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Music legal question

iubud

Hall of Famer
Aug 7, 2003
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Was walking by a TV and heard something familiar on TV and thought a friend was playing, or someone else was performing, one of his songs from the 80's. I realized it was O-town performing their song in which the first half of the chorus had a tune nearly identical to a ballad my friend wrote and recorded in the late 80's. Since I only heard it live, I couldn't tell how it was originally recorded. I searched both songs and it may not be as obvious on the recording as it was live, but it is similar.

Seems like there have been lawsuits over less. My friend collaborated with Gene Simmons and had to take legal action to get credit for writing for "I Confess" on the Carnival of Souls: album. He isn't a stranger to protecting his work. I hate to mention to him that I heard O-town play and that their music sounded like his. It is probably coincident, but does that matter?

Ken Tamplin


O-town
 
Was walking by a TV and heard something familiar on TV and thought a friend was playing, or someone else was performing, one of his songs from the 80's. I realized it was O-town performing their song in which the first half of the chorus had a tune nearly identical to a ballad my friend wrote and recorded in the late 80's. Since I only heard it live, I couldn't tell how it was originally recorded. I searched both songs and it may not be as obvious on the recording as it was live, but it is similar.

Seems like there have been lawsuits over less. My friend collaborated with Gene Simmons and had to take legal action to get credit for writing for "I Confess" on the Carnival of Souls: album. He isn't a stranger to protecting his work. I hate to mention to him that I heard O-town play and that their music sounded like his. It is probably coincident, but does that matter?

Ken Tamplin


O-town

I really wanted to listen to both and give an opinion. I promise, I really did.

But I just couldn't do it. Had to turn it off to stop the bleeding from my ears.

But, based off the first 10-15 seconds of what I was able to hear, it is very similar.
 
I sent a note to my friend, Ken, over the weekend and he was surprised I noticed the similarities from a song recorded 30 years ago.
 
Was walking by a TV and heard something familiar on TV and thought a friend was playing, or someone else was performing, one of his songs from the 80's. I realized it was O-town performing their song in which the first half of the chorus had a tune nearly identical to a ballad my friend wrote and recorded in the late 80's. Since I only heard it live, I couldn't tell how it was originally recorded. I searched both songs and it may not be as obvious on the recording as it was live, but it is similar.

Seems like there have been lawsuits over less. My friend collaborated with Gene Simmons and had to take legal action to get credit for writing for "I Confess" on the Carnival of Souls: album. He isn't a stranger to protecting his work. I hate to mention to him that I heard O-town play and that their music sounded like his. It is probably coincident, but does that matter?

Ken Tamplin


O-town
get your ears checked ..

and they both suck balls.
 
get your ears checked ..

and they both suck balls.
This was Ken's first album 30+ years ago. Even if you liked his later work, you would never admit it. It might do you some good to learn about more of his ongoing projects. His efforts in Sudan earned him a trip to the White House to discuss the effects of war and AIDS in Africa.



His original band was popular in LA with and popular at the Roxy. A European tour and a domestic tour that my wife and I helped with followed this first album. My wife would get pulled on stage in front of 10,000 people to sing or throw albums to the crowd. You can say it sucked, but it was a lot of fun with the band in LA during our visits, or selling t-shirts and CDs at concerts when they played in the Midwest!
 
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