I´ve just heard White Horse by that cheesy 80´s group Laid Back for the first time...I had heard and read before that it sounds a bit like Erotic City but now that I´ve heard it myself, I´m pretty shocked how similar those two songs sound, especially at the beginning.

Whose song came out first ? Did Laid Back steal from Prince, and did he ever sue them ? I remember back in the days when Erotic City came out it was THE club jam, I loved it when I first heard it ( I think I was twelve) but I never heard that Laid Back song until today, and the similarities are pretty obvious.

I don´t remember any comments or discussions from way back in the day but then again , I was too young and didn´t really follow every bit of news in the music world, so my question to the true old school fans: How did fans and/or Prince fans react when this song came out ? Or, if it was the other way around...did anybody ever accuse Prince of borrowing too many elements from this song, or is it just pure coincidence ?

The Laid Back album that White Horse was from came out in 83. Erotic City (I believe) came out in 84, but I could be wrong about that.

I have a Warner Bros promo remix record where 'Sex Shooter' segues into 'Laid Back' then into 'Erotic City'

It's a cool mix and the beats are very alike.

I'd say
'white horse'

Prince definitely borrowed from that song. It's not like he's above lifting stuff from other ppl and not giving credit.

"White Horse" was out for a while before "Erotic City" was released. I would have to pull my 12 Inch but I believe "White Horse" was released in 1983. "White Horse" had already gone out of style and when "Erotic City" came on the scene in 1984, DJs started pulling "White Horse" back out and mixing the two songs because they were definately very similar and blended really well together.

Didn't the story go he seen George Clinton live a few days before going into the studio to record Erotic City?????

realm said:

He went in the studio immediately after the show and recorded EC.

can someone post an mp3 of the part in question

origmnd said:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...JFHOTqdPeY

White Horse.

And I never really bought that George Clinton story. Maybe it's true for the lyrics, but I don't think for the actual music. I mean, he DID work with Laid Back, probably on this very song, liked the way it sounded and so took a little for himself.
[Edited 12/16/06 10:44am]

i put White Horse into Pandora and the first song that they played
was West by Prince.

soulyacolia said:

THAT sounds cool! I wish I had that.

FruitToAttractBears said:

Prince worked with Laid Back ?
Are you serious ?
This is the kind of trivia I have never read nor heard about until now.That would explain why the two songs sound so similar. So , White Horse came out before Erotic City but maybe it was written after Erotic City was written ?
I also read that he ´d been to a George Clinton concert before writing Erotic City but I don´t remember the date of that concert. If it´s way before White Horse came out, then it could be that White Horse borrows from Erotic City and not the other way around.

JonnyApplesauce said:

he said that when he inducted George Clinton in to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame

FruitToAttractBears said:

Wrong. EC was inspired by a PFunk show Prince saw in Mpls. Just because it sounds similar to white horse doesn't mean he lifted it.

WomanScorned said:

Don't tell me it's "wrong." You don't know. It's completely plausible.
[Edited 12/16/06 19:42pm]

FruitToAttractBears said:

Actually, I do know. Because I'm older than you, and I remember when BOTH songs came out. And I'm telling you it's a complete coincidence. Stop being so quick to accuse Prince of stealing songs all the time.

WomanScorned said:

Actually, age has nothing to do with anything. White Horse came out before Erotic City and you don't have to be 40 years old to know that and the songs sound exactly the same as they did the day they came out. And you can tell me whatever you want but that doesn't make you right. AND I don't accuse Prince of anything "all the time," but you can't deny he has taken aspects of other artists songs and used them for his own purposes. And if you do, [name calling snip - luv4u]

FruitToAttractBears said:[quote]

WomanScorned said:

Actually it does.




That still doesn't mean he stole the song. Period.





Actually, it does.






Like hell you don't, don't make me find proof, I'll be here all fuckin night.




I've got Prince ticket stubs older than you, so I know more than you. And I don't give a flying fuck what OTHER artists songs he "took" you STILL can't assume he took THAT one.

i'd say that there are similarities but that's where i'd stop at. i'd also saythat it's indicative of the era to use certain sounds and things like that. maybe prince was inspired to write something similar but i think it's only defined to that little synth line at the start. that's about it.

Milty said:

Thank you.

WomanScorned said:

you got that right, searching for proof that doesn't exist.

And please explain why age matters in this case. I really want to understand your reasoning behind that.




But WHY not? Like I said, it's not unprecedented, and the fact that he had some involvement with Laid Back before the song came out, perhaps even WHILE it was being made and the fact that the songs sound very similar makes it that much more likely to me that he had White Horse in mind when he made Erotic City.

FruitToAttractBears said:

You don't know just how "involved" Prince was that, they probably never saw each other. I'm just saying you're so quick to assume he lifted it, when it's just as possible that he didn't and that it's just a coincidence.

Erotic city is WAAAAAY BETTER!

When I compared them for the first timee, I was pretty disappointed. The whole sound of "Erotic City" is pretty similar to "White Horse" the high pitched guitar sound, etc.

If anyone cant hear the similarities, they've got their Prince earmuffs on.

DMSR said:

Wow listened to it again.. I'll be damned if "Drop It Likes It Hot" didn't steal the "snooooop.." from this song too. Damn..

DMSR said:

-----
LMAO. Young people think every sound effect means the song was ripped. It is crazy. P wrote EC after seeing P-FUNK at the Beverly Theather in late 83.

You can find a live CD of P-Funk at the Berverly. About a year ago Blackbird Mcknight was on the Ricky Vincent show and commented on P being at that show.

I'm sorry, but Prince totally lifted the sounds from White Horse. I'm honestly surprised there wasn't a lawsuit back in '84.

This is from vh1.com:

"Sunshine Reggae" was unsuccessful in the United States, but its B-side, "White Horse," was embraced by several of the country's club DJs. Thanks to support from Prince, Warner Bros. eventually released a 12" single featuring "White Horse" and Prince's "When Doves Cry" on the same platter, increasing Laid Back's profile significantly. The track's instantly recognizable, snapping electro-funk has solidified its reputation as an underground dance classic played by DJs through the early 2000s. It has also been sampled many times, most significantly on Monifah's "Touch It," a 1998 hit single that liberally appropriates the structure of the original."

And btw, the label that released White Horse on the Keep Smiling cd (Medley Records), says that it was released in Denmark in 1983.