Guitarist Joe Satriani rips Coldplay on plagiarism

Although accusations of plagiarisms by people against each other have been around for quite a long time, plagiarism in this day and age of the internet have become so easy and rampant (not only in the music industry, mind you!) that any dickhead can copy certain materials and post them in a website and without even batting an eyelash claim the said body of works as theirs. .

I personally know some people who shamelessly pass themselves off as writers when in fact all their materials were culled from various sources online. It’s really funny on what extent some phony people would do to earn some unearned glory and undeserved recognition. What gives? Just to soothe one’s ego and make one look cool to the people around you? It’s laughable if you ask me. But in this particular blog entry we will just zero- in on this particular incident.

The latest case of guitarist Joe Satriani accusing Coldplay of plagiarism is just another footnote in the long history of allegations that is quite inherent in the music business.

The guitar virtuoso is claiming that the British band stole his music from his 2004 instrumental “If I Could Fly” by incorporating it to their hit, “Viva La Vida“ the carrier of their chart- topping album “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” which earned them recently seven Grammy Nominations including record and song of the year.

Joe Satriani, according to reports is taking the British band to task and taking them to court “seeking a jury trial, damages and “any and all profits” attributable to the alleged copyright infringement.”

Funny but this is not the first time that Coldplay is accused of plagiarism for the same song. Earlier in the year, Creaky Boards, an obscure band from New York also accused them of plagiarizing their song, “The Songs I Didn’t Write.”


Sometime ago there were even claims that they plagiarized one of Ashlee Simpson’s’ songs. Actually it's the other way around. Anyway, who cares, huh? Ha-ha-ha.

The merits of Mr. Satriani’s law suit against Coldplay are still to be determined by the courts. But in many cases, the result often varies; some were successful while others simply fail to take off while some, the concerned artists simply shrugged them off.

The list of people being accused/guilty of plagiarism is actually quite long and endless in the music industry; from Madonna to Britney Spears to Timbaland to Avril Lavigne to Bruce Springsteen to Nirvana to every Tom, Dick and Harry in the business and so on and so forth…

Here are just some of the few famous cases of plagiarism that were eventually settled in and out of courts; George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love” and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Dani California.”

Another example is Vanilla Ice’s hit “Ice Ice Baby” whose riff were stolen from the David Bowie/Queen collaboration “Under Pressure.”

Also add the opening of Scorpions’ classic “Always Somewhere” vis-à-vis Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”

People can always deny the accusations and refute the allegations by citing all kinds of excuses and justifications. They may even win the court battles for the real truth does not emerge from litigation in most cases.

Still, common sense and decency dictates that if you take something from somebody somewhere, it’s only right to credit the source of your material. And it is never wrong to apologize for one’s transgressions whether it is by omission or intention.

Lastly, the moral of the story is, if it doesn’t belong to you, don’t pass it off as yours. And don't be afraid to tell the truth, for the truth will set you free.

Doctor's appointment: A Promise to Keep

Dr. Pepper, the soft drink company who made a promise many moons ago that they will give a free pop to everyone in the USA if the much- hyped and much-delayed Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy will ever see the light of day.

Well, don't look now but it seems that Axl Rose has finally attained enlightenment and the album will hit the stores two days from now and in the words of Tony Jacobs, Dr. Pepper’s vice- president for marketing,

“We never thought this day would come. But now that it’s here, all we can say is: The Dr. Pepper’s on us.”

So, on Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site and they'll be honored until Feb. 28 next year.

Here's the New York Times' background story of the Chinese Democracy saga, "How Axl Rose Spent All That Time"



UPDATE:

Dr. Pepper failed to keep its promise. The Doctor failed to honor the appointment and a lot of fans were left holding an empty bottle, so to speak.

A Taste of Journey II

Yes, you can have a taste of Journey and give some to Charity, too.

The 2007 REVELATION Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, a collaboration between De La Montanya Winery * Vineyards and Journey is now on sale at both the band's and winery's website.

Proceeds will go to the Bay Area Children's Charity of San Francisco.





A Taste of Journey 1

Back on the Road: Metallica

Energized heavyweights Metallica begin world tour...

"The (Led) Zeppelin mystique and that KISS thing about who are these larger-than-life comic book characters didn't interest me," Ulrich told Reuters on Tuesday, as nearly 20,000 fans at the Jobing.com hockey arena waited impatiently for their heroes.

Such bold words from Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich. If you want to read the full article, click here

Billboard: New Guns N' Roses Single Hits Radio Tomorrow

October 21, 2008 , 5:15 PM ET

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

The title track from Guns N' Roses' new album, "Chinese Democracy," will be available to download by U.S. radio outlets at 5 a.m. ET tomorrow morning (Oct. 22). Although some album tracks leaked this summer, this is the first authorized new music from the group in nine years.

As previously reported, "Chinese Democracy" the album is due Nov. 23 exclusively via Best Buy. The 14-track set includes only three songs that have not either been performed live or leaked online in recent years.

Guns N' Roses was last on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in 1999 with "Oh My God," its contribution to the "End of Days" soundtrack. The song peaked at No. 26. Prior to that, it hadn't appeared on the tally since 1994, when its cover of "Sympathy for the Devil" from the "Interview With a Vampire" soundtrack reached No. 10.

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RollingStone: Q&A: Journey's Arnel Pineda

"I'm trying to fill up very, very big shoes"

ANDY GREENE Posted Oct 02, 2008 11:41 AM

In Issue 1062 Rolling Stone spoke to Arnel Pineda about what seems like the dream gig of a lifetime: going on tour with Journey after being plucked from obscurity when the band caught him singing "Faithfully" on YouTube. Here's more of our conversation with the 41-year-old Filipino vocalist, as he opens up about the hardships of the road and how he learned about landing the job.

How's the tour going? It's gotta be a blast playing to such gigantic crowds.

Yeah, it is, it is. For an Asian guy like me, to be in a band, you know it's so surreal. It's some sort of a miracle it happened to me. It changed my life, overnight. Everything hasn't sunk in yet.

Do you remember the first time you heard Journey's music?

Oh, I think I was 10 or 11 years old. I think the first song I learned about then was "Open Arms." Then when I got tired of listening to "Open Arms" I borrowed my friend's Journey album, Escape, and tried to listen to every song. Basically I learned "Stone in Love," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Who's Crying Now" — that album. Journey are very big in the Philippines.


Your old band the Zoo used to cover Journey, right?

Just once every six months. When me and my guitar player went back to the Philippines from Hong Kong to form the Zoo there was this guy who remembered me singing Journey songs in the Eighties. So he yelled out the song "Faithfully," so we [played it], and then they recorded it, and those were one of the videos that were uploaded on YouTube.

So how were you first contacted by Journey?

When Neal Schon discovered the videos on YouTube, he tried to find my friend's e-mail address, so he found it and he sent him an e-mail claiming that he's Mr. Neal Schon and he's from Journey and he's serious about getting me to San Francisco to try out as their frontman. When my friend forwarded the e-mail to me, I was just laughing. I just told him that this is one of the biggest jokes I have ever received from someone. "It's a hoax," I tell him. "You shouldn't believe it."

But my friend insisted that, "Why don't you just try replying? Maybe he's really Neal Schon." But I told him that Neal Schon is one of the biggest guitar players in the world. I don't think he will ever waste his time for me. But my friend is a very persistent guy. So I e-mailed Neal Schon back and after 10 minutes he called me. But then he had to convince me that he was really Neal Schon, because I was asking him about his identity.


What kind of questions?

Like, "Are you really Neal Schon?" I was trying to challenge him to go Webcam to Webcam conversation through Yahoo! Messenger, because I told him, "I know very well the face of Neal Schon. You have to show your face so I can believe you." And then he was laughing hard and he was telling me, "Believe me, my friend. This is Neal Schon and I'm serious about me offering you to audition for my band."

After a while I felt his sincerity, so I gave in and then we exchanged numbers and I told him that we just released an album in the Philippines and we have a manager so it may be a bit of a problem. So [he spoke to my manager] and then we had an agreement that they're gonna help me find a way to process my application for a visa to get to San Francisco, and the rest was history.

Tell me about first meeting the band and your first audition.

Well I was in awe. I was star-struck, because, you know, my God, in the flesh. Real life, real time, I get to see them, I get to shake their hands ... And I was very nervous. It was nerve-wracking because, for the first time, I'm gonna sing with one of the most popular, the best bands in the world. It was lots of tremendous mixed emotion.


How did they tell you that you had the job?

Mr. Neal Schon broke it to me, the good news. I was in a hotel, he picked me up, and then he told me. I was on my way downstairs and he told me, "You got the job, boy."


Can you explain to me the sensation of walking onstage in front of all those people for the first time?

It's very scary. I was so terrified. I was just very, very afraid. Two minutes before we hit the stage, I told them that I just want to back out. But Neal Schon told me, "No. It's too late now. You can't back out anymore." So there I go. He pushed me a little, like, kiddingly, "Go. Go. Sing for us."

And how's the tour been so far? Are you more comfortable onstage now?

I am quite comfortable with the stage now, but, for me, it's still a very grueling tour. I haven't done this before. I may have done an every-night gig in Hong Kong because I was there for almost 16 years, and in Manila, Philippines, I did gigs there. After the gig, you get to go home to the same place and same house, but here, it's like ... you know? You get to experience disrupted sleep ... You get to sleep a couple of hours in the bus and then they wake you up and then you need to try to sleep back in the hotel, and then they wake you up ... two o'clock in the afternoon to do sound check, and then you have to wait there until nine o'clock.

So it's very hectic. It's very stressful. It's a very, very challenging job. It's a fantastic job, but at the same time it's a curse. Trying to fill up very, very big shoes.


It has got to be fun, on tour, to be seeing the whole country, right?


Oh, I never get to enjoy them because, it's all buses, stage, microphone, hotel rooms. I never really get to go around and walk out and just see the place. I have off days, but I would prefer resting.


It has got to be lonely at times without your family.

It is. It is very, very sad. There are days I would break down and cry. But, you know. I just have to be man enough to face that this is a job I'm doing for my family. That's all the consolation that I'm getting. That's the only thought.

It's got to be fun to be onstage, though, and see all these huge crowds.

Yeah, it is. Of course. Until now ... I still feel I'm wondering, "Why am I here with these very famous guys onstage every night?" I'm still like, "Wow, this is not really happening." But it is, you know. It's a wonderful feeling, but at the same time, it's scary. I'm just trying to enjoy it while it lasts.

Do you think it's going to be done some day? Do you think maybe you'll quit if it's too much touring?

Well, I personally told Mr. Neal Schon that the only thing that will make me quit is if I get sick. If I can't do it anymore, then I just need to go. I guess that's the same reason Steve Perry bailed out.

The guys are good to me, so with that part I have no problem. But it's just with the tour. The schedule is so grueling for me. It's so new to me. Until now, my body hasn't really adjusted to all of these amazing things that have been happening.

But the tour is done in a few weeks, right?

It will be over around October 5th.


Then you go home, right?

Yeah, but only for a short time and then I think they're planning to go out again second week of November for another three-week tour and then, yeah, Christmas-time.


So is this not all the fun that you thought it would be?

When Neal Schon told me I had the gig I already thought how hard it was gonna be, the touring and everything. I knew then. That's why I told my manager back then, "I think I can't do this."

Right, but you're doing it.

Yeah. One day at a time.