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25 Years Ago: Puff Daddy Rips Off the Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’
UltimateClassicRock ^ | May 27, 2022 | Allison Rapp

Posted on 05/27/2022 12:28:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Music lost one of its most promising talents when the Notorious B.I.G died at the age of 24 as the result of a Los Angeles drive-by shooting in 1997.

His friends grieved especially. Sean Combs, who's been known as Puff Daddy and Diddy, had been close with B.I.G. since the very beginning: B.I.G. signed to Combs' label Bad Boy Records when it first launched in 1993. Combs also produced and added vocals to several of the tracks on B.I.G.'s debut album, 1994's Ready to Die.

“You get guilt when you lose a friend,” Combs told People magazine in 2017. “It could’ve been you. You have to deal with that. It’s a heavy thing.”

After the Notorious B.I.G.'s death, Combs chose to pay tribute by releasing a song titled "I'll Be Missing You" on May 27, 1997: "Memories give me the strength I need to proceed / Strength I need to believe / My thoughts big I just can't define / Wish I could turn back the hands of time."

"I'll Be Missing You" was an instant hit, debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and winning a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

There was one group, however, who was left out of the success: the Police, whose 1983 song "Every Breath You Take," was heavily sampled throughout "I'll Be Missing You." Combs lifted Andy Summers' famous guitar riff as well as the melody of its chorus, which was sung by Smalls' widow, Faith Evans.

Summers wasn't even aware of the sampling until one of his children pointed it out.

“My 10-year-old came in the house and came over," Summers later told UCR. "He goes, ‘Hey Dad, I want you to come listen to my radio in the room. There’s a guy who is completely doing your guitar thing.’ I went in and it was the first time I’d heard Puff Daddy and whatever he called that song. I went, ‘Oh my God.’”

The Police immediately sprang into action. “We went from there and called the manager,” Summers said. “I think we ended up settling out of court and we got some kind of royalty. But I mean, I think he sold 30 million singles with that track or something, and we didn’t get anything out of it.”

More specifically, Summers didn't get anything out of it. Sting was the only credited writer of "Every Breath You Take," and had not permitted its sampling. He was subsequently awarded 100% of the royalties on “I’ll Be Missing You."

Summers was awarded nothing in what he described years later as the “major rip-off of all time."

"He actually sampled my guitar, and that’s what he based his whole track on," Summers said. "Stewart [Copeland]’s not on it. Sting’s not on it. I’d be walking around Tower Records, and the xxxx thing would be playing over and over. It was very bizarre while it lasted."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: music; police; royalties
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To: nickcarraway

This day in Rap history. Surprised it’s not taught in elementary school
Hools nationwide.


21 posted on 05/27/2022 1:12:53 PM PDT by Leep (Don't say God.)
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To: nickcarraway

This rip-off is so egregious, it makes me ask:
Please tell me that Kid Rock wrote his trash with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s permission. Or, given how stupid and trashy Kid Rock’s song is, maybe tell me he didn’t?


22 posted on 05/27/2022 1:13:14 PM PDT by dangus (I had some sympathies for some of Russia's positions... until they started a G-d-damned war.)
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To: dangus; Dr. Sivana
I can't find any indication there is a connection between EBYT and More Than I Can Say. It's kind of hard to believe since Summers is a much more complex musician than Curtis and Allison. Summers studied classical guitar for 5 years at university, not to mention jazz. He usually uses chords not found in popular music.
23 posted on 05/27/2022 1:14:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Seruzawa

Look up Tom MacDonald.

A rapper with talent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30CDHuiRCrc


24 posted on 05/27/2022 1:14:25 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin ( (Natural born citizens are born here of citizen parents)(Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: dangus

Also, Warren Zevon’s “Wherewolves of London.” Kid Rock really complicates things by not only ripping off Lynyrd Skynyrd, but also ripping off Zevon’s rip-off of the same song!


25 posted on 05/27/2022 1:15:07 PM PDT by dangus (I had some sympathies for some of Russia's positions... until they started a G-d-damned war.)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

I hate to say it, but I’ve heard a handful of rappers that I thought had talent. Kanye West was the only predominantly black one of the bunch. And he ran as a Trump surrogate.

Eminem

Kanye West

Beastie Boys

Rage Against the Machine (why I chose the awkward phrasing, “predominantly black”)

McLemore & Ryan Lewis

Too bad Eminem and McLemore cowered to political correctness. Kinda shocking that it was POSSIBLE for Eminem to become politically correct. And not saying I like Rage, just that they have obvious talent for sound-crafting... if I should given them credit and not some producers.


26 posted on 05/27/2022 1:20:44 PM PDT by dangus (I had some sympathies for some of Russia's positions... until they started a G-d-damned war.)
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To: dangus
"and in the first line, “you” is given two notes."

I thought so. BTW, it was 4/4 time unless I am thinking of another song.

27 posted on 05/27/2022 1:25:04 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1787. Death Certificate - 2021. )
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To: nickcarraway
"Music lost one of its most promising talents when the Notorious B.I.G died..."

I stopped reading right there...

28 posted on 05/27/2022 1:26:00 PM PDT by newfreep (“Leftism, under all of its brand names, is a severe, violent & evil mental disorder.”)
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To: nickcarraway

“Poor Summers, he should have gotten a songwriting credit.”

For playing some arpeggiated chords the whole song? I’m sorry, but it’s probably his least creative guitar riff, and he’s normally a pretty creative guitar player.

But you can’t copyright riffs, or chords, or arpeggiated chords. You can only copyright melodies and lyrics, and that’s why Sting got the credit and not Summers. He should have made an agreement like some bands where all members get credit on every song, no matter their individual contributions, but he didn’t, maybe because Sting might have walked if they had demanded it.


29 posted on 05/27/2022 1:29:01 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: dangus
"Also, Warren Zevon’s “Wherewolves of London.” Kid Rock really complicates things by not only ripping off Lynyrd Skynyrd, but also ripping off Zevon’s rip-off of the same song!"

Huge Wrong! Kid Rock got prior permission from both writers. He even brought Skynard out on stage to transition into Sweet Home Alabama (same chords - D,C,G) at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that year.

30 posted on 05/27/2022 1:30:50 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1787. Death Certificate - 2021. )
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To: Boogieman

Listen to the demo. The song that Sting wrote was the most boring song, that wasn’t interesting at all. Without what Summers added, it never would have been a success.


31 posted on 05/27/2022 1:33:38 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: A Navy Vet; dangus

I just looked it up. Apparently Kid Rock gave no credit to the person who actually came up with the song, Mike Clark.


32 posted on 05/27/2022 1:43:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
"Apparently Kid Rock gave no credit to the person who actually came up with the song, Mike Clark."

Which song? Zevon or Skynard? You do know that there are differences in publisher, writer, and band rights? It's all about what the contract says with the talent and producers/labels.

33 posted on 05/27/2022 1:48:23 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1787. Death Certificate - 2021. )
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To: nickcarraway

I am not a student of music theory, I only know that I and one other person who mentioned it at the time heard a similarity, when hearing the opening:

Yo-oh, Yay-ay
I love you more than I can say

Every breath you take
Every move you make

In retrospect, not enough to sue over, but we both heard “Leo Sayer” when hearing the song for the first time.

I prefer the Big Daddy (NOT “Puff” Daddy) version anyway:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abu6d4dt9PM


34 posted on 05/27/2022 2:01:32 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("It's one thing if it's a minor incursion" - Joe Biden)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

They figure it’s even stevens for rock bands ripping off blues artists.


35 posted on 05/27/2022 2:06:23 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: MDLION

I mean, he named himself a verb, present tense. cause he’s not stung, he’s not stinging....he’s STING.

His real name is Gordon, and he changes it to Sting ? Who’s got the balls to tell their friends to call him Sting ? Cause at one point in his life, he had to remind them :
- Excuse me, from now on would you mind calling me Sting ?

- F___ you. Yeah, my name is Bite and this is my friend Scratch. Now get me a beer, Gordy.

- Sorry. Two beers light, coming right away. I’m gonna grow up and be a rock star, you’ll see. Wherever you go, I’ll watching you …, I’ll watching you …

-Dana Carvey


36 posted on 05/27/2022 2:11:03 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: heavy metal

Let’s just say, if the coffin is going to be Closed, you can get away with murder and “make” the contents fit the container.


37 posted on 05/27/2022 2:12:31 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: dangus
Please tell me that Kid Rock wrote his trash with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s permission.

Most of the band died in a plane crash - there's one remaining continuous member.....what constitutes "Lynyrd Skynyrd" now may as well be a cover band.

They also fell into wokery and disavowed using Confederate symbols - in direct contrast to their original songs like "Sweet Home Alabama"..........at least until fans complained and they realized people were going to stop buying tickets if the band couldn't at least to pretend.

38 posted on 05/27/2022 3:27:40 PM PDT by Repeat Offender (While the wicked stand confounded, call me with Thy saints surrounded.)
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To: carriage_hill

Noise sells right now because the kids dont know any better.

Have you ever listened to any of the cookie monster music some are listening to?

In a way its similar to rap, the difference is that its for white kids that cant sing.


39 posted on 05/27/2022 3:49:07 PM PDT by gnarledmaw (Hive minded liberals worship leaders, sovereign conservatives elect servants.)
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To: nickcarraway

That’s fine, but it doesn’t change the copyright laws. If he had wanted a songwriting credit, the way to get it was to negotiate some agreement with his bandmates, not to whine about it 40 years later.


40 posted on 05/27/2022 3:51:44 PM PDT by Boogieman
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