Get Beatles?

It's weird how messed up folks get about that song.
I honestly don't think Harrison knowingly pinched it. It is so easy to write something, and not notice something like that.

 

To add to what "mercuryvenus" already posted, there was something very fishy about that lawsuit. George wrote it. Phil Spector produced it. It sounds more like "Oh Happy Day" in both lyrics and chord progression. If there was anything remotely resembling She's So Fine, Phil would have caught it... or so one would think.

Also, George's manager at the time, Allen Klein, was the one trying to buy the entire Bright Tunes' catalog... without George knowing it. "Subconscious plagiarism" was the Judge's verdict. What a crock. Bottom line is, George would up paying BIG $$$ in a lawsuit (no, the legal argument didn't get dropped) and in the end, he would up owning the song anyway due to Klein's buyout deal.

You can read the story here:

https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/george-harrison/songs/my-sweet-lord/3/

 

Ever heard of The Kinks? Just sayin...

 

Listen to Mendelssohn's relatively obscure 5th symphony and then Wagner's overture to Parsifal, one of his most -the most - loved Operas in the canon. It's a blatant rip-off of the highest order. People do it sometimes when they need an idea so just relax and enjoy the song.

 

I don't think it's an improvement at all. I like He's So Fine, a fresh, joyous and youthful burst of energy from an innocent time in pop music, far more than George's turgid, awfully produced and overblown My Sweet Lord.

 

Phil Spector didn't produce He's So Fine, or The Chiffons at all.

 

How about you do ME a favor - get your facts straight before posting anything. Otherwise, you just make a damn fool of yourself. Thanks bunches.

 

It’s their whole story as a band as much as their music for me.

 

I was just about to correct that. Thanks for pointing out my error.

*corrected error*

 

I was similar to you, I guess. I used to hate the Beatles with a rabid passion despite being a rock, pop, prog and metal fan. I also fell in love with classical, then opera, then jazz.

I tried again with The Beatles again in my early thirties and ... liked them. A fair amount. Unlike you I can't muster an absolute passion for them and there's none of their albums I could realistically rate as one of my favourites at this point, I find them too patchy, frequently messy and more than a little hit and miss. Their earlier albums are better consistency wise and will never stop being entertaining to me, but I don't listen to Sgt.Pepper, WHite Album or Abbey Road all the way through.

In short, I don't get the cult-ish worship they inspire around here. They're a good band but there are plenty of others that scratch itches just as well.

 

Classic LAMP (Look at me post)......

 

So the "He's So Fine"/"My Sweet Lord" controversy rears its head again!

This is hardly a full summation of the issue. In fact, the "legal argument" on the part of the estate of songwriter Ronnie Mack prevailed, and the judge found in their favor. It was the subsequent settlement phase of the case where figures were reduced. The decision was absolutely a blow to George Harrison.

However, as someone else pointed out, this has nothing to do with the subject of The Beatles' originality or lack of it, because "My Sweet Lord" wasn't a Beatles song. So strike two.


On the other hand, several others in the thread who've commented on "My Sweet Lord" have ignored the fact that it contains not one, but in fact, TWO melodic passages that are direct cops from "He's So Fine." How did everyone manage to miss "I don't know how I'm gonna do it" and "I really want to see you"? Identical melodically, and the second passage directly follows the first, just like in "He's So Fine."

One similarity might be explained away. I don't see how two can.

Only George knew for sure whether he copped his song from "He's So Fine" or not. (I'm certainly not about to say "He lied.") It could have been, as he tried to state, "subconscious plagiarism." But subconscious plagiarism is still plagiarism, and is legally actionable. The judge made the correct decision.

As John Lennon said at the time: "He must have known, you know. He's smarter than that ... He could have changed a couple of bars in that song and nobody could ever have touched him, but he just let it go and paid the price."


All this being said, the notion that The Beatles did absolutely nothing original in terms of melody, originality and overall excitement from 1963 forward (and I'm speaking strictly musically, not culturally) is ludicrous — and is once again the product of a rather severe lack of knowledge about the dynamics of that era.

 

When I asked you to list groups the Bestles copied I expected you hit me with your big gun immediately: the Crickets. But you replied with a plagiarism suit brought against the solo Harrison. Which frankly was kind of lame.

In case you don't know:
Holly/Crickets+(Everlys+Little Richard vocals)+(Chuck Berry+Brill Building songs)=Early Beatles

h/c+(e+lrv)+(cb+bbs)=eb

Maybe you just don't know that much about the Beatles, and you critiquing them would be like me critiquing John Coltrane.

 

He doesn't know much about The Chiffons or The Crystals either.

 

What took yo so long? You’ve missed out on many years of great music from this band. Better late than never I suppose.

 

If you play "God Only Knows" by Brian Wilson backwards it sounds almost exactly like..."Swonk Ylno Dog".

 

No one is immune to Easyfever!

 

Let's point out that there's a big difference between "copying" and "being influenced by."

The Beatles were never hesitant about pointing out their influences, and they did so with enthusiasm and gratitude.

But "copied"? What group does any of their first four singles sound like? I'd love for someone to list those singles in one column, and the corresponding group they "copied" in another one. Then dive into their album cuts. "There's a Place"? "It Won't Be Long"?

To anyone making this argument, you're on!

 

I still don't like Beets

 

The Beatles are such a big part of my life, and have been since I was born. So, it’s hard for me to comprehend people who don’t ‘get’ them.

Nevertheless, there are popular artists that I don’t ‘get’ either....for instance, I have never been much of a Who fan, and while I understand their importance in rock music, and the immense influence they’ve had on bands that I love (like Rush and KISS), I just don’t ‘get’ it. Maybe someday?

It took me a long time to start to like and appreciate The Beach Boys, and I’m still in that process. But within the last few years, I’ve come to realize why Pet Sounds is so highly regarded, and I consider Brian Wilson one of the greatest composers and artistic visionaries of all time. But the early, feel-good surfer stuff? It still doesn’t do much for me. And in the case of “Surfin’ USA”, I’d much rather listen to “Sweet Little Sixteen”.

 

Better late then never.

 

Confession. I never got the Beatles as a kid

till I bought a little album with a really cool cover at a flea market...

it is called Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. if only I knew.

..how my life would change

 

I am sure George regrets not crediting the original writers for his 'my sweet lord'...

Interesting that the writers of this dance song which was pretty big hit...


Officially credited McCartney for ripping his 'listen to what the man said' hook
and give him an official top 10 hit as a writer on the UK chart.

'Just the way you are' BY MILKY [2002]

 

I first got into them afterLennon was murdered, then moved on to other things.

In the early 2000s, when I was deeply into prog, I didn’t like them much. They were over-familiar.

Currently, I like them again and have picked up a load of the 2009 remasters.