roll longer than it was coming out of America,
and American acts were having more success in England than America too
near the start of the 60s, (ie. 1960).
IMO the industry got a bit happy with itself in the US, it's much harder
to break that kind of thing today where it is rampant, corporations in
control of course. People don't seem to understand this when they
contribute to the status quo of rock and pop. That's why alternative is
such a stupid term.
Nil
rec.music.beatles:
> The wheels had fallen off American rock and roll and pop by the
> early 60s, everyone knows that.
> A group like The Bobby Fuller Four to me has a kind of connection
> to what created Buddy Holly, for one stand out.
hislop
BlackMonk
> On 04 Jul 2015, hislop<takecar...@gmail.com> wrote in
> rec.music.beatles:
>
>> The wheels had fallen off American rock and roll and pop by the
>> early 60s, everyone knows that.
>
> I didn't know that. I still don't know that.
>
Marvelettes (the song covered by The Beatles), The Shirelles (who were
also covered by The Beatles, though not this song. Still, they did have
an appreciation for Goffin/King), Roy Orbision (who George later worked
with), Del Shannon (who George considered having take the place of
Orbison), Elvis, Ray Charles, Dion, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ernie K-Doe and
Chubby Checker. In 1960, both the Everly Brothers and the Drifters also
had number one hits.
I didn't know that meant the wheels had fallen off, either.
(Here's a bit of trivia that surprised me: I had always thought that
"She's Not There" was the first self-written number one by a British
Invasion group, and it may be on another chart, but according to
Billboard, it never made number one, so that credit would go to Freddie
and The Dreamers, since Freddie Garrity co-wrote "I'm Telling You Know."
If you discount that because he only co-write it, the Rolling Stones get
the title, which isn't nearly as interesting.)
Phil A. Scheo
>
> I had always thought that "She's Not There" was the first self-written number one by a British Invasion group,
BlackMonk
Marcus
>
> Marvelettes (the song covered by The Beatles), The Shirelles (who were
> also covered by The Beatles, though not this song. Still, they did have
> an appreciation for Goffin/King), Roy Orbision (who George later worked
> with), Del Shannon (who George considered having take the place of
> Orbison), Elvis, Ray Charles, Dion, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ernie K-Doe and
> Chubby Checker. In 1960, both the Everly Brothers and the Drifters also
> had number one hits.
>
> I didn't know that meant the wheels had fallen off, either.
>
Phil A. Scheo
BlackMonk
regurgitating a myth.
Eric Ramon
TW LW Wks
1 1 8 DOMINIQUE-SINGING NUN
2 4 5 There I've Said It Again!-Bobby Vinton
3 2 8 Louie,Louie-Kingsmen
4 5 10 Since I Fell For You-Lenny Welch
5 3 9 You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry-Caravelles
6 7 7 Drip Drop-Dion
7 13 8 Forget Him-Bobby Rydell
8 10 6 Popsicles,Icicles-Murmaids
9 11 8 Talk Back Trembling Lips-Johnny Tillotson
10 6 9 Be True To Your School-Beach Boys
11 24 8 Midnight Mary-Joey Powers
12 17 6 Quicksand-Martha & The Vandellas
13 22 7 Nitty Gritty-Shirley Ellis
14 12 9 Lody Lo-Chubby Checker
15 20 9 Wives And Lovers-Jack Jones
16 8 13 I'm Leaving It Up To You-Dale & Grace
17 9 12 Everybody-Tommy Roe
18 21 8 The Boy Next Door-The Secrets
19 33 3 Pretty Paper-Roy Orbison
20 48 3 As Usual-Brenda Lee
of course there was good stuff happening but it was pretty hard to hear it. The Beatles were already doing fantastic stuff that wasn't being played in the US. There was great r&b that you might be able to pick up late at night from some exotic station (maybe from Buffalo).
But look at that list! That's what had to be busted up. You can't just listen to the Nitty Gritty and Quicksand over and over again. A strong chart has lots of songs that you like. The existence of Louie Louie can't make you forget the Singing Nun or Bobby Vinton, who you'd hear an awful lot if you listened to the radio.
Tim
Tim
BlackMonk
> Pretty Paper-Roy Orbison 20 48 3 As Usual-Brenda Lee
>
> of course there was good stuff happening but it was pretty hard to
> hear it. The Beatles were already doing fantastic stuff that wasn't
> being played in the US. There was great r&b that you might be able to
> pick up late at night from some exotic station (maybe from Buffalo).
>
> But look at that list! That's what had to be busted up. You can't
> just listen to the Nitty Gritty and Quicksand over and over again. A
> strong chart has lots of songs that you like. The existence of Louie
> Louie can't make you forget the Singing Nun or Bobby Vinton, who
> you'd hear an awful lot if you listened to the radio.
Chuck Berry in the 50s.
The top song of 1958 was Volare. Perez Prado, Billy Vaughn, Perry Como
and Dean Martin were also in the top 10 for that year.
On the 1963 chart, there's the Kingsmen, Dion, the Beach Boys, Martha
and The Vandellas, Shirley Ellis, Chubby Checker, Tommy Roe, The
Secrets, Roy Orbison and Brenda Lee. That's 50% of the chart.
Eric Ramon
>
> The charts back there were always a mix. They weren't all Elvis and
> Chuck Berry in the 50s.
>
> The top song of 1958 was Volare. Perez Prado, Billy Vaughn, Perry Como
> and Dean Martin were also in the top 10 for that year.
>
>
> On the 1963 chart, there's the Kingsmen, Dion, the Beach Boys, Martha
> and The Vandellas, Shirley Ellis, Chubby Checker, Tommy Roe, The
> Secrets, Roy Orbison and Brenda Lee. That's 50% of the chart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYNYGI6fHvk
pretty dire.
here's a real "rocker" from Brenda Lee...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhespUN3frs
and this stirred the kids, from Roy Orbison...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knj9jg6TuDY
BlackMonk
If the latter, then the first Beatles album is just as bad. It's not all
"Please Please Me" and "I Saw Her Standing There." You've got "Do You
Want To Know A Secret," "Misery," "P.S. I Love You," "There's A Place"
and "A Taste of Honey." Brenda Lee and Roy Orbison stand up well against
those. And, really, is Love Me Do any better than that Chubby Checker
single? Going on to the next Beatles album, we have them covering "Till
There Was You." Moving on, there's "And I Love Her" and "Yesterday." The
idea of The Beatles saving rock and roll from the mediocrity of the
American charts just isn't true. They had the same mix that Roy Orbison
and Brenda Lee did. Come to think of it, it's a bit dishonest to
criticize the American charts because of Christmas record that was in
the charts at the end of December.
Eric Ramon
> They had the same mix that Roy Orbison
> and Brenda Lee did. Come to think of it, it's a bit dishonest to
> criticize the American charts because of Christmas record that was in
> the charts at the end of December.
BlackMonk
great talent who frequently made the charts at a time when supposedly
the "wheels came off" American pop.
Really, I'm surprised people still believe that nonsense.
Marcus
gj
>On Sunday, July 5, 2015 at 10:03:28 PM UTC-4, BlackMonk wrote:
>> On 7/5/2015 9:56 PM, Eric Ramon wrote:
>> > On Sunday, July 5, 2015 at 5:56:12 PM UTC-7, BlackMonk wrote:
>> >> They had the same mix that Roy Orbison
>> >> and Brenda Lee did. Come to think of it, it's a bit dishonest to
>> >> criticize the American charts because of Christmas record that was in
>> >> the charts at the end of December.
>> >
>> > or, perhaps, to cite it as an example of good stuff simply because it's Roy Orbison.
>> >
>>
>> No, that's perfectly legitimate, since Roy Orbison was unquestionably a
>> great talent who frequently made the charts at a time when supposedly
>> the "wheels came off" American pop.
>>
>> Really, I'm surprised people still believe that nonsense.
>
>Many people still believe that The Beatles rescued millions of American teenagers from the morose anguish they were feeling about JFK's death.
just after Robert was shot. Oddly I've never heard anyone complain
about that.
-GJ 2.0
Stephen X. Carter
wrote:
>You gotta love the Stones for adding the 'Kennedy' line in Sympathy
>just after Robert was shot. Oddly I've never heard anyone complain
>about that.
"Kennedy" became "the Kennedys".
--
steve.hat.stephencarter.not.com.but.net
Nothing is Beatle Proof!!
Mr Kite posters and more at http://www.zazzle.com/mr_kite*
Mr Kite posters and more at http://www.zazzle.co.uk/mr_kite*
mcbassguitar
minimalist nonsense like "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".'
nowhere man
> On the 1963 chart, there's the Kingsmen
I watched a great documentary the other week on the Mamas and Papas.
Wow, was John Philips talented or what re vocal arrangements.
If he had been in the right environment, he could have written so many more
great songs.
(PS Michelle Philips was so amazing looking back then).
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
gj
<steve@[127.0.0.1]> wrote:
>On Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:40:29 -0400, gj <geminij...@yahoo.com>
>wrote:
>
>>You gotta love the Stones for adding the 'Kennedy' line in Sympathy
>>just after Robert was shot. Oddly I've never heard anyone complain
>>about that.
>
>Pedantically, they changed the line, they didn't add a line.
>
>"Kennedy" became "the Kennedys".
-GJ 2.0
Tim
Marcus
How does one explain why the UK went crazy over The Beatles? Because of sadness and depression about the Profumo scandal? I don't think so.
I don't doubt for a single moment that there were teens in the USA at the time who did view The Beatles as a happy time and diversion from the harsh reality of 11/22/63, but at best it was a view that became accepted as a convenient explanation to the adults' bewilderment over their children's preoccupation with the band (an explanation handed to them by psychiatrists who were their cohorts).
To my mind, there were a few reasons why The Beatles became so popular here in the USA and elsewhere.
The main reason...the music, unlike any other before it.
Marc
hislop
think it is Uni who I have blocked.
Dave The Rave
> Danny Caccavo wrote:
> > If you want to look for serious rip-offs, look under "Led Zeppelin."
> > <g>
> >
> > dc
>
> What will especially get zep-heads goat is the fact that Stairway to
> Heaven's intro is a literal plagiriasm on Randy California's "Spirit".
The band was named Spirit. The song was "Taurus". It is a direct lift.
Dave The Rave
Nil
rec.music.beatles:
> The band was named Spirit. The song was "Taurus". It is a direct
> lift.
"direct lift". About 5 seconds of it is similar, but musically
significantly different. After that, the musics diverge and are
completely different.
p.r.t....@hotmail.com
> For those of us who are true students of the Beatles music, one of the
> first things we did when we became serious about collecting was to
> seek out the original versions of songs the Beatles covered -- or at
> least the versions that prompted the Beatles to include the songs in
> their stage act. They weren't always one and the same, you know.
>
> If you've ever heard the Isley Brothers' version of "Twist and Shout"
> or Chuck Berry's recording of "Roll Over Beethoven" or the Larry
> Williams' single of "Slow Down," it's easy to understand the Beatles'
> affection for '50's R&B. Over the years, Lennon and Harrison in
> particular have paid homage in interviews to these early pioneers of
> rock music. McCartney, on the other hand, like Yoko Ono, is not
> really the type of person who pays homage to other artists.
>
> The genius of the Beatles, of course, is that they were able to take
> songs by other artists and essentially make them their own. Examples
> that immediately come to mind are "Please Mr. Postman", "Money" and
> "Long Tall Sally".....all of which blow away the originals.
>
> But what about the more subtle instances in which the Beatles
> "covered" other artists? I refer here to those Lennon & McCartney and
> Harrison compositions which frankly owe their genesis to other
> artists....some of whom aren't nearly as well-remembered or revered as
> Chuck Berry or a Little Richard.
>
> Yes, the Beatles did indeed steal ideas from other artists. And
> before ya'all start with the flame throwing, keep in mind that Lennon
> himself admitted as much in his later interviews, although he always
> used the word "pinched," which is the British slang equivalent of
> "stole".
>
> Probably the first time the Beatles "stole" from other artists was
> when Lennon and Harrison composed "Cry for a Shadow". If you've ever
> heard the Shadows in their pre-Cliff Richard recordings, then it
> should be obvious this instrumental recorded in 1961 would never have
> seen the light of day but for the Shadows themselves. True, "Cry for
> a Shadow" is a send-up and a rather amusing one at that, but the fact
> remains the basic chords were "pinched." Period.
>
> Some of you probably know that "Do You Want to Know a Secret" was a
> direct rip-off of a song sung by Snow White in the Disney movie. And
> that "Run for Your Life" owes its origin to Elvis' recording of "Baby,
> Let's Play House." But there's much more. George's ethereal guitar
> riff in "If I Needed Someone" was taken directly from the Byrds'
> "Bells of Rhymney." At least George admitted as much at the time.
> .
> And then there's Lennon's million-selling single "I Feel Fine" which
> at the time -- despite the amazingly trite, throwback lyrics a la
> "Love Me Do" --.boasted one of the most imaginative and innovative
> guitar riffs up to that time.
>
> Or so we thought.
>
> Wrong. John sheepishly admitted in an interview in 1974 that
> this "innovative" guitar riff was a direct rip-off of the riff in
> Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step". If you've ever heard Parker's
> recording, you can't help wondering how John escaped a lawsuit. I
> suppose the explanation is that Bobby Parker was -- at that time -- a
> fairly obscure R&B artist, so that no one even realized it.
>
> Of course, the Beatles didn't always manage to escape lawsuits.
> Lennon's "Come Together" crossed that fine line between "borrowing"
> and "plagiarizing" -- in this case from Chuck Berry's "You Can't
> Catch Me". At the time he "wrote" the song, Lennon was reportedly
> hooked on heroin and had a seemingly difficult time coming up with
> decent, new material -- witness crap like "I Dig a Pony" and
>
> publishers of the Chiffons' "He's So Fine". What's both interesting
> and sad is that throughout the remainder of their lives neither Lennon
> nor Harrison ever admitted they had stolen from those songs.
>
> The Lovin' Spoonful -- whose lead singer John Sebastian wrote some of
> the most memorable hits of the mid-'60's -- has the sole distinction
> of being stolen from TWICE by the Beatles. "Good Day Sunshine" was
> clearly a remake of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream". And "Good
> Morning, Good Morning" may not have been a direct remake but was
> clearly inspired and "helped along" by the Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer
> in the City" which was a number one hit in Britain just a few months
> before Lennon wrote "Good Morning". Lennon's song has the exact same
> verse structure that reeks of alienation and boredom....followed by a
> chorus about how "life begins" in the evening, plus a break in the
> song that showcases ambient sounds of the outdoors. In the case of
> GMGM, it's sounds of a foxhunt and dogs, cats, birds. In SITC, it's
> car horns and a jackhammer.
>
> Lennon always insisted that GMGM was solely inspired by a Kellogg's
> Corn Flakes commercial that contained repetitions of the two words
> "Good Morning". Well, perhaps the title of the song was thus
> inspired, but he was clearly being disingenuous about the true origin
> of his song. And it should also be obvious that "Summer in the City"
> is a far better song....a classic, even. "Good Morning, Good Morning"
> never even made it to a "best of" collection.
>
> Interesting how neither McCartney or Lennon ever acknowledged the
> influence of the Lovin' Spoonful on these two songs. I believe that's
> because they were embarrassed that "Good Day Sunshine" and "Good
> Morning Good Morning" didn't come close to matching the quality of the
> songs from which they were derived.
>
> Then there's the memorable opening chord of "Oh Darling" which was
> lifted directly from a song entitled "Florence" by the Paragons, a
> 1950's doo-wop group. McCartney may have escaped plagiarism lawsuits
> so far, but he's never been shy about stealing from other artists. In
> fact, in his post-Beatles career, his most infamous rip-off to date is
> the bridge from "Venus and Mars" which was lifted directly from Dan
> Fogelberg's "Part of the Plan". Likewise, Lennon's "Happy Xmas" was
> dangerously close to a rip-off of Peter Paul and Mary's "Stewball".
> They themselves have complained about it over the years in interviews.
>
> But then let's not forget those artists who stole from the Beatles.
> Eric Clapton did it best in his 1966 cover of Ray Charles' "What'd I
> Say" in which he copied the opening guitar riff of "Day Tripper"
> virtually chord for chord.
>
> C' est la vie. .. yes ..there is an artist ambroise cambell..eni ri nka he..did they, the beetles, steel the music from him..
Norbert K
Lennon did own up to -- or even demonstrate -- some of his acts of lifting -- even once on one of his gust DJ stints in 1974, when he was in a good (Yoko- and paranoia-free) frame of mind.