Posted on 02/04/2009 10:13:35 AM PST by Blue Highway
I watched a video on youtube where this guy went in-depth on the chord progression, etc. His take was that Coldplay was screwed.
Worth repeating !
I think you can sample 4 bars for free or something like that.
The "Surfing with the Alien" album cover depicts the Marvel Comics character the Silver Surfer on the front and the hand of Galactus on the back. The image is from Silver Surfer #1 (1982). The artist, John Byrne, has noted that the image was used without Marvel's permission and that he has never received payment for its use. The art is lifted from panel 1 of page 6 of SILVER SURFER #1 published in 1982. [2]
But coolio(sp?) got POed with Weird Al did “Amish Paradise”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvB9Pj9Znsw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLt_Hu8bHFc&feature=related
Translation: “Nobody’s gonna show up today at the studio.”
Agreed. I mean you look at the George Harrison case and this is much more obvious than that.
I don’t know if Coldplay deliberately did it. I mean, I doubt they heard the song and then decided to copy it thinking they wouldn’t get caught because Satch is an obscure shredder who’s really only known by hard core guitarists and no one would notice. I give them the benefit of the doubt there, although I wouldn’t be shocked if they did.
More likely is that one of the guys had heard it somewhere and it sort of stayed there in the back of his mind somewhere and when whoever it was that came up with the chords(which is certainly believeable, lots of songs have the same chords)the melody line from the Satriani song just naturally drifted back.
But I think he has a good case and would probably win or at least end settling for a decent chunk of change. If you look at Coldplay’s catalog, their songs tend to be pretty distinctive(Clocks, The Scientist, In My Place, etc...) They have a fairly distinctive sound(lthough I think in general they’re pretty much just trying to be U2), and I can’t think of any other song of theirs that even comes close to ripping off another song like this one. In fact, I can’t think of another song period where the connection is as apparent as it is here.
If you know something about music it’s very apparent, but even if you don’t it is. I bet you could stop 100 people on the street and play the two songs, overlap the Satriani solo with the Coldplay song, and 99 out of 100 would say they’re part of the same song.
Here’s the 2nd part of youtube thing where this guy plays the songs side by side and shows how the Coldplay song has the same progression, the same metronome tempo, and then on the solo part how the Coldplay melody is even the same notes as the Satriani solo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJWLfpOecyE&feature=related
i bet they end up settling
Maybe Coldplay can call Obama and Deval Patrick ini as witnesses, they seem to be ok with plagiarism. “Just notes” will be their motto.
Uh.....can someone please show me a chord progression that Satriani hasn’t played at some point?
Satriani has a case as the law goes and we are a nation of laws. A judge will decide.
However, ultimately almost all music is theft. That’s a fact and anyone with music theory training will be forced to agree. Too many songs, too few notes. The mathematical odds of it happening by accident are not astronomical due to the rules of music composition and the fact that 90% of possible progressions of notes (& or chords) are displeasing, dissonant or just noise. What’s left narrows the field considerably.
I once composed a great 3 chord progression and recorded it. It turned out to be very nearly Aerosmith’s “Seasons of Wither” with new lyrics and a different bridge. Did I trash the song? No, because Aerosmith aren’t gonna sue me - I’ve got nothing. If it becomes a hit, fine, sue me, I’ll share. However it happened, it’s Coldplay’s turn.
He never did the stupid publicity stunt that Kenny G did by playing a single note for 33 minutes.
On another plagiarizing note, I read yesterday that the AP is suing that whatshisname guy, Fairy, that make that obnoxious Obama “Change” poster that uses their photograph. Fairy’s claiming fair use, but somehow I don’t think that covers gouging people for $500 per signed copy.
Pretty much, yea, thats’ how it goes. Tom Petty tried this a few years ago with allegations against a Chili Pepper song. Far as I know, that fizzled.
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