Red Hot Rip-off Merchant Peppers?

MrJoeSoap

Ok, so before yesterday I was fairly 'meh' as regards the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, neither a lover nor a hater of their music. I had, however, a couple of slight concerns over the originality of their music. Now these two examples are slightly trivial, and its probable that they may just be coincidental, but have a listen if you can.

The intro to 'Cant Stop' and the intro to Jeff Buckley's 'Eternal Life'.
The intro to 'By The Way' and the intro to AFI's 'Morningstar'.

Okay, slight similarities there...

However, yesterday I came across a website comparing the latest Chilli's offering 'Dani California' to a Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers song entitled 'Mary Jane's Last Dance'. Here's the article:

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are currently enjoying success with their new album Stadium Arcadium, but this success could soon be clouded by allegations of plagiarism.

Last week, radio presenter Dan Gaffney of Delaware-based WGMD accused the band of ripping off Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He claims that the leading single from the new album, "Dani California," sounds almost identical to Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance".

"Mary Jane's Last Dance" was first released on the Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers album Greatest Hits in 1993 as a previously unreleased track. They even won an MTV award for the video for the song in 1994.

Gaffney's show producer, Jarred Morris has posted a track on his blog demonstrating the similarities between the songs. He is quoted as telling reporters:

"The chord progression, the melody, the tempo, the key, the lyrical theme... they're identical."

Morris is keeping track of the madness on his blog, even blogging about a death threat, along with a whole slew of hate mail. It's hard to understand why this is happening, as the two songs sound very much alike.

It is unknown whether RHCP intentionally made the song sound like "Mary Jane's Last Dance." There is still a very fine line between flattery and plagiarism. Neither band has commented on this new allegation.

One can only hope RHCP get burned for releasing such a crappy single.

Here is a link to the track comparing both songs, check it out and let me know what you think of it. I don't actually own any Chilli's albums so I'm not in a position to make any judgements on their other offerings, but maybe someone else can.

http://www.jared-morris.com/blog/petty.mp3

Zapp Brannigan

Yup has been covered in here (where the thread was locked) and also a lengthy thread in Music.

MrJoeSoap

Oops sorry. Same page and all, my bad.

funky_buddah

I also thought "DANI California" was a ringer for "Sweet home Alabama".

Giblet

MrJoeSoap wrote:

The intro to 'Cant Stop' and the intro to Jeff Buckley's 'Eternal Life'.

And the intro to Cherub Rock by The Smashing Pumpkins.

Stretching here I think, I admit that Dani California sounds like a rip off, but just because some songs use similar chord progressions or TWO notes that were used in another song doesn't mean they ripped anything off.

Motley Crue

sounds similar alright, looks like their in a little bit of trouble so.....

In/Casino/Out

I heard that "Californication" was to be the name of Mr. Bungle's album but the RHCP stole it and Mr. Bungle had to change their album name to just "California". Anyone know if this is true?

X-SL

it is

Mossy Monk

MrJoeSoap wrote:

The intro to 'Cant Stop' and the intro to Jeff Buckley's 'Eternal Life'

wow, the similarity is uncanny

lodgepole

In/Casino/Out wrote:

I heard that "Californication" was to be the name of Mr. Bungle's album but the RHCP stole it and Mr. Bungle had to change their album name to just "California". Anyone know if this is true?

Californication is a portmanteau word derived from bumper stickers frequently seen on cars in the state of Oregon during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The stickers said "Don't Californicate Oregon" in reference to the ongoing massive influx into Oregon of people from California. This shift was brought about largely by the completion of Interstate 5 in 1964. Prior to that time, the main route into Oregon from California was via the twisty, two-lane Oregon Highway 99. Towns like Medford, Eugene and Portland have tripled or more in size since 1964, and this population shift has been added to by the massive movement of legal and illegal immigrants mainly into the West Coast states from south of the border. The word is a blend of California and fornication, and is usually intended to convey an obscene alternate meaning.

Any links that actually mention Mr Bungle and the album title?

Nea

http://www.bunglefever.com/faq.html#I.14
Some stuff about Patton/Kiedis.

Faith No More were better than RHCP imo.

The song Desecration Smile off the new album sounds like something else but it hasnt come to me yet!!!

projectmayhem

In/Casino/Out wrote:

I heard that "Californication" was to be the name of Mr. Bungle's album but the RHCP stole it and Mr. Bungle had to change their album name to just "California". Anyone know if this is true?

yup.
(apparently)

Nea wrote:

http://www.bunglefever.com/faq.html#I.14
Some stuff about Patton/Kiedis.

Faith No More were better than RHCP imo.

fmn were better then rhcp by a country mile...
thanks for the link though, there's still loads of stuff on that site i've never read

lodgepole

So they didn't in fact steal the name of the album from Mr. Bungle, they had an album with a similar title and the record label chose to delay release to avoid confusion?

Seems to me like some people are clutching at straws to prove that any and everything they ever did was ripped off in some way.

Is the idea that Faith No More may have been influenced a little by the band so upsetting? It doesn't make FNM any worse a band...

Beekay

Just as a side note Mr.Bungle and FNM piss all over RHCP

fifth

I don't buy it. RHCP have done so much great stuff over the years, you won't sway me. Look at my nickname for jesus sake. I've been a fan for years and I think if you are a true fan, you know the band.

Beekay

funkyflea wrote:

I don't buy it. RHCP have done so much great stuff over the years, you won't sway me. Look at my nickname for jesus sake. I've been a fan for years and I think if you are a true fan, you know the band.

Buy what?theres nothing to buy it there for all ears to hear

Funkstard

The Jaywalks - Waiting for the sun.

Looks like Tom Petty in turn did a little pilfering of his own. The Jaywalks opened for Tom Petty in a tour in '92.

To me, yes there are blatant similarities between Dani California & Mary Jane's Last Dance, but it's a chord progression used in a thousand songs. Perhaps in this case imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. RHCP are well known to love Tom Petty.

fifth

Beekay wrote:

Buy what?theres nothing to buy it there for all ears to hear

Don't diss a decent band like the RHCP when you have a Metallica signature beneath ye.

Chilis have been around a long time, successful musicians and I find a lot of people tend to hop on the band wagon when there's rhcp dissing going on.

Doctor J

funkyflea wrote:

Don't diss a decent band like the RHCP when you have a Metallica signature beneath ye.

Chilis have been around a long time, successful musicians and I find a lot of people tend to hop on the band wagon when there's rhcp dissing going on.

Enough of the handbags. People are entitled to like and dislike whoever they want. Get over it. There is no dissing going on here, just people discussing similarities between two musical pieces.

Beekay

funkyflea wrote:

Don't diss a decent band like the RHCP when you have a Metallica signature beneath ye.

Chilis have been around a long time, successful musicians and I find a lot of people tend to hop on the band wagon when there's rhcp dissing going on.

ha ha,i can see there is no point in saying anymore about it.At least im able to see when a band i like has done something bad:rolleyes:

fifth

Believe me, I am not saying they haven't had their fair share of mistakes in the past either, but the rip off thing I just don't think is there.

Beekay

funkyflea wrote:

Believe me, I am not saying they haven't had their fair share of mistakes in the past either, but the rip off thing I just don't think is there.

We will agree to disagree then:D