What did George in was not simply the similarity of the melody, but the "grace note" or hesitation before he starts singing "My Sweet Lord"--he starts singing just after the beat.
BEAT . . . "My Sweet Lord" . . . .
Which is what . . . BEAT . . . "He's So Fine . . ." Does.
He was definitely guilty of plagiarism, whether it was unconscious or not became the real issue.
I think the real issue is: how many melody lines and beats can you have in a three-chord song (MSL has more than three, but not much more). That's why rap's so big now. It's nearly impossible to come up with anything completely original in that simple three-chord structure.
Oh to me back in the day when Buddy Holly could write "Peggy Sue" with three chords and it was as original as Gershwin!
Also, the Beatles were notorious "thieves" of hooks and riffs. Most obviously the "Day Tripper" riff. But you can't copyright a riff.
Can you imagine how many lawsuits there would be if every bluesman decided to go to litigation for plagiarism? Everyone would be suing everyone. Might make for a good Saturday Night Live skit.
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I think he was guilty in part - sometimes a tune will jump in your head that you might think you wrote but later realise is a re-write of something you've heard.
I believe the problem with George's case was that it was difficult to prove he hadn't heard of He's So Fine, especially as The Beatles were so into Girl Groups in the early Sixties.
So basically he didn't copy the song intentionally which is why the royalties were split.
Of course the opposite can be true; you might have a tune in your head that you're convinced is someone elses but turns out not to be - as in 'Yesterday' for example. Paul was positive this was someone elses song - that's why he played it to everyone who'd listen, to make sure it wasn't nicked!
The 'My Sweet Lord' case does seem to have been high profile - then and now. Of course it happens all the time - from the same period for example, listen to the songs 'Meet On The Corner'/'Streets Of London'. Was there also a problem with John Lennon's song 'Come Together'? That doesn't seem to get mentioned very much in the general media.
The 'My Sweet Lord' case does seem to have been high profile - then and now. Of course it happens all the time - from the same period for example, listen to the songs 'Meet On The Corner'/'Streets Of London'. Was there also a problem with John Lennon's song 'Come Together'? That doesn't seem to get mentioned very much in the general media.
"Paul Cashmere: How do you feel about "My Sweet Lord" these days. How did the court case surrounding that song effect your songwriting?
George Harrison: It didn't really affect my songwriting. I did record "This Song," which was kind of a comment about the situation. The thing that really disappoints me is when you have a relationship with one person and they turn out to betray you. Because the whole story of "My Sweet Lord" is based upon this fellow, Allan Klein, who managed the Beatles from about 1968 or '69, through until 1973. When they issued a complaint about "My Sweet Lord", he was my business manager. He was the one who put out "My Sweet Lord" and collected 20 percent commission on the record. And he was the one who got the lawyers to defend me, and did an interview in Playboy where he talked about how the song was nothing like the other song. Later, when the judge in court told me to settle with them, because he didn't think I'd consciously stolen their song, they were doing a settlement deal with me when they suddenly stopped the settlement. Some time elapsed, and I found out that this guy Klein had gone around the back door. In the meantime, we'd fired him. He went round the back door and bought the rights to the one song, "He's So Fine," in order to continue a law suit against me. He, on one hand, was defending me, then he switched sides and continued the law suit. And every time the judge said what the result was, he'd appeal. And he kept appealing and appealing until it got to the Supreme Court. I mean this thing went on for 16 years or something ... 18 years. And finally, it's all over with, and the result of it is I own "My Sweet Lord," and I now own "He's So Fine," and Allan Klein owes me like three or four hundred thousand dollars 'cause he took all the money on both songs. It's really a joke. It's a total joke.
Paul Cashmere: There's a movie plot in there somewhere.
George Harrison: There's definitely a book, because, now with any kind of law pertaining to infringement of copyright, they always quote this case. It's become the precedent in all these law students' books.
Paul Cashmere: So we might be seeing George Harrison make a guest appearance on "LA Law."
George Harrison: (Laughs) I doubt it, but we did keep a lot of lawyers employed for years, and we still are in one way or another. There's always some kind of bullshit going on."
. Was there also a problem with John Lennon's song 'Come Together'? That doesn't seem to get mentioned very much in the general media.
Yes. A little problem with Chuck Berry, but they settled out of court, so it never achieved the prominence of George's case. Hence the Chuck Berry songs on Johns' Rock'n'Roll album. I think the last high profile case was The Verve/Stones battle over Bitter Sweet Symphony (which The Stones won.)
... Of course the opposite can be true; you might have a tune in your head that you're convinced is someone elses but turns out not to be - as in 'Yesterday' for example. Paul was positive this was someone elses song - that's why he played it to everyone who'd listen, to make sure it wasn't nicked!
Although not part of this main subject, I notice that in the interview above, George refers to 'this guy Klein'. I don't think Paul ever did get full credit for being correct and not wanting him to manage the group (or an apology when the situation got out of control).
Yes. A little problem with Chuck Berry, but they settled out of court, so it never achieved the prominence of George's case. Hence the Chuck Berry songs on Johns' Rock'n'Roll album. I think the last high profile case was The Verve/Stones battle over Bitter Sweet Symphony (which The Stones won.)
Chuck stated that You Can't Catch Me (including the phrase: Here come a flat-top, he was movin' up with me) looked a lot like Come Together. The case was settled when John offered to include You Can't Catch Me on his Rock And Roll Album in 1975.
Although not part of this main subject, I notice that in the interview above, George refers to 'this guy Klein'. I don't think Paul ever did get full credit for being correct and not wanting him to manage the group (or an apology when the situation got out of control).
If you want to talk plagiarism, Paul's 'Anyway' off of Chaos and Creation is the most guilty tune i've ever heard. I'm not sure who owns the rights to 'People Get Ready', but Mr. Mayfields camp could have easily cashed in on this one. Even Nigel Godrich told Paul about it after the song was played and Paul shrugged it off and said he didnt care. Oh well.
as long as george didnt give an explaination like Vanilla Ice's for "Ice Ice Baby", i'll be happy. hey, every artist plagerises at somepoint. sadly, you cant be unique and creative all the time. just look at some artists out there, their songs sound so similar you cant tell if they changed songs or not.
"if asking, begging and pleading doesn't work, always go with a song and dance number."
I think this song has been made an example. It's also been said that he took inspiration from The Edwin Hawkins Singers version of 'Oh Happy Day' by tampering with the chordal accents of the song to produce 'My Sweet Lord'. But every songwriter has borrowed and disguised at some point - not just George! Was 'He's So Fine' an altered copy of some other song etc..?
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