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I never realized the similarity in the 2 songs myself. Its not like Vanilla Ice ripping off Queen/David Bowie, that was obvious.
Do you know what part of the song it was talking about? How long ago was the suit?
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I believe the bass-line is the big give-away Rubixgirl but I thought the similarity, despite being there was not worth giving poor Ray Parker Jnr a financial seeing off - especially since I think he made the better song.

In fact, it reminds of something I heard about George Harrison when, after releasing 'My Sweet Lord', he got criticized for copying The Chiffons hit 'He's so fine'. The similarity, although there, is quite subtle. Singers sample stuff all the time these days so I don't know what the big deal was.

Just modified to add: This thread was based on Maxwell Smart's post in a Billy Ocean thread would you believe it. He said the case was settled out of court in 1984.

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I never realized the similarity in the 2 songs myself. Its not like Vanilla Ice ripping off Queen/David Bowie, that was obvious.End Quote

Actually, Mr.Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice) paid a good sum of money for the rights to use the beat from David Bowie's song.

The drumbeat from When The Levee Breaks is one of the most frequently used samples in dance music, featuring for instance in Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. At one time the remaining Led Zep members took legal action against The Beastie Boys for their use of this drum sample on their first album. They also sampled the drums from The Ocean on that first album of theirs.

Of course, Led Zep got sued by Willie Dixon for stealing his lyrics for the song "Whole Lotta Love".  :P

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Actually, Mr.Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice) paid a good sum of money for the rights to use the beat from David Bowie's song.

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Actually, Queen (who was the actual band - Bowie was just joining in a duet), sued Vanilla Ice for his ripping off of "Under Pressure."  It settled out of court and he was forced to pay a ton in damages.  On a VH1 "Behind The Music" special, ol' Bobby denied he stole it and tried to say there was a difference.  Whatever!   ::)

To read the lawsuit, click here:  http://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=1901

Speaking of Huey vs. Ray Jr, I didn't even put the two songs together until the lawsuit.  I can hear the similarities, but honestly, they are two completely different songs!

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To me they don't sound alike.Which part is suppose to be ripped off?
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The main guitar piece of both songs.  They both start once the drums kick in.

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I'd have to look up exactly what the situation was.  I think the Ghostbusters people approached Huey Lewis about a deal before RPJ.  Lewis turned them down for some reason.  Anyway, Lewis didn't get the idea out of the clear blue.

There's a difference between copying and sampling.  Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and the like were sampling.

The pop song is a relatively simple form drawing from a limited pool of chords, harmonies, melodies, and rhythms.  A lot of the claims of plagiarism are coincidental and unfounded. Someone mention the Chiffons vs. George Harrison, which is a good example.  Billy Ocean's "Caribbean Queen," and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," the one I mentioned in the B.O. thread, is another.

I think the two songs ("Ghostbusters" and "Drug") sound quite similar, but if the Lewis didn't have anything else but the similarity to go on, the judge would have tossed the case out.  

Two songs I think are very similar--and people think I'm crazy until they listen to both back to back--are War's "Low Rider," and the Thompson Twin's "Lies."  It's in the funk beat and percussion....

Too bad they had to shoot them cows.  Oh, sorry, I've got Hud playing on AMC, nothing to do with the '80s.
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