Answers & Points - Lyrically Speaking - 1/19/09

[WheresFanny]

So by extension, any American Idol performance sold on iTunes is a valid cover artist?

That's a good question because some American Idolists are very well known for their covers (e.g. Ruben Studdard - Flying Without Wings)

That really is a good question, one that I don't think has ever come up since mp3s haven't been so prevalent until recent times.

I personally would say that it would need to be an actual recorded version that exists in a real format. Going back to lb's killer shower version of Sexyback, anybody can record themselves singing a song and even put it up on the internet for download. That doesn't mean they can be considered a singer that is legimately associated with that song.

But I"m old and still own more vinyl than cd, so what do I know?

[Estonut]

So by extension, any American Idol performance sold on iTunes is a valid cover artist?

That's a good question because some American Idolists are very well known for their covers (e.g. Ruben Studdard - Flying Without Wings)

That really is a good question, one that I don't think has ever come up since mp3s haven't been so prevalent until recent times.

I personally would say that it would need to be an actual recorded version that exists in a real format. Going back to lb's killer shower version of Sexyback, anybody can record themselves singing a song and even put it up on the internet for download. That doesn't mean they can be considered a singer that is legimately associated with that song.

clem wasn't talking about any mp3 on the internet. These aren't like videos on YouTube that anyone can post. These are legitimate, tracked sales with contracted percentages going back to the record label and artist. On the other hand, some of these AI Final 12 may never be heard from again.

[WheresFanny]

That's a good question because some American Idolists are very well known for their covers (e.g. Ruben Studdard - Flying Without Wings)

That really is a good question, one that I don't think has ever come up since mp3s haven't been so prevalent until recent times.

I personally would say that it would need to be an actual recorded version that exists in a real format. Going back to lb's killer shower version of Sexyback, anybody can record themselves singing a song and even put it up on the internet for download. That doesn't mean they can be considered a singer that is legimately associated with that song.

clem wasn't talking about any mp3 on the internet. These aren't like videos on YouTube that anyone can post. These are legitimate, tracked sales with contracted percentages going back to the record label and artist. On the other hand, some of these AI Final 12 may never be heard from again.

What I was getting at with my example was: at what point do you draw the line?

Here's my line: If the song is Bohemian Rhapsody, the answer is Queen. It isn't Kellie Pickler, it isn't Wayne and Garth, it isn't Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. It isn't a billion other people who have covered it or done tribute albums or whatever. It's Queen.

Ultimately, though, it's only one person's judgment that matters in this game and that's not me, you or Clem.

Spoiler

It's JJ Cale. Ha!

[Estonut]

That really is a good question, one that I don't think has ever come up since mp3s haven't been so prevalent until recent times.

I personally would say that it would need to be an actual recorded version that exists in a real format. Going back to lb's killer shower version of Sexyback, anybody can record themselves singing a song and even put it up on the internet for download. That doesn't mean they can be considered a singer that is legimately associated with that song.

clem wasn't talking about any mp3 on the internet. These aren't like videos on YouTube that anyone can post. These are legitimate, tracked sales with contracted percentages going back to the record label and artist. On the other hand, some of these AI Final 12 may never be heard from again.

What I was getting at with my example was: at what point do you draw the line?

Here's my line: If the song is Bohemian Rhapsody, the answer is Queen. It isn't Kellie Pickler, it isn't Wayne and Garth, it isn't Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. It isn't a billion other people who have covered it or done tribute albums or whatever. It's Queen.

Ultimately, though, it's only one person's judgment that matters in this game and that's not me, you or Clem.

Spoiler

It's JJ Cale. Ha!

You know as well as anyone that it's rarely as clear as Bohemian Rhapsody. What about songs like "After Midnight" or "Cocaine?" As far as 99.5% of the public knows, the definitive artist is Eric Clapton, not that songwriter (whatzizname) that wrote them and recorded them as well. What about something like "Red Red Wine," which a whole generation would attribute to the only version they know, by UB40, when it was actually written and performed by Neil Diamond. Is it more important to name the artist who wrote and originally (or later) performed the song, or the artist who put it on the map?

[WheresFanny]

clem wasn't talking about any mp3 on the internet. These aren't like videos on YouTube that anyone can post. These are legitimate, tracked sales with contracted percentages going back to the record label and artist. On the other hand, some of these AI Final 12 may never be heard from again.

What I was getting at with my example was: at what point do you draw the line?

Here's my line: If the song is Bohemian Rhapsody, the answer is Queen. It isn't Kellie Pickler, it isn't Wayne and Garth, it isn't Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. It isn't a billion other people who have covered it or done tribute albums or whatever. It's Queen.

Ultimately, though, it's only one person's judgment that matters in this game and that's not me, you or Clem.

Spoiler

It's JJ Cale. Ha!

You know as well as anyone that it's rarely as clear as Bohemian Rhapsody. What about songs like "After Midnight" or "Cocaine?" As far as 99.5% of the public knows, the definitive artist is Eric Clapton, not that songwriter (whatzizname) that wrote them and recorded them as well. What about something like "Red Red Wine," which a whole generation would attribute to the only version they know, by UB40, when it was actually written and performed by Neil Diamond. Is it more important to name the artist who wrote and originally (or later) performed the song, or the artist who put it on the map?

You should know as well as anyone that there's a pretty clear correlation between Bohemian Rhapsody and Afternoon Delight (and isn't that what we're beating to death here?). Both are iconic songs for the artist who wrote and recorded it and both have been immortalized (I guess, maybe I'm the only person left that can't stand WIll Ferrell and didn't see Anchorman) in film.

And the rest of your examples are so funny because I was actually thinking about that last night, but I didn't feel like posting the whole thing.

I mentioned (might have been here, might have been chat) that I really don't put down the writer of the song to be a pain in the ass, I put down who I associate the song with. For Joy to the World, I put Hoyt Axton because I think of that first and foremost as a Hoyt Axton song. For The No No Song, I put down Ringo Starr because I think of that as a Ringo Starr song, even though I of course know Hoyt Axton wrote it. When I think of Kentucky Rain, I think of Eddie Rabbitt, not Elvis Presley.

I even thought of a JJC example! When I think of Cocaine, I think of it as a JJC song. When I think of Call Me the Breeze, I think of it as a Skynyrd song.

I even came up with a short list of what I would qualify for an artist (this doesn't count standards, show tunes and the like).

1. They had the biggest hit
2. They did it first
3. They wrote the song
4. They charted the song

In your Red Red Wine example, I'd probably put UB40 because, although I obviously know Neil Diamond did it first, I like the UB40 version best. But either would be okay, because they both fit at least two of my criteria above.