Commodore Remix

Ok, it's not actually SID usage in the way Timbaland did it. But here's the story:

In 1992, I composed and recorded some songs with a couple of mates. One of these songs was named "Just Good Friends". (I also re-arranged it later as a SID tune.) We put everything on a demo tape and mailed it to German music producer Dieter Bohlen (Modern Talking, CC Catch etc.), hoping to become famous some day. We never got an answer back.

4 years later in 1996, Dieter Bohlen released an album named "Body To Body". One of the songs on there was named "Only With You" and was also released later as a single. It is heavily "inspired" by our "Just Good Friends", as you can hear in the little mix MP3 I prepared. It consists of 3 parts with 15 seconds each:
1.) Our song
2.) His song (adjusted in speed and pitch to match ours)
3.) Both songs at the same time

Listen and decide for yourself!
http://www.speedyshare.com/437707216.html

Blue System's "Only With You" went #58 on the German charts. I was neither asked for permission nor did we get any profit sharing.

I had 3 tracks totally stolen this way.
I couldn't do anything.

You know I'm pretty hot on the ole' copyright stuff, but I think Dieter Bohlen's is almost certainly coincidence: especially since the chord sequence is pretty generic (and certainly one of Dieter's favourites), one of the chords is different (the end one), you had to alter tempo and pitch... and because it's unlikely they kept a demo for that many years. I'll bet you that Mr Bohlen doesn't have time to listen to unsolicited demos, and even if he did, he wouldn't.

Having said that, almost every steal I've come across of SID has been committed by the German music industry (Timbaland being the exception, of course).

Chris

A coincidence??? Then how come that out of all Pop musicians in the world, the only one I sent a tape to has used any of my stuff?

Tempo had to be raised by him bc otherwise it would have sounded too boring, and pitch had to be shifted bc the guy just can't sing. But that's just post-processing, not a different composition.

Besides, it's not only the chords (I know that chord 4/4 is different bc I used minor and he used the parallel major chord to make it sound happier), it's also the rythmical pattern (...--. ...-) and the actual melody as well.

What a STRANGE coincidence!

omoroca wrote:A coincidence??? Then how come that out of all Pop musicians in the world, the only one I sent a tape to has used any of my stuff?

Tempo had to be raised by him bc otherwise it would have sounded too boring, and pitch had to be shifted bc the guy just can't sing. But that's just post-processing, not a different composition.

Besides, it's not only the chords (I know that chord 4/4 is different bc I used minor and he used the parallel major chord to make it sound happier), it's also the rythmical pattern (...--. ...-) and the actual melody as well.

What a STRANGE coincidence!

It's only a short snippet, though he's supposed to have stolen. Consider the amount of music produced ever, the amount of music produced by him, previous rhythmic patterns used by him, etc. His defence might even claim that because you sent the stuff to him, you might have been influenced by his previous work (i.e. to know it might suit him) and were subconsciously influenced by him. Couple that with the improbability of him actually listening to your tunes from an unsolicited demo, and the fact that the phrase in question is quite short (it's not a whole song, it's a hook, isn't it?), and I'd say it was probably a coincidence: at worst he heard your CD in passing in 1992 and subsonciously remembered something from it in 1996 but thought it was his own idea.

No point us arguing about it though, is there? It's not like we can change whatever the truth is by speculation

[edit: Tanya likes Modern Talking and so has played it: so i'm familiar with his work, and this phrase we're talking about sounds just like all his other work: i.e. entirely in character]
Chris

Sorry Omoroca, but the rhythmical pattern of your song is different, it's (...--. ...--. ) and the melody either - it should rather be called "similar". Your dull piano plays 3 different parts of 2 bars (1/2/1/3) and Mr. Bohlen's melody plays (1/1/1/-) while his 2 bar melody differs from any of yours.
I'd like to hear how "identical" the songs sound when left in original key and tempo.
(Offtopic: Interesting to know that you used to make music and not only talk about it. )

Romeo Knight wrote:(...--. ...--. )

(I) (.)(.) (I) (.)(.) (I) (.)(.) (I) (.)(.)

(Bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit).

Tonka wrote:

Romeo Knight wrote:(...--. ...--. )

(I) (.)(.) (I) (.)(.) (I) (.)(.) (I) (.)(.)

(Bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit).

/me hovers over ban button for Tonka... one more bum and two more tits should do it...

Chris Abbott wrote:His defence might even claim that because you sent the stuff to him, you might have been influenced by his previous work (i.e. to know it might suit him) and were subconsciously influenced by him.

Wait a minute! I never said I'd sue anyone or anything. There's probably nothing to gain for me there.

Chris Abbott wrote:at worst he heard your CD in passing in 1992 and subsonciously remembered something from it in 1996 but thought it was his own idea.

This explanation had also come to my mind already.

Chris Abbott wrote:No point us arguing about it though, is there?

Absolutely not. He's the enemy, not you.

Romeo Knight wrote:Interesting to know that you used to make music and not only talk about it.

Yes, "used to" is unfortunately currently the correct description. Maybe someday...

Tonka wrote: (Bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit, bum, tit tit).

Mmm... Tits...

Err.

Defender wrote:Dieter Bohlen sucks!

NEVER!
He's a user of the "Huge&Wet Clap" so he can't suck

Dieta is'n mentaler Mantaproll!

Der gilt sogar als offiziell so sprachbehindert, dass er Polizisten Duzen darf.

he is a little bit like you