Here’s a copyright infringement tale that goes a few layers deep, and one I think is a neat illustration of how similar elements can lead to completely different songs.
In 1972, singer-songwriter Albert Hammond released the song ‘The Air That I Breathe’ on his album It Never Rains in Southern California (the title track of which is his best-known hit). He wrote the song, which is embedded below as today’s SOTD, with Mike Hazelwood.
In the universe of 90s grunge bands, Nirvana is the favorite son and Stone Temple Pilots are the the red-headed stepchild. STP enjoyed a ton of commercial success but never received the critical acclaim of their counterparts.
In fact, they were often dismissed as imitators of Nirvana’s sound, even though both bands came up around the same time. Today’s song, ‘Creep,’ certainly sounds like it could be by Nirvana. Or maybe ‘Lithium’ sounds like it could be by Stone Temple Pilots?
I spent last week on songs by the four coaches of NBC’s The Voice, and this week I’m featuring performances by the show’s contestants.
Of the few dozen songs performed on the show over its 2 1/2 month run, not many really stood out as exceptional. Untested amateurs and semi-pros singing without the help of studio trickery in a high-pressure situation is not exactly a recipe for success.
But that air of uncertainty is what made these clips work. You can tell these are real people trying to fulfill a dream, and every note is weighed down with that drama.
Meet Me In Montauk 