Satriani Sues Coldplay

[jb4674]

Originally Posted by hall

If Satch wins, maybe "ENANITOS VERDES" should sue Joe...

Watch and listen to this, http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=G57CgtX-BsI, specifically at :36 in. Actually has a very Santana feel to it, to me.

Someone should teach you to step out of the mold and listen to other genres. That song by Los Enanitos Verdes has references in the melody part of Peabo Bryson's "Can You Stop The Rain", which was released on June 4, 1991. Although Peabo sings the melody, Staiti plays it on the guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBiQV4ofpHw

Jimmy

[jono]

Originally Posted by kotornut

I agree completely, come on people. Satriani is the most successful instrumental guitarist by far (in sales). Surfing with the Alien is more than once over platinum. He has tons of signature gear from companies wold renound, one of them, VOX, is also used by Coldplagiarism (Petie's word not mine) if memory serves. Not to mention he is, like Freak said, in and out of guitar magazines like crazy, on Youtube live, and in the Guitar Hero video games which not one of you can argue is unpopular.

It's absurd to think that musicians don't kow him. Yeah, hear in Japan teenie bop kids don't know him, but come on anyone who has ever picked up more than one guitar mag to look through or browsed sites like musicians friend or equivalent sites world wide has heard of him. At least they know his name. But I would venture to say they know more than his name. I bet they have heard more than one or two songs by him even if they ignorantly used the melody, chord progression, and tempo.

I was in a band that is very much like coldplay and indie/brit pop rock. And every single one of those guys knows Satch, Vai, Dream Theater and even Liquid Tension. Not to mention respects them as musicians deeply. Hell, the pianist/keyboardist introduced me to DT when he bought me Scenes From A Memory for my birthday about 8 years ago.

I have to agree, I'm sure I recall there being an interview with coldplay (or one of their contemporaries) mentioning Satch casually. The guitar press here worships Mr S (and rightly so) so if a coldplay guy reads a guitar magazine he'll know Satch.

I'd be suprised if they didn't know Satch's work but whether they copied from him (or one of the others) or not, I just don't know?

[Pursuit]

I'm gonna continue to stick with my idea on them using Fenders.

[rockguitar4ever]

listen to both tracks ,Joe is absolutely correct, it is no coincidence whatsoever, hope you win Joe, its certainly a very interesting situation

[ColinMmmmm]

I kinda hope he gets enough money from them so they have to stop making music . . . but it's probably pretty unlikely.

[Andy43]

Originally Posted by IbanezFreak777

Are you serious ? When those morons from coldplay were growing up and learning guitar, they most definatly had heard of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Its not like the UK's guitar scene are oblivious to them. I have tonnes of Guitar magazines from the UK and they are constantly plastered with Vai and satriani on the cover.

If anything Using a melody from a small Guitarist, on a top 40 high profile song , is the perfect way to get away with murder.

Id say any guitarist playing the electric, would have heard of Joe and most probably have listened to a few tracks before.

Dont kid yourself. Coldplay know exactly who Joe satriani is, before the suing... Id bet my J Custom on it....

I didn't say they haven't heard of him, I'm sure they have. But hearing a certain song by him is a whole nother thing. Where would they have ever heard the song? Certainly not on the radio. The only way I can think of would be to go out and buy the CD. Do you really think that a British pop band would bother with buying a CD of a genre of music I'm sure they have no interest in?

BTW, I don't want it to seem like I'm defending Coldplay in any way. I'm just trying to point out that coincidences DO happen, and that you have to look at the situation from both sides, not just the side you are rooting for.

[wilch]

Coincidences do happen.

But a note for note melody, with a note for note backing, at exactly the same tempo?

...that doesn't happen so much. Unless it's deliberate.


video here w/ both tracks overlaid at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofFw9DKu_I

[Batchimp RG]

Originally Posted by Andy43

And they would have to be complete a**holes to go looking for a song to steal.

It might not have been the actual members of the band that potentially copied Joe's song, it could be that someone in AR or a producer or whoever suggested this idea and demo'ed it for them. Coldplay have been under serious pressure from the second album to come up with the goods - and in a studio situation with a mega-band (and all it's music biz "helpers") they may have been open to any ideas

Being under pressure from labels, management etc etc often breaks a band's creativity...I reckon they needed all the help they could get

[Oscar Ortega]

Originally Posted by Batchimp RG

It might not have been the actual members of the band that potentially copied Joe's song, it could be that someone in AR or a producer or whoever suggested this idea and demo'ed it for them. Coldplay have been under serious pressure from the second album to come up with the goods - and in a studio situation with a mega-band (and all it's music biz "helpers") they may have been open to any ideas

Being under pressure from labels, management etc etc often breaks a band's creativity...I reckon they needed all the help they could get

You know, if that was the case, Coldplay could have made a few phone calls and gotten Joe on line and asked him to use his song OR have Joe be a part of the song...

I think thats a win/win situation as it could get Joe into a much bigger market and Coldplay could have gained some respect points.

Its unfortunate how they played their cards...but now they are paying the price for it.

[Myst and rain]

Originally Posted by Batchimp RG

It might not have been the actual members of the band that potentially copied Joe's song, it could be that someone in AR or a producer or whoever suggested this idea and demo'ed it for them. Coldplay have been under serious pressure from the second album to come up with the goods - and in a studio situation with a mega-band (and all it's music biz "helpers") they may have been open to any ideas

Being under pressure from labels, management etc etc often breaks a band's creativity...I reckon they needed all the help they could get

I never considered that.... That's an interesting thought, Mr. Wayne. But Brian Eno produced the Coldplay record. So doesn't that make it kind of unlikely? But if anything like what you think might have been the case actually went down, then that would be pretty awful, I must say.

[Petie]

Originally Posted by Andy43

Do you really think that a British pop band would bother with buying a CD of a genre of music I'm sure they have no interest in?

Don't you think it's possible that a guitarist in a pop band might like to listen to guitar music? Just because Coldplay don't play shred doesn't mean their guitarist might not have a few Satch CDs. Hell, Jeff Buckley was into Vai and played a roadflare red RG550 before he got signed.

[IbanezFreak777]

Originally Posted by Andy43

I didn't say they haven't heard of him, I'm sure they have. But hearing a certain song by him is a whole nother thing. Where would they have ever heard the song? Certainly not on the radio. The only way I can think of would be to go out and buy the CD. Do you really think that a British pop band would bother with buying a CD of a genre of music I'm sure they have no interest in?

BTW, I don't want it to seem like I'm defending Coldplay in any way. I'm just trying to point out that coincidences DO happen, and that you have to look at the situation from both sides, not just the side you are rooting for.

Why do you find it so hard to believe that a british guitarist growing up would not have bought a Joe Satriani CD. Many guitarists grow up learning how to play and when they come the realisation that they arnt going to be solo artists because they cant carry a solo for longer then 3 secs, they reside to the fact that they will be part of a band and just sprinkles some notes over the rest of a song.

There is every chance in the world that the guitarist from Coldplay has heard many of joes albums, and its very plauseable that he had heard the song....

Tommy lee from motley crew loves listening to gangsta Rap, and his band is 80's metal. Are you trying to say that Coldplay band members only listen to the same music as their own genre ? Cause that does not make sense....

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by Andy43

I didn't say they haven't heard of him, I'm sure they have. But hearing a certain song by him is a whole nother thing. Where would they have ever heard the song? Certainly not on the radio. The only way I can think of would be to go out and buy the CD. Do you really think that a British pop band would bother with buying a CD of a genre of music I'm sure they have no interest in?

BTW, I don't want it to seem like I'm defending Coldplay in any way. I'm just trying to point out that coincidences DO happen, and that you have to look at the situation from both sides, not just the side you are rooting for.

I love big band a swing. I also love soundtrack music. I was in and out of metal bands most of my life. ANd now I play in a hard rock band. We don't all listen to only one genre.

Coincidence or not, they still did it. I'm not saying that they're guilty for sure of trying to steal a song it's just that the song is remarkable similar. Someone in this thread said "ignorance is not an excuse," and it's true. In court you could still be found guilty even if you were ignorant that what you were doing was illeagal. Satch said he made numerous attempts to do all of this outside of court and got no response from Coldplay. That speaks a little bit about their attitude about this though.

[eviltwin]

I'm betting Satriani (or his label) weren't the only ones banging on Coldplay's door about plagiarism:

...let's add Creaky Boards (2007):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUhFLiw6h6s

and Alizée (2003) to the mix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnD5laDP8A0

Satch + Alizée + Coldplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6uWfLKrr-s


the fact that Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno was involved is a bit disconcerting, given his association with U2 (and Coldplay ripping off U2)

[Myst and rain]

I remembered this post from Wade:

Originally Posted by waylay00

"Revelation" has some pretty catchy lines (almosts sounds Coldplay-ish).