[dangus]

The RIGHT way to rip off the Police:

Mark Knopfler realized that the melody in his head for “Money for Nothing” (”I want my... I want my... I want my MTV”) was actually the Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close to Me.” (”Don’t stand so... Don’t stand so... Don’t stand so close to me”) Hesitant to ditch the entire song, he called Sting, looking to reach some sort of arrangement.

The result? That’s Sting, not Mark Knopfler, singing the refrain on Dire Strait’s biggest hit.

[nickcarraway]

No, that's not how it happened. The original version of the song did not have that melody in it. Sting happened to be in Montserrat. Knopfler played the song for him, and Sting loved it, so Knopfler said, why don't you add something to it. So Sting said, "I want my MTV," to the tune of Don't Stand so Close to Me. I don't thing Sting should have gotten songwriting credit for that. It was part of the performance, not the composition.

By today's court standards, [See the Marvin Gaye estate lawsuit against Robin Thicke/Pherell] Knopfler would have to give songwriting credit to ZZ Top for Money for Nothing.

Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top said Knopfler called him many times asking how he got his "dirty guitar," sound. Gibbons refused to tell him anything, but Money for Nothing was Knopfler's attempt to recreate it.