This thread is dedicated to those artists who have / had
the "Un-Canny" ability to (cop) the sound of another artist.
whether it be "On Purpose" or not.

I'll start with a few.

When & where their sound was COMPLETELY jacked
and the artist should've been a lil worried :
Pilot= "It's Magic"
Kenny Loggins = "Whenever I call you friend"
( both very Paul McCartney & Wings-ish )


Tom Browne ="Jamaica Funk" ( feat. Tonni Smith )
*Self-explainatory*


Serious attempts where even their biggest fans did a Double take:
Kenny Loggins = "This is it" ( Michael Jackson-esque )


Lesser attempts:
Yarborough & Peoples = "Don't Stop the Music" ( Stevie-esque )



On Purpose :
Timbaland & Magoo "Up jumps the Boogie" ( Magoo was very Q Tip-esque )


can you guys find more examples ?

[Edited 7/27/07 11:05am]

I've always sworn that Adam Ant built his entire sound with 'The Ants' around Bowie's 'John, I'm Only Dancing'. Of course, Bowie himself has no 'sound'...

I've always thought that Genesis "Misunderstanding" is a duplicate of Sly's "Hot Fun in the Summertime". its uncanny

unkemptpueblo said:

The hook for "Sussudio" sounds an awful lot like the one for "1999."
[Edited 7/27/07 12:22pm]

namepeace said:

it does.

ok..

T. Pendergrass' "Close the Door" = Shalamar "For the Lover in You"


learn to spell 'door' edit
[Edited 7/27/07 12:29pm]

namepeace said:

The same goes for Shalamar's "Dancing In The Sheets".

These are all great examples of "songwriting" sound-a-likes
but, I was thinking more along the lines of an artists overall "Sound"

more examples like
Ready for the world= "Oh Shelia"
or George Duke's "Reach for it" ( a direct rip of P-Funk & Bootsy )

I know there's waaay more examples in song theft.

[Edited 7/27/07 12:51pm]

Alexander O'Neal's "Innocent"

Yarborough & Peoples' "Guilty"

The fact that they sound alike has to be intentional. Does anyone know if there's a story behind those two songs?

Wow, how'd I forget this one ?!?

Osmonds= "One Bad apple" ( blatant "J5" sound-a-like )

sextonseven said:

Yep, the sound of "JAM & LEWIS"

FalseSetto said:

J&L produced "Guilty"?

FalseSetto said:

"One bad apple dont spoil the whole bunch grrl"

sextonseven said:

i don't know...but, THAT was THE sound to have then.

unkemptpueblo said:

"Ooooooh, I don't care what they say....I don't care whatchu Heard, Girl"
That was Gangsta !
Donny actually sounds better Now !
Great vocalist, no kiddin'

Last Train To Clarksville by the Monkees sounds like early Beatles.


Funny story - years ago I worked at a summer camp, and was playing CDs on the sound system during a break. A teenage camper came up to me and said "Hey, can you play that song, Hey Hey We're The Monkees - you know, the one by The Beatles"...

booyah said:

One More Night by Genesis sounds exactly like One More Chance By The Jacksons, or Michael Jackson Or Janet Jackson who ever made it.... Or is it One More Chance sounds just like One More Night... I dunno.........I'm confused, maybe this is exactly what you are NOT talking about..... Oh well....





Confusion edit
[Edited 7/27/07 18:12pm]

sextonseven said:

No, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis did not produce Yarbrough & Peoples' "Guilty." But speaking of Jam and Lewis, Loose Ends' "Hanging on a String" sounded very similar to a song the producers gave to The S.O.S. Band, "No One's Gonna Love You."
[Edited 7/27/07 17:52pm]

Najee said:

Aaaw, man ....All day long !!
the "808" drum machine lives.

nammie said:

Hahaha, no worries...thanks for checking in tho!

Starcastle built their entire career(shortlived as it was) around the band Yes.

Genesis's "Just A Job To Do" always reminded me of Michael Jackson, for some reason...

Good to Your Heart by Mint Conditon is a direct rip off the intro to Pademodium.....if that counts.....
[Edited 7/27/07 20:09pm]

nammie said:

Haha, of course it counts !
that would fall under the catagory of "On Purpose"
but, then again with all of them being from the same
region ( MPLS ) it could be a natural occurence too ?

ProgRocker said:

Starcastle huh ? I gotta check it out , thanks
*Quick,to the LIMEWIRE mobile*

sextonseven said:

I'm fairly certain that it was unintentional, because both songs were released at practically the same time in 1985. Alexander O'Neal's "Innocent," if anything, was inspired by The Time's "Get It Up."

Well I know Brian McKnight's song "she use to be my girl" sounds like a ripoff of Bobby Valentino's whole album released in '05.

Also Brian was ripping off Marvin Gaye's voice on that "find myself in u" song. I remember everybody was like "is this an unreleased Marvin song" then we all realized it was just that damn Brian trying to sound like Marvin.

Prince

Paisley Park = Yellow submarine

But that sounds like Yellow submarine... Just terrible attempt

krayzie said:

"Paisley Park" = one of the best songs on ATWIAD
"Yellow Submarine" = the worst Beatles song without "9" in the title