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Dave's Song of the Day
Sie liebt dich – Die Beatles
Monday song of the day: Today’s song was recorded to appease a German record label.
In 1963, The Beatles were huge. They had just recently burst onto the rock and roll scene and were selling millions of records. However, Odeon Records, a branch of EMI Records that controlled distribution of the Beatles recordings in West Germany, had the idea that the band would sell more in the country if they could release German-language versions of their songs. They made the suggestion to the parent company and eventually a session was set up for The Beatles to record German versions of two of their biggest hits to date, I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You.
The new lyrics could not be straight and literal translations from English into German, which would not easily match up with the rhythms of the music. Instead, the record company brought in Camillo Felgen, a singer from Luxembourg who was fluent in both languages, to rework the lyrics. Felgen strived to rewrite lines into German that would match the musical structure while still keeping the spirit of the original songs’ meanings. The results were Komm gib mir deine Hand (Come, give me your hand) for I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Sie liebt dich for She Loves You. For the second song, the title happened to be a straight translation, but most of the lyrics were not.
The Beatles, with the help of producer George Martin and engineer Norman Smith [who himself later had a hit record as “Hurricane Smith” with Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?, which was song of the day for March 2nd, 2020 here: Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? – Hurricane Smith ] recorded the two songs in Paris.
Recording Komm gib mir deine Hand was pretty straightforward, with the band just singing the new lyrics over the music from the master tapes of I Want to Hold Your Hand. Unfortunately, somehow EMI had lost or destroyed the master tapes for She Loves You, so The Beatles were required to record Sie liebt dich from scratch, playing and recording the music again before adding in the German lyrics. The result was a slightly faster take on the song, and instead of the acoustic guitar John Lennon had played on the original, he used an electric guitar on the German version, so the sound was a bit different. In all, they recorded thirteen takes before Martin was satisfied with the results.
The record was duly released as a double A-sided single in West Germany in February 1964, credited to “Die Beatles”, using the German word for “The.” Like all Beatles product at the time, it sold very well, but ended up not being worth the effort, as their English records sold just as well or better in the country. Thus, that was the only time that The Beatles experimented with recording separate versions for other countries.
In the United States, somehow in 1963 the small Swan Records label had secured the rights to She Loves You because the EMI affiliate Capitol Records had inexplicably passed on the US rights to that Beatles hit. As the US rights holder for She Loves You, when a German version was recorded Swan also claimed the rights to that variant as well and released Sie liebt dich for the US market in May 1964 (backed with the English-language Beatles song I’ll Get You instead of the German Komm gib mir deine Hand because Swan had also held the rights to I’ll Get You as the B-side to their 1963 release of She Loves You). The oddity from Swan Records placed at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Both German songs later appeared on various Beatles compilations over the years.
View: https://youtu.be/YmjnK4zTBhM
Tomorrow: You’re indestructible
Sie liebt dich – Die Beatles
Monday song of the day: Today’s song was recorded to appease a German record label.
In 1963, The Beatles were huge. They had just recently burst onto the rock and roll scene and were selling millions of records. However, Odeon Records, a branch of EMI Records that controlled distribution of the Beatles recordings in West Germany, had the idea that the band would sell more in the country if they could release German-language versions of their songs. They made the suggestion to the parent company and eventually a session was set up for The Beatles to record German versions of two of their biggest hits to date, I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You.
The new lyrics could not be straight and literal translations from English into German, which would not easily match up with the rhythms of the music. Instead, the record company brought in Camillo Felgen, a singer from Luxembourg who was fluent in both languages, to rework the lyrics. Felgen strived to rewrite lines into German that would match the musical structure while still keeping the spirit of the original songs’ meanings. The results were Komm gib mir deine Hand (Come, give me your hand) for I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Sie liebt dich for She Loves You. For the second song, the title happened to be a straight translation, but most of the lyrics were not.
The Beatles, with the help of producer George Martin and engineer Norman Smith [who himself later had a hit record as “Hurricane Smith” with Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?, which was song of the day for March 2nd, 2020 here: Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? – Hurricane Smith ] recorded the two songs in Paris.
Recording Komm gib mir deine Hand was pretty straightforward, with the band just singing the new lyrics over the music from the master tapes of I Want to Hold Your Hand. Unfortunately, somehow EMI had lost or destroyed the master tapes for She Loves You, so The Beatles were required to record Sie liebt dich from scratch, playing and recording the music again before adding in the German lyrics. The result was a slightly faster take on the song, and instead of the acoustic guitar John Lennon had played on the original, he used an electric guitar on the German version, so the sound was a bit different. In all, they recorded thirteen takes before Martin was satisfied with the results.
The record was duly released as a double A-sided single in West Germany in February 1964, credited to “Die Beatles”, using the German word for “The.” Like all Beatles product at the time, it sold very well, but ended up not being worth the effort, as their English records sold just as well or better in the country. Thus, that was the only time that The Beatles experimented with recording separate versions for other countries.
In the United States, somehow in 1963 the small Swan Records label had secured the rights to She Loves You because the EMI affiliate Capitol Records had inexplicably passed on the US rights to that Beatles hit. As the US rights holder for She Loves You, when a German version was recorded Swan also claimed the rights to that variant as well and released Sie liebt dich for the US market in May 1964 (backed with the English-language Beatles song I’ll Get You instead of the German Komm gib mir deine Hand because Swan had also held the rights to I’ll Get You as the B-side to their 1963 release of She Loves You). The oddity from Swan Records placed at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Both German songs later appeared on various Beatles compilations over the years.
View: https://youtu.be/YmjnK4zTBhM
Tomorrow: You’re indestructible
Dave's Song of the Day
Gold – Spandau Ballet
Tuesday song of the day: Today’s song takes self-confidence to a new level.
In the New Wave period of the early 1980s, England’s Spandau Ballet were consistent hit-makers in the UK, but were less popular in the United States than their contemporaries like Duran Duran. They finally broke through in the US in 1983 with the #4 hit True. Their follow-up also hit in the US, but not on the same scale as True.
That record was Gold, a song about believing in yourself. Written by Spandau Ballet’s guitarist and main songwriter Gary Kemp, Gold tells the story of someone returning after time away, with the singer encouraging them to believe that they can accomplish great things. Originally, Kemp intended Gold to be a parody of the types of theme songs used in James Bond movies, particularly Goldfinger. While the title remains in line with that notion, and the music is suitably bombastic, the lyrics morphed into something else altogether. The line “The man with the suit and the face/You knew that he was there on the case” that remains in the final version of the lyrics hints at the original intent, however.
The song was included on the True album, which had already spawned the band’s biggest hit in the title track. As a follow-up to the True single, Gold was released in August 1983 in the UK, and in November for the United States. It went to #2 on the UK Singles chart and was a Top 10 hit in most European countries. In the United States, the single didn’t do nearly as well, managing only to make it to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. While it was the band’s second biggest US hit, the record was nowhere near as successful as the iconic True. The hits continued for Spandau Ballet in the UK for several years after, but the band cracked the Hot 100 in the United States only one more time, with the #34 Only When You Leave in 1984.
Two years after Spandau Ballet’s spoof Bond theme, Duran Duran hit #1 in the US with an actual 007 movie song, the theme for the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill.
Single version
View: https://youtu.be/3VYgLmHIbls
Video
View: https://youtu.be/ntG50eXbBtc
Album version
View: https://youtu.be/vxHZIxkPQ50
Tomorrow: You better ride home babe
Gold – Spandau Ballet
Tuesday song of the day: Today’s song takes self-confidence to a new level.
In the New Wave period of the early 1980s, England’s Spandau Ballet were consistent hit-makers in the UK, but were less popular in the United States than their contemporaries like Duran Duran. They finally broke through in the US in 1983 with the #4 hit True. Their follow-up also hit in the US, but not on the same scale as True.
That record was Gold, a song about believing in yourself. Written by Spandau Ballet’s guitarist and main songwriter Gary Kemp, Gold tells the story of someone returning after time away, with the singer encouraging them to believe that they can accomplish great things. Originally, Kemp intended Gold to be a parody of the types of theme songs used in James Bond movies, particularly Goldfinger. While the title remains in line with that notion, and the music is suitably bombastic, the lyrics morphed into something else altogether. The line “The man with the suit and the face/You knew that he was there on the case” that remains in the final version of the lyrics hints at the original intent, however.
The song was included on the True album, which had already spawned the band’s biggest hit in the title track. As a follow-up to the True single, Gold was released in August 1983 in the UK, and in November for the United States. It went to #2 on the UK Singles chart and was a Top 10 hit in most European countries. In the United States, the single didn’t do nearly as well, managing only to make it to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. While it was the band’s second biggest US hit, the record was nowhere near as successful as the iconic True. The hits continued for Spandau Ballet in the UK for several years after, but the band cracked the Hot 100 in the United States only one more time, with the #34 Only When You Leave in 1984.
Two years after Spandau Ballet’s spoof Bond theme, Duran Duran hit #1 in the US with an actual 007 movie song, the theme for the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill.
Single version
View: https://youtu.be/3VYgLmHIbls
Video
View: https://youtu.be/ntG50eXbBtc
Album version
View: https://youtu.be/vxHZIxkPQ50
Tomorrow: You better ride home babe
Dave's Song of the Day
Run Run Run – Jo Jo Gunne
Wednesday song of the day: Today’s song has only a few actual lyrics.
Singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Jay Ferguson and bassist and singer Mark Andes had left the band Spirit in January 1971, and together formed a new band. The new project, which they called Jo Jo Gunne after a Chuck Berry song title, also included Mark’s brother Matt Andes on guitar and drummer William “Curly” Smith.
After signing to Asylum Records, they spent the rest of the year recording their first album. The self-titled debut was released in early 1972. The first single from Jo Jo Gunne was written by Ferguson and Matt Andes and was called Run Run Run. It was very simple lyrically, with just a few lines telling of someone running from the law, with a chorus that just repeated the words “ooh” and “run” in time with the music. Sometimes a song is more than just the sum of its parts, though, and it turned out to be an exciting and fairly popular song. Run Run Run was Jo Jo Gunne’s first and only hit single, topping out at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band released three more studio albums before breaking up in 1975, but never again cracked the Hot 100 singles chart.
After the breakup, Jay Ferguson had a fairly successful solo career, scoring two Top 40 hits in the late 1970s. [ One of these, the #9 Thunder Island, was Song of the Day for February 26th, 2020 here: Thunder Island – Jay Ferguson ] Later he participated in various Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne reunions.
View: https://youtu.be/cOi0Iv5J45c
Tomorrow: Something’s wrong
Run Run Run – Jo Jo Gunne
Wednesday song of the day: Today’s song has only a few actual lyrics.
Singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Jay Ferguson and bassist and singer Mark Andes had left the band Spirit in January 1971, and together formed a new band. The new project, which they called Jo Jo Gunne after a Chuck Berry song title, also included Mark’s brother Matt Andes on guitar and drummer William “Curly” Smith.
After signing to Asylum Records, they spent the rest of the year recording their first album. The self-titled debut was released in early 1972. The first single from Jo Jo Gunne was written by Ferguson and Matt Andes and was called Run Run Run. It was very simple lyrically, with just a few lines telling of someone running from the law, with a chorus that just repeated the words “ooh” and “run” in time with the music. Sometimes a song is more than just the sum of its parts, though, and it turned out to be an exciting and fairly popular song. Run Run Run was Jo Jo Gunne’s first and only hit single, topping out at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band released three more studio albums before breaking up in 1975, but never again cracked the Hot 100 singles chart.
After the breakup, Jay Ferguson had a fairly successful solo career, scoring two Top 40 hits in the late 1970s. [ One of these, the #9 Thunder Island, was Song of the Day for February 26th, 2020 here: Thunder Island – Jay Ferguson ] Later he participated in various Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne reunions.
View: https://youtu.be/cOi0Iv5J45c
Tomorrow: Something’s wrong
Dave's Song of the Day
Nature’s Way – Spirit
Thursday song of the day: Today’s song was one of the first to address environmental issues.
Yesterday’s post mentioned that Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes, the two founding members of Jo Jo Gunne, had just left the band Spirit. While Ferguson had written many of the songs for Spirit’s first three albums, singer and guitarist Randy California (born Randy Craig Wolfe) was much more of creative force for the band’s fourth album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. The shift of power within the group led to tensions, and while touring to support the album in January 1971, California accused Ferguson and Andes of trying to take over the band. They then left to form Jo Jo Gunne.
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus was released in November 1970. Three singles were released from the album, with only one, Animal Zoo, breaking into the Hot 100, at a disappointing #97. The album itself also didn’t sell well, managing to place only at #63 on the album chart, lower than the band’s previous three albums.
The last single was Nature’s Way, a song Randy California wrote about life in general and environmental concerns in particular. At the time, California was frequently using LSD, and while the drug may have helped his songwriting, it probably didn’t do much good for relationships within Spirit. Nature’s Way did not even make it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #111.
Then something odd happened. While Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus and Nature’s Way were initially flops, months later DJs on college radio stations and other outlets took a liking to the album, and especially the single, and started giving them considerable airtime. This gradually spurred sales and created a growing audience for Spirit. While not enough to put them on the charts, the steady volume of record sales over time eventually resulted in Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus reaching sales that qualified it for gold status in 1976, making it Spirit’s only gold record. Over the years the album has become recognized as an outstanding example of the psychedelic rock era, and Nature’s Way has lived on as a classic rock radio staple and is Spirit’s most well-known song.
Randy California disbanded Spirit in 1972, but the band reformed a few years later. Various reunions and personnel changes followed, until 1997, when California drowned in Hawaii and Spirit came to an end.
View: https://youtu.be/qvQa04JP73o
Tomorrow: And my spirit is crying for leaving
Nature’s Way – Spirit
Thursday song of the day: Today’s song was one of the first to address environmental issues.
Yesterday’s post mentioned that Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes, the two founding members of Jo Jo Gunne, had just left the band Spirit. While Ferguson had written many of the songs for Spirit’s first three albums, singer and guitarist Randy California (born Randy Craig Wolfe) was much more of creative force for the band’s fourth album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. The shift of power within the group led to tensions, and while touring to support the album in January 1971, California accused Ferguson and Andes of trying to take over the band. They then left to form Jo Jo Gunne.
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus was released in November 1970. Three singles were released from the album, with only one, Animal Zoo, breaking into the Hot 100, at a disappointing #97. The album itself also didn’t sell well, managing to place only at #63 on the album chart, lower than the band’s previous three albums.
The last single was Nature’s Way, a song Randy California wrote about life in general and environmental concerns in particular. At the time, California was frequently using LSD, and while the drug may have helped his songwriting, it probably didn’t do much good for relationships within Spirit. Nature’s Way did not even make it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #111.
Then something odd happened. While Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus and Nature’s Way were initially flops, months later DJs on college radio stations and other outlets took a liking to the album, and especially the single, and started giving them considerable airtime. This gradually spurred sales and created a growing audience for Spirit. While not enough to put them on the charts, the steady volume of record sales over time eventually resulted in Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus reaching sales that qualified it for gold status in 1976, making it Spirit’s only gold record. Over the years the album has become recognized as an outstanding example of the psychedelic rock era, and Nature’s Way has lived on as a classic rock radio staple and is Spirit’s most well-known song.
Randy California disbanded Spirit in 1972, but the band reformed a few years later. Various reunions and personnel changes followed, until 1997, when California drowned in Hawaii and Spirit came to an end.
View: https://youtu.be/qvQa04JP73o
Tomorrow: And my spirit is crying for leaving
I just accidentally realized Weezer put out a new album today! I have listened to it three times already and if you are a fan of the band you will love this one! It is so much better than their last few. It sounds more like their earlier work like Pinkerton and it is levels better than their more recent releases.
Simple musically but fun, good-mood tunes...
View: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFDgx9Ce_rvWHft-d2Whh4n2zAckgTB43
Simple musically but fun, good-mood tunes...
View: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFDgx9Ce_rvWHft-d2Whh4n2zAckgTB43
Dave's Song of the Day
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Friday song of the day: Despite what your ears tell you, a court says that today’s song is totally not plagiarized.
Yesterday’s song was written by Randy California, and he and his band Spirit also figure into today’s classic song by a much more well-known group.
Guitarist Jimmy Page had been in the successful band The Yardbirds, and in July 1968 when that band broke up, he recruited singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones to form a band that he called The New Yardbirds (although at some early shows it was still referred to simply as The Yardbirds, with other former members authorizing Page’s new project to play some shows with that name in order to fulfill the original band’s contractual obligations.) The New Yardbirds name lasted only until October, when it was replaced by Led Zeppelin.
For some of their 1968 shows, Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit. On Spirit’s first album was an instrumental track written by Randy California called Taurus. It was never released as a single and was essentially filler on the album. A few years later in 1971, Led Zeppelin was now a huge band and included an epic song entitled Stairway to Heaven on their fourth studio album (Which was untitled except for some runic symbols, but is generally referred to by the unofficial title Led Zeppelin IV.)
Stairway to Heaven was not released as a single at the time, but it became the centerpiece of the album and Led Zeppelin’s live shows, as well as a classic rock radio staple. It is a long and complex song, but the intro includes an acoustic guitar part that sounds very much like Spirit’s Taurus. For years this went mostly uncommented upon, but later it became apparent that several Led Zeppelin songs used portions of other artists’ compositions without proper attribution or paying of royalties. For instance, among other well-documented examples of plagiarism, the band was successfully sued in the 1970s for The Lemon Song, which lifted portions of Howlin’ Wolf’s Killin’ Floor, and in 1985 for Whole Lotta Love using large parts of You Need Love by Willie Dixon. Thus, in 2014, the estate of the late Randy California (real name Randy Craig Wolfe) sued Led Zeppelin, claiming that Stairway to Heaven had stolen portions of Taurus. Considering the sales of Led Zeppelin IV and various compilations featuring Stairway to Heaven, the case was potentially worth millions of dollars.
In 2016 the case was decided in favor of Led Zeppelin, but two years later this ruling was overturned. The judge in the original case had given the jury several incorrect instructions, which necessarily led them to rule that no plagiarism had occurred. With the original ruling overturned, the case went back to court. This time the case was heard by a panel of eleven judges in the US Ninth District, and the ruling released in March 2020 decided that Stairway to Heaven did not infringe on the Taurus copyright. Lastly, in October 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal of the case, thus ending the possibility of further adjudication. Officially and legally, the intro to Stairway to Heaven is not stolen.
Listen and decide for yourself, however…
Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven, 1971
View: https://youtu.be/iXQUu5Dti4g
Spirit, Taurus, 1968
View: https://youtu.be/JBwqHhQHw1w
Stairway to Heaven/Taurus comparison
View: https://youtu.be/deVNnnuf24w
Tomorrow: I got sunshine in a bag
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Friday song of the day: Despite what your ears tell you, a court says that today’s song is totally not plagiarized.
Yesterday’s song was written by Randy California, and he and his band Spirit also figure into today’s classic song by a much more well-known group.
Guitarist Jimmy Page had been in the successful band The Yardbirds, and in July 1968 when that band broke up, he recruited singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones to form a band that he called The New Yardbirds (although at some early shows it was still referred to simply as The Yardbirds, with other former members authorizing Page’s new project to play some shows with that name in order to fulfill the original band’s contractual obligations.) The New Yardbirds name lasted only until October, when it was replaced by Led Zeppelin.
For some of their 1968 shows, Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit. On Spirit’s first album was an instrumental track written by Randy California called Taurus. It was never released as a single and was essentially filler on the album. A few years later in 1971, Led Zeppelin was now a huge band and included an epic song entitled Stairway to Heaven on their fourth studio album (Which was untitled except for some runic symbols, but is generally referred to by the unofficial title Led Zeppelin IV.)
Stairway to Heaven was not released as a single at the time, but it became the centerpiece of the album and Led Zeppelin’s live shows, as well as a classic rock radio staple. It is a long and complex song, but the intro includes an acoustic guitar part that sounds very much like Spirit’s Taurus. For years this went mostly uncommented upon, but later it became apparent that several Led Zeppelin songs used portions of other artists’ compositions without proper attribution or paying of royalties. For instance, among other well-documented examples of plagiarism, the band was successfully sued in the 1970s for The Lemon Song, which lifted portions of Howlin’ Wolf’s Killin’ Floor, and in 1985 for Whole Lotta Love using large parts of You Need Love by Willie Dixon. Thus, in 2014, the estate of the late Randy California (real name Randy Craig Wolfe) sued Led Zeppelin, claiming that Stairway to Heaven had stolen portions of Taurus. Considering the sales of Led Zeppelin IV and various compilations featuring Stairway to Heaven, the case was potentially worth millions of dollars.
In 2016 the case was decided in favor of Led Zeppelin, but two years later this ruling was overturned. The judge in the original case had given the jury several incorrect instructions, which necessarily led them to rule that no plagiarism had occurred. With the original ruling overturned, the case went back to court. This time the case was heard by a panel of eleven judges in the US Ninth District, and the ruling released in March 2020 decided that Stairway to Heaven did not infringe on the Taurus copyright. Lastly, in October 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal of the case, thus ending the possibility of further adjudication. Officially and legally, the intro to Stairway to Heaven is not stolen.
Listen and decide for yourself, however…
Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven, 1971
View: https://youtu.be/iXQUu5Dti4g
Spirit, Taurus, 1968
View: https://youtu.be/JBwqHhQHw1w
Stairway to Heaven/Taurus comparison
View: https://youtu.be/deVNnnuf24w
Tomorrow: I got sunshine in a bag
Good post, thanks. I’ve heard about this one for years. Personally, the intro still sounds stolen to me. But who am into judge ?Dave's Song of the Day
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Friday song of the day: Despite what your ears tell you, a court says that today’s song is totally not plagiarized.
Yesterday’s song was written by Randy California, and he and his band Spirit also figure into today’s classic song by a much more well-known group.
Guitarist Jimmy Page had been in the successful band The Yardbirds, and in July 1968 when that band broke up, he recruited singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones to form a band that he called The New Yardbirds (although at some early shows it was still referred to simply as The Yardbirds, with other former members authorizing Page’s new project to play some shows with that name in order to fulfill the original band’s contractual obligations.) The New Yardbirds name lasted only until October, when it was replaced by Led Zeppelin.
For some of their 1968 shows, Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit. On Spirit’s first album was an instrumental track written by Randy California called Taurus. It was never released as a single and was essentially filler on the album. A few years later in 1971, Led Zeppelin was now a huge band and included an epic song entitled Stairway to Heaven on their fourth studio album (Which was untitled except for some runic symbols, but is generally referred to by the unofficial title Led Zeppelin IV.)
Stairway to Heaven was not released as a single at the time, but it became the centerpiece of the album and Led Zeppelin’s live shows, as well as a classic rock radio staple. It is a long and complex song, but the intro includes an acoustic guitar part that sounds very much like Spirit’s Taurus. For years this went mostly uncommented upon, but later it became apparent that several Led Zeppelin songs used portions of other artists’ compositions without proper attribution or paying of royalties. For instance, among other well-documented examples of plagiarism, the band was successfully sued in the 1970s for The Lemon Song, which lifted portions of Howlin’ Wolf’s Killin’ Floor, and in 1985 for Whole Lotta Love using large parts of You Need Love by Willie Dixon. Thus, in 2014, the estate of the late Randy California (real name Randy Craig Wolfe) sued Led Zeppelin, claiming that Stairway to Heaven had stolen portions of Taurus. Considering the sales of Led Zeppelin IV and various compilations featuring Stairway to Heaven, the case was potentially worth millions of dollars.
In 2016 the case was decided in favor of Led Zeppelin, but two years later this ruling was overturned. The judge in the original case had given the jury several incorrect instructions, which necessarily led them to rule that no plagiarism had occurred. With the original ruling overturned, the case went back to court. This time the case was heard by a panel of eleven judges in the US Ninth District, and the ruling released in March 2020 decided that Stairway to Heaven did not infringe on the Taurus copyright. Lastly, in October 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal of the case, thus ending the possibility of further adjudication. Officially and legally, the intro to Stairway to Heaven is not stolen.
Listen and decide for yourself, however…
Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven, 1971
View: https://youtu.be/iXQUu5Dti4g
Spirit, Taurus, 1968
View: https://youtu.be/JBwqHhQHw1w
Stairway to Heaven/Taurus comparison
View: https://youtu.be/deVNnnuf24w
Tomorrow: I got sunshine in a bag
American Standard is a tragically underrated album.
but I came here to say I was listening to
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3y9llDXuM
with the kids. I was like "you guys know who Iron Maiden is, right?"
quizzical looks and we spent the next 20m covering critical Maiden.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3y9llDXuM
with the kids. I was like "you guys know who Iron Maiden is, right?"
quizzical looks and we spent the next 20m covering critical Maiden.
Dave's Song of the Day
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
Saturday song of the day: Today’s song really has nothing to do with the famous actor.
Gorillaz is a virtual band, created by Damon Albarn of Blur and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. Members of the band were depicted in cartoons, with Albarn playing the part of Stewart Harold “2-D” Potts, Phil Cornwell playing Murdoc Niccals, along with Noodle (voiced by a few different people over the years), and Remi Kabaka as the character Russel Hobbs.
Their first album, simply titled Gorillaz, was released on March 26th, 2001. The first single was Clint Eastwood, released a few weeks before the album on March 5th. The song was titled after the actor, but it really had nothing to do with Clint Eastwood, other than a few musical passages being reminiscent of the music Ennio Morricone wrote for spaghetti westerns starring Eastwood in the 1960s. The actual lyrics concerned the singer’s hopes for the future. The line “sunshine in a bag” also comes from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, when Eastwood’s character refers to a saddlebag full of gold as “sunshine in a bag.” Albarn sang the verses as the character 2-D, while guest artist Del Tha Funkee Homosapien provided the song’s rapping segments.
Clint Eastwood was a bigger hit in Europe than in the United States. It placed at #4 on the UK singles chart, and was in the Top 10 in several other European countries. In the United States, it managed only a #57 showing on the overall Billboard Hot 100 but did place at #3 on the more narrowly focused Alternative Airplay chart.
Audio
View: https://youtu.be/Qzb2VcBuA3U
Video
View: https://youtu.be/1V_xRb0x9aw
Tomorrow: And then it happened
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz
Saturday song of the day: Today’s song really has nothing to do with the famous actor.
Gorillaz is a virtual band, created by Damon Albarn of Blur and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. Members of the band were depicted in cartoons, with Albarn playing the part of Stewart Harold “2-D” Potts, Phil Cornwell playing Murdoc Niccals, along with Noodle (voiced by a few different people over the years), and Remi Kabaka as the character Russel Hobbs.
Their first album, simply titled Gorillaz, was released on March 26th, 2001. The first single was Clint Eastwood, released a few weeks before the album on March 5th. The song was titled after the actor, but it really had nothing to do with Clint Eastwood, other than a few musical passages being reminiscent of the music Ennio Morricone wrote for spaghetti westerns starring Eastwood in the 1960s. The actual lyrics concerned the singer’s hopes for the future. The line “sunshine in a bag” also comes from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, when Eastwood’s character refers to a saddlebag full of gold as “sunshine in a bag.” Albarn sang the verses as the character 2-D, while guest artist Del Tha Funkee Homosapien provided the song’s rapping segments.
Clint Eastwood was a bigger hit in Europe than in the United States. It placed at #4 on the UK singles chart, and was in the Top 10 in several other European countries. In the United States, it managed only a #57 showing on the overall Billboard Hot 100 but did place at #3 on the more narrowly focused Alternative Airplay chart.
Audio
View: https://youtu.be/Qzb2VcBuA3U
Video
View: https://youtu.be/1V_xRb0x9aw
Tomorrow: And then it happened
Dave's Song of the Day
This Magic Moment – Jay and the Americans
Sunday song of the day: Today’s song is about a first kiss.
Songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote a song called This Magic Moment in 1959. The song told of a first kiss leading to a new romance and was recorded two days before Christmas 1959 by The Drifters. At that time, Ben E. King was the lead singer for The Drifters. Clyde McPhatter had left the group in 1964, and various other singers had taken his place for a few years, until Ben E. King filled the position from 1958 to 1960.
The Drifters’ recording of This Magic Moment was released in late January 1960 and was hit. The record peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #4 on the R&B chart.
Several years later a group called Jay and the Americans recorded a cover version. Jay and the Americans had several hit records in the early and mid-1960s, but by 1968 they hadn’t had a Top 40 hit in a few years. Their plan was to release an album of covers of previous hit songs, which was called Sands of Time. The first single from the album (which was actually released a few months before Sands of Time) was their version of This Magic Moment. It ended up being a bigger hit than the Drifters’ original, placing at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. This revitalized the band’s career for a while, and they repeated the formula in 1970 with an album of cover songs called Wax Museum, which yielded a #19 hit with a cover of The Ronettes’ 1964 record Walking in the Rain. After that, Jay and the Americans never again had a Top 40 hit.
Jay and the Americans, 1968
View: https://youtu.be/T-b_SC6H5vg
The Drifters, 1960
View: https://youtu.be/KOAuhjb2e1Y
Tomorrow: You’ve got something that I can’t live without
This Magic Moment – Jay and the Americans
Sunday song of the day: Today’s song is about a first kiss.
Songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote a song called This Magic Moment in 1959. The song told of a first kiss leading to a new romance and was recorded two days before Christmas 1959 by The Drifters. At that time, Ben E. King was the lead singer for The Drifters. Clyde McPhatter had left the group in 1964, and various other singers had taken his place for a few years, until Ben E. King filled the position from 1958 to 1960.
The Drifters’ recording of This Magic Moment was released in late January 1960 and was hit. The record peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #4 on the R&B chart.
Several years later a group called Jay and the Americans recorded a cover version. Jay and the Americans had several hit records in the early and mid-1960s, but by 1968 they hadn’t had a Top 40 hit in a few years. Their plan was to release an album of covers of previous hit songs, which was called Sands of Time. The first single from the album (which was actually released a few months before Sands of Time) was their version of This Magic Moment. It ended up being a bigger hit than the Drifters’ original, placing at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. This revitalized the band’s career for a while, and they repeated the formula in 1970 with an album of cover songs called Wax Museum, which yielded a #19 hit with a cover of The Ronettes’ 1964 record Walking in the Rain. After that, Jay and the Americans never again had a Top 40 hit.
Jay and the Americans, 1968
View: https://youtu.be/T-b_SC6H5vg
The Drifters, 1960
View: https://youtu.be/KOAuhjb2e1Y
Tomorrow: You’ve got something that I can’t live without
Dave's Song of the Day
I Can’t Wait – Nu Shooz
Monday song of the day: Today’s song didn’t become a hit until a remix added synthesizer and changed the feel of the music.
The band Nu Shooz released their second album in 1985. The album, Tha’s Right, included a song called I Can’t Wait, which was released as a single on the small Poolside Records label. I Can’t Wait was popular in the band’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, but did not gain much nationwide attention. Somehow, a DJ and producer in the Netherlands, Peter Staghuis, heard the record and did a remix of the song, adding a bouncy synthesizer track and electronically tweaking the vocals. The original version had been a more conventional arrangement, with a heavy emphasis on horns.
This remix became available in the United States as a Dutch import and caught the attention of Atlantic records, who signed Nu Shooz. In 1986, Atlantic released Nu Shooz’s third album, Poolside, which included the Peter Staghuis remix of I Can’t Wait. The song was again released as a single in its remixed version, and this time became a hit in places other than Portland. The record climbed to #1 on the Dance Club chart, and also crossed over to the mainstream pop chart, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also placed at #2 on the UK singles chart and was in the Top 10 in several European countries. The follow-up single, Point of No Return, was also a hit at #28 on the Hot 100. Two years later Nu Shooz had a single place at #41, but after 1988 the band never again had a record on the Hot 100 chart.
Original, 1985
View: https://youtu.be/3n5-VNZD8yE
Remix, 1986
View: https://youtu.be/iNngC1Ea2rA
Video
View: https://youtu.be/UJ1tBVtYOBc
Tomorrow: Somehow she still believes him
I Can’t Wait – Nu Shooz
Monday song of the day: Today’s song didn’t become a hit until a remix added synthesizer and changed the feel of the music.
The band Nu Shooz released their second album in 1985. The album, Tha’s Right, included a song called I Can’t Wait, which was released as a single on the small Poolside Records label. I Can’t Wait was popular in the band’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, but did not gain much nationwide attention. Somehow, a DJ and producer in the Netherlands, Peter Staghuis, heard the record and did a remix of the song, adding a bouncy synthesizer track and electronically tweaking the vocals. The original version had been a more conventional arrangement, with a heavy emphasis on horns.
This remix became available in the United States as a Dutch import and caught the attention of Atlantic records, who signed Nu Shooz. In 1986, Atlantic released Nu Shooz’s third album, Poolside, which included the Peter Staghuis remix of I Can’t Wait. The song was again released as a single in its remixed version, and this time became a hit in places other than Portland. The record climbed to #1 on the Dance Club chart, and also crossed over to the mainstream pop chart, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also placed at #2 on the UK singles chart and was in the Top 10 in several European countries. The follow-up single, Point of No Return, was also a hit at #28 on the Hot 100. Two years later Nu Shooz had a single place at #41, but after 1988 the band never again had a record on the Hot 100 chart.
Original, 1985
View: https://youtu.be/3n5-VNZD8yE
Remix, 1986
View: https://youtu.be/iNngC1Ea2rA
Video
View: https://youtu.be/UJ1tBVtYOBc
Tomorrow: Somehow she still believes him
Dave's Song of the Day
I Can’t Wait – Stevie Nicks
Tuesday song of the day: In the video for today’s song, the artist was visibly high.
Yesterday’s song was a hit record released in 1985 entitled I Can’t Wait. Since it’s Groundhog Day, today’s song is a hit record released in 1985 entitled I Can’t Wait.
The difference is that yesterday’s I Can’t Wait was by a mildly successful band called Nu Shooz, and today’s is an entirely different song by Stevie Nicks, member of the massively successful band Fleetwood Mac with a very big solo career as well.
Stevie wrote her I Can’t Wait with help from songwriters Rick Nowells and Eric Pressly. It was included on her third solo album, Rock a Little. In the United States, I Can’t Wait was released as the album’s second single in December 1985 and was a moderately big hit. The album’s first single, Talk to Me, was a #4 hit. I Can’t Wait was not quite that successful but still managed to place at a respectable #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Personally, I find nothing particularly compelling about the song. It’s pretty standard for 1980s Stevie Nicks, and nowhere near as memorable as some of her better non-Fleetwood Mac work, like Edge of Seventeen, Leather and Lace, or Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. Still, it found an audience.
The music video for the song is also pretty routine for Stevie Nicks, with lots of twirling in flowing dresses and closeups of her singing. One thing that is of note is that she admits to being high as a kite while filming the video. Once you know, it’s pretty obvious when watching. She later said, “I look at that video, I look at my eyes, and I say to myself, ‘Could you have laid off the pot, the coke and the tequila for three days, so you could have looked a little better? It just makes me want to go back into that video and stab myself.”
Audio
View: https://youtu.be/slMib1riwnw
Video
View: https://youtu.be/aYrgcUojxLE
Tomorrow: My heart is full of love and desire for you
I Can’t Wait – Stevie Nicks
Tuesday song of the day: In the video for today’s song, the artist was visibly high.
Yesterday’s song was a hit record released in 1985 entitled I Can’t Wait. Since it’s Groundhog Day, today’s song is a hit record released in 1985 entitled I Can’t Wait.
The difference is that yesterday’s I Can’t Wait was by a mildly successful band called Nu Shooz, and today’s is an entirely different song by Stevie Nicks, member of the massively successful band Fleetwood Mac with a very big solo career as well.
Stevie wrote her I Can’t Wait with help from songwriters Rick Nowells and Eric Pressly. It was included on her third solo album, Rock a Little. In the United States, I Can’t Wait was released as the album’s second single in December 1985 and was a moderately big hit. The album’s first single, Talk to Me, was a #4 hit. I Can’t Wait was not quite that successful but still managed to place at a respectable #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Personally, I find nothing particularly compelling about the song. It’s pretty standard for 1980s Stevie Nicks, and nowhere near as memorable as some of her better non-Fleetwood Mac work, like Edge of Seventeen, Leather and Lace, or Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. Still, it found an audience.
The music video for the song is also pretty routine for Stevie Nicks, with lots of twirling in flowing dresses and closeups of her singing. One thing that is of note is that she admits to being high as a kite while filming the video. Once you know, it’s pretty obvious when watching. She later said, “I look at that video, I look at my eyes, and I say to myself, ‘Could you have laid off the pot, the coke and the tequila for three days, so you could have looked a little better? It just makes me want to go back into that video and stab myself.”
Audio
View: https://youtu.be/slMib1riwnw
Video
View: https://youtu.be/aYrgcUojxLE
Tomorrow: My heart is full of love and desire for you
Dave's Song of the Day
Don’t Leave Me This Way – Communards
Wednesday song of the day: Today’s song was a Top 40 hit for two separate artists.
Note: Due to dealing with kidney stones, this entry for Wednesday had to wait until Thursday.
Written by the famous team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, with assistance from Cary Gilbert, Don’t Leave Me This Way was a song about someone trying to prevent a breakup. It was first recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1975, with Teddy Pendergrass singing the lead. It was included on the album Wake Up Everybody, but not released as a single.
Two years later, the song was covered by Thelma Houston for her album Any Way You Like It. The label originally planned to have Diana Ross sing the song, but instead gave it to Houston. That worked out very well for her, with Don’t Leave Me This Way released as the album’s first single in December 1976, and the upbeat rendition going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1977 Houston won the Grammy for Best Female R&B performance for the record. In addition, her success led to the release of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes original as a single. While the older version did not chart in the United States, it did become a #5 hit in the United Kingdom while the Thelma Houston cover managed only to place at #13 in the UK.
Then in 1986, an English group called Communards released a cover in a disco-fied arrangement. Fronted by former Bronski Beat singer Jimmy Somerville, Communards brought in Sarah Jane Morris as a guest singer for Don’t Leave Me This Way. The record featured a contrast between Somerville’s high falsetto singing and the lower female voice of Morris. The Communards cover was a huge hit in the UK, reaching #1 on the singles chart. In the United States it did not do quite so well, being only a minor hit at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Communards, 1986
View: https://youtu.be/1RHBAd5YUR8
Thelma Houston, 1976
View: https://youtu.be/rUdw7V-FC_Q
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, 1975
View: https://youtu.be/MnIkcB8GObo
Tomorrow: Fifty thou a year’ll buy a lotta beer
Don’t Leave Me This Way – Communards
Wednesday song of the day: Today’s song was a Top 40 hit for two separate artists.
Note: Due to dealing with kidney stones, this entry for Wednesday had to wait until Thursday.
Written by the famous team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, with assistance from Cary Gilbert, Don’t Leave Me This Way was a song about someone trying to prevent a breakup. It was first recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1975, with Teddy Pendergrass singing the lead. It was included on the album Wake Up Everybody, but not released as a single.
Two years later, the song was covered by Thelma Houston for her album Any Way You Like It. The label originally planned to have Diana Ross sing the song, but instead gave it to Houston. That worked out very well for her, with Don’t Leave Me This Way released as the album’s first single in December 1976, and the upbeat rendition going all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1977 Houston won the Grammy for Best Female R&B performance for the record. In addition, her success led to the release of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes original as a single. While the older version did not chart in the United States, it did become a #5 hit in the United Kingdom while the Thelma Houston cover managed only to place at #13 in the UK.
Then in 1986, an English group called Communards released a cover in a disco-fied arrangement. Fronted by former Bronski Beat singer Jimmy Somerville, Communards brought in Sarah Jane Morris as a guest singer for Don’t Leave Me This Way. The record featured a contrast between Somerville’s high falsetto singing and the lower female voice of Morris. The Communards cover was a huge hit in the UK, reaching #1 on the singles chart. In the United States it did not do quite so well, being only a minor hit at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Communards, 1986
View: https://youtu.be/1RHBAd5YUR8
Thelma Houston, 1976
View: https://youtu.be/rUdw7V-FC_Q
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, 1975
View: https://youtu.be/MnIkcB8GObo
Tomorrow: Fifty thou a year’ll buy a lotta beer
Dave's Song of the Day
The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades – Timbuk 3
Thursday song of the day: Today’s song is about a nuclear holocaust.
The husband-and-wife duo known as Timbuk 3 had not yet begun their first album when Barbara MacDonald mentioned to her husband that “The future is looking so bright; we’ll have to wear sunglasses.” Pat MacDonald liked the phrase and wrote it down as the seed for a song. He shortened it to The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades, and instead of the original positive sentiment, he twisted the meaning. The song ended up telling the story of a student of nuclear physics contemplating a career making nuclear weapons. Instead of rosy prospects, the bright future instead referred to nuclear explosions, presumably in a war. Many listeners, however, missed that context and presumed the song told of happiness about future career prospects.
The album Greetings from Timbuk3 was released in October 1986, and the single The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades was the band’s only hit. It placed at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and while Timbuk 3 had a few later songs place on the lower reaches of US Mainstream Rock chart, they never again broke into the Hot 100.
Audio
View: https://youtu.be/nsRKleS-Ihk
Video
View: https://youtu.be/8qrriKcwvlY
Tomorrow: The kind you find in a secondhand store
The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades – Timbuk 3
Thursday song of the day: Today’s song is about a nuclear holocaust.
The husband-and-wife duo known as Timbuk 3 had not yet begun their first album when Barbara MacDonald mentioned to her husband that “The future is looking so bright; we’ll have to wear sunglasses.” Pat MacDonald liked the phrase and wrote it down as the seed for a song. He shortened it to The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades, and instead of the original positive sentiment, he twisted the meaning. The song ended up telling the story of a student of nuclear physics contemplating a career making nuclear weapons. Instead of rosy prospects, the bright future instead referred to nuclear explosions, presumably in a war. Many listeners, however, missed that context and presumed the song told of happiness about future career prospects.
The album Greetings from Timbuk3 was released in October 1986, and the single The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades was the band’s only hit. It placed at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and while Timbuk 3 had a few later songs place on the lower reaches of US Mainstream Rock chart, they never again broke into the Hot 100.
Audio
View: https://youtu.be/nsRKleS-Ihk
Video
View: https://youtu.be/8qrriKcwvlY
Tomorrow: The kind you find in a secondhand store