Satriani files lawsuit against Coldplay

[STINNETT]

Gary Moore just lost a case over "Still Got The Blues" here in Germany. The German band Jud's Gallery (successfully) claimed he had ripped of their song "Nordrach" from 1974 (the opening solo/melody, chord progressions and bass line of SGTB specifically).

Funny thing is: Though recording the song in 1974 in a radio session, Jud's Gallery never released a recording of said song prior to the year 2000! (A decade after Moore put out SGTB)

Said song was only played at local gigs in the mid-seventies and played "at least once" on the (regional) radio.

So basically the court said Moore must have heard the song in the seventies and remembered it when writing SGTB in 1990.

So listen to the beginning of SGTB:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx3yXUunEq8

... and compare it to "Nordrach" at 5:23:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe-uwEqTjd0

Yeah, that's dead on, but man, that line is so generic. I can guarantee you that I have played that phrase practically note for note a thousand times and I've never heard that song. I see that one as very likely being a coincidence. A phrase like that should be impossible to copyright.

 

[Damphire]

I thought Satch was better than this :-(

 

[J the TyranT]

Christ, can you guys stop hating on Satch, seriously? Its not like he's got a history of being a douchebag or any of that.

But ok, YOU go ahead and write a song... 4 years later, Ill take it, make a shitload more off of it, and put it in commercials... see if you're not the least bit pissed off

 

[Zuranthus]

Big +1, it seems like a very common melody - I'm not familiar with these laws though, does Satch have to prove that it was intentional plagiarization, or just that they're similar enough, and what will he get out of it, royalties?

just similar enough...if you want to, which i know you don't, you can go look up the Vanilla Ice plagiarism case

 

[MT01]

Unfortunately Satch has only got two hopes of winning this one: Bob Hope and no hope.

Shame, as Coldpaly are the most over-hyped, over-rated, mind-numbingly, spirit-crushingly boring band of the 00's. uke:

 

[deanbailey]

Ok, even with the evidence against Coldplay, and their history with being previously accused...(I'm favoring neither Satch nor Coldplay btw 'cause I think this whole thing is stupid)...could it just not be possible with the CRAZY amount of songs that currently exist in the 21st century that maybe, just maybe there's one song you wrote that sounds really (unintentionally) close to another?

I really don't feel like researching the current amount of existing songs and working out the odds but, Jesus, shit happens...

 

[Ermz]

As I wrote elsewhere...

Is he upset because they used a similar idea but actually produced it into something highly catchy and marketable? It's his own fault for not quitting the wanking and actually writing a real song for a change...

I don't understand the issue. Why can't both songs be derivatives of the same idea? If one is niche and the other is marketable, a lawsuit only implies envy on one party's behalf. It's not Coldplay's fault that Satch couldn't sell the same idea to millions.

 

[LydonB]

As I wrote elsewhere...

Is he upset because they used a similar idea but actually produced it into something highly catchy and marketable? It's his own fault for not quitting the wanking and actually writing a real song for a change...

I don't understand the issue. Why can't both songs be derivatives of the same idea? If one is niche and the other is marketable, a lawsuit only implies envy on one party's behalf. It's not Coldplay's fault that Satch couldn't sell the same idea to millions.

I don't exactly think Satch planned on writing music to market to millions of people. The guy is probably one of the best guitarist alive right now (imo) and he is barely talked about by the mainstream. If both songs were derivatives of the same idea, they would sound more different than they do. It is ridiculous how much Coldplay's tune sounds like Satch's. For a band that sells as many albums as Coldplay, they should really be ashamed if they indeed did genuinely rip off Satch's idea.

And I don't get the comment about quitting the wanking and writing a real song. I am pretty sure the point of his writing is so he can play guitar, not so he can sell 5 million records in a week. Different objectives from different artists imo. What about Satch's tunes make them not a real song?

But you need to put yourself in his shoes. What if you wrote a tune and a few years later some dudes came and ripped part of it off. Wouldn't you be pissed? I know I would.

 

[MT01]

I doubt if Coldplay even knew who Satch is before this lawsuit.

 

[RockGuitarX]

Shame, as Coldpaly are the most over-hyped, over-rated, mind-numbingly, spirit-crushingly boring band of the 00's. uke:

Nice

 

[cobhc]

I too hope Satch wins, but only because I don't like Coldplay. There is a shitload of songs with very similar melodies. Two that come to mind at the moment, one of the newer Madonna tracks using the melody from Gimme Gimme Gimme by Abba (not sure if she was licensed for this or not), also Children Of Bodoms Punch Me I Bleed, and Pantera's Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks (very similar melody on the intro).

 

[Sloan]

Another guy at another forum mentioned that it sucks for Satch because when he plays HIS song, people will think he's trying to play some coldplay song. that sux.

 

[Sloan]

wut?
i just listened to the first 10 or so seconds of each song and they're completely fucking different pieces of work. this is bullshit.

 

[006]

LOL Sloan.

Seriously, it is stupid. I have this one riff I wrote years ago, and recorded it with a friend on drums. The file is dated plainly. At the time I had never even heard of Bloodbath, never heard any of their music, etc. A couple of years later I get into Bloodbath and whaddya know? My riff is the main part of one of their songs.

The point is that there's only so much that any person can do, musically (when speaking about melodies). Unless a "musical revolution" occurs and we have 57-fret guitars and somehow devise a totally different tonal system, music will be the same shit rehashed/rearranged/chopped-up/altered/flipped backwards/etc. that we've all heard from other people already for a pretty f'in long time. Let's face it, "original" in the truest sense is hard to come by these days when it comes to music.

~006

 

[Chryst Krispies]

I could've sworn some other guy said that this song (Coldplay) was a rip off of his too. Just some random indie group that had a very similar melody.

EDIT

 

[egan.]

LOL Sloan.

Seriously, it is stupid. I have this one riff I wrote years ago, and recorded it with a friend on drums. The file is dated plainly. At the time I had never even heard of Bloodbath, never heard any of their music, etc. A couple of years later I get into Bloodbath and whaddya know? My riff is the main part of one of their songs.

The point is that there's only so much that any person can do, musically (when speaking about melodies). Unless a "musical revolution" occurs and we have 57-fret guitars and somehow devise a totally different tonal system, music will be the same shit rehashed/rearranged/chopped-up/altered/flipped backwards/etc. that we've all heard from other people already for a pretty f'in long time. Let's face it, "original" in the truest sense is hard to come by these days when it comes to music.

~006

Yeah, I think that there are real cases of plagiarism in the world but 5 seconds of similar melody over a two chord progression isn't it.
I keep waiting for all of the punk bands, ska bands and folk singers to sue each other.

 

[006]

exactly

 

[Metaltastic]

And I don't get the comment about quitting the wanking and writing a real song. I am pretty sure the point of his writing is so he can play guitar, not so he can sell 5 million records in a week. Different objectives from different artists imo. What about Satch's tunes make them not a real song?

THANK YOU

I too hope Satch wins, but only because I don't like Coldplay. There is a shitload of songs with very similar melodies. Two that come to mind at the moment, one of the newer Madonna tracks using the melody from Gimme Gimme Gimme by Abba (not sure if she was licensed for this or not), also Children Of Bodoms Punch Me I Bleed, and Pantera's Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks (very similar melody on the intro).

Oh dude, Bodom is the worst with fucking ripoffs! Jesus christ, I've NEVER heard a band with so many obvious derivatives - the big ones to me:

"We're not gonna fall" opening riff - Shadows Fall's "What Drives the Weak"
"Lil Bloodred Riding Hood" chorus - Dissection's "Night's Blood" chorus
"Bodom Beach Terror" opening drum beat/riff - Carcass' "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" opening riff

And I'm sure the list goes on of bands I haven't heard. At least none of the above Bodom songs were singles!

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Bodom also snagged a slew of Mozart and Bach riffs on their first few discs too. Not that that is a bad thing.

 

[The-Zeronaut]

When i started playing guitar the only thing i listened was metallica, slipknot ,vai and satriani.(dont blame me XD now i listen all kinds of music)
one day i make a very catchy chorus riff ...and i put it in one song...
one week later my singer said to me "men...that riff is from coal chamber"...i havent got a clue about who were coal chamber...so i searched the song ...and it was THE SAME RIFF...EXACT NOTES AND EXACT TEMPO...
other day i make a really fucking br00tal intro for a song...3 days later listening to dimmu borgir...it was the main riff of
puritania...


im not defendind coldplay...i hate them and i really wish that satriani wins..but i only say that...this shit happens...

if i make a riff and it sounds like a bulb song (i really wish i can compose something barely similar XDD) even if i love the riff...i would never use it...i really hate when i heard a band and i think "this is a rip off of lamb of god/in flames/metallica (for example)" and i would be ashamed if i make a song and someone says "that riff is from "insert band name here"


p.s: sorry if theres something wrong with the english