Guest Post by Shaun Cronin By Amanda on December 11, 2008 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)
I beg forgiveness dear reader for having to mention Coldplay on this fine blog, but I would like to do so in correcting some misonceptions of an alleged music journalist.
It was on ABC's PM radio show on Wednesday night. SMH journo Bruce Elder had this to say about the Joe Satriani/Coldplay plagiarism case:
"It is almost that it is almost impossible to define what constitutes plagiarism in music, particularly in popular music because there are so many songs that are very similar. I mean all you have to do is listen to a very old classic which is the Archies' Sugar, Sugar and I believe that the chord progression in Sugar, Sugar has been used in something like 20 or 30 other pop songs."
The 12 bar blues is one of the most widely used chord progressions in music history. Yet no-one bothers fighting a plagiarism case over using it (and not just because establishing the origins of the progression would be almost impossible) because it is not the chord progression that gets people into trouble for music plagiarism cases. It is the melody. Elder would known that if he would have done some simple research. UK guitarist Garry Moore recently was busted because a guitar solo of his was very similar to a German pop song. And then there is the case of George Harrison and My Sweet Lord.
Of course, bands do copy their influences. But that is a different kettle of fish. The copying of influence tends to relate to more intagible elements such as style and sound.
So Elder has it wrong but that does not mean Satriani has a case. But to my ears, there is a definite similarity in the melody and it will be an interesting case to follow if it gets to the courts.
Amanda's note: There is a audio-visual comparison of the two songs here.
By Kman
on December 12, 2008 8:03 PM
Alleged is right.
BElder...The man who on release, described Bobs Time Out Of Mind as......well, who cares to remember anyway.
As for plagarism, there are just 12 colours on the single note western music palate and like a diamond, you either make it shine or...its just coal baby (I wrote that) if 4/4 was plagiarism, then every drummer on this side of the NYC would be in trouble.
Otherwise, I have 1 spare reserve seated ticket for L. Cohen in a Perth Winery.
Section B...3060 reserved seats only if you care to slum it 20 rows back on the West side of the map.
say hi to Mary and JDlove when you see them.
Best
Keith
WA