Gaslight stealing opening Riff to 45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOrsvRhiLk4

Saw this posted on another site and didn't see it discussed on here possibly because it may not be worth mentioning at all. Figured I'd see what other fans thought of it though. Obviously not the first nor the last time an artist stole a riff from another band however I think this is probably the first time Gaslight are now thieves themselves. I used stole instead of borrowed since Brian in a tongue in cheek sort of way joked during his Orion interview how good artists borrow and great artists steal and I think TGA is the latter being a great band. I think the distinction he was going for was who gets attributed to the riff. The example i'll use is from Springsteen's sxsw speech in which he joked about stealing the Badlands riff from Don't let me be Misunderstood. Maybe 30 years ago when Darkness first came out people pointed out the similarities, but i'd say at this point that riff is associated with Springsteen instead of the Animals. And I think that's what Brian was pointing out, if you're great band you can steal and eventually it becomes yours. And in this case I doubt it's a coincidence since Muff Potter played with Chuck Ragan so it's pretty realistic Brian knows who they are and is probably familiar with some of their songs through Chuck.

Anyways, does it bother you at all that the opening riff to 45 was lifted?

Everything is stolen, go ask Nirvana.



and try to guess the Pearl Jam song...

It's interesting, but I don't think it is a huge deal at all

Breanne wrote:

It's interesting, but I don't think it is a huge deal at all

I agree, wasn't trying to take away from Gaslight at all. I just think it's interesting a band like Green Day will get ripped for stealing a riff while another band can get away with it without people making a big deal of it. I was just curious to see if anyone had a problem with it.

chanter wrote:

Breanne wrote:

It's interesting, but I don't think it is a huge deal at all

I agree, wasn't trying to take away from Gaslight at all. I just think it's interesting a band like Green Day will get ripped for stealing a riff while another band can get away with it without people making a big deal of it. I was just curious to see if anyone had a problem with it.

Well when did that happen to Green Day? Because I think within the past few years, it has happened so much, that people just accept it as a thing they can't control

Isn't this the same riff too?

I could find so many other songs with a similar riff. I doubt they went out of their way and stole it. It is a very common riff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kGX6707GtM

Very similar, but if I could be bothered I'm sure I could find a few more examples of that picked chord riff in other songs

I don't think it's a big deal at all. Like with what Bruce was saying during the sxsw speech, artists do this all the time. I just think of it as them being inspired by their friends, their mentors, their heroes. I know that Gaslight and other bands/artists have influenced my writing at times, so it makes sense to me, I guess.

Breanne wrote:

chanter wrote:

Breanne wrote:

It's interesting, but I don't think it is a huge deal at all

I agree, wasn't trying to take away from Gaslight at all. I just think it's interesting a band like Green Day will get ripped for stealing a riff while another band can get away with it without people making a big deal of it. I was just curious to see if anyone had a problem with it.

Well when did that happen to Green Day? Because I think within the past few years, it has happened so much, that people just accept it as a thing they can't control

I'm not huge on green day but it seems like there's the Green Day of the 90's who is respected and then there is Green Day who got famous. And the Green Day who got famous is accused of stealing from other rock bands like The Kinks, ELO and Oasis.

edit: didn't mean to include punk in there.

Oasis, ELO and The Kinks are punk rock?! Damn! haha

White Man In Hammersmith wrote:

Oasis, ELO and The Kinks are punk rock?! Damn! haha

lols

White Man In Hammersmith wrote:

Oasis, ELO and The Kinks are punk rock?! Damn! haha

Today is indeed a day for firsts. Labels are boring, but this made me 'lol'

White Man In Hammersmith wrote:

Oasis, ELO and The Kinks are punk rock?! Damn! haha

I guess I can see the Kinks being labeled as punk back in the 60s/70s, but ELO? How is the band who sings Evil Woman in any way punk?

Here's also a variant

also the first time I heard 45 I was thinking of this song. Not the same riff at all, but similar chords and melodies in the intro

I'm sorry, but the very notion of artists "stealing" other artists' work is complete nonsense. There are twelve notes. In all of music, twelve notes. So yes, if you're writing something, it will sound like something else that's out there. Obviously sounding like some other song is not something you should set out to do, but songwriters can't be expected to know every song that's out there. There's no way Brian or anyone else in the band said, "oh, hey, now that we're on a major label, let's start stealing stuff from Muff Potter." Who? More importantly, why? Gaslight are a real band who have talked extensively about how this album is them writing the most honest, direct songs they've ever written. And if they're being honest and direct, they're probably going to be using the same four chords they usually use, and being awesome while doing it. And if you're using four chords then probably there will be something somewhere that someone can point to as being similar to something else, but who cares? Again, twelve notes, it's just a freaking coincidence.

And for the record, the Badlands / Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood riffs are actually completely different notes played to the same rhythm.

And sorry for seeming so angry, but this particular subject gets to me.

IrishNameAndAnInjury wrote:

White Man In Hammersmith wrote:

Oasis, ELO and The Kinks are punk rock?! Damn! haha

I guess I can see the Kinks being labeled as punk back in the 60s/70s, but ELO? How is the band who sings Evil Woman in any way punk?

Why, women being evil is one of the most mainstream, accepted concepts in all of humanity!

While I don't buy into the whole "artists purposely stealing" thing, I do think it's almost insane how much the intro to Take a Run at the Sun sounds compared to 45. Not saying that Gaslight stole, or hell, were even inspired by it (come on, who's ever heard of Muff Potter?), but the resemblance is striking.

Jlblue wrote:

I'm sorry, but the very notion of artists "stealing" other artists' work is complete nonsense. There are twelve notes. In all of music, twelve notes. So yes, if you're writing something, it will sound like something else that's out there. Obviously sounding like some other song is not something you should set out to do, but songwriters can't be expected to know every song that's out there. There's no way Brian or anyone else in the band said, "oh, hey, now that we're on a major label, let's start stealing stuff from Muff Potter." Who? More importantly, why? Gaslight are a real band who have talked extensively about how this album is them writing the most honest, direct songs they've ever written. And if they're being honest and direct, they're probably going to be using the same four chords they usually use, and being awesome while doing it. And if you're using four chords then probably there will be something somewhere that someone can point to as being similar to something else, but who cares? Again, twelve notes, it's just a freaking coincidence.

And for the record, the Badlands / Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood riffs are actually completely different notes played to the same rhythm.

And sorry for seeming so angry, but this particular subject gets to me.

I'm with you mate. It really pisses me of when Noel Gallagher gets all high and mighty about Green Day "stealing" wonderwall and calling it "Boulevard of broken dreams". The songs are nothing alike part from a similar 4 chord section used on hundreds of songs before bloody Wonderwall! haha rant over

"Good artists borrow, great artists steal" - Brian Fallon

This reminds me of the Cat Stevens vs. Flaming Lips thing.





Dubious arguments from both sides, some people hear the similarities, some (usually Flaming Lips fans) don't, but I felt Cat Stevens was incredulous in "claiming" a simple chord procession.

Color me not surprised that someone else at some point in music history decided to pick two chords an an intro. Not a big deal at all.

As long as its not as bad as rhcps Dani California vs tom pettys Mary Janes last dance - than I'm fine






And here's a mash up between the two

With the sheer amount of music made by the number of people, it's not stolen. The simplicity of riffs like 45 and that song let the idea of it stolen happen. I've been playing those two arpeggios for years; they are common shapes.

While you could definitely argue that they "stole" it, arpeggiating chords is nothing new or copyrighted by anyone.

All of these cases are so loose legally, anyway.

Jlblue wrote:

I'm sorry, but the very notion of artists "stealing" other artists' work is complete nonsense. There are twelve notes. In all of music, twelve notes. So yes, if you're writing something, it will sound like something else that's out there. Obviously sounding like some other song is not something you should set out to do, but songwriters can't be expected to know every song that's out there. There's no way Brian or anyone else in the band said, "oh, hey, now that we're on a major label, let's start stealing stuff from Muff Potter." Who? More importantly, why? Gaslight are a real band who have talked extensively about how this album is them writing the most honest, direct songs they've ever written. And if they're being honest and direct, they're probably going to be using the same four chords they usually use, and being awesome while doing it. And if you're using four chords then probably there will be something somewhere that someone can point to as being similar to something else, but who cares? Again, twelve notes, it's just a freaking coincidence.

And for the record, the Badlands / Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood riffs are actually completely different notes played to the same rhythm.

And sorry for seeming so angry, but this particular subject gets to me.

This is correct and it should be posted any time someone starts running their mouth about artists "STEALING! ZOMGORZ!" from others. Utter nonsense.