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Forums > Prince: Music and More > Is Prince's "Now" a rip off from Whale's "Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe"?
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Thread started 02/01/21 10:07am

funkaholic1972

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Is Prince's "Now" a rip off from Whale's "Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe"?

Just ran into the almost forgotten Whale hit "Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe" on YT from 1993. Back when "Now" came out in 1994 I wondered if Prince had heard that Hobo song and was inspired to do something similar? I mean it has the same shouty chorus, and I just watched the video live version of Wow which sounds even more like a copy of Hobo than the version on TGE.

What do y'all think (or know)?

RIP Prince: thank U 4 a funky Time...
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Reply #1 posted 02/01/21 10:25am

ufoclub

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wow, I don't think I ever heard that song or saw that video. But seeing how Prince would use songs he heard as a stepping stone into "his version" of how it should be... maybe?

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Reply #2 posted 02/01/21 11:00am

NouveauDance

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I never saw made connection, but now you mention it absolutely I can hear it.

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Reply #3 posted 02/01/21 11:01am

sulls

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Hot vid!
"I like to watch."
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Reply #4 posted 02/01/21 11:09am

nayroo2002

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Whale did a cover of "Darling Nikki"

https://music.youtube.com...7dZGBqdlbA

[Edited 2/1/21 11:11am]

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #5 posted 02/01/21 11:15am

TrivialPursuit

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Tempo is similar, the chorus stuff is similar. But the rest - not so much.

Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking.
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Reply #6 posted 02/01/21 11:31am

funkaholic1972

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NouveauDance said:

I never saw made connection, but now you mention it absolutely I can hear it.

Thanks, good to know I am not seeing ghosts, LOL! lol

RIP Prince: thank U 4 a funky Time...
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Reply #7 posted 02/01/21 11:56am

KoolEaze

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Sometimes you tell that he was inspired by the music that was in the charts around the time he wrote certain songs but in this case I don´t really hear it , except maybe for the scream that is a bit reminiscent of the way he screamed during the Beautiful Experience TV special´s live version, but other than that I don´t hear any similarities at all.

" I´d rather be a stank ass hoe because I´m not stupid. Oh my goodness! I got more drugs! I´m always funny dude...I´m hilarious! Are we gonna smoke?"
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Reply #8 posted 02/01/21 12:34pm

nayroo2002

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Prince copied the song.

Whale heard it.

Whale did a cover of his song.

Pretty obvious.

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #9 posted 02/01/21 7:22pm

EddieC

I don't really hear it, honestly. However, I do see that Whale did a cover of Darling Nikki--don't mind it at all. I might check these people out further. I seem to vaguely remember seeing the "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" video--but I think I might have just seen it on Beavis and Butthead.

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Reply #10 posted 02/01/21 7:29pm

sro100

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Sounds like Beastie Boys.

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Reply #11 posted 02/01/21 10:09pm

Pellwormer

Oh....I really love that track...I bought the record back in the day

(14) Whale - Hobo Humpin ... - YouTube

Another great track of that album: I'll do ya

(14) Whale - I'll Do Ya - YouTube

Longer album better album version (8:26):

I'll Do Ya - YouTube

Those were the 90s smile

Fit very good with Prodigy, Propellerheads, Chemical Brothers etc.

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Reply #12 posted 02/02/21 4:18am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

similar, yeah.

its def better than now. and also much better than wow too.

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Reply #13 posted 02/02/21 8:33am

steakfinger

nayroo2002 said:

Whale did a cover of "Darling Nikki"

https://music.youtube.com...7dZGBqdlbA

[Edited 2/1/21 11:11am]

That would have made Prince aware of them.

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Reply #14 posted 02/02/21 10:32am

Wolfie87

The guy with the mustache and orange dress is Henrik Schyffert, Sweden's most known comedian who did Tv humour in 90's together with a collective. Their Program is still legendary to this day and has shaped the comedic landscape for 30 years. They had a writer named Andres Lokko, a huge Prince fan. He wrote for a magazine called Pop, maybe the most credible music magazine of the 90's and he did one of the few interviews by a Swedish journalist at Paisley Park and the release of Emancipation.
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Reply #15 posted 02/02/21 12:22pm

kewlschool

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The only question is when did Prince write "Now" at the latest was 1993. Yet with Prince songs could be older like ICNTPOYM. The other band released the song in 1993. I do hear a similar sound-not the same song though.

99.9% of everything I say is strictly for my own entertainment
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Reply #16 posted 02/07/21 1:51pm

Dandroppedadim
e

I hear Johnny (NPG) in the ‘rapping’ vocal style
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Reply #17 posted 02/07/21 2:22pm

kingricefan

There is a similarity but it's not real close. The singer sounds like when Dawn French did a send-up of a Bjork song. biggrin

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Reply #18 posted 02/08/21 9:19am

ThePersian

Very good spot.

I've never heard this before.

The Earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.
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Reply #19 posted 02/08/21 9:33am

MendesCity

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I can hear the similarities, but I'm sure it was coincidence. That Whale album is fun, sooo 90s.

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Reply #20 posted 02/08/21 10:17am

2freaky4church
1

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They all rip each other off.

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #21 posted 02/08/21 12:06pm

Se7en

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Vague similarity in the screaming part, but not the verses. Interesting that they both recorded in 1993.

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Reply #22 posted 02/09/21 8:45am

nayroo2002

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There must be an even lower common denominator.

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #23 posted 02/09/21 8:55am

andykeen

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What I find more interesting is that not only does Now and HHSB sound similar, but that on the same day Prince recorded Now, he also put down the basic’s for ripopgodzipa in 1993 - WHICH sounds oddly similar to Whales Tryzasnice, which is featured on the same album as HHSB in 1995.

Keenmeister
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Reply #24 posted 02/09/21 11:12am

2freaky4church
1

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Can u prove they didn't rip him off?

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #25 posted 02/10/21 6:15am

nayroo2002

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andykeen said:

What I find more interesting is that not only does Now and HHSB sound similar, but that on the same day Prince recorded Now, he also put down the basic’s for ripopgodzipa in 1993 - WHICH sounds oddly similar to Whales Tryzasnice, which is featured on the same album as HHSB in 1995.

...the plot thickens...

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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