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Cat Stevens: Coldplay Stole My Song (Yusuf Islam Accuses Chris Martin of 'Vida La Vida' Theft)
New Music Express ^ | May 4, 2009

Posted on 05/04/2009 10:41:31 AM PDT by lewisglad

Cat Stevens has said that he believes that Coldplay's hit 'Viva La Vida' is a take-off of his own song, 'Foreigner Suite'.

Coldplay recently denied accusations by guitarist Joe Satriani, who claims that the band ripped him off for the song – but Stevens has since told The Sun that it's he who the band had been taking inspiration from.

"There's been this argument about Coldplay stealing this melody from Joe Satriani," he said. "But, if you listen to it, it's mine! It's the [1973 song] 'Foreigner Suite', it is!"

Stevens did not suggest that he would take legal action against the band.

In 2003 The Flaming Lips agreed to split royalties for their song 'Fight Test' with Stevens after it was deemed to be similar to his 1970 hit 'Father And Son'


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: catstephens; catstevens; crazy; idiot; nutcase
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To: a fool in paradise

How bout Blind Melon Chitlin?


21 posted on 05/04/2009 10:55:40 AM PDT by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: lewisglad

I don’t hear it.


22 posted on 05/04/2009 10:57:10 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: lewisglad

thanks for posting the link. After listening, I think Cat is right.
It’s pretty simple melody, and I imagine more than one artist could “create” it...but it sure sound like this.


23 posted on 05/04/2009 10:57:24 AM PDT by ElayneJ
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To: cripplecreek
Blind Baby, Blind Baby...uhh...what the hell is 'Ding Dong'

I think he's gonna show you, J.R.

we'll never fit that on the album cover!

24 posted on 05/04/2009 10:58:20 AM PDT by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: abb

Did you go to 5:15?


25 posted on 05/04/2009 10:58:23 AM PDT by ElayneJ
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To: LibertyThug

My post in #17 was an attempt at a joke claiming James Carville looks like an alien.


26 posted on 05/04/2009 10:59:27 AM PDT by earlJam
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To: ElayneJ

Ok. Yes, similar but I doubt it would stand up in court.


27 posted on 05/04/2009 11:03:20 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: earlJam

Sorry, I accidently posted to you instead of to #1. LOL.


28 posted on 05/04/2009 11:03:56 AM PDT by LibertyThug ("Equal rights for all, special privileges for none." Jefferson)
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To: lewisglad
MITCH BENN - Everything sounds like coldplay Now
29 posted on 05/04/2009 11:04:05 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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bookmark


30 posted on 05/04/2009 11:05:33 AM PDT by jersey117
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To: dfwgator

Coldplay will be irrelevant and gone the way of Oasis by 2012. They are on borrowed time. There will be another british act that will come storming out of the woods of mediocrisy and take the world by storm.


31 posted on 05/04/2009 11:07:05 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache (An oath to a liar is no oath at all)
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To: ConorMacNessa

I thought he was going by Yusuf Islam these days.
_____

Not when he’s playing shows. He wants his old fans to attend so he must use the Cat Stevens name.

I confess, as one raised in the shadows of the Great Folk Scare in the 60s, that I enjoyed his music back in the day.

He became a complete non-entity to me when he supported the fatwah against Salmon Rushdie. I would not attend one of his shows if paid to do so.


32 posted on 05/04/2009 11:07:46 AM PDT by dmz
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To: abb

I agree.


33 posted on 05/04/2009 11:08:28 AM PDT by ElayneJ
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To: lewisglad

It is a simple melody, and there are only so many melodies out there. It could well be that Yusuf Islam’s piece was heard by the person who wrote this. But it could also not be. No way to know for sure.

In any case, the arrangement is different, the lyrics are different, and the refrain is different. Different enough, I would say.


34 posted on 05/04/2009 11:10:12 AM PDT by gridlock (L'Etat, c'est Barack...)
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To: ElayneJ

A little bit off subject, but interesting bit of trivia.

The original.
The Exciters - Do Wah Diddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ep-JvUqyU&feature=related

The cover.
Manfred Mann - Do Wah Diddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsgyVkT5GW4


35 posted on 05/04/2009 11:10:42 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: lewisglad
Coldplay = Music for the uber gay man
36 posted on 05/04/2009 11:11:45 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (I am an extremist that was created by Butch Napolitano.)
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To: a fool in paradise
>Joe Satriani ripped off Cat Stevens?

Soon it will come out
that Ashlee Simpson really
wrote all of these songs...

37 posted on 05/04/2009 11:21:38 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: abb

Wow - the first version is great! I’ve never heard of The Exciters. Much better than Manfred Mann, IMO.
Cool to see the footage of the Ed Sullivan Show. The keyboardist looks like Austin Powers. :)


38 posted on 05/04/2009 11:23:15 AM PDT by ElayneJ
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To: LibertyThug

Listen to Cat at about 5:17 into the song


39 posted on 05/04/2009 11:25:50 AM PDT by jps098
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To: ConorMacNessa

That would be “Joe Muslim” to us English-speaking types....

hh


40 posted on 05/04/2009 11:45:25 AM PDT by hoosier hick (Gotta go, millions of Obama supporters are counting on me to pay their mortgages)
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