Where is the infamous Rolling Stones sample in "Bittersweet Symphony" ?

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consequently when they hear the original they overreact in the other direction

yeah I just did this

Ismael Klata, Thursday, 30 April 2009 20:30 (fourteen years ago) link

t's the CHORDS, for god's sake.

lolz so we're gonna start complaining about stealing chord progressions now? you gotta be kidding

shit was shocking as fuck back then (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 April 2009 20:38 (fourteen years ago) link

No we're not, that's my point.

Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 30 April 2009 20:39 (fourteen years ago) link

ah. I wasn't sure.

shit was shocking as fuck back then (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 April 2009 20:42 (fourteen years ago) link

It's pretty silly to be against sampling per se, but in general, I trust my own ears, and I trust other people's ears. If the original sounds too much like the thing that sampled it, or vice versa, why should the one who sampled it get any credit? I can think of other instances where I've gone back and heard the song someone sampled from and there was a pretty clear difference. This is not one of those cases. The sad fact is, everything that makes Bittersweet Symphony appealing comes directly from that sample. Stuff like the Vanilla Ice & Puff Daddy tracks are just stupid. They merely exploit the fact that a lot of folks will not have heard the originals.

Earl of Gothington Manor (Bimble), Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:00 (fourteen years ago) link

The sad fact is, everything that makes Bittersweet Symphony appealing comes directly from that sample.

Severely disagree. Most of the song's appeal comes from its almost dance-like adjustment of level, additions of layers, etc.

sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:11 (fourteen years ago) link

"They merely exploit the fact that a lot of folks will not have heard the originals."

Wait you actually think there is a single human being on this planet that hasn't heard "Every Breath You Take"?

Alex in SF, Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:15 (fourteen years ago) link

Actually, I think the percussion in BSS might be its secretest, strongest weapon.

sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:19 (fourteen years ago) link

Yeah, what most people think of when they think of that song is the string riff...which didn't come from the sample. Or the vocal parts: "It's a bittersweet..." and "Don't change/I can change."

The hooks all come from Verve. There's a good argument that they wouldn't have come up with them without the sample in the first place. But that's it.

I'd say the Stones should have gotten a third to half of the music credit. But all the credit—while it may be the "legal" thing—is neither fair no accurate.

Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link

I think the lyrics + vocal hook + the string riff are the main appeals here, altho there are a whole lot of nice audio-candy touches to it (the percussion, the squalling guitar feedback bits, etc.)

f the original sounds too much like the thing that sampled it, or vice versa, why should the one who sampled it get any credit? I can think of other instances where I've gone back and heard the song someone sampled from and there was a pretty clear difference.

the key problem here is that what constitutes "a clear difference" is totally a matter of perspective. There are rap songs that are just straight loops of Atomic Dog or More Bounce to the Ounce and some people wouldn't consider a guy talking about how awesome he is over that loop "a clear difference", while the rest of us would beg to differ... context is everything. the fact is the Verve took this little-known recording and recontextualized it in a way that obviously captured a lot of people's imagination. That the song credit reads "written by Jagger/Richards, performed by the Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra, with vocals by Richard Ashcroft" (<<<<this is literally what it says in the Urban Hymns liner notes) is just beyond fucking ridiculous.

shit was shocking as fuck back then (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link

yes

the thing that bugs here is that the Verve did play by the rules, signing over the publishing to Jagger / Richards just to be safe, and then the manager of the band decided to go for MORE. and got it! it's just an absolute case of there being no safe way of making music in this way, there's only lawyers and greed. it's a total outrage, and an incredibly unhealthy decision for music, regardless of what any one person thinks of this song, this decision to me is just as frustrating / depressing as this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeport_Music,_Inc._v._Dimension_Films

Milton Parker, Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:43 (fourteen years ago) link

Wait you actually think there is a single human being on this planet that hasn't heard "Every Breath You Take"?

Haha, yes.

Earl of Gothington Manor (Bimble), Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:54 (fourteen years ago) link

I meant the planet Earth btw.

Alex in SF, Thursday, 30 April 2009 21:57 (fourteen years ago) link

the thing that bugs here is that the Verve did play by the rules, signing over the publishing to Jagger / Richards just to be safe, and then the manager of the band decided to go for MORE. and got it!

Working with Allen Klein is like trying to invade Russia during the winter. You might believe that things will be OK at first, this time for sure, but you WILL lose and you WILL be left with nothing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Klein

Carroll Shelby Downard (Elvis Telecom), Thursday, 30 April 2009 22:05 (fourteen years ago) link

Pretty sure they did clear the sample and that there was an agreed to 50/50 royalty split.

o rly

rebel without a cape (sic), Friday, 1 May 2009 01:34 (fourteen years ago) link

I'd never heard this before and it's pretty jawdropping.

ecuador_with_a_c, Friday, 1 May 2009 01:37 (fourteen years ago) link

...but sounds nothing like the Stones tune. The orchestra version anyway...

Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 1 May 2009 04:02 (fourteen years ago) link

Wait you actually think there is a single human being on this planet that hasn't heard "Every Breath You Take"?

I would guess a lot of people born after 1990 haven't, as they are also too young to be familiar with "I'll Be Missing You".

Geir Hongro, Friday, 1 May 2009 20:36 (fourteen years ago) link

"o rly"

Well that's what wikipedia sez. If it's not true take it up with them.

Alex in SF, Friday, 1 May 2009 20:45 (fourteen years ago) link

i'm pretty sure that less than 50% of human beings on the planet Earth have heard "Every Breath You Take"

loaded forbear (gabbneb), Friday, 1 May 2009 20:50 (fourteen years ago) link

I'm pretty sure people too dumb to understand hyperbole don't deserve to have the concept explained to them.

Alex in SF, Friday, 1 May 2009 20:55 (fourteen years ago) link

too dumb, lol

loaded forbear (gabbneb), Friday, 1 May 2009 20:57 (fourteen years ago) link

Don't worry gabbneb you'll hit 50 soon enough and then you can go back to picking nits off your dick.

Alex in SF, Friday, 1 May 2009 20:58 (fourteen years ago) link

Or rather hit 50 again, right.

Alex in SF, Friday, 1 May 2009 20:59 (fourteen years ago) link

lol

loaded forbear (gabbneb), Friday, 1 May 2009 21:10 (fourteen years ago) link

ten years pass...

That’s very nice of them. It was always total fucking bullshit that Ashcroft had to give them the rights to the song in the first place.

Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:14 (four years ago) link

I don't care how much is Verve and how much is the Stones, "Bittersweet Symphony" remains one of the best singles of all time.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, January 19, 2004 1:43 PM (fifteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hahahaha jesus that was fifteen years ago.

Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:17 (four years ago) link

Yeah, absolutely. I'm not sure that most people made the connection between 'Bittersweet Symphony' and 'The Last Time' anyway - it's one of those things you really wouldn't have been able to figure out unless you were told what the sample was supposed to be. It's not, like, say, Shed Seven literally ripping off 'Back Street Girl' on 'Out By My Side', which was a really brazen, obvious rip that they didn't get sued over.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:19 (four years ago) link

It’s cool they did that. Does Ashcroft also receive a share of past royalties, or only future royalties? I looked up the source articles, but that point isn’t clear to me.

get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:47 (four years ago) link

I would hope that he would get backdated royalties. It would be pretty shitty if he didn't, given that the song no longer gets the airplay it once did.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 22:55 (four years ago) link

The statement sounds like it's going forward, not backdated. It doesn't seem likely that Jagger (MICK Jagger!) and Richards would bother to have their accountants go through every cheque that's come in over the last 22 years, make sure that they have that amount liquid, and send it to Ashcroft.

tfw you are not easily whelmed (sic), Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:10 (four years ago) link

I agree it is hard to imagine such an accounting from Abkco taking place... though the result is indeed a bit of a “Bittersweet” victory for Ashcroft.

This article also notes that “Jagger and Richards assigned their songwriter royalties to Ashcroft, but not control or publishing rights to the song.”

get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:37 (four years ago) link

I find it difficult to imagine too, but then we're - quite rightly - not privy to the negotiations, so you never know. I very much hope he does.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:43 (four years ago) link

“Jagger and Richards assigned their songwriter royalties to Ashcroft, but not control or publishing rights to the song.”

Those are what's controlled by ABKCO.

tfw you are not easily whelmed (sic), Thursday, 23 May 2019 23:53 (four years ago) link

About time

calstars, Friday, 24 May 2019 03:06 (four years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YrllfAMwHI

this is pretty beautiful, honestly. has nothing to do with the rolling stones song "the last time"

Trϵϵship, Friday, 24 May 2019 03:38 (four years ago) link

The AOO version is leagues better than the Stones's or the Verve's.

Greta Van Show Feets BB (milo z), Friday, 24 May 2019 03:40 (four years ago) link

idk, i think bittersweet symphony is a great single

Trϵϵship, Friday, 24 May 2019 03:44 (four years ago) link

But what of that "Treat Infamy" song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBQ0qNtLq8E

Mark G, Friday, 24 May 2019 10:20 (four years ago) link

It would be like if Dylan demanded royalties for Beck’s “Jackass”, no?

brimstead, Friday, 24 May 2019 16:50 (four years ago) link

one year passes...

Ha ha, Spotify still has this as “Written By: Keith Richards Mick Jagger.”

Never change, Spotify.

Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 21 November 2020 06:20 (three years ago) link

David Whitaker really should have been compensated for the sample

CRVTCHΞS (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 21 November 2020 06:44 (three years ago) link

Ha ha, Spotify still has this as “Written By: Keith Richards Mick Jagger.”

Never change, Spotify.

why would this change? (does it not say lyrics by Ashcroft, as per the album?)

huge rant (sic), Saturday, 21 November 2020 06:54 (three years ago) link

It does not.

Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 21 November 2020 12:12 (three years ago) link

I assume Spotify gets those credits directly from the licensor (would have to light the Glenn-signal to confirm).

down like 6:30 (morrisp), Saturday, 21 November 2020 16:25 (three years ago) link

yeah, if the official credit does now go to the band or to Ashcroft, one wouldn't expect that to change in sleevenotes unless there was a new "release" with new metadata - an anniversary remaster, an appearance on Best Britpop Anthems Of All Time... Ever!! etc.

huge rant (sic), Saturday, 21 November 2020 20:20 (three years ago) link

Even then, if the track is there already, it won't erase or update the previous

Mark G, Saturday, 21 November 2020 21:04 (three years ago) link


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