Originally Posted By: Pat Marr

as far as the idea of stealing anything... some things can't truly be owned by anybody, and music is one of them. Every culture borrowed from whatever came before them, then built on that from their culture's perspective. The next generation or culture borrows and changes it again.


The glaring problem inherent in that statement, Pat, is the harsh penalty paid by those who created and recorded new and different sounds - but could only SELL their recordings and performances to a customer base that represented some scant 16% of the overall population at best, of which an even smaller percentage was actually able to purchase and enjoy the recordings in the first place. Or even get radio airplay, which was reserved for the scant few "race" stations of the era.

Then a caucasion performer and band could record their version of pretty much the same tune - and enjoy all the financial benefit of it.

The history of American Music is rife with examples.

Rufus Payne was the brother behind Hank Williams.

Today, Rufus is buried in an unmarked grave.

He didn't fare much better as to living status but had to observe Hank's phenomenal success.

Or The Rooftop Singers, who had a huge hit with "Walk Right In" -- redone again by Dr. Hook -- I am constantly both amused and hurt by the number of Folk Music aficionados who do not even know the name of the man whom The Rooftop Singers lifted this great music from - and the trick used to do so was even more underhanded - they took the music from one of his songs and added basically his hooks and lyrics from ANOTHER of his great songs.



Gus Cannon performing his song:



What? You say that The Rooftop Singers made it a hit by composing their own musical hook with the 12-string there?

Not so fast, they got that offa the same guy, from another song:



*Was Mr. Cannon's reward for being the originator of this music commensurate with the earnings that the Rooftop
Singers gleaned? Could he have moved to and lived in the same neighborhood as them? Did he?

The harsh and true answer is that he was supposed to be glad that these younger caucasion entertainers had "discovered" his music and popularized it. When it was already there to begin with.

Did you know that Eric actually got lost when recording his solo to "Crossroads" and has admitted that now? He got the beat turned around, couldn't find where the ONE was - and thus recorded the ONLY solo I've ever heard him do that was honestly paying homage to the backbeat. Again we see the situation where the same man's lyrics from one song were combined with the music from another here, Cream's version is a compilation of parts of 2 Johnson songs - "Crossroads Blues" and "Traveling Riverside Blues."

Quote:

The version on the album was not edited down, although the booklet for the Crossroads boxed set implies that it was. Eric Clapton didn't like to talk about the song and has said it was an inferior performance because the trio got the time disjointed a bit in Eric's third solo chorus - that is, the first chorus (instrumental "verse") of his second solo. So, he never really praised that performance. When pressed on the length and editing issues, he might say something along the vague lines of he supposed it was originally longer, because the Cream usually played it longer live.
At the end of the song, Jack Bruce announces, "Eric Clapton, please," over Eric's saying, "Thank you" (both said simultaneously). Eric follows up by saying (probably turning toward Jack), "Kerfuffle." This is British English for "foul-up," referring to the time disjoint back in midsong.


Source: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1285

Now, this is always about the time that one of my cauacasion acquaintances will interject something along the lines of, "Eric gave CREDIT to Robert Johnson on the album cover" or the likes. Wow, he gave a dead man "credit". Anybody ever take a look inside Clapton's guitar safe?

"Cro$$road$" grin

Quote:

On November 5, 1956, The Nat King Cole Show debuted on NBC. The variety program was the first of its kind hosted by an African-American, which created controversy at the time.[11] Beginning as a 15-minute pops show on Monday night, the program was expanded to a half hour in July 1957. Despite the efforts of NBC, as well as many of Cole's industry colleagues—many of whom, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Frankie Laine, Mel Tormé, Peggy Lee, Eartha Kitt, and backing vocal group The Cheerleaders worked for industry scale (or even for no pay)[11] in order to help the show save money—The Nat King Cole Show was ultimately done in by lack of a national sponsorship.[11] Companies such as Rheingold Beer assumed regional sponsorship of the show, but a national sponsor never appeared.[11]

The last episode of The Nat King Cole Show aired December 17, 1957. Cole had survived for over a year, and it was he, not NBC, who ultimately decided to pull the plug on the show.[12] Commenting on the lack of sponsorship his show received, Cole quipped shortly after its demise, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."[


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole

There are literally so many examples of this musical prejudice/theft-after-the-fact that I could write a book.


And I just may do that.

Meanwhile, let's have a good laugh, there was one TV series that made the point in no uncertain terms via use of parody:







--Mac

PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here

You must be Audiominds.
www.audiominds.com